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HomeMy WebLinkAbout102402 PTS Minutes MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY OF TEMECULA PUBLIC/TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMISSION OCTOBER 24, 2002 CALL TO ORDER The City of Temecula Public/Traffic Safety Commission convened in a regular meeting at 6:00 P.M., on Thursday, October 24, 2002, in the City Council Chambers of Temecula City Hall, 43200 Business Park Drive, Temecula, California. FLAG SALUTE The audience was led in the Flag salute by Commissioner Katan. ROLL CALL Present: Commissioners Coe, Connerton, Katan, * Wedel, and Chairman Lanier. Absent: None. Also Present: Director of Public Works Hughes, Director of Human Resources Yates, Senior Engineer Moghadam, Associate Engineer Gonzalez, Battalion Chief McBride, Police Chief Domenoe, Police Lieutenant Pingel, Police Sergeant Lohman, Officer Wait, Administrative Secretary Pyle, and Minute Clerk Hansen. * (Commissioner Wedel arrived at 6:01 P.M.) PRESENTATIONS/PROCLAMATIONS Introduction of new Fire Department Staff- Battalion Chief McBride It is noted that this presentation was postponed. Presentation of the Temecula Police Department's Procedures re.qardin.q Meqan's Law Sergeant Wait provided an overview of the history behind Megan's Law; noted that citizens can check for sex registrants in the community at the Old Town Police Storefront on Mondays and Thursdays from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., and on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 12:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.; that Megan's Law Computer Program was also accessible to the public at the French Valley Southwest Sheriff's Station on Tuesdays through Fridays from 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.; that individuals desirous of checking for sex registrants must be either 18 years of age, or accompanied by a parent R:\trafficminutes\102402 I of guardian, and must have a valid California Drivers License or California Identification Card; that no appointments were required; that convicted sex offenders were prohibited from viewing the information; that the information provided to the public was restricted by State Law; and that the City of Temecula had no high risk offenders. Chairman Lanier relayed kudos to the City staff, Police staff, and the City's Webmaster for the partnership created to provide the citizens access to this information, advising that the City of Temecula has one of the best websites he had seen. Sergeant Wait clarified the differences between the pin maps (provided via the websites) and the Megan's Law Computer Program (available at the police stations); for Commissioner Coe, speciifed how the information was obtained which was typically accessed by use of a zip code; and noted that the program shuts down after 15 minutes to allow for an alternate user. Echoing Chairman Lanier's comments, Commissioner Wedel relayed kudos to the City of Temecula for being in the lead with implementation of the program, noting his disappointment with the State of California for severely restricting the amount of information available compared to the data available in other states. Further commenting on Commissioner Wedel's remarks regarding forwarding information to the State with respect to Megan's Law, Director of Human Resources Director of Human Resources Yates relayed that the City has addressed this issue with the League of California Cities in order to get support at that level in efforts to change the State Law. PUBLIC COMMENTS No comments. COMMISSION CONSENT CALENDAR Minutes of September 26, 2002 RECOMMENDATION: 1.1 Approve the Minutes of September 26, 2002. MOTION: Commissioner Connerton moved to approve Consent Calendar Item No. 1. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Katan and voice vote reflected unanimous approval. COMMISSION BUSINESS 2. Temecula Citizen Corps Pro.qram RECOMMENDATION: 2.1 That the Public/Traffic Safety Commission receive the presentation and make a recommendation to the City Council. Director of Human Resources Yates provided an overview of the Temecula Citizen Corps Program, relaying the plan to broaden the current Neighborhood Watch Program, to provide educational forums in the community regarding emergency management, to provide training, and to have the Public/Traffic Safety Commissioners and the City Councilmembers meet with residents on a quaderly basis; and advised that the program outline had been included in the agenda packets for Public/Traffic Safety Commission's review. Police Lieutenant Pingel noted the efforts to assess the City's current state with regard to public safety and emergency preparedness and to develop goals for the future; relayed that Community Services Officer Fanene currently oversees the current Neighborhood Program with Ms. Judy Evans; that City Councilmembers Naggar and Comerchero have relayed a desire to expand this program; that Temecula has a Iow crime rate which has contributed to the lack of strong interest in the community regarding Neighborhood Watch Programs; and speciifed the goals of the new Citizen Corps Program inclusive of emergency preparation and disaster preparedness, the volunteer structure, the development of an effective immediate communication system with all the geographical districts within the City which would aid in assessing the impacts during a disaster, the Police administration of the program and the implementation of Fire Department Safety Programs. Mr. Phillip Bardos, Coodinator for Emergency Services with the Riverside County Fire Department, noted the assistance and guidance provided to the City with respect to emergency management issues via the Fire Department; relayed the importance of the Citizen Corps Program Members learning to be self-sufficient (in particular during the first 48-72 hours of an emergency incident), to be prepared for a disaster, to be trained in needed life-saving skills and rescuer safety, to be familiar with how the emergency system operates during an incident, to be organized, to act as an extension of the first- responder services, and to be able to offer immediate information and assistance during the initial stages of a disaster. Offering concluding comments, Director of Human Resources Yates relayed that the Citizen Corps Program has modeled programs from the Office of Homeland Security, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in conjunction with the Neighborhood Watch Program; and that vital radio equipment and training opportunities for the program would most likely be provided with funding via State and Federal grants. For Commissioner Connerton, Director of Human Resources Yates speciifed the role the Public/Traffic Safety Commission would have with regard to the program, i.e., participating with the City Councilmembers in quarterly neighborhood meetings, and acting as ambassadors for the program; reiterated the program's coordination with the Police Department which would provide a management structure; confirmed that the Public/Traffic Safety Commission would be welcomed as volunteers in the program; and noted staff's desire for input regarding the program from the Public/Traffic Safety Commission. Commissioner Wedel relayed kudos to the individuals who have aided in the organizing of this program, advising that it made him proud to be a resident in the City of Temecula. in response to Public/Traffic Safety Commission comments, Director of Human Resources Yates noted that the success of this program would be due to efforts from the volunteer residents in the program, individuals with the passion to make Temecula a better place to live; for Commissioner Wedel, specified the structure of the program; noted the impodance of the Public/Traffic Safety Commission's direction with respect to policy; relayed the plan for the program to recognize the volunteers' efforts with awards and certificates; advised that the City Council recently authorized the purchase of a Reverse 9-1-1 System which would aid in the communication capabilities with the Citizen Corps Program coordinators; for Commissioner Connerton, relayed that avenues for making the volunteers aware of the support of the Public/Traffic Safety Commission would be via the recognition awards and certificates presented to the volunteers and via the Commissioners participation in the community meetings. In response to Commissioner Katan's queries regarding whether this type of program was being implemented in any other cities, Director of Human Resources Yates relayed that Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training, which was a program under FEMA, was conducted with the Guidant employees in Temecula, and that alternate communities in Riverside County had implemented the program on a community-wide basis i.e., Canyon Lake; and advised that efforts related to developing this particular Citizen Corps Program were aimed at utilizing the existing model of the Neighborhood Watch Program and provide additional resources into that structure, i.e., training. Providing additional information, Mr. Bardos speciifed alternate cities which had CERT programs in place, which was disaster preparedness, enumerating what the program entailed; and advised that while programs were currently being implemented in alternate cites, the CERT programs were not to the same level as the plan for the Citizen Corps Program. Commissioner Katan relayed that he wholeheartedly supported the concept of the Public/Traffic Safety Commissioners attending quarterly community meetings. · For Commissioner Katan, Police Lieutenant Pingel relayed that components of the CAP Program would be integrated into the Citizen Corps Program, the CAP volunteers serving as liaisons between the Police Department and the Citizen Corps Program volunteers; and specified what the 40-hour training program for CAP volunteers encompassed. Ms. Judy Evans, City Coordinator for the Neighborhood Watch Program in Temecula, enumerated the benefits of the new program, e.g., potential for a significant increase in support and training; and relayed hopes of the program being successful. In response to Commissioner Connerton's previous statements, Commissioner Coe opined that as the new program is established and expands, the duties of the Public/Traffic Safety Commissioners would most likely expand as needs arose, specifying activities the Public/Traffic Safety Commissioners could be involved with at this time, advising that in emergency situations traffic would be impacted; and concurred with the benefits of developing this type of program. Director of Human Resources Yates commented on the wiliness of individuals to become more involved in their community since the September 11th incident, advising that with the participation of volunteer efforts, greater safety could be attained for the residents in the City of Temecula. In response to Director of Human Resources Yates' comments, the Public/Traffic Safety Commission relayed its support of the program, Commissioner Connerton concurring with the concept of having the Public/Traffic Safety Commissioners attend community meetings. Chairman Lanier commended the incremental approach the City has taken to address emergency disaster preparedness. MOTION: Commissioner Connerton moved to recommended that the City Council accept and expeditiously implement the Temecula Citizen Corps Program. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Wedel and voice vote reflected unanimous approval. 3. Commission Meetinq Schedule - November and December of 2002 RECOMMENDATION: 3.1 That the Public/Traffic Safety Commission direct the Secretary to cancel and reschedule the regular meetings for November and December 2002, and to perform the appropriate postings and noticing requirements per the Government Code. Due to the upcoming holidays and the conflict with the Commission's meeting schedule, Senior Engineer Moghadam relayed that staff was recommending that the Public/Traffic Safety Commission reschedule the November and December meetings. MOTION: Commissioner Connerton moved to approve staff's recommendation and to cancel the November and December meetings and to schedule one meeting on December 12, 2002. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Coe and voice vote reflected unanimous approval. TRAFFIC ENGINEER'S REPORT In response to Commissioner Wedel's queries regarding the statistics included in the Traffic Engineer's report, Senior Engineer Moghadam provided additional information regarding the apparent increase in traffic at twenty-five percent (25%) of the locations denoted, advising that most of these locations were impacted due to construction activities in the surrounding area during the previous year; confirmed that most of these volume counts were one-day counts, confirming that many factors, i.e., weather, roadway conditions, and accidents can affect the data; and advised that this report was for informational purposes only and that if a specific area was targeted for additional review, a comprehensive data analysis would be conducted. With respect to the volume percentage increase/decrease data included in the Traffic Engineer's Report, Director of Public Works Hughes relayed that he investigated the locations with major percentage changes to ensure that there were not alarming changes which would need further analysis; advised that the best gauge for overall traffic impacts at each location would be the Level of Service (LOS) levels denoted in the last column of the data; in response to Chairman Lanier's comments, noted that while efforts have been expended with RTA to investigate avenues to increase rider ship in mass transit, that in a Citywide survey, mass transit had been one of the lowest rated issues of importance; advised that typically for mass transit to be successful, there needed to be high densities, and traveling by automobile would need to be difficult, additionally noting that mass transit was successful in countries where gas prices were extremely costly; regarding the traffic analysis in the Traffic Engineer's Report, for Commissioner Wedel, noted that at each location where there were unsatisfactory Levels of Service the City had projects underway to address those impacts. Additional discussion ensued regarding utilizing alternate routes when traveling within the City. Commissioner Connerton commended staff for the excellent work regarding effectively addressing the traffic in the City. Referencing the Traffic Engineer's report, Commissioner Katan queried staff as to what the recommended solution would be to address the locations that had the highest mid-block collisions. In response, Senior Engineer Moghadam advised that staff would recommend the installation of a median to address this particular issue. Director of Public Works Hughes updated the Public/Traffic Safety Commission regarding planned median projects and upcoming proposed median projects, advising, for Commissioner Connerton, that a Jefferson Avenue Median Project would most likely be presented to the Public/Traffic Safety Commission in the near future, noting that while the median project would create a safer condition, opposition was anticipated from the businesses which would not have access from the median; noted that staff could agendize the matter of informing the Public/Traffic Safety Commission how peak accident traffic intersections and mid-block locations were being addressed, Senior Engineer Moghadam noting that a ratio rate comparing the number of collisions with the volume counts could be provided for these locations. POLICE CHIEF'S REPORT Providing a Police Department update for the Public/Traffic Safety Commission, Police Sergeant Lohman relayed the following: · An overview of the recent fatal accident involving a six-year old boy; That the Rod Run Event which was held on October 11th and 12th was successful, commending Officer Nelson for his diligent efforts regarding planning and staffing for this event; · That at a recent DUI checkpoint, there were approximately three DUI arrests, as well as three or four arrests for alternate violations; · That the Race for the Cure Event had been a well-organized event; That the two new Motorcycle Officers would begin training school next week, followed by a brief Field Training Officer Program, and would be subsequently added to the Police force. In response to Chairman Lanier's queries, that Deputy Rahn would be organizing the Every Fifteen Minutes Program at Temecula Valley High School, and could be reached at the school or via his pager number; and For Commissioner Connerton, that there have been difficulties with e-mailing recently, confirming that he did e-mail the Public/Traffic Safety Commissioners with the DUI checkpoint information, Commissioner Connedon requesting that the location information also be included in the information. FIRE CHIEF'S REPORT Providing a Fire Department update for the Public/Traffic Safety Commissioners, Battalion Chief McBride noted the following: · That the Tractor Race had been uneventful with a few minor injuries unrelated to the rage; · That while at the Rod Run Event there were no reportable injuries, there was one gentleman experiencing chest pain which was not event-related; · That fire season was not over, noting efforts to caution residents regarding the anticipated upcoming Santa Aha winds; · With respect to Halloween safety, relayed that Fire Department staff have investigated numerous haunted house-type sites; and That in light of the upcoming Christmas season and merchants receiving a plethora of merchandise, a letter was being distributed to merchants in town which would provide the following: a checklist for the merchants to check their own store to ensure that they were in compliance with Fire Safety Law, an offer of assistance from the Fire Department staff, if needed, and a notice of an upcoming meeting which would address safety. COMMISSION REPORTS For Commissioner Katan's queries regarding Conflict of Interest issues, Director of Public Works Hughes relayed that staff would obtain legal advisement from the City Attorney regarding the parameters and forward the information to Commissioner Katan, additionally noting that if a Commissioner had a question regarding whether there was a Conflict of Interest on a particular issue, the City Attorney could be contacted. Commenting on his experience attending a DUI checkpoint in the City of Temecula, Commissioner Coe commended the Police Department for their excellent work. In order to better serve the public, Commissioner Wedel suggested that when citizens' concerns were agendized and presented to the Public/Traffic Safety Commission that their comments be heard at the hearing, that the citizens take part in the discussion process, and that a recommendation not be set forth until the subsequent hearing in order to provide a 30-day period for the citizens to R:~lrafficminutes\102402 7 assimilate the information provided and to gain a better understanding of the issue. Additional discussion ensued regarding the current process of addressing agendized issues, Commissioner Connerton noting the importance of the Public/Traffic Safety Commission having staff's recommendation due to the reflected expertise, training, and the knowledge of the pertaining laws and regulations, advising that the Public/Traffic Safety Commission did not always accept staff's specific recommendation. Director of Public Works Hughes provided additional information regarding the process from the time a citizen's concern was initially brought to staff, advising that numerous times the concern was completely addressed between staff and the citizen without the need for a hearing; relayed that by the time an item was heard by the Public/Traffic Safety Commission or the City Council a large amount of work has already been expended, staff has contacted the citizen to ensure that their concern was understood, analysis has been conducted, advising that staff's report is provided at the hearing to provide data regarding the issue, and to inform the residents to be available for questions of the Public/Traffic Safety Commission; noted the benefits of staff being able to address the Commission after the public comments; and clarified that the Public/Traffic Safety Commission had the prerogative to continue an item to the next meeting. Clarifying his suggestion, Commissioner Wedel relayed that if an item was discussed at one meeting, and the recommendation set forth at a subsequent meeting, the citizens could have a greater understanding regarding the issues associated with the item, i.e., the warrant criteria, which justifies the installation of a stop sign. For informational purposes, Director of Public Works Hughes relayed the hours staff spends with citizens, providing analysis data, and warrant information in an effort to better inform citizens, noting that oftentimes when citizens have determined what the solution was for their concern, additional information does not change that determination. Commissioner Coe opined that residents desire to have resolution regarding their concern and would not be desirous of having to attend two meetings to have their issues addressed. Commissioner Katan suggested that the educational process takes longer when one was emotionally involved, noting that at one time he had been a citizen with a concern; and advised that he has become better informed since serving on the Public/Traffic Safety Commission, in part from the staff reports, analysis and advisement. Commissioner Connerton thanked staff for their excellent work regarding the Traffic Engineer's report, as well as the report to the City Council regarding the Pedestrian Bridge Project; and thanked all who aided in the Race for the Cure Event, which was a great success. R:\trafficminutes\102402 8 Referencing a newspaper article, Chairman Lanier commended Commissioner Connerton for his assistance with the Safe House Main Street Project, a supervised living facility for young adults who otherwise would be homeless. ADJOURNMENT At 8:15 P.M. Chairman Lanier formally adjourned this meeting to Thursday, December 12, 2002 at 6:00 P.M., in the City Council Chambers, 43200 Business Park Drive, Temecula. ~Lanier Admi~i~r'~d,J~e secretary Anita Pyle R:\t r afficmin u t es~102402 9