What was on the agenda

10 items as recorded in the meeting transcript, each with a plain-English summary of what was at issue.

1. ACall to order / opening of work session

   • meeting_procedure

   Discussion only
   0:15↗uh we'll open our work session here this is uh thursday november 4th so 6 08 p.m and

2. BRoll call / introductions

   Mayor and councilmembers present/absent and staff/guests introduced (Sheriff’s Office leadership and interim administrator).

   • meeting_procedure

   Discussion only
   0:24↗this is a council work session we have myself mayor pilon council member rainville councilmember alders councilman greenberg councilmember blake is excused tonight and we have our new interim administrator frank boyles0:41↗and we have sheriff james stewart commander wayne heath and what's the lieutenant right now okay lieutenant bill jacobson

3. CPurpose of meeting: overview of Sheriff’s Office and contract questions; confirm start date

   Council discussed the meeting being postponed from earlier in the year and intended to settle a start date (noting a return to a July start date).

   Council met with Sheriff James Stewart and Sheriff’s Office leaders to get an overview of Sheriff’s Office operations and to ask questions about the proposed contract, including a discussion of returning to a July start date due to staffing and training timelines. Members discussed city needs such as providing squad parking/office space (potentially at the fire station) and expectations for consistent coverage, liability, and communications. Council voted to put the agreement on the next Tuesday meeting agenda, noting it should be on the consent agenda.

   • sheriff_contract_start_date
   • law_enforcement_contract

   Discussion only
   0:50↗and the purpose of this is to uh it's a postponed meeting we had scheduled earlier in the year to get together meet with the sheriff as a council get an overview of what the sheriff's department is doing and talk about the specifics of the contract with any questions1:09↗and then to settle a start date so that we could finalize the contract and get that back to the county2:15↗go back to a july start date understand that right correct

4. DSheriff’s Office overview: staffing, recruitment/retention, operations, community programs, and jail project

   Sheriff discussed staffing turnover, hiring timelines, recruitment challenges, technology, community outreach, and the new jail planning.

   Sheriff Stewart shared that the county is in high-level design and development for a new jail located north of the current jail site, involving removal and replacement of the parking ramp. Later, Commander Heath noted he had been asked to be the project manager for the jail project, and flagged that this could affect his availability in the coming years, with no expected change through mid-next year.

   • sheriff_office_overview
   • jail_project
   • recruitment_retention
   • technology

   Discussion only
   2:57↗revisiting a mid-year start was uh certainly beneficial to us with some of our staffing struggles that we're going through... from the time we post a position to the time we go through the hiring process... and then to get somebody on the street and run them through our field training program start to finish it can be …4:36↗we're seeing our commanders retire as an example uh commander dave paschall his last day within our jail division was last friday 30 over 35 years with the county5:43↗fast forward to today we typically hire up to 10 a year and uh i think our last process we had around 60 applicants and right off the bat we know half of them don't pass the written test8:58↗the plan for uh as of right now is it'll be on the site just north of our current jail it will be where the parking ramp is and the vacant lot to the north of that is is the vision11:53↗we were the first in the state to have a uas or drone uh program we now have six units14:07↗some states are beginning to explore it... by looking into our retinas... they've been able to identify the patterns to identify covid

5. EContract logistics: city-provided squad parking and office space (potential fire station partnership)

   Council asked about what the city must provide (parking a squad, office/technology needs). Discussion included possible use of the fire station and internet speed notes.

   Council met with Sheriff James Stewart and Sheriff’s Office leaders to get an overview of Sheriff’s Office operations and to ask questions about the proposed contract, including a discussion of returning to a July start date due to staffing and training timelines. Members discussed city needs such as providing squad parking/office space (potentially at the fire station) and expectations for consistent coverage, liability, and communications. Council voted to put the agreement on the next Tuesday meeting agenda, noting it should be on the consent agenda.

   • law_enforcement_contract
   • facility_needs
   • fire_station

   Discussion only
   22:19↗back when we had this initial conversation we talked about if we went with a full-time person what was going to be the request of the city to supplement that full-time deputy22:58↗location of park is squad and the office you know uh technic uh technology needs things those types of things22:59↗as most of our contracts have that section right in there the city will provide a place for the squad we'll provide an office space etc etc but um i hopefully we've demonstrated our willingness to be flexible in those areas24:33↗they certainly have a radio room a really nice office setup and it should be getting high-speed internet in the next couple of weeks here so there will be 100 down 50 up and uh really nice desks

6. FContract review: services included and how sheriff’s contracts operate

   Sheriff and command staff gave a high-level review of contract services, including dedicated and county-wide backfill coverage, investigations, supervision, equipment, training, and liability approach.

   Council met with Sheriff James Stewart and Sheriff’s Office leaders to get an overview of Sheriff’s Office operations and to ask questions about the proposed contract, including a discussion of returning to a July start date due to staffing and training timelines. Members discussed city needs such as providing squad parking/office space (potentially at the fire station) and expectations for consistent coverage, liability, and communications. Council voted to put the agreement on the next Tuesday meeting agenda, noting it should be on the consent agenda.

   • law_enforcement_contract

   Discussion only
   28:54↗the easiest way to look at our contract is all-inclusive we we come once a year and in simplest terms we ask you to write a check and we will provide all related services30:08↗you get the dedicated again patrol coverage the squad that is assigned in the city you also get the county-wide patrol coverage for additional contract service30:48↗we'll make sure the county-wide cars always absorb the backfill so you won't be without a squad for those three hours48:33↗the budget is the budget annually we pitch the number if again if if one of your squads or two of your squads are totaled we don't come back and say oh by the way we need another sixty thousand uh for the squad and the equipment it's46:30↗the liability we do retain liability for law enforcement actions taken by our team within city limits

7. GEmergency planning / large-scale disaster coordination discussion

   Mayor raised need for updated emergency planning and a joint exercise with the new fire department; sheriff’s office noted preparedness and discussed options.

   During the contract discussion, the mayor raised the need for renewed emergency planning for large-scale disasters (like tornadoes) and suggested a joint tabletop or similar exercise now that the city has its own fire department. Sheriff’s Office leadership responded that their staff train for many scenarios and discussed options such as volunteer lists and equipment considerations, emphasizing coordinated roles during major incidents.

   • emergency_management
   • fire_department_coordination

   Discussion only
   32:09↗that is something we really haven't discussed is that tornado is that large-scale disaster we've it's been a long time since we've done any emergency planning here and table tops32:58↗now we have our own fire department i would like to consider a joint exercise of some sort so that it's not the first time we're all working together when something does happen

8. HQuestions: media/spokesperson practice, EMS/ambulance coordination, volunteer programs, and complaint process

   Council discussed press inquiries, ambulance transport roles, Explorer/Reserve/Chaplain programs, and how resident complaints are handled including use of body cameras.

   • public_communications
   • ems_coordination
   • volunteers
   • complaints_process

   Discussion only
   38:54↗we should not be talking to the press about yeah i heard that too i saw that on facebook i wouldn't recommend it40:11↗our folks are generally the first on scene... ambulance does all the transports for this region fire and law enforcement do not do transports43:52↗so the explorer that's how i got my start uh it's a division of the boy scouts1:15:17↗if uh a resident complains about officer attitude or behavior... who does that and it's directed to us what do we direct them to that so you can you can either direct it to me or you can if they want if they call our our communication center right away they'll get the on duty sergeant1:17:40↗we have a body camera and we've had them for quite a few years now

9. IAction: place sheriff contract approval on next council agenda (consent)

   Council voted to put the agreement on the next Tuesday’s agenda, and noted it should go on the consent agenda.

   Council met with Sheriff James Stewart and Sheriff’s Office leaders to get an overview of Sheriff’s Office operations and to ask questions about the proposed contract, including a discussion of returning to a July start date due to staffing and training timelines. Members discussed city needs such as providing squad parking/office space (potentially at the fire station) and expectations for consistent coverage, liability, and communications. Council voted to put the agreement on the next Tuesday meeting agenda, noting it should be on the consent agenda.

   Motion was to place the item on Tuesday’s agenda (as consent).

   • law_enforcement_contract
   • next_meeting_agenda

   Approved
   1:20:10↗should we then vote to put this on the to on tuesday's agenda i i would recommend we have it on tuesdays well i would move it that we move this to tuesday's agenda1:20:28↗all right second dad any other discussion all those in favor1:20:28↗say aye aye on the agenda perfect thank you1:20:38↗it should be able to go in consent right correct yes consent agenda that's what it is okay

10. JAdjourn

    Adjourned by motion; vote not recorded in transcript.

    • meeting_procedure

    Approved
    1:23:12↗so mr mayor if there's nothing else i move to adjourn all right we are adjourned

Motions and votes

2 motions on the record. Split votes are highlighted.

• M1I would move it that we move this to tuesday's agenda.

  Exact transcript text

  i would move it that we move this to tuesday's agenda

  moved by raymond, seconded by dad

  Passed

  Passed by voice vote (ayes heard; no nays stated).

  1:20:10↗should we then vote to put this on the to on tuesday's agenda i i would recommend we have it on tuesdays well i would move it that we move this to tuesday's agenda all right second dad any other discussion all those in favor say aye aye on the agenda perfect thank you

• M2Move to adjourn.

  Exact transcript text

  move to adjourn

  moved by mr mayor

  Passed

  1:23:12↗so mr mayor if there's nothing else i move to adjourn all right we are adjourned

Sources

Documents and recordings archived for this meeting, when available.

• Video

  Meeting recording

  YouTube

  Transcript · 562 segments · 1:23:22

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