OLD SAYBROOK POLICE COMMISSION
Regular Meeting
August 23, 2010
MINUTES
A Regular meeting of the Old Saybrook Police Commission was held on Monday, August 23, 2010 at the Old Saybrook Town Hall. PRESENT: Chairman Burnham, Vice Chairman Conklin, Secretary Winkler, Commissioners Gallicchio, Sparaco, Metsack and Zemienieski. Chief Spera was also present.
I. Call to Order
Chairman Burnham called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.
II. Minutes
- May 24, 2010 Regular Meeting – Chairman Burnham asked for discussion or approval of the May 24, 2010 Regular Meeting minutes. After discussion, motion was made by Vice Chairman Conklin to approve the minutes as presented. Motion seconded by Commissioner Winkler. Motion Passed by unanimous vote.
III. Comments from the public:
Ed Olsen and Fred Mascola from the Indiantown Beach Association thanked the police department, Patrolman Ziolkovski, and Chief Spera for the canine demonstration with Zeus. Over 100 people attended and it was very successful. Mr. Mascola read a letter to the commission expressing their gratitude. They presented Chief Spera with a donation for the Explorer program and tennis balls for Zeus as a token of their appreciation.
Chairman Burnham added a presentation from Selectman Peace on bicycle safety to the agenda. Motion made by Vice Chairman Conklin and seconded by Commissioner Gallicchio to add the bicycle safety discussion to the agenda. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
Selectman Peace addressed the Commission in its capacity as the legal traffic authority for the Town of Old Saybrook regarding bicycle and pedestrian issues. He stated that over two years ago the Board of Selectman created an ad hoc bicycle safety committee that was tasked with looking at intermodal transportation issues. He stated that the Committee has done fantastic work and has identified things that could be addressed at little to no cost to the Town. One such improvement that could be made is the narrowing of roadways on Rt. 1 and Rt. 154 to allow for bike lanes. The Selectman stated that the Commissioner of the Department of Transportation came to Town and road his bicycle around town to survey areas that the committee would like to have restriped. He stated that the
Selectmen are much in favor of this idea. The Selectman stated that he originally wanted 9 foot travel lanes but was willing to go as far as 10 feet in width. Current lanes are 12 and 14 feet. The Selectman also shared many facts concerning bicycle safety, traffic accident statistics, and roadway calming initiatives and roadway designs that are used in other communities both in the United States and aboard. The Chief stated that he is against the narrowing of roadways to ten foot wide travel lanes on RT. 1 and Rt. 154. He stated that this would create a hazard for fire apparatus, the ambulance, buses, and larger vehicles such as garbage trucks, oil trucks, and tractor trailers. He stated that there are many areas that are unsafe for cyclists in Town. He stated that he is much in favor of widening roadways to create a proper and safe bicycle lane. The Chief suggested that the Police Commission have a workshop with the Bicycle
Committee. Selectman Peace agreed and stated that it would have to be in October. Commissioner Zemienieski asked how a ten and a half foot wide fire truck could fit in a ten foot wide travel lane. The Selectman stated that it is done in other communities and that fire trucks could cross the double yellow line. The Chief stated that any vehicle that leaves its designated lane of travel would be at fault for an accident. Commissioners Sparaco and Metsack also had issues with the narrowing of Roadways. Commissioner Conklin added that he has seen many unsafe practices by cyclists such as not obeying stop signs and traffic signals and suggested that bicycle education be a priority of the Committee. He added that he would look forward to a workshop style discussion on the topic. The Chief also stated that if there are areas where roadways are wider than the standard twelve feet, he would agree to narrow those areas to
twelve feet if it was safe to do so. Chairman Burnham passed out various laws and regulations concerning bicycles. She suggested that conversation about the topic continue at a workshop to be scheduled in the future. All agreed.
IV. Executive Reports
- 10-11 Operating Budget: The Chief asked if there were any questions about the 10-11 Operating Budget. Commissioner Gallicchio asked if we have looked into any other phone company than AT&T. Chief Spera advised that he has looked into it and at this time AT&T is the only option. Comcast does not have any managed routers that are needed to run our system. The Chief also advised that the 911 system is an AT&T system. The State has not awarded a vendor for the new 911 contract. The chief advised that AT&T was very difficult to deal with during the move to the new location.
Commissioner Sparaco stated there will be shortfalls this year due to operating out of a new facility and feels the Commission should speak to the Board of Finance about the issue. The Chief advised that the electricity is still on at 225 Main Street to operate the gas pump. The First Selectman advised the Chief that he added $50,000 to the budget for the temporary facility. This is to cover the rent and utilities. The building is all oil heat except for one electric unit. The Chief is hopeful the electric unit will not need to be used. The officers prefer the building cooler due to the safety gear they must wear. He agrees that the commission should speak with the finance board sometime in December or January when he has an idea on the cost of heating the facility. Commissioner Gallicchio asked why the
Medical line item was $1400 in the red. The Chief explained that was due to a fitness for duty exam and advised the line item will be further in the red due to a psychiatric review that has taken place, but not paid for yet.
- Asset Forfeiture: Chief Spera reported the balance to be $16,782.24.
- Capital Sinking Fund: Chief Spera reported the balance of $43,104.84. The Chief is still waiting of an invoice from Smith and Wesson to pay for the new weapons.
- Law Enforcement Fund: The Chief reports a balance of $46,393.75. The next step will be for the three person committee of Detective Perrotti, Commissioner Gallicchio and First Selectman Pace to submit bi-laws to govern how this money will be spent. Once the funds are expended the fund will be closed. Any new donations will go into a new fund set up by the Police Commission that will go through the accounting department and auditors.
- Jurisdictional Issues: The Chief informed the Commission of several jurisdictional issues that the Department has had over the past months with the Connecticut State Police. He advised that all of the negative encounters have involved one State Police Supervisor. He reported that he is working with a new Lieutenant recently assigned to Troop F and the Public Safety Commissioner to resolve the issue as well as create guidelines concerning jurisdictional matters. The Chief stated that many of the issues surround the patrolling or and investigating crimes on State Property. The Chief reported that he feels very strongly that the Department of Police Services is responsible for all properties located within the Town of Old Saybrook. The Chief drafted a Memorandum of
Understanding that the Colonel of the State Police refused to sign, although he has signed an MOU for another police department. The Public Safety Commissioner has agreed to study the issue on a statewide basis and will place the Chief on the committee. The Chief is encouraged that this issue will be handled on a statewide basis which will benefit all law enforcement agencies including the Connecticut State Police. He stated that he is very interested in forging a positive relationship with the Connecticut State Police because at the end of the day “cops are cops despite the patch on their shoulder” and everyone need to work together in the public’s interest.
The transition to the new facility has been going well. The Chief said all credit goes to the officers for all the work they did to make it happen. They are taking care of the facility better than they ever have. Everything has been working well. There have been small issues that are being worked out. This is a good opportunity to try things out to see what works for the department and what does not before designing a new building. It is really nice to be able to park the cars in the large garage and it will be great during the winter months to keep the medical equipment warm. Having a real holding area for prisoners has truly enhanced the safety of the officers. The location is horrible and response times have increased due to this. The Chief has received complaints from Main Street businesses that feel
a lack of police presence due to them not seeing the officers coming and going all day long. Commissioner Zemienieski asked about the protocol with officers being in the building for reports. The Chief advised an officer needs to have permission from the Sergeant on duty to come to the station. The wireless MDT’s in the cruisers have been improved allowing officers to access the department records management system and work on their reports on the road. The only time they are in the building is to meet with complainants, take statements or process prisoners. Station time has increased due to an increase in the activity level. Commissioner Metsack asked about Tazers and if the department is still looking into them. The Chief advised that everything stopped when the flooding happened and he hopes to continue looking into it after the busy season has ended.
- Indiantown Request – Partial Closure of Nehantic Trail: The Chief is fine with this request due to the amount of traffic in that area. Motion made by Vice Chairman Conklin to grant the request for Partial Closure of Nehantic Trail. Seconded by Commissioner Gallicchio. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
- Marina Village – Ferry Road: The Chief did not feel the Marina Village proposal was designed safely. The applicant withdrew the proposal due to the issues and will be working on a new proposal. This is a very large project and the Chief would like them to go before the Police Commission with the new proposal, should they re-apply.
V. Field Operations Report
- Professional Development Activities
1. Federal Exercise – September 2010: The department will be hosting a federal exercise similar to the train derailment scenario that was done before. This will be held on September 26th and the commissioners will receive invitations to attend. It will be held at Donnelly’s again but it will be a different scenario. They will be focusing on law enforcement response time during a work place violence scenario. The Chief is working with the state D.O.T., Amtrak and their consulting firm. The Fire Department and EMS personnel will be involved in the exercise.
2. K-9 Zeus – Narcotics Training: Officer Ziolkovski and Zeus are finishing their narcotics training class. They have passed all the tests. The dog has been cross trained for search and rescue and narcotic detection.
- Uniform Committee Progress Report
1. Class A Uniforms: The department is looking to finalize jacket orders now to have a more uniformed appearance. The new committee will be looking at the many Class A uniform styles that are available and present them to the department for review.
- June 25, 2010-August 18, 2010: The Commissioners reviewed the activity report they received in their packets, there were no questions. The Chief noted that the department is busier than ever and he commends the officers for handling everything that comes their way. Sasha Obama was in town and the department worked with the Secret Service assisting them with security. Chief Spera provided an escort when needed as he has the security clearance to do so. There was no media involvement; she was even able to go to Dairy Queen twice without incident. Golf carts were provided by the school district for the Secret Service to use. Sergeant Roche and Sergeant DePerry were assigned as Incident Commanders for the visit and worked 12 hour shifts for 5 days.
VI. Support Operations – Reports
- Emergency Communications Division:
- New System Status: The new communication system has not been accepted, they are still waiting for Motorola to work out open issues they are having. The coverage testing still needs to be done as well. The Chief advised that the system is working well. The final audit has not been done to find out what the final bill will be and how much money will be returned to the town. The biggest issue has been that the AVL system was not working to the Chiefs expectations. They have installed all new cellular modems to see how they will work. All of this work is at no expense to the town. Motorola has offered to give a refund for the AVL system but the Chief has refused as they will not be able to purchase a new system for the price refunded.
No Comments.
- Police Facility Study / Building Committee:
Chairman Conklin advised they had met with several firms since the last commission meeting. They have narrowed it down to one firm. The Chief met with them one on one. The committee will meet one more time to present their report to the selectman on September 2. First Selectman Pace has been looking at funds that are available to municipalities as they are at the lowest rate they have ever been. By the next commission meeting there will be more to discuss on the issue. The committee is very excited about doing the right thing for the safety of the department. The report will recommend the department stay at 225 Main Street and due to the damage the recommendation is for destruction of the existing building rather than renovation. The relocation has offered a unique opportunity to see what will work and
what will not work in a new building design. The temporary facility was completed in 34 days thanks to the department members’ efforts. They are looking into designing a building that will not be outgrown for fifty years or more. Commissioner Gallicchio asked when the architect is awarded the contract will they sit with everyone for strategic planning. Chairman Conklin advised that yes they will be sitting down with everyone for discussion. He feels they are running at least three months ahead of schedule.
- Comments from the Public:
No comments from the public at this time.
- Comments and/or Concerns from Commissioners:
Commissioner Winkler is concerned about the discontinuation of the COPR system and would like to know if it is possible to continue the program. The Chief advised that it was out of date due to new technologies and was a huge liability as the system only detects if the phone was picked up or not. An answering machine could pick up and the alarm would not go off possibly leaving a person in need of assistance. The other problem they had was people going away or being admitted to the hospital causing false alarms. To buy a new system would be very expensive and the Chief is still concerned with liability. Patrolman Kiako met with each of the five people that still used the program and explained the options for private systems. They were given a forty five day notice and they signed paperwork acknowledging
the system would be discontinued and that they understood the reasons why as well as the options available. Each subscriber’s family members were also notified. Commissioner Winkler thanked the Chief for the information.
Commissioner Zemienieski asked if the ordinance for golf carts covered anything other than the golf carts. The Chief advised that it is only for the golf carts, not for ATV’s or Gators. The Chief said he will get a copy of the ordinance and the resolution for him as he was not on the commission at the time this was discussed. He explained that the commission added the registration to help regulate them. Commissioner Zemienieski thanked the Chief.
Commissioner Zemienieski asked the status of the new recruits. The Chief advised that two of the three recruits have passed their field training and are on the road now and have received their certification from the academy. He advised that one is having issues that are being reviewed at this time. The Chief explained that the commissioners would be advised if there was a termination. It would come as a recommendation by the Chief but the final decision is up to the commission. They would also be advised of any retirements, resignations or leave of absences request as these must be approved by the commission.
Commissioner Gallicchio asked the status on the tour of Plum Island. The Chief stated he will check on it and let him know what he finds out.
Motion made by Commissioner Gallicchio to adjourn the meeting at 9:07pm. Seconded by Commissioner Winkler. Motion passed by unanimous vote.
Meeting adjourned at 9:07 p.m.
Jeanmarie Harvey
Records Specialist
These Minutes are subject to approval at
the next regular Police Commission meeting.
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