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04-26-90 Safety Comm Minutest' l i SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING APRIL 26, 1990 PRESENT ARE: CHAIRMAN DUANE LARSON, MAYOR ROGER HOPKINS, COUNCILMEN GARY NYSTUL, FRED BUCK AND LOREN GRANMO, POLICE CHIEF AD CLARK, AND LT. RON YOUNG. ALSO PRESENT ARE: BARBARA SKARSTEDT FROM NORTHWESTERN TELEPHONE SYSTEMS AND STEVE COONEY FROM KALISPELL BAR. THE MEETING WAS BROUGHT TO ORDER AT 7:03 A.M. BY CHAIRMAN LARSON. THE FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS WAS THE GAMBLING PROPOSAL THAT WAS PRESENTED BY STEVE COONEY. THIS IS TO EXTEND THE GAMBLING HOURS FROM 2:00 A.M. TO 4:00 A.M. DISCUSSION BY CHIEF CLARK AND _CHAIRMAN LARSON: CHIEF CLARK HAD CONCERN REGARDING THE EXTRA BURDEN OF PERFORMING CHECKS ON THE CASINO'S AND BARS. CHIEF CLARK ASKED FOR A COMMENT FROM LT. RON YOUNG AS TO THE EXTRA MAN HOURS NEEDED TO CHECK THESE ESTABLISHMENTS FOR AFTER HOUR LIQUOR SALE OR CONSUMPTION AND OTHER CONCERNS OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. STEVE COONEY: FEELS THAT ONLY ABOUT SIX ESTABLISHMENTS ARE GOING TO WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS AND THAT SERVING FOOD AND COFFEE AFTER BAR • HOURS WILL HELP IN KEEPING INTOXICATED DRIVERS OFF THE STREETS. HE ALSO FEELS WITH THE SUMMER TOURIST INDUSTRY COMING UP, THE REVENUE FOR THE CITY WOULD BE GREAT. THIS PROPOSAL WOULD BE TO EXTEND THE HOURS, NOT TO SHORTEN THEM IN THE MORNING TO MAKE THEM LONGER AFTER BAR CLOSING. DISCUSSION C.N_YSTUL RECOMMENDS GIVING THIS A TRY AND TO BE REVISITED AFTER LABOR DAY - - CHAIRMAN :.ARSON MADE MOTION TO RECOMMEND THIS TO THE COUNCIL. C. BUCK SECONDED THE MOTION ALL PRESENT CONCURRED BARBARA SKARSTEDT IS CONCERNED ABOUT A TRAFFIC PROBLEM ON W. WASHINGTON AT IST AVE. W.N. THE CONCERNS ARE ABOUT SEVERAL ACCIDENTS AND NEAR ACCIDENTS AT THAT INTERSECTION. SHE ALSO HAS A CONCERN ABOUT THE ALLEY BEHIND THE TELEPHONE OFFICE. WOULD ALSO REQUEST CONSIDERATION IN MAKING THAT A ONE WAY ALLEY. A TRAFFIC STUDY IS BEING DONE AT THIS TIME WITH COUNTERS OUT THERE NOW. A FOUR WAY STOP SIGN IS REQUESTED AT 1ST AVE. W.N. AND W. WASHINGTON. COMMENTS 8Y CHIEF CLARK SUGGESTS A STOP SIGN BE PUT THERE, BUT NOT UNTIL • THE TRAFFIC STUDIES ARE COMPLETE. JISCUSSIO:i FOLLOWED 0 PAGE 2 THE COMMITTEE AGREED TO DO WHAT THEY COULD FOR NOW, BUT TO WAIT UNTIL THE TRAFFIC STUDY IS BACK BEFORE DOING ANYTHING PERMANENT. SKATEBOARDS. IT WAS AGREED BY THE COMMITTEE TO TABLE THIS TOPIC FOR 60 DAYS, OR UNTIL JUNE 1ST, BUT WITH THE CONTINUED PROBLEMS CONCERNING SKATEBOARDING SOME DIRECTION FROM THE COUNCIL MAY BE NEEDED EARLIER. DISCUSSION FOLLOWED THE COMMITTEE AGREED TO LEAVE THIS AS IS UNTIL JUNE IST AND TAKE TIME TO WORK OUT DETAILS OF THIS ORDINANCE; WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE IT LESS RESTRICTIVE, BUT YET RESTRICTIVE ENOUGH TO COVER THE MAIN AREAS OF CONCERN. ATTORNEY _DAVIDORTLEY, WAS PRESENT TO SUGGEST TO THE COMMITTEE THAT CITY ATTORNEY NEIER MAY BE IN NEED OF SOME ASSISTANCE IN THAT OFFICE. THE BELIEF IS THAT ONE ATTORNEY CAN'T HANDLE BOTH CIVIL AND CRIMINAL CASES WITHOUT AN ASSISTANT, A PROSECUTOR WITH A BACK GROUND IN CRIMINAL LAW IS NEEDED. THE HIRING OF A PROSECUTOR COULD BE DONE TWO WAYS; ONE IS TO HIRE A PART TIME PROSECUTOR WORKING AS A CITY EMPLOYEE, OR HIRE • CONTRACT LABOR. MR. ORTLEY IS WILLING TO COMMIT HIMSELF TO EITHER. DISCUSSION FOLLOWED_ CONCERNING LOSS OF REVENUE FROM LACK OF PROSECUTION AND DISMISSAL OF PARKING TICKET_ FINES. C. NYSTUL SUGGESTED THAT THE MAYOR SHOULD BE REQUESTED TO GATHER SOME DATA FROM THE COURTS AND POT ICE DEPARTMENT ABOUT THIS ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP BEFORE AND THEN ASK FOR A MEETING SPECIFICALLY TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY PRESENT, WHICH WOULD GIVE HIM A CHANCE TO RESPOND TO THE NUMBERS FOUND. CHAIRMAN LARSON REQUESTS THAT THIS ISSUE BE REVISITED AT A LATER TIME. C. GRANMO REQUESTED TO KNOW WHICH INTERSECTIONS HAVE BEEN STUDIED BY THE STATE. CHIEF C_L_A_RK STATED TRAFFIC ITEM 46, STATE STUDY, A LETTER FROM THE STATE WITH RECOMMENDATIONS, AND IN SOME CASES THEY SUGGEST NOTHING BE DONE. CHIEF CLARK BELIEVES THESE INTERSECTIONS ARE ONES THAT ACCIDENT INVESTIGATORS REQUESTED BE STUDIED AND IS A TOTAL OF FIVE INTERSECTIONS AND THERE IS ONLY A COUPLE OF THEM THAT THEY SUGGEST DOING ANYTHING WITH. COPIES OF THIS STUDY WILL BE MADE AND GIVEN TO COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND REVISITED AT A LATER TIME. CHIEF CLAR_K_ GAVE AN INFORMATIONAL REPORT ON THE 30 MINUTE PARKING ZONES. JUST WANTS THE COMMITTEE TO KNOW HE IS WORKING ON RESOLVING THE PROBLEM el BEING CONSISTENT AND DID FIND ORDINANCES THAT COVER THAT ISSUE; ORDINANCE 3 1068, 1030 AND 1093. THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN CONTACTED AND WILL ERECT SIGNS IN THE PROPER PLACES OF CONCERN. 1 • PAGE 3 CHIEF CL_A_R_K_ TOOK THIS TIME TO THANK THE COUNCIL FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE D.A.R.E. VEHICLE AND REPORTS THAT HE DID FIND A LINE ITEM FOR SCHOOL TRAVEL, SO THERE WILL BE NO COST TO THE CITY FOR INSURANCE, ETC. CHIEF CLARK WILL WORK WITH AMY TO SET THIS UP. C. NYSTUL WONDERED IF THERE WAS ANY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT REPOR'_':'HS ON MCAT WALK* AT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT 70 HANDLE :TEAT DUCTS AND 'WONDERED IF IT WOULD BE MORE FEASIBLE TO LOOK Am. MOVEABLE PORTABLE SCAFFOLDS TO BE USED FOR DUAL PURPOSES OF [TEAT DUCTS AND CHANGING OF LIGHT 5ULSS_ DISCUSSTON FOLLOWED AND CCH12F CLArtK SHARED ?:.S CONCERN A?i,U'; _.:F_ AWNING OVER ONE OF THE 3ACK !_lc= ^_EDEPARTMENT, WHERE 3NE FFIC R WAS IN Rf- W 7 N7_ R TAI tMA� LARSON ri:_ :'EtiTICN '_` 1._ NEXT CvM2 UN`_TY 'J-EVE: GP.!EN :!-E::.: ^E SHARED CONCERNS uVE3 _ .= AWNINGS AT THE BACK OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT _ MAYOR HOPK:NS HAS A C";NCERN. A50'1T_ THE SIGNAL LIGHTS ON MAIN STREET WHICH HE HAS TALKED TO JERRY DIEGEL ABOUT. THE CONCERN IS AN EIGHT PHASE CONTROLLER AT MAIN AND IDAHO WORKING AT ONLY FOUR PHASES. A STUDY IS BEING DONE BY THE STATE AT THIS TIME AT THE REOUEST OF THE MAYOR. DISCUSSION FOLLOWED MEETING ADJOURNED BY CHAIRMAN LARSON AT 9:17 A.M. 0