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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-04-23 PUBLIC SAFETY, CODE ENFORCEMENT & NEIGHBORHOOD EMPOWERMENTCITY OF SANTA ANA CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON SPECIAL PUBLIC SAFETY, CODE ENFORCEMENT & NEIGHBORHOOD EMPOWERMENT MINUTES April 23, 2019 CALL TO ORDER: Ross Annex, Room 1600 City Hall, 20 Civic Center Drive Santa Ana, California 5:38 PM ATTENDANCE: Council Committee members: Juan Villegas, Mayor Pro Tem David Penaloza MEMBERS ABSENT: N/A STAFF PRESENT: Steven Mendoza, CMO David Valentin, PD Tamara Bogosian, CAO James Henery, OCFA Enrique Esparza, PD Lisa Rudloff, Parks & Rec. Ken Gominsky, PD Danell Mercado, PW Melecio Sarabia, PD Alvaro Nunez, PB Randy Black, OCFA Hafsa Kaka, CDA Yessenia Aspeitia, Recording Secretary PUBLIC SPEAKERS: Esther Fonseca, concerned constituent Chris Schmidt, Windsor Village NA Thomas Gordon, concerned constituent Evangeline Gawronski, concerned constituent 1 PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE — Mayor Pro Tem Juan Villegas PUBLIC COMMENTS Esther Fonseca, concerned constituent, provided a brief update of the loud and raucous noise ordinance and the current enforcement efforts taking place. Ms. Fonseca shared her frustration that police officers are not consistently issuing citations on loud music calls, and made a suggestion for a unit to be created to focus to respond to loud music calls. Chris Schmidt, Windsor Village resident, talked on property located on 1625 S. Cypress Street — Old Cypress Street fire station. He provided a brief three-year summary on series of incidents that this property has gone through that covers every issue being address in current agenda. Mr. Schmidt encouraged all departments to continue to work together to address the ongoing problems of homelessness, trach clean up and graffiti. AGENDAITEMS (Item Number 2 taken out of order) 2. Elect Chair and Vice Chair A motion is made to elect Mayor Pro Tern Juan Villegas as Committee Chair, and Councilmember David Penaloza as Committee Vice Chair. MOTION: Penaloza VOTE: AYES: Motion passes. SECOND: Villegas Penaloza, Villegas 1. Approval of Minutes from the October 1, 2018 Meeting MOTION: Villegas VOTE: AYES: Motion passes. SECOND: Penaloza Penaloza, Villegas 3. Update on Police Officer Recruitment and Hiring — Deputy Chief Enrique Esparza Deputy Chief Esparza presented the Council Committee with an update on Police Officer hiring, by reviewing the number of vacancies compared to filled positions year-to-date, as 2 well as the number of additional officers projected to be hired the remainder of 2019. Additionally, Deputy Chief Esparza shared list of over forty recruitment events Santa Ana Recruitment team has participated in and the effectiveness of each event making Santa Ana PD known throughout the state. Deputy Chief Esparza shared an additional list of resources implemented to increase and streamline hiring process. Additionally, he provided an organizational chart for PD Human Resources Division to identify the updated restructuring of the division. Per request made in last City Council Meeting, Deputy Chief Esparza provided the average number of officers per thousand resident with comparison to other cities. The Council Committee shared dialogue with Staff about recruitment/retainment efforts, asked questions and offered support of recruitment efforts. ACTION Vice Chair Penaloza asked staff to look into paid sponsorship/boosting of social media post in regards to recruitment to ensure continued interest to apply to Santa Ana PD. 4. Update on Park Ranger Recruitment — Deputy Chief Enrique Esparza and Director of Parks, Rec. & Community Services Lisa Rudloff Deputy Chief Esparza provided a verbal update on recruitment efforts for the Park Ranger position with one applicant currently in the backgrounds phase. He mentioned there is little to no interest in this position because the threshold is the same to be a police officer and time is then invested in pursuing that career path. Chief Valentin gave a background on recruitment for this position with previously hiring retired Santa Ana police officers but had to do away with it due to PERS regulation. In order to address immediate concern in safety especially in the evening, Chief Valentin had previously suggested hiring private security to secure bathrooms, observe and report any criminal activity. Vice Chair Penaloza expressed his hesitance in this option because of a disconnect it would cause with Santa Ana residents. Deputy Chief Gominsky shared he had previously looked into other agencies retirees and their interest in becoming a park ranger, such as LAPD, LASD and OCSD as an alternative to address PERS issue. He reported that commitment and interest for this job would not be the same in comparison to a Santa Ana PD retiree. Director of Parks and Rec. Lisa Rudloff expressed that the current immediate concern is locking the bathrooms in the evening. She shared that her staff has been injured on several occasions. In response to this, Director Rudloff stated there is an RFP in the works to bring in private unarmed security to lock bathrooms in various parks. Director Rudloff mention she will be looking into alternatives to address locking bathrooms and their redesign to meet these needs. ACTION Council Committee suggested continuing this item for further discussion for other alternatives to address park safety. 5. Graffiti Report —Assistant Public Works Maintenance Manager Danell Mercado and Sergeant Melecio Sarabia Public Works Manager Danell Mercado presented an overview on graffiti removal program, stating removal services are provided seven days a week by six technicians with one specifically dedicated to parks. Graffiti removal request could either be submitted thru the graffiti hotline, which is answered only during the week with the ability to leave voicemail afterhours or through mySantaAna app where submissions are sent straight to the technician for response. Responses for removal can then be expected to occur within 48-hours but typically in 24. Manager Mercado also shared graffiti removal statistics from the past two years that show people are using the app more to report graffiti then the hotline. As an additional effort to address this ongoing problem, Manager Mercado suggested the consideration of establishing a punitive fine, on top of a restitution fine that is already require to pay to help deter and reduce negative impacts. Sergeant Sarabia stated that the compensation from graffiti reward program is $500 with stipulation that full cooperation is required from arrest to prosecution of individual. He also addressed the low number of arrest in comparison to number of removal of graffiti is due to lack of cooperation and most cases moved to a diversion program. Council committee urged continued address on prevention of graffiti by revisiting advisory signage to promote reward program and help deter individuals. A suggestion was also made to revisit scheduling of techs to increase to an additional tech over the weekend to help with calls for services. 6. Cyber Cafes — Code Enforcement Manager Alvaro Nunez and Deputy Chief Ken Gominsky Manager Alvaro Nunez provided a verbal update on current efforts that are being done between PD, Code Enforcement in with collaboration City Attorney's Office. There are approximately thirty-five operating cyber cafes in the City of Santa Ana. The common factor is that most are applying for a business license with the intention of being a cyber cafd, which then result to operating an illegal gambling business. Deputy Chief Gominsky mentioned there current moratorium while City evaluates what to do with these business moving forward. Deputy Chief Gominsky suggested a ban on cyber cafes. PD Vice units consistently are issuing warrants to go into these businesses where approximately five to twenty-four gambling machines are seized as evidence. Due to the size of these machines, PD has run out of space to store them while awaiting criminal prosecution. Deputy Chief Gominsky stated he is currently looking at low cost storage alternatives to address this issue. To consider the option of getting rid of them while case 4 is pending, a forensic audit has to be completed which costs $10,000.00 He expressed that the city will continue to hemorrhage money and time spent if this issue is not addressed. Council committee suggested ensuring public awareness of enforcement and closures that are being done of these illegal gambling businesses. 911 calls made from the Courtyard Shelter — Deputy Chief Ken Gominsky and OCFA Division Chief James Henery OCFA Division Chief James Henery shared calls for service to the Courtyard shelter have decreased from last year that average 3 calls a day to now 1.6 calls a day. This drop is in result of outreach that was done with the Midnight Mission group in educating how to properly utilize 911. The majority of calls for service coming in are for basic life support instead of the use of paramedics. Spike in calls last year was a result of removals done from Plaza of the Flags and Santa Ana Riverbed. ACTION Chairman Villegas requested statics on average number of calls for services Care Ambulance responds to Courtyard Shelter. 8. Update on Citywide Homelessness Response - Homeless Services Manager Hafsa Kaka Homeless Services Manager Hafsa Kaka presented to the Council Committee with an updated overview of recent projects that have taken place to address homelessness as of October 2018: commencement of Link shelter (200 beds), creation of data dashboard that is updated daily with currently enrollment of 180 people to 150 bed nights, Operation Dignity & Operation Safe Passage lead by Santa Ana PD QOLT and City of Santa Ana Point in Time Count. Additionally, Hafsa shared that city staff is regularly meeting at Santiago Creek and railroad to ensure people are getting into shelters and enforcement continues. ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENTS Thomas Gordon, concerned constituent, shared his opinion on continued problem in regards to graffiti and staff efforts to enforce ordinance. He encouraged staff to have more community paint out days. Evangeline Gawronski, concerned constituent, expressed her opinion on graffiti problem and how businesses need to be held accountable for improperly securing spray cans in stores. She would like to know which department would cite business for not abiding by this law. Esther Fonseca, concerned constituent, expressed that the graffiti removal program is working in her neighborhood. She mentioned that in various times she has called, staff has promptly responded and removed graffiti. Vice -Chair Penaloza expressed that issue with old Cypress fire station is high on his radar and will make sure it is also on everyone else's. He agrees with public comment issue of deterioration of this facility needs to be addressed promptly. He will bring this issue to City Council to come up with ways to utilize abandoned properties such as old fire station, which will then deter vandalism and homeless encampments. In regards to police hiring, Vice -Chair Penaloza emphasized the importance of social media to increase public interest and awareness. Vice -Chair Penaloza would like staff to look into an audit of the mySantaAna app in regards to response times for graffiti removal on weekends to adjust scheduling of techs accordingly for availability. ACTION Vice -Chair Penaloza would like Alvaro Nunez to provide update on efforts on legal action against Pacific Railroad before the next Council Meeting. Chairman Villegas thanked and acknowledged staff and community members that worked together in putting together loud music ordinance. He mentioned that citing has not been done due to requirement of second reading of this ordinance but wants to ensure officers are on board to properly cite offenders when responding to loud music calls. In regards to addressing homeless issue, he encouraged funds to be properly utilized to address calls for trash clean up. The Committee members were engaged in the discussions, expressed interest in the presentations, and thanked staff for their hard work and the public for their attendance. ADJOURNMENT — 7:23 P.M. ---5AVID VALENTIN Chief of Police Ya