Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem No. 05 Public Safety Advisory CommissionCity Council Agenda Report City of Lake Elsinore 130 South Main Street Lake Elsinore, CA 92530 www.lake-elsinore.org File Number: ID# 21-219 Agenda Date: 7/13/2021 Status: PassedVersion: 1 File Type: Council Consent Calendar In Control: City Council / Successor Agency Agenda Number: 5) Public Safety Advisory Commission Postpone the appointment of any new commissioners to the Public Safety Advisory Commission at this time and direct staff to propose changes to the role and responsibilities of PSAC and the Commission appointment process for consideration by City Council at a later date. Page 1 City of Lake Elsinore Printed on 3/30/2023 REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council From: Jason Simpson, City Manager Date: July 13, 2021 Subject: Public Safety Advisory Commission Recommendation Postpone the appointment of any new commissioners to the Public Safety Advisory Commission at this time and direct staff to propose changes to the role and responsibilities of PSAC and the Commission appointment process for consideration by City Council at a later date. Background The Lake Elsinore Public Safety Advisory Commission was first established in 1984. By 1988, the Commission was inactive. On March 23, 2004, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 1116 (codified in Chapter 2.46 of the LEMC) which reestablished the Public Safety Advisory Commission (hereinafter “PSAC”). PSAC was again suspended in 2013 when the City Council adopted amendments to Chapter 2.46 to more clearly define the PSAC duties and responsibilities. LEMC section 2.46.060 sets forth various duties of the PSAC, including:  Serving as a conduit of information for City residents and businesses to express their concerns regarding traffic and pedestrian safety, lake safety, code enforcement, animal control and emergency services.  Investigating, reviewing and analyzing traffic and pedestrian safety, lake safety, code enforcement, animal control and emergency services issues.  Assisting in developing traffic, pedestrian and lake safety programs.  Gathering additional input by maintaining an ongoing dialogue with various community organizations  Reviewing and suggesting disaster planning, preparedness and crisis management programs and resources for further consideration by the City Council and/or staff Commissioners serve four-year terms and three seats are currently vacant awaiting new appointments. As discussed in greater detail below, staff is proposing that the appointment process be paused. Discussion As noted above, PSAC members are appointed by the City Council to four-year staggered terms. In June 2021, three of these terms expired. Two commissioners opted not to seek another term. In advertising for new commissioners, the City received only four applications. This small pool of Public Safety Advisory Commission July 13, 2021 Page 2 applicants may also be reflective of a drop off in public participation at PSAC meeting s as many agenda items are in the nature of presentations and updates rather than action items. Rather than appoint new commissioners and carry on with the existing process, City staff is requesting that the City Council consider pausing the appointment process. Weighing on this recommendation is the recognition that different areas of the City do not necessarily share the same traffic and public safety priorities and, moreover, may have neighborhood specific concerns. Accordingly, PSAC appointments should take into account the area in which an applicant resides to ensure that all geographic areas of the City are represented. Consideration should be given to transitioning PSAC appointments to a “by district” appointment similar to the Measure Z Citizen Committee selection/appointment process. This pause will provide time for City staff to re-examine the role of PSAC as part of the City’s mission to provide for public safety, including traffic and pedestrian improvements, and emergency preparedness to residents and businesses. This re-examination will necessarily go hand in hand with evaluating how to enhance public participation. Key considerations identified so far by staff include:  Greater clarity is needed concerning the role of PSAC in terms of how it relates to traffic and public safety issues and how, for example, despite its “public safety” moniker, law enforcement and fire protection oversight is traditionally beyond the scope of the PSAC role. Rather, PSAC’s advisory role to the City Council is focused on City actions related to items like traffic and pedestrian improvements.  Consider focusing on traffic and pedestrian improvements. Notably, in May 2021, the City welcomed its first full-time, in-house traffic engineer. City staff would like to examine if the City traffic engineer can develop processes to allow for greater public input and feedback, when applicable, using the PSAC.  Consider the City Council’s public safety priorities and ensure that PSAC’s role and responsibilities align with those priorities.  Consider strategies to increase public participation.  Consider appointments based on the location of the applicant’s residence to ensure that commissioners represent all geographic areas of the City in addition to bringing unique knowledge of differing traffic and public safety concerns in different areas of the City.  Consider renaming PSAC to better fit with its role and responsibility. If approved by the City Council, staff will convene internally to fully evaluate its processes and identify areas for improving PSAC’s role before presenting them to the City Council for consideration. In the interim, the City would forego the appointment of any new commissioners at this time and reopen the application period at a later date. Fiscal Impact None.