2017-12-04 Public Safety Minutes

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City of Tukwila City Council Public Safety Committee PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE Meeting Minutes December 4, 2017 - 5:30 p.m. - Hazelnut Conference Room, City Hall Councilmembers: Thomas McLeod, Chair; Joe Duffie, De'Sean Quinn Staff: David Cline, Jack Pace, Nora Gierloff, Jay Wittwer, Rick Mitchell, Rory Mettlin, Laurel Humphrey (by phone) CALL TO ORDER: Committee Chair McLeod called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. I. ANNOUNCEMENT II. BUSINESS AGENDA A. Police Department Request to Purchase Portable Radios Staff is seeking Council approval Council approval to purchase 16 new Motorola portable radios in the amount of $56,367. This is a budgeted, routine purchase done to refresh the supply and replace malfunctioning or outdated radios. Councilmember Duffie asked what are done with the old radios and staff replied that broken ones are destroyed but older ones can sometimes be used as backup. UNANIMOUS APPROVAL. FORWARD TO DECEMBER 11, 2017 SPECIAL MEETING CONSENT AGENDA. B. Code Enforcement Update Staff provided the Committee with a year-end status report on the Code Enforcement division. As of November 27, 2017, 99% of rental housing owners were current on licensing. The 2017 emphasis on closing cases older than one year has been successful and cases older than 3 years are down by 63%. 377 cases were opened this year, and 450 were closed. The average number of days to close 2017 cases was 48 days, down from 88 days for 2016 cases. The City Council adopted a streamlined enforcement process in September that largely eliminated the use of infractions. Squatters in vacant homes continue to be a challenge for the City, and boarding up houses needs to be done very securely which can be expensive. Chair McLeod asked what residents can do when squatters are observed, and they can call either the City or the Police Department as both departments work together. Councilmember Quinn suggested that the City establish clear expectations as these situations are not usually immediately resolved and callers may be frustrated and/or not understand the implications of private property rights. He also suggested creating educational material on how to properly secure homes for new owners. Staff also talked about a "wishlist" program involving community volunteers who could help tackle code issues at homes of the elderly, disabled, or otherwise challenged residents. DISCUSSION ONLY.