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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council - 10/07/1997 - Workshop APPROVED MINUTES CITY COUNCIL/STAFF WORKSHOP MEETING TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1997 6:30 PM, HERITAGE ROOM IV 8080 Mitchell Road COUNCILMEMBERS: Mayor Jean Harris, Sherry Butcher- Younghans, Ronald Case, Ross Thorfinnson, Jr. and Nancy Tyra-Lukens CITY COUNCIL STAFF: City Manager Carl J. Jullie, Assistant City Manager Chris Enger, Director of Public Safety Jim Clark, Emergency Preparedness Director Molly Koivumald, and Council Recorder Jan Nelson ROLL CALL All members were present. I. CALL MEETING TO ORDER Mayor Harris called the meeting to order at 6:45 p.m. II. STATE-MANDATED EMERGENCY OPERATING PLAN REVIEW Koivumaki said Minnesota statute requires that we have an emergency operating plan in place. Our plan has been reviewed by the state, the Regional Response Committee and by the Hennepin County Emergency Management. She said our plan has been used as a model for others in the county. She reviewed the plan document and the role set forth for Councilmembers. Jullie asked if the authority of the state and county will supersede the city's during an emergency. Koivumaki said the county would offer assistance as requested in a disaster situation that the city could not handle; however, they would not assume command. Clark noted Koivumaki has helped to develop a good working relationship with the county and the state. Jullie asked what would happen in a disaster such as a plane crash. Clark said the NTSB is the investigatory body and would have a distinct responsibility in the crash. Koivumaki said the medical examiner would come in and take control if there were mass casualties. Koivumaki reviewed the sample Emergency Declaration. Tyra-Lukens asked if there is a definition of an emergency. Koivumaki said there are examples in the book; however a lot has to do with the dollar loss involved. Clark said it would have to be outside of our ability to deal with it in terms of resources. Koivumaki noted Hennepin County made an Emergency Declaration twice in 1997 for flooding. CITY COUNCIL/STAFF WORKSHOP MEETING October 7, 1997 Page 2 Butcher-Younghans asked if there are distinct levels such as a problem, an emergency and then a disaster. Koivumaki said if we can't contain the problem we would then need the county or state to come in. The federal government would be the last to be called in. Clark said the same process must also work for small towns, so the exact steps and language can't be defined. Case asked about the procedures during a weather disaster and how the Emergency Operating Center (E.O.C.) would work. Koivumaki said we have designated the Heritage Room as the official E.O.C. Councilmembers would be requested to come in for shifts during an emergency operation. Case said it appears the power would shift to staff during an emergency situation, and he asked if we would have any cause to get together at that point. Koivumaki said the Council would be responsible for emergency expenditures and long-term plans. Harris said the Council would be involved in policy issues, while staff would have charge of operations. Koivumaki said there is an E.O.C. directory in Annex B that lists the people who would be in the E.O.C. She said the communications van could also be used as an E.O.C. in some cases. Clark said the E.O.C. was used during the Hussey case. Jullie noted it was also activated during the flood of 1987. M. POLICE STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE Clark said this project was begun in response to Councilmember Tyra-Lukens' question as to whether we should have a Police Commission. He said they got information from Tyra-Lukens and Thorfinnson on their ideas of where to go with the strategic plan. He said it is difficult to bring in consultants to work a police department; however, Bob Tyson, a former Eden Prairie Police Lieutenant, volunteered to help out. With Koivumaki acting as the staff liaison. Tyson has spent a lot of time interviewing staff members to try to get a feel for where the organization is today. They are starting to do some one-on-ones and plan to have focus groups in the community to see what residents expect of the organization. He said we have some challenges in terms of dealing with an aging work force and a need for redeployment. They expect to have a written report available sometime after the first of the year and would like to bring it back to the Council when it is completed. Enger said they plan to have facilitator training for those involved in the upcoming community forum to discuss population and trends, and they could incorporate some questions regarding the police department issues into that event. Harris thought we should have Tyson involved with the group. Clark said he would like to have Tyra-Lukens act as a liaison in case Tyson needs a contact now that he is out in the community. Butcher-Younghans asked about the procedures Tyson is using to ask questions and measure the responses. Koivumaki said they will use the same set of questions for larger groups. The one-on-one sessions will have different questions regarding business-related topics. CITY COUNCIL/STAFF WORKSHOP MEETING October 7, 1997 Page 3 Harris thanked Koivumaki and Clark for their presentation and for the work they have done. IV. OTHER BUSINESS V. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Harris adjourned the meeting at 7:25 p.m.