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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-01-2001MUNICIPAL SERVICES COMMITTEE MEETING FEBRUARY 1, 2001 PRESENT: Asst. Chief Marion Dukes, Police; David P. O'Dea, Police; Dave Osaki, Planning; Stan Laatsch, Fire; Mike Gerber, Fire; Mayor Chuck Booth; Chief Bob Johnson, Fire; Mike Archbold, South County Journal; Paul Krauss, Planning; Rich Wagner, City Council; Trish Borden, City Council; Fred Poe, City Council; Diane Supler, City of Auburn; Brenda Heineman, City of Auburn; Asst. Chief Russ Vandver, Fire; Training Chief Dan Bosch, Fire; Mel Blackstone, DLR Consultants Minutes of the meeting were tape recorded and are available for review for 1 year from the date of the meeting. Chairperson Poe called the meeting to order at 5:00 PM. He explained the purpose of the special meeting was to better understand the needs of the Fire and Police Departments so that the planning committee could clarify those needs with DLR Building Consultants and city leaders. The Fire Department presentation was narrated by Dan Bosch. The goal of the Fire department is to arrive at 80% of emergency calls in 5 minutes or less. At this time only 43% of the 9-1-1 calls are reached in that time. He quoted coverage statistics from 1982 up through the present. He also showed the projected population growth of Auburn. The current station limitations included not providing training and drill areas for mandatory training, not designed for female firefighters, and not adequately serving the needs of the community. The Fire Department's goal is to build on a 50 year plan so facilities will be adequate 50 years from now. Their proposal included relocating Station 33 (GSA station) further south; retain the GSA site for training and/or maintenance; relocate Station 31 (near Fred Meyers) further north and relocate the maintenance facility to M & O or the GSA site; construct a fourth Fire Station in the downtown corridor; and remodel Station 32 (1951 "R" Street SE). Audience concerns included the future growth of Lakeland Hills. Coverage there is a concern to the Fire Department, and they have been working with East Pierce Fire & Rescue since the area includes both Pierce and King counties. The relocation of Station 33 is the first priority due to the rapid growth in Lakeland Hills. Relocating the GSA station further south would provide better coverage for that area. Redistribution of the stations would redistribute the number of calls per station and be more equitable. Presently we receive no mutual aid from the Boeing Company for incidents outside their boundaries but do receive some assistance with hazardous materials disposal. Stations that provide aid service only require a staff of 9 while a full station with a fire engine and aid vehicle Municipal Services Meeting February 1,2001 Page 1 requires 23 people. The aid vehicle has two and the engine three firefighters staffing them around the clock. Police Chief Kelly and Commander Lathrop presented the options to building an inside range. Most outdoor ranges are in jeopardy of closing due to rapid urbanization. A survey of outside agency range use options was distributed. Most of them were not available and those that were had several drawbacks. The negatives included distance from the police station which could incur overtime expense for officers, limited availability, and the possibility of impending closure. A memo describing each of the seven options was distributed and reviewed. The option favored by the police department included a 25 yard indoor range and building a new outdoor range or upgrading the present in-house outside range. The outside range would be used for rifle practice. Audience concerns and questions included the possibility of joining other agencies in building new ranges. This is a very small possibility since several agencies are currently using our facilities and due to environmental restrictions, it is difficult to get building permits for outdoor ranges. Besides the number of hours of gun practice that are mandatory for officers, the range is also used by the Valley SWAT team. Officers are encouraged to go on their own to practice more than just the mandatory number of hours. Mel Blackstone, DLR representative, thanked the Fire and Police Departments for their presentations. He distributed and reviewed Impacts of Fire Department/Firing Range on Public Safety Building. He observed that most of the downtown building sites are very limited in size and parking is at a premium. However, the inside firing range located in the Public Safety BUilding would have advantages. Councilperson Wagner suggested if open to the public, it would give citizens a positive reason to visit the building. The city's liability would have to be considered before range could be opened to the public. The consultants are using year 2010 projected population figures in planning the public safety building. These figures include the potential annexation areas. The size of the new jail was discussed. Auburn has experienced it's highest daily incarceration rate in 2000. While using those figures, consideration is also being given to the increasing number of inmates being transferred to the Yakima County Jail and Electronic Home Monitoring. Consultant Blackstone assured the cells and dorms would be large enough to handle any overpopulation. After expressing appreciation to all in attendance, Mr. Poe adjourned the meeting at 6:20 PM. Next regular meeting is Monday, February 5, 2001, at 5:00 PM in Meeting Room 3. Municipal Services Meeting February 1, 2001 Page 2 Administrative Services Secretary Aubum Police Department Municipal Services Meeting February 1, 2001 Page 3