CALL TO ORDER: 5:45 P.M.
ROLL CALL: City Commissioners present: Bill Beecher, Sandy Hinz and John Rosenbaum. Commissioner Jovick-Kuntz was excused. Mayor Gray arrived toward the end of the meeting. Also present were the Assistant City Manager, City Attorney, Directors of Community Development, Planning, Public Works, Fiscal Services, Library, Police Chief, Fire Chief, Acting Director of Park and Recreation, and the City Clerk.
Chief Jones reported that staff of the Great Falls Police Department began looking for a method to measure their performance and to provide a reporting mechanism to the City Manager, City Commission and to the public. Chief Jones added that while he believed Great Falls had the best police department in the State, he also knew he needed a credible way to demonstrate their accountability. After several months of research and looking at various methods of bench marking, staff determined the best method was the CALEA Law Enforcement Accreditation program.
CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies) usually takes between 24 and 36 months. During that time, the Police Department assesses themselves against the CALEA standards. After the self-assessment process is completed, a CALEA team will spend a week at the Police Department verifying the information and accuracy of the self-assessment. If the information can be verified and confirmed, CALEA will grant the accreditation. Ron Steffens has been appointed the accreditation manager and a team has been assembled that will work on this process.
Mr. Ron Steffens reviewed the process in detail and explained that the cost for this accreditation, in addition to staff time, was $8,400.
After a brief discussion, the City Commission concurred this was a worthwhile process and encouraged the Police Department to move forward with it.
Kory Larsen, Chief Prosecuting Attorney, provided information as to what type of citation could be issued on private parking lots and/or property. He stated that MCA 61-8-101 states that traffic offenses pertain to highways except DUIs and reckless driving, meaning that stop sign violations on private parking lots such as at Holiday Village were not citable. He added that MCA 61-7-102, the uniform accident reporting code includes the phrase "elsewhere" implying that when an accident occurs on private property, a citation could be issued. MCA 61-6-301 pertains to liability insurance and the statute applies to parking lots.
Mr. Larsen added that he has been working on an ordinance to accommodate events held in the parking lots adjacent to the Civic Center. He explained that the City does not have an ordinance that allows cars to be removed if they are parked in the lots when the event is set up or occurring. He added, similarly, the downtown has the same type of issue with parades.
Following a brief question and answer session from the Commission and audience members, Mayor Gray and Mayor Pro-tempore Beecher adjourned the regular work session of September 20, 2005, at 6:48 p.m.
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