OLD SAYBROOK POLICE COMMISSION
Regular Meeting
April 23, 2012
MINUTES
A regular meeting of the Old Saybrook Police Commission was held on Monday, April 23, 2012, at the Old Saybrook Town Hall.
Present: Chairman Burnham, Vice Chairman Metsack, Commissioners Winkler, Sparaco and Finch were also present. Chief Spera and Lieutenant Roche were also present from the Department of Police Services.
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM.
- March 22, 2012 Regular Meeting
A motion was made by Commissioner Winkler to approve the March 22, 2012 Regular Meeting Minutes. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Finch. There was no discussion on this motion. The motion to approve the March 22, 2012 minutes passed with a vote of 5 in favor and 0 against.
- April 18, 2012 Special Meeting
A motion was made by Vice Chairman Metsack to approve the April 18, 2012 Special Meeting Minutes. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Winkler. There was no discussion on this motion. The motion passed with a vote of 4 in favor and 0 against. Commissioner Finch abstained because he was not present at this meeting.
There were no comments from the public.
- 11-12 Operating / Contractual Budgets
Chief Spera informed the Commission that he had been in talks with the First Selectman and the Old Saybrook accounting office in an effort to assess why unemployment liability is being taken out of the Police Department Operating Budget for the first time despite the fact that there is no line item in the budget for this expense. Chief Spera expressed that he did not believe this liability should fall to the Police Department because it is a town liability and because this liability is not an operational department expense that exists in the budget. Chief Spera also informed the Commission that he is looking for clarification from Town Hall with regards to the Health Care budget. He continued in saying that it is well known that health care had been underfunded globally across
all municipal departments in Old Saybrook but it would be helpful to know how and where the deficit will be made up as the Department attempts to rectify the budget and report accurate final balances to the Police Commission.
Commissioner Finch asked for further clarification with regards to why Health Care was so drastically underfunded.
Chief Spera stated that the actual increase in cost was much higher than anticipated, leaving all municipal departments underfunded in health care. Additionally, some town employees received benefits after July 1st that were never budgeted for.
Chief Spera also reported that the heart and hypertension settlement could also end up being a financial liability to the department. He reminded the Commission that the settlement come in two parts and although the First Selectman has set aside money for these settlements in next year’s budget, it is uncertain where the money will come from in this year’s budget to pay for the first part of the settlement.
Commissioner Finch asked Chief Spera if there was any estimate as to what the deficit in health care might be for the Police Department.
Chief Spera responded that the deficit could be between $40,000 and $50,000. He also reminded the Commissioner, however, that the Police Department has the largest amount of employees of any municipal department, which in turn gives them the highest health care costs. Because the numbers the Police Department were given to build their budget for the current fiscal year were incorrect, it should be no surprise that the Police Department could potentially show the largest deficit.
Board of Finance Vice Chairman Grant Westerson confirmed that the numbers the municipal departments were given were incorrect, which has led to an underfunding in health care. He also acknowledged that the Board of Finance realizes that there will likely be a deficit at the end of the year and that the Police Department will likely show the largest deficit because of its large payroll. He concluded, however, that the Board of Finance also understands that this deficit is not the fault of the Police Department because of the faulty numbers they were given to build their budget for the current fiscal year.
Chief Spera also reported that he had gone to the previous First Selectman and informed him that there are 53 pay periods in this year’s budget. He also informed the Commission that he is presently unsure how the 53rd week would be handled or where the money will come from to pay the week’s expenses because none of Old Saybrook’s municipal departments had budgeted for this extra week. Finally, the Chief also reminded the Commission that there was a contractual raise that was given to all officers in the middle of the fiscal year that was not budgeted for. Chief Spera concluded that despite these areas that need clarification, the Personnel budget is currently on track to finish close to the budgeted amount.
Commissioner Finch asked if we should notify the Board of Finance of the issues that the Chief had mentioned ahead of time so they weren’t dealing with all the problems at once.
Chief Spera responded that the Board of Finance is already aware of the majority of the issues facing the Department and he would like to wait for clarification on the heart and hypertension, unemployment, and health care issues before sending any formal notification.
Chairman Burnham reported that the town meeting on the budget will be held on May 3, 2012 and the referendum will be held on May 15, 2012.
Chief Spera took a moment to thank his staff for helping him put together the Department’s budget and for coming to the meetings to support the Old Saybrook Police. He also thanked the Board of Finance for their support and understanding. Chief Spera reported that through discussions with Board of Finance member Brad Thorpe and through individual investigation from member Thorpe, the Board of Finance will be restoring money that had been cut from the capital budget, which will allow the Police Department to purchase two new vehicles instead of one. Additionally, because the Department will be getting new vehicles, the Board of Finance has asked the Vehicle Maintenance line item in the budget be reduced from $35,000 to $30,000. Chief Spera thanked Board of Finance Member
Thorpe for his recommendation.
Account Balance is $20,396.51
Account Balance is $56,840.82
Chief Spera informed the Commission that money will be taken from this fund to purchase new digital cameras for police vehicles.
Account Balance is $38,998.51
Chief Spera informed the Commission that money will be taken from this fund to purchase a new radar unit and one video camera if necessary.
Account Balance is $46,393.75
Vice Chairman Metsack, Chairman of the Law Enforcement Fund, reported that the next meeting will be held at the Old Saybrook Library on May 3. He also made copies of the previous meeting’s minutes available.
Account Balance is $255.00
Account Balance is $4,770.27
- Contract Negotiations Update –Dispatch Union
Due to scheduling conflicts, no meetings have been held. Chief Spera is hopeful that the two sides will meet soon and come to an agreement.
Chief Spera reported that two of the Sedans are in and once third Sedan comes in they will all be sent to be outfitted at Whalen. Chief Spera also reported that he is currently working on numbers for next year’s vehicles.
Chief Spera informed the Commission that Patrolman Miller’s doctor is recommending a return date of August 1, 2012. Additionally, Sergeant Mercer has been out for 2 weeks with a non-work related injury. Patrolman Ziolkovski is currently out with a work related injury and will not return until the middle of May. Chief Spera also reported a recent outbreak of illness throughout the Department that has left him even more shorthanded. Chief Spera continued that although he is expecting some officers to return soon, his current staff has been pushed to the limit and losing any more officers could lead to an operational crisis. Chief Spera concluded with a report on Detective Sergeant Heiney’s deck collapse accident, saying that he will likely be out for at least a couple
of weeks.
Chief Spera advised the Commission that Patrolman DeLima is currently in Field Training.
Chief Spera was proud to announce that for the first time since he has been employed with the Town, the Department is running its own in-house recertification program. Currently, several officers are participating in a hand to hand policing techniques course that will be wrapping up with the third and final class this Friday. Also, 90% of the Sergeants have been through a course focusing on positive interactions with community youths. Chief Spera also reported that several officers have also received their basic boating certification with the help of Grant Westerson.
Chief Spera also addressed a rumor that the Old Saybrook Police Department sent an officer and a police dog to Florida for additional canine training. Chief Spera emphatically denied this rumor saying that the Department has never sent a dog from the canine unit to Florida for training.
- Business Outreach Program
Chief Spera informed the Commission of a new initiative he has begun with a group of volunteer civilians to reach out to Old Saybrook businesses. After going through a three day orientation these volunteers will perform tasks such as handing out informational pamphlets to local business owners about Police Department services and collecting information from business owners with regards to emergency contact information so the Department will know who to contact in the case of an emergency. This group will continue to meet and brainstorm about how the Department can continue to build strong relationships with the local businesses community.
- Neighborhood Watch Program
Patrolman Ziolkovski is the Department’s current neighborhood watch coordinator. Depending on the severity of Patrolman’s Ziolkovski’s injury and the amount of time he will be out of service, Chief Spera reported that he may need to replace Patrolman Ziolkovski with a new neighborhood watch coordinator. Chief Spera emphasized that with the summer approaching, he wants to make sure that all neighborhoods and beach communities have their signs up and are following proper neighborhood watch protocols.
- Commission Workshop Series – Proposal
Chief Spera distributed a draft proposal for the Commission Workshop Series and stated that his plan is to sit down with his leadership team and begin building the outlined presentations. The leaders in the various Department areas will be giving the presentations. Chief Spera also emphasized the importance of inviting members of the Board of Finance, Board of Selectmen and members of the public to participate in the workshop series to further inform the community about the various functions of the Police Department. Chief Spera cautioned the Commission that these presentations will most likely expose some areas of Departmental deficiencies; however, it is important that the entire truth be told in the interest of transparency and future budget discussions.
Chairman Burnham expressed concern that there are 9 areas outlined for presentations and if there is one presentation a month, the process will not be finished before the next budget process begins.
Chief Spera responded that it is up to the Commission to determine how often they would like presentations to occur and that special meetings could be added to accommodate the process. He added that some presentations could be combined or more than one could be given at a meeting but there were some areas that he would rather not combine or present with other topics.
Vice Chairman Metsack agreed that it is important to open the door to the public so everyone can understand what the Police Department does and how the Police Department functions.
Commissioner Finch asked Chief Spera if the outline had been presented in any particular order.
Chief Spera responded that the presentations were not placed in any particular order but he did prefer that the allocation of resources presentation be left for last so the Commission can get the full scope of the Department before learning about how manpower is allocated.
Commissioner Finch suggested that the Chief should put the presentations in a particular order of importance in the event that time runs short. This way, the most important presentations will be seen first before the beginning of the next budget season. Commissioner Finch continued in expressing the importance of this workshop series because the public needs to understand the services they are provided and be able to make a knowledgeable decision about what to continue funding or what to cut from the Department’s current list of services. He stated that emergency related operations are always going to be funded properly and should always be funded properly but beyond those functions, the town needs to see all the other services that the Police Department provides and make a
conscious decision to either do the right thing and properly fund those services or cut what they feel they can do without.
Chief Spera agreed in saying that he believes that the Commission will discover through these presentations what the public believes are the core functions of the Department that should get funding. He further expressed the importance of the presentations by adding that the Department had just been mandated by the courts to provide a separate DVD of anyone on camera in a court case. Because this was mandated by the courts, it is now considered a core function of the Department but without the public attending Commission meetings, there is no way they would know that this is a function that must be done. Chief Spera concluded by asking the Commission to review the draft proposal and informing him of any areas they feel he has omitted or of any subject areas that are brought to
their attention from citizens.
Chairman Burnham responded that there needs to be a presentation on traffic enforcement because of the misconception that if you come to Old Saybrook, you’re going to get a ticket.
Chief Spera agreed to incorporate traffic enforcement into the patrol services presentation. Chief Spera also addressed this misconception in saying that he is a firm believer in omnipresence. Since the beginning of his tenure as Chief, he has taken efforts to increase officer visibility to make it appear as though there are more patrolman out than there actually are. This is done by design as a preventative measure. Through these preventative measures, the Department has seen a slight decrease in calls for service and faster response time to larcenies and other criminal activity.
Commissioner Sparaco expressed that he was unsure how much the Police Department wanted to expose itself.
Chief Spera agreed with this sentiment and responded that if the Workshop Series is going to happen and be successful it needs to be as transparent and in depth as possible.
Vice Chairman Westerson said that he thinks the workshops are a good idea. He added that as budget season comes to a close the third Tuesday of every month will be free for the Police Department to conduct their presentations to additional members of the public and the Board of Finance.
- Veteran Certificate Program
Chief Spera recounted that in 2010 the Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz had issued certificates of appreciation to local veterans. All the certificates that were not handed out at the ceremony were taken and stored at Old Saybrook Town Hall. Upon request, Chief Spera took possession of the certificates and initiated a program to deliver the remaining certificates to their rightful owners. Chief Spera informed the Commission that the program is now complete and all of the certificates have been handed out by Department patrolmen. The program received an overwhelmingly positive response from the community with many people posing for pictures with the patrolman who made the delivery. Many citizens have also written letters of gratitude. There are currently 30 remaining Veteran
certificates belonging to local veterans who have either passed away or moved. The Department is currently investigating the best way to distribute the remaining certificates.
- Legal Traffic Authority Business
- Otter Cove Speed Limit Sign Review – Update
Chief Spera reported that he spoke to the President of Otter Cove Association. The President of the association informed Chief Spera that he believed speeding issues were due to people who did not live in Otter Cove. He also told Chief Spera that he does not believe any additional speed limit signs are needed but that a uniform speed of 25MPH should be adopted for all the roads in Otter Cove. Chief Spera informed the Commission that he will be sending an email to all the residents of Otter Cove, informing them that they will be monitoring speeds in this area. Additionally, Chief Spera reported that he will come back to the Commission with a recommendation for a uniform speed in Otter Cove as soon as possible.
- Great Hammock Beach Association – Traffic Control Review
Chief Spera reported that he was contacted by the Great Hammock Beach Association President about adding signs for Children at Play. Initially the association asked for permission to paint this warning on the road but Chief Spera instead insisted that street signs would provide drivers with more use of their peripheral vision to avoid said children. Chief Spera asked the Commission for permission to use his discretion about the placement of these new signs.
Chairman Burnham asked the Commissioners if they had any objections to this proposal. Hearing none, Chief Spera was granted authority to determine the proper location for new signage.
Lieutenant Roche asked Chief Spera who would be paying for the new signs.
Chief Spera responded that the Great Hammock Beach Association would pay for any new signage.
- Field Operations - Reports
- March 22, 2012 – April 18, 2012
Chief Spera referred the Commission to the attached activity report but there was discussion on this topic.
- Emergency Communication Center – EMD Accreditation
Dispatchers Dahlstrom and Spinelli were sent to the Navigator Conference in Baltimore to accept the Department’s accreditation award.
- Implementation of Emergency Police Dispatch Protocols
Implementation of Emergency Police Dispatch Protocols will begin at 3pm on May 2, 2012.
- Training of New Per Diem Dispatchers
Training of new per diem dispatchers will begin on May 1, 2012.
- Discuss and Act on Authorizing the Chief of Police to conduct a Hiring Process and Eligibility List for the Position of Patrolman.
Please see Section VI. Discuss and Act on Authorizing the Chief of Police to conduct a Promotional Process and Eligibility List for the Rank of Patrol Sergeant for the discussion on this topic. For convenience, discussion of these two areas took place simultaneously.
- Discuss and Act on Authorizing the Chief of Police to conduct a Promotional Process and Eligibility List for the Rank of Patrol Sergeant.
Chief Spera reported that the Department has a policy that requires him to maintain eligibility lists for the positions of patrolman and patrol sergeant. These lists do not indicate that we are in a position to hire someone or promote someone, they simply begin the long process of hiring or promoting someone if the Department finds itself in a position where it needs to replace a Patrolman or a Sergeant. The Chief stated that because the Patrolman process is a revenue generating program, he would like to start the process now. Chief Spera reported that his plan is to advertise throughout the summer and test at some point in August. The Chief again emphasized that there are no open vacancies at this time for a patrolman position or a Sergeant position but he said that if the
process begins now it will give patrolmen who are already part of the Department more time to study for the Sergeant Test. This provides Patrolmen with a professional development opportunity at no cost to the Department
Chairman Burnham asked if by creating these eligibility lists, the Department would be forced to promote someone in the event of a vacancy.
Chief Spera responded that it is up to the Commission to determine what vacancies need to be filled. He added that as long as you are not eliminating a position from the bargaining unit it would be unlikely that any successful legal action could be brought against the Commission.
Chairman Burnham asked whether or not we already had eligibility lists for these positions.
Chief Spera responded that lists existed from the last time this process was started but by the time this process concludes, the old lists will be expired.
Commissioner Finch asked if the Chief had any indication that someone from the Department might retire.
Chief Spera responded that he had not heard anything official, although 5 to 7 officers could leave at any time with as little as two weeks notice so it is important the Department remain prepared for such an event. He reminded the Commission that Old Saybrook could choose to propose changes to certain retirement benefits in January and if an officer eligible for retirement didn’t like the changes he could choose to leave under the old system.
Vice Chairman Metsack made a motion to authorize the Chief of Police to conduct a hiring process and eligibility list for the position of patrolman. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Winkler.
Chairman Burnham asked the Chief if he was going to come back to the Commission with the process he develops.
Chief Spera responded that he found the last procedure to be so successful that he was not planning on changing the process at all.
Commissioner Finch expressed that it should be emphasized that this is simply the beginning of a process that allows the Department to look at candidates and that there are no positions currently available.
Chief Spera reminded the Commission that they have authorized and there currently are 25 full time sworn police officer positions, which includes himself. He stated that he is not requesting a new officer, nor did he request to increase the number of full-time authorized sworn positions within the Department. However, the Chief emphasized the importance of maintaining a 25 person roster for the fulfillment of police services and the safety of personnel. Chief Spera also stated that as supervisory retirements occur, he will not recommend that specific supervisory positions to be filled. However, he stated that the police officer position, in order to maintain 25 full time law enforcement positions, must be maintained. This will begin a process to create a more flat organization.
Chief Spera added that the opening paragraph of the advertisement will state that the purpose of the process is to establish a hiring eligibility list and not to fill a vacancy.
Commissioner Finch asked if the person at the top of the list would be someone that would need to be sent through the Police Academy.
Chief Spera responded that it is unknown whether the person at the top of the list will require Police Academy training or they could be an already certified officer.
Commissioner Sparaco asked how this process would be affected if it was started at the end of the budget season.
Chief Spera responded that now is the time that people are looking to take tests and he wants to capture that group of people so the Department can collect the money for the recruitment process. Chief Spera expressed that if they wait too long, they will risk missing the crowd of students leaving college and looking for work.
The motion to authorize the Chief of Police to conduct a hiring process and eligibility list for the position of patrolman was approved with a vote of 5 in favor and 0 against.
A motion was made by Commissioner Finch to authorize the Chief of Police to conduct a promotional process and eligibility list for the rank of Patrol Sergeant. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Sparaco. The motion was approved with a vote of 5 in favor and 0 against.
Chairman Burnham expressed that it is nice to receive letters indicating that Police Personnel are performing well. She asked if there was any additional correspondence.
Chief Spera that there was an additional letter with regards to a citizen’s concern but because the nature of the letter was more of a complaint that required police action, it was not included in the Commission packet.
- Discussion of Ad Hoc Committee to Develop an Evaluation Instrument for the Chief of Police
Commissioner Finch reported that the previous meeting was abruptly cancelled and that it would be rescheduled as soon as possible.
A member of the public suggested that the local public access channel be utilized for the workshop series to maximize the amount of citizens who could participate in the event.
- Comments from the Chief of Police
Chief Spera stated that the Department Personnel are very busy with so many officers out due to injury or sickness. Despite the challenges, however, Chief Spera feels that everyone is performing at a high level. Chief Spera also expressed that he was happy to see Commissioner Sparaco recovering from his recent heart episode and that he hopes the Commissioner will continue to recover.
- Comments and/or Concerns from Commissioners
There were no comments made by the Commissioners.
Vice Chairman Metsack made a motion to adjourn. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Finch. The motion passed with a vote of 5 in favor and 0 against.
The next regular Police Commission meeting is scheduled for May 28, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.
in the First Floor Conference Room, Old Saybrook Town Hall.
The meeting minutes for April 23, 2012 were prepared and respectfully submitted by:
_________________________________________
Trent Gerbers
Records Clerk for the Old Saybrook Police Commission
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