The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About07/06/2010 04A Draft Minutes 05-11-2010 Adjourned Meeting - Study SessionYAKIMA CITY COUNCIL ADJOURNED MEETING — STUDY SESSION MAY 11, 2010 - 8:00 -9:30 A.M. COUNCIL CHAMBERS — YAKIMA CITY HALL 1. Roll Call Present: Council: Mayor Micah Cawley, presiding, Assistant Mayor Kathy Coffey, Council Members Maureen Adkison, Dave Edler, Rick Ensey, Dave Ettl and Bill Lover Staff: City Manager Zais, Chief Granato,'Lt. Merrryman, and City Clerk Kloster 2. Report from Council Public Safety Committee and City Management regarding a Gang -Free Initiative After City Manager Zais gave opening statements, Chief Granato gave history of actions to date and reviewed the details of the Executive Summary covering the areas of suppression, ,prevention /intervention, staff assignments, next steps, and ongoing efforts. Suppression activities: • Continue emphasis patrols in affected neighborhoods • Utilizing overtime officers, proactive unit officers and gang enforcement officers • Pursue federal funding for gang suppression through the FBI. Safe Streets program Utilize covert and overt surveillance methods • Work to strengthen City ordinances and state laws to enhance crimes that are gang- related Prevention /Intervention: • Police Athletic League (PAL), publicize and enhance offerings •. Three School Resource Officers, increased by two additional resource officers • The GREAT program Pursue a boys and girls club through a federal grant • Southeast Community Center prevention /intervention programs . • Establishment of the Gang Information Hot Line Staff Assignments: • Full time overseer of the program assigned to Lt. Mike Merryman • Working with CED Director and the Public Safety Committee Chairman to create a template for Lt. Merryman to review. He has been permanently assigned to work on this project as well as being the liaison to the County's Gang Commission. STUDY SESSON — GANG FREE INITIATIVE MAY 11, 2010 Next Steps: • Obtain full City Council input • Receive input from the steering committee and citizens • Look for funding for a Gang Free Initiative (GFI) Coordinator • Develop accountability and performance measurements Lt. Merriman reviewed the GFI Plan that was provided in the Council packet and explained the organization chart. There will be three subcommittees, each chaired by a member of the steering committee (Suppression, Prevention, and . Intervention.) They are working with the County to develop a coordinated effort. Awareness of the issue is critical so people become willing to get involved; the awareness campaign kicked off April 10th and will continue through July: City Manager Zais spoke about the GFI Coordinator position. Rather than starting a new position this year they conceived a personal services contract with specific responsibilities. With regard to the funding, he.recommends.using the City's contingency reserves for the balance of this year until we are able to identify other revenue sources in the future. Community and Economic Development Manager Morales spoke about neighborhoods becoming organizational units. As we progress further and the City's local investment begins to be depleted, it ultimately becomes the responsibility of the neighborhood. The duties for a coordinator listed in a contract are a mix of an implementation person and someone who comes in from an upper level to assess the needs of a community and works at establishing support through agencies. He requested Council permission to solicit for someone of this type; someone who has a reputation staked in this field, has done it before and can have conversations at the grass root level. Council discussion: They would like to look into filling the coordinator position soon. City Manager Zais offered that it may be someone who has their own practice; or it may be a firm. The estimated cost would be $75,000. The question was raised whether we have looked in -house for someone to fill the position. Chief Granato commented that this takes a coordination effort bigger than the Police Department and it is going to take dollars. We need someone that can bring together the community and the neighborhoods. Council Member Lover would like to see us concentrate on suppression. CED Director Morales said we would like to have someone under contract in the next 30- 45-days. They are budgeting $75,000 for the remainder of 2010 although they are not sure we will need all of it for the first phase of implementation. It will be at least a year process.to implement the gang initiative plan. An important aspect is an effective steering committee who will set the agenda for the coordinator to implement. 3. Audience Comments • Nick Hughes stated the frustration of the grass roots groups and said he didn't want the Council to "reinvent the wheel" with this proposal. He said there were • STUDY SESSON — GANG FREE INITIATIVE MAY.11, 2010 programs in Los Angeles that were successful in abating gang violence and encouraged Council to study them. • Police Sgt. Mike Costello assured Council that the YPPA:is in full support of this initiative and will do everything they canto move the program forward. • Former Council Member Sonia Rodriguez offered recommendations that can be acted on now while the Council pushes the GFI forward. She stated her neighborhood has formed the Northeast Yakima Block Watch and has sponsored a crime prevention .fair that was very successful. Council discussion continued with major points being: • The prevention /intervention portion has to be owned by the community. • Suppression is the Police Department's responsibility. • The Council should make a sustained effort at the state level to change the employment laws to allow kids to get part-time work and earn money; possibly a two = tiered minimum wage. • Look into putting the "A ",Street project on hold and diverting those funds. It was explained that there are caps in various areas of the CDBG funds that may preclude that idea. • The faith -based community is putting forth efforts to clean up neighborhoods and challenges the community to get involved. • Need to have legitimate things that the community'can do in writing so everyone knows their part. • With regard to suppression, if we determine we are in a crisi, we can take it to the next level by declaring an emergency. It was the consensus of Council to discuss the GFI more thoroughly at a future date. COFFEY MOVED AND ADKISON SECONDED TO ADOPT THE RECOMMENDED GANG FREE INITIATIVE AND MOVE FORWARD IMMEDIATELY. The motion carried by a 6 -1 roll call vote; Edler voting no. 4. Adjournment EDLER MOVED AND ENSEY SECONDED TO ADJOURN. The motion carried by unanimous voice vote. The meeting adjourned at 9:55 a.m. READ AND CERTIFI ED, ACCURATE BY COUNCIL MEMBER I DATE COUNCIL MEMBER DATE ATTEST: CITY CLERK MICAH CAWLEY, MAYOR . Minutes prepared by Linda Watkins. A CD and DVD of this meeting are available in the City Clerk's Office 3