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
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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
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Administrative Services Secretary
Aubum Police Department
Municipal Services Meeting
February 1, 2001
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