United City of Yorkville Public Safety Committee met March 5.
Here is the minutes provided by the committee:
In Attendance:
Chairman Seaver Tarulis Alderman Daniel Transier
Alderman Joel Frieders Alderman Jackie Milschewski
Other City Officials in Attendance:
Police Chief Jim Jensen
Others in Attendance: None
The meeting was called to order at 6:01pm by Chairman Seaver Tarulis and a quorum was established.
Citizen Comments: None
Minutes for Correction/Approval: January 2, 2020
The minutes were approved as presented.
New Business:
1. PS 2020-06 Monthly Report Review
Chief Jensen gave a comparison of the number of employees from 2018 to 2019 and said they are now fully staffed. He reported on community events, training, auto accidents and he said the crashes continue at Rt. 126 and Rt. 47. Alderman Frieders said he is aware of a sign with flashing lights for a similar situation. The Chief said the intersection has a sight line issue and the info has been given to Public Works Director Eric Dhuse who forwarded it to IDOT. Galena Rd. and Rt. 47 has the second highest number according to Chief Jensen and the committee briefly discussed the issues there.
Chief Jensen also commented on the number of stops being made, but tickets issued are comparatively low. He said 4,000 traffic stops were made in the last 6 months, with only 20% tickets being issued and 80% written warnings. All agreed that trucks are slowing on Rt. 47. He said Tuesday is the big crash day and targeted enforcement will be undertaken in the future. He reported on Part I and II crimes which are down in both parts compared to 2018, though calls for service increased.
2. PS 2020-07 Adjudication Reports for December 2019-February 2020
Many Building and Zoning tickets were written along with some traffic and cannabis tickets for underage persons. Chief Jensen said vape sensors have been installed in the schools.
3. PS 2020-08 COPS Hiring Grant
A grant application was submitted for a 3-year contract for staffing with reimbursement up to $125,000 total. It was written for the schools and if awarded, the Chief said an additional school resource officer would be hired. The grant would be funded for salary and benefits and the grants will be awarded in June or July.
Chief Jensen is working with the schools for a violence prevention grant. The award would be $300,000-$500,000. Alderman Frieders shared comments about a security issue he observed at the high school. Chairman Tarulis shared compliments about the professional manner in which an officer handled a situation at one of the schools.
4. PS 2020-09 Strategic National Stockpile Plan
A plan will be put into place in the event of a serious situation, including the virus recently seen. He said all cities would go to the county to pick up whatever supplies were required. They are looking at staffing, a central pick-up point and all other details. All department heads will be attending certain levels of training prior to mid-year.
5. PS 2020-10 Emergency Pipeline Plan
There are two major pipelines that run through Yorkville, said Chief Jensen. A police staff member recently attended training for the event of a major pipeline breach. It is part of a preparedness plan for the city and emergency numbers are being gathered.
Old Business:
1. PS 2019-28 Fleet Status and Options
Chief Jensen spoke about the ongoing discussions regarding the proposed vehicle leasing. He said research was done for feasibility and for the possibility of the City acting as their own leasing agent. Engaging with Enterprise would cost about $3,000 more per year than for the city to do it. He said $150,000 is being proposed for the upcoming budget which would fund about 3 squads. After consideration, he recommended not entering into a lease program with Enterprise.
The Chief briefly discussed squad equipment and said the most expensive items are the radios and in-car video cameras. He said KenCom is paying for the radios and licensing and in an emergency, the officers can switch to an encrypted channel.
Chairman Tarulis and Chief Jensen recently attended a meeting with the Health Department concerning the coronavirus. They discussed how to handle and contain it and to also develop a response.
There was also a brief discussion of a possible sharing of resources with the Kendall County Sheriff if an addition was built on to the Public Safety building for the Police Department.
Additional Business
None
There was no further business and the meeting was adjourned at 7:05pm
https://www.yorkville.il.us/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/3485
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