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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03-21-22 Study Session Agenda PacketSTUDY SESSION AGENDA CITY COUNCIL CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO 7500 W. 29th Ave. Wheat Ridge CO March 21, 2022 6:30 p.m. This meeting will be conducted as a virtual meeting, and in person, at 7500 West 29th Avenue, Municipal Building, if allowed to meet on that date per COVID-19 restrictions. Some members of the City Council or City staff will be physically present at the Municipal building for this meeting. The public may participate in these ways: 1. Attend the meeting in person at City Hall. Use the appropriate roster to sign up to speak upon arrival 2. Provide comment in advance at www.wheatridgespeaks.org (comment by noon on March 21, 2022) 3. Virtually attend and participate in the meeting through a device or phone: • Click here to join and provide public comment • Or call +1-669-900-6833 with Access Code: 813 5107 4135 • Passcode: 189058 4. View the meeting live or later at www.wheatridgespeaks.org, Channel 8, or YouTube Live at https://www.ci.wheatridge.co.us/view Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to participate in all public meetings sponsored by the City of Wheat Ridge. Contact the Public Information Officer at 303-235-2877 or wrpio@ci.wheatridge.co.us with as much notice as possible if you are interested in participating in a meeting and need inclusion assistance. Public Comment on Agenda Items 1. 2022 Colorado Legislative Update 2. Police Department Telephone Reporting Unit 3. Staff Report(s) 4. Elected Officials’ Report(s) ADJOURNMENT Memorandum TO: Mayor and City Council THROUGH: Patrick Goff, City Manager FROM: Marianne Schilling, Assistant to the City Manager DATE: March 21, 2022 SUBJECT: 2022 Colorado Legislative Update ISSUE: The 2022 Colorado Legislative Update will be held on Monday, March 21, 2022 during a City Council study session. The Legislative Update is an opportunity for the City’s elected officials and staff to discuss legislative priorities, current legislation and Wheat Ridge positions/priorities for the 2022 session. Senator Jessie Danielson and Representative Monica Duran will be in attendance, and Colorado Municipal League Legislative Advocacy Manager Meghan Dollar will be available to review legislation and answer questions. Agenda: • 2022 Legislative Session Preview: o Senator Jessie Danielson o Representative Monica Duran • Discussion of Priority Legislative Issues: o CML o City Council o City Department Directors ATTACHMENTS: 1. CML Box Score of Bills 2. CML Bill List 3. 2022 Legislative Priorities Item No. 1 ATTACHMENT 1 ATTACHMENT 2 JANUARY 2022 COLORADO MUNICIPALITIES 7 By CML advocacy team Going into each legislative session, CML begins our policy development process which guides our legislative priorities when the General Assembly meets in January. Below is an overview of CML’s Policy Development Process as well as CML’s legislative priorities. CML’S 2022 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES CML’s Policy Development Process and ATTACHMENT 3 8 COLORADO MUNICIPALITIES JANUARY 2022 CML’S POLICY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS The largest driver of CML’s policy development is the CML Policy Committee, and all members are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity to be represented. Each member municipality of CML is entitled to designate one representative to the League’s Policy Committee. One alternate may also be designated, and that alternate should attend only if the appointed member is unable to attend. (Cities over 100,000 population are entitled to designate two representatives and one alternate.) In addition, CML Section chairs are automatically appointed as non-voting members of the Committee. The Chair of the Policy Committee is appointed by CML’s current Board President. The Policy Committee has significant policy development responsibilities. The committee is responsible for: 1. Reviewing requests from member municipalities for CML- initiated legislation and recommending specific positions to the CML Board. 2. Reviewing requests for policy positions from member municipalities and recommending specific positions to the CML Board. 3. Reviewing known or potential legislative issues or bills, considerationing staff recommendations, and recommending specific positions to the CML Board. 4. Reviewing the League’s Annual Policy Statement that guides League positions on policy issues affecting municipalities and proposing revisions, if necessary. (Any recommended changes are voted on by CML members at the Annual Business Meeting that takes place as part of CML’s Annual Conference.) The CML Policy Committee has met virtually in October and December of 2021 and will meet again in February of 2022. Below are CML’s specific legislative priorities going into the 2022 Legislative Session. COLLECTIVE BARGAINING CML will oppose proposed legislation that confers collective bargain rights to public employees of municipalities - as well as school districts, library districts, fire authorities, special districts, any other local government. The bill, among many things, mandates what must be bargained. Additionally, it mandates the process for bargaining and allows for binding arbitration. The draft will also impact existing municipal collective bargaining agreements and processes as the draft states that upon their expiration, the state law will then apply. CML’s policy statement is clear that the league opposes the state interfering in the municipal employer/employee relationship. Additionally, CML has historically opposed any legislation both mandating it or prohibiting collective bargaining, arguing that it is an unconstitutional infringement by the state on home rule authority over the terms of municipal employment and an egregious infringement of local control for all municipalities. FUNDING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING Like in 2021, CML is focused on affordable housing. CML is working with the legislature to prioritize a permanent source of affordable housing funding. CML is also advocating for part of the American Rescue Plan Act funding to go directly to local governments to develop projects. Additionally, CML will support legislation that funds and allows for the rehabilitation of existing affordable housing. MOBILE HOME PARKS CML staff was directed to pursue legislation that creates more opportunities and flexibility for residents to purchase mobile home parks. This could include allowing governmental entities to act as a third party, increase transparency, and extend the timeline for residents to make an offer. Legislation is currently being drafted and CML will work to make sure there are more opportunities for residents in the bill. REMOVE COMPETITIVE BIDDING PROHIBITION CML will run legislation to remove the prohibition on competitive bidding for undergrounding projects outlined in C.R.S § 29-8-132. Removing this prohibition modernizes statutory language, increases transparency between local governments and utility providers, and ensures good fiscal stewardship of municipal monies. Municipalities are currently responsible for covering the overall cost of utility undergrounding projects. Most local governments use internal funds or create local assessment districts to cover the costs of the project. CML and our 270 member municipalities recognize the benefits of undergrounding projects, including improving the area aesthetic, minimizing noise, and maintaining property value. CML seeks to increase transparency, feasibility, and equity in the undergrounding project process by allowing the use of competitive bidding for these contracts. All source competitive bidding is common practice in Colorado and nationwide for local government funded projects. Undergrounding projects are one of the only types of projects where statute specifically prohibits the use of competitive bidding. Striking language prohibiting competitive bidding for undergrounding projects provides transparency in costs and ensures good fiscal stewardship of public monies. It also helps already burdened municipal procurement/budget offices by standardizing procurement and contracting practices and ensuring that the projects are cost effective. STATEWIDE “SAFETY STOP” STANDARD FOR INTERSECTIONS In 2018, the General Assembly passed a “Safety Stop” law, giving municipalities the authority to pass ordinances allowing cyclists to “roll” through stop signs rather than coming to a complete stop. There are currently seven municipalities that have passed this CML’s Policy Development Process and CML’s 2022 Legislative Priorities JANUARY 2022 COLORADO MUNICIPALITIES 9 ordinance, as well as Summit County. Over the interim, the Transportation Legislation Review Committee approved legislation that creates a statewide “Safety Stop” for cyclists. The bill would supersede any conflicting local ordinance or resolution and would expand the safety stop to traffic lights. Because the proposed legislation overrides local control of traffic stops and lights, CML will be opposing the bill in the 2022 legislative session. TEXT REMINDER PROGRAM CML is working on legislation to establish a grant program for municipal courts to create text message reminder programs. This is in response to House Bill 21-1314 which repealed the Department of Revenue's discretionary and mandatory authority to cancel, deny, or deny reissuance for a driver’s license or minor driver’s license for having any of the following: an outstanding judgment for a violation related to the regulation of motor vehicles or traffic; having a bench warrant for failure to appear to answer for a traffic situation; or an outstanding judgement for failing to present a valid transit pass or coupon. This repeal created a gap in municipal law and left localities without an enforcement mechanism for individuals that have traffic violations. During the 2021 legislative session, CML successfully amended the bill to include the creation of a study group to utilize evidence-based policy to design new equitable accountability tools. CML wants to create a grant program for municipal courts that wish to establish a text reminder system. Text message reminders are an evidence- backed method to get people to show up to the court dates. This policy also has support from a variety of stakeholders, including the Colorado State Patrol. WILDFIRE IMPACTED COMMUNITIES Colorado’s large-scale wildfires have taken a devastating toll on local communities and local economies. Wildfire impacted municipalities are putting more and more of their resources towards proactive mitigation work and combating wildfires during an increasingly long wildfire season. Efforts to provide grants and funding have only scratched the surface of what’s needed to adequately address Colorado’s large-scale wildfires. CML supports legislation that aims to help municipalities recover from large-scale wildfires and prevent future wildfires through proactive fire mitigation efforts. Legislation should also allow municipalities the ability to identify and implement the most appropriate means of mitigation and fire prevention for their individual community. To that end, CML is supporting legislation in the upcoming legislative session which will provide state matching funds to local governments that raise dedicated revenue for forest management and wildfire mitigation. CML will also support legislation that provides reimbursements for local fire departments primarily staffed by volunteer firefighters for wildland fire suppression activities and to support recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. Memorandum TO: Mayor and Council THROUGH: Patrick Goff, City Manager Christopher Murtha, Chief of Police Jim Lorentz, Division Chief FROM: Lucas Hunt, Commander SUBJECT: Police Department Telephone Reporting Unit To improve the Wheat Ridge Police Department’s response to criminal calls for service, the organization utilizes sworn police officers to form a Telephone Reporting Unit (TRU). The practice of using officers in this capacity has improved the department’s ability to respond to reports of criminal activity in the City of Wheat Ridge. Using this method of answering citizens’ calls for service, the TRU has been able to reduce the time calls are being held for officers and lessen the number of reports taken by patrol officers in the field. The types of calls handled by tele-serve officers are usually limited to not-in-progress burglaries, motor vehicle thefts, criminal mischief, identity theft, and property theft where no suspect information is available for further follow-up investigation. The practice of using police officers in tele-serve positions has been vital for investigating and documenting property-based crimes that do not require an in-person response by a Wheat Ridge police officer. The tele-serve positions of the TRU continually monitor pending calls for service using the Computerized Aided Dispatch (CAD) System. Officers are generally staffed seven days a week from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and evaluate calls for service to contact the complainant and explain the purpose of the call. Once the tele-serve officer contacts the reporting party and determines that a crime or incident occurred within the city, a police investigation and report are completed. If an in-person investigation is needed, the tele-serve officer re-routes the call back to Jefferson County Communication Center for response and a follow-up investigation by officers working in the field. All calls handled by the TRU are typically documented in a police report and submitted by the end of the duty day for review and approval. Traditionally, the tele-serve positions have been staffed with officers assigned to light or alternative duty and are unable to work their normal assignments in the field. The appointment of alternative duty officers to this temporary position has generally been intermittent, and the positions have gone unfilled for extended periods of time. The use of tele-serve officers has shown that it can free up patrol officers to devote more time to proactive patrols and provide greater availability for higher priority calls for service. The tele-serve reporting process also allows victims of crimes to report cases where suspects are gone, like shoplifting or theft from an open vehicle, and the reporting party may only need a report for an insurance claim. In 2021, tele-serve officers were responsible for taking 6.3 percent of the total calls for service Item No. 2 Page 2 for the Wheat Ridge Police Department. The TRU handled more than 10 percent of the calls for service during the hours they worked and 14 percent of the citizen-initiated calls. Taking calls by telephone allowed patrol officers to respond more expeditiously to higher priority calls for service, conduct proactive patrols, engage with citizens, and address community concerns on a more personal level. As the department continues to look for added methods to reduce the impact on officers in the field and minimize the need for non-emergency calls for service, tele-serve positions should be assessed for permanent designation using non-sworn personnel. Even though the intermittent use of sworn officers has been beneficial for the organization, a move towards non-sworn positions would be more effective for reducing the workload for patrol officers. The designation of non-sworn personnel to the TRU would effectively generate a higher level of service for the public by identifying experienced, trained, and selected employees based on their ability to perform the position’s duties. Results from police departments around the country have shown that full-time personnel assigned to tele-serve positions have performed at a higher level than intermittent police officers who were temporarily appointed and rotated through a TRU. The use of non-sworn report-takers could further reduce the cost of providing crime reporting services to the citizens of Wheat Ridge. As it stands now, police officers perform the job at a much higher pay rate than a position filled by a non-sworn employee. The compensation for similar positions in Colorado is approximately $42,000 to $60,000 annually. Using the City of Wheat Ridge’s pay scale for similar positions, the pay range would be within the Grade 50 designation and save the department between $22,000 - $33,000 for each police officer to perform this function. Providing (two) tele-serve positions to cover seven days a week would cost the department approximately $110,000 annually. Additionally, the officers no longer used for tele-serve positions would be reassigned to various other support functions that would provide relief for case follow-up and investigations. This practice has proven to be effective in supporting both the Patrol and Investigations Divisions, as limited duty personnel can handle time-intensive processes, such as case filings, to free up officers and detectives to focus on proactive case management. Finally, the evaluation of internal processes is constant and provides our organization with opportunities to improve our methods to deliver the best services to the citizens of Wheat Ridge. The addition of two non-sworn tele-serve positions would allow the police department to take a step forward to increase the level of service to the community and reduce the impact of an ever- escalating call load for officers. Respectfully, Lucas Hunt Lucas Hunt Patrol Commander