City of Portsmouth, New Hampshire 2022 - 2024 City Council, 10 May 2022

Previous Meeting Next Meeting

⏯

youtube image

►

From YouTube: 5.10.2022 City Council Work Session

Description

5.10.2022 City Council Work Session

A

All right, no idea: okay, I'm getting plenty of emails. I'm sure you are phone calls. I've heard.

B

From plenty of my neighbors, you just have to call it to order somebody all right. Thank you. Everyone.

C

For coming to tonight's public safety department, city council budget work session.

C

For those tuning in at home, we are down in the typical work session table here and.

C

Yesterday, we're up for the the public hearing um we're here today, tuesday.

C

May 10th um no roll call, so I'm just going to hand it over to city manager conard to present.

C

First, the police budget and then the fire department's budget.

D

Sir, thank you mayor and thanks everyone for tuning in this evening tonight you will hear from acting.

D

Police chief, mike maloney and fire chief todd germain in that order, and just to set the stage.

D

We, as we mentioned last night in in the overview of the the entire general fund budget,.

D

We mentioned specifically the request of the fire and police commissions for a salary.

D

Adjustment for their collective bargaining units, which are not currently in negotiation,.

D

They're not expiring this year, so um in an attempt to share with you what the folks.

D

In in fire and police have shared with me, they have provided some information that speaks to.

D

Comparables, if you will information that sets us apart to the not so good relative to what other.

D

Communities pay both for starting wages and for higher up uh personnel, so the material on.

D

Your desk tonight is uh reflective of that, and it really uh helps to paint the picture of the need.

D

For us to be more competitive in terms of recruiting and retaining staff- and I know.

D

That I've spoken with at least one counselor who's. Looking for that kind of information.

D

So, with the with thanks to both police and fire, you have that material in front of you and with.

D

That um I'll ask acting chief maloney to start us off okay good evening. Everyone pleasure to be here.

E

um So I, as the city manager noted you do have those handouts here, but I think you also also have.

E

um Our budget presentation in front of you, I can speak to the handouts in a little bit more detail.

E

uh In a little bit, but um we'll just go through the presentation, if that's okay.

D

E

Okay and next slide, oh, that that that one's the first slide correct yep. uh So just first.

E

To start off, um that's a picture of our proposed organizational chart.

E

Of course, everybody speaks to the police department you're familiar with uniform officers.

E

On the street you're familiar with detectives, but you know part of our core services. In addition to.

E

Patrol officers and detectives and supervisors are you know within the patrol division. We have.

E

Traffic safety grants, dwi directed patrols, events and event, planning events, both large and small.

E

Unique unique to portsmouth is the amount of events we have and I think it's sometimes.

E

Underestimated the the manpower that it takes to manage and plan some of these events, for example,.

E

The uh just the the quick visit we had from the president a few weeks ago was uh four days of.

E

Planning for ranking officers and and and on game day we had 30 plus officers assigned just to that.

E

Just to that event, and at 68 sworn that's almost half of our department, that's required just to.

E

Support a two two and a half hour visit, um we're responsible for uh pease airport, policing, pease.

E

Airport, and also also for uh security for domestic flights, uh prosecution and court preparation.

E

In addition to that, in detectives, uh we are in charge of homeland security and anti-terrorism.

E

Initiatives cyber crimes, community engagement, presentations, such as citizens, response to.

E

Active shooter, an investigation of fraud, scams and elderly exploitation and on the.

E

Administrative side with the court office we have, in addition to the court office, which prosecutes.

E

At the district court, hundreds of cases a year, we have training recruitment, finance kalia, which.

E

Is our accreditation, which I'll speak to in a little bit and also our our I.t infrastructure.

E

Next slide, it's important to talk about our strategic plan. This document outlines.

E

A five-year plan for staffing and initiatives, it's a living document, it changes frequently items- can.

E

Be moved forward in and out a year or deleted completely if the initiative is no longer valid.

E

But overall, this document guides us in our budget process and we formalize our planning.

E

Process as part of the accreditation cycle and begin producing, the five-year strategic plan.

E

To be more transparent in our initiative and staffing needs.

E

Part of our accomplishments for fy22 we've had quite a few, including animal control officer.

E

Vehicle which was changed out from an old pickup truck, and we used one of our retired.

E

Front line cruisers for that, uh for that role we used the combination of remaining grant funds.

E

And budget funds to purchase a drone with better technology, much like cell phones, drone technology.

E

Increases and changes quite frequently so keeping our drone unit up to date and up.

E

With all their software updates is important, we outfitted our auxiliaries with tasers previously.

E

Our auxiliary officers did not carry tasers, uh but that was important enough important for us.

E

uh To make sure that everybody in uniform has that uh additional less lethal option with them.

E

We replaced a 23 year old, serp van, which was the primary equipment van that takes equipment to.

E

Seacoast emergency response, team callouts and we we replace that with weber funds. uh It got.

E

To the point where the people driving the van were younger than the van and it had to be towed from.

E

Call outs on a couple of occasions, which is uh which is not convenient for investigations.

E

We re-established the family services unit to include a juvenile and a focus on elderly crimes.

E

We've attended the fbi academy where chief newport is now and we are due to.

E

Scheduling and staffing concerns. We did not send anybody to perth, but we will be pushing that to.

E

Fy23, which is a mid-management executive uh training course for uh for three weeks for ranking.

E

Officers, not all ranking officers go but one or two per year. We receive bids to update our cad rms.

E

Which I'll talk about also cad rms is our computer system, where we input all our data, so we take a.

E

Police report, we take a crash report, that's what we're talking about when we talk about cad rms.

E

We have switched from code red to rave, which is a software for community notifications.

E

If there is an active incident, if there is a traffic alert, if there is a general emergency.

E

We need to push the message out city wide going to this new rave system uh is much.

E

More user-friendly and I think the user end of it for the city and the residents.

E

Will be looking to push that online in the next couple of months, we've increased our collaboration.

E

For mental health response with our mobile crisis unit, in collaboration with seacoast mental health.

E

We've improved social media to help solve crimes. We've installed cell phones in the cruisers.

E

And part of that reason, with the increase in technology and benefits to cell phones.

E

Cell phones are replacing some of our technology, even just as far as taking a photograph at a.

E

Crime scene, so we've added cell phones and not to mention the fact that officers on the.

E

In the cruisers can now make phone calls from the cruisers as opposed to having to.

E

Use their personal cell phone to make a work related call without coming into the station.

E

We installed a generator monitoring monitoring system at each radio tower site, so you may not.

E

Know but we have eight sites throughout the city which contain our radio towers and our repeaters.

E

If those were to go down, we upgraded the generator backup system on those, so that.

E

We have a more timely notification that if we lose radio reception in once in one portion of the town.

E

Because we have a limited amount of time on the backup, so we we increased that.

E

uh Capability in 2022 we initiated and deployed new firearms new duty pistols.

E

For all officers using weber money- and we have hired four to five new officers in the last year.

E

And we have major server upgrades in it as well next slide. So as I mentioned kalia so kalia is.

E

A national law enforcement accreditation, it's a voluntary process that forces us.

E

To look at every operational and administrative function within the department on a yearly basis.

E

There are almost 18 000 law enforcement agencies in the country, and 758 of them are accredited.

E

And there's another 145 in process. Accreditation has become an integral part of how we operate.

E

And we're currently in the process of our four-year reaccreditation.

E

Cycle each year at re-accreditation, we're required to provide over a thousand proofs of compliance.

E

uh A proof of compliance can be as simple as seat belting a prisoner and a cruiser. So.

E

We have a policy that says we have to do that, but we also have to prove that we do that. So.

E

That could be collecting a video from our sally port in our booking area. That shows the officer.

E

Unbuckling a seatbelt from the prisoner uh and that's called the proof so uh there's over a.

E

Thousand proofs from everything from unbuckling a prisoner to uh how we manage our I.t department.

E

A re-accreditation on-site assessment and the four-year four-year file review is set.

E

For february of 23. and there's two types of accreditation, there's tier one in advance.

E

Tier one is a more or less an entry level type accreditation or an easier standard to reach.

E

We are the advanced accreditation, which is the gold standard. If you will more policies.

E

More uh more proofs required and it's a more thorough accreditation. uh We anticipate.

E

To be awarded our second accredited accreditation certificate at that time,.

E

Staffing challenges uh in just over a year's time: we've lost dozens and dozens of years of.

E

Experience in less than a year and a half we've lost uh six ranking officers due to retirements.

E

And other apps in other retirements or I think it's all retirements for ranking officers, so.

E

We have 18 ranking officers and we lost six of those in the last year, which is a third of our.

E

Ranking officers so the amount of experience that's gone in just under a year and a half.

E

Is quite a significant hit for us to take? We've also lost 10 non-ranking officers, so in the last.

E

Year and a half or a little bit less, we've had 16 sworn officers leave the department which is on.

E

Average, a little bit more than one a month. um We have four dispatchers uh who have resigned as well.

E

uh Even administration has experienced some turnover and we've hired six.

E

uh Six civilian employees for different administrative positions, part of the challenges.

E

With recruiting the applicant pool is very small, and it's been that way for the last few years.

E

Applicants pretty much a good, solid applicant who can make it through a hiring process.

E

Can pick and choose where they want to go? All the police departments are requesting.

E

Competing for the same applicants, I'll interview, an applicant for a job.

E

And he'll have two other chiefs chiefs interviews that week and you know years ago, you'd take the.

E

First job you could get, but now uh because we're all competing for the same small group applicants.

E

Becomes increasingly difficult and uh in payer pay and incentives is, is part of that equation.

E

Additional staff for fy 23 that we are requesting uh is two uniform patrol officers and one crime.

E

Analyst and patrol administrative assistant, these positions were both once approved and funded, but.

E

Were lost during tight budgets years citywide during times of financial financial crisis,.

E

It's important to point out that training, a new officer can take three to four months.

E

To get through just the hiring process, and then months at the police academy, followed by.

E

A few more months of training before a before an officer is ready to hit the street solo.

E

So a new non-certified candidate who has to go to the police academy, we're not seeing them.

E

On the street riding alone, in a cruiser for for probably nine months, if we were to hire a lateral.

E

Who's uh previously full-time certified you're, looking at cutting, probably four.

E

Months off of that off of that time, where we could, we could get them on the street sooner.

E

The shift relief factor, it's recommended to staff up each shift 25 to 30 percent.

E

uh Positions just to cover absences such as military leaves training court fmla.

E

Long-Term injury or illness contractual leave like annual personnel we've had a number of officers.

E

Just in the last year or two with national guard deployments for over a year, we had.

E

Two that were deployed overseas and we we didn't- have those two patrol officers for about 14 months.

E

And we have another officer in the national guard who is starting his.

E

Work up in deployment next month and and he'll be gone for he'll be gone for a year as well.

E

uh Currently, we have a lot of force to overtime. um You know, officers enjoy and.

E

Deserve time off and when they come to work and they're told that they have to stay four hours.

E

That that it hurts morale over time, it puts stress on the officer and we try to prevent.

E

That as much as possible, but uh quite frankly there there's a lot of force over time right now,.

E

The crime analyst patrol admin position again. Those were positions that we had previously had.

E

I shouldn't say positions position. We had a crime analyst before, but we see an increased demand in.

E

Statistics and crime, reporting and statistics in in our world drives our our response to uh the.

E

Communities issues uh it helps, guide and prepare and deploy our resources more effectively.

E

We get a lot of requests for statistics, whether it's traffic crashes, whether it's.

E

Speeding complaints just last week, for example at parking traffic and safety. I had a request come.

E

In for me to look at how many pedestrian accidents over the last three to five years at a particular.

E

Intersection downtown, I put it on my to-do list uh to have it go out, and, quite frankly, we just.

E

We we couldn't get it in time because it takes a while to pull that data, and the meeting was the.

E

Following week, so having a crime analyst available to research that data and get those uh get those.

E

Statistics is is needed as well; they would also serve in a patrol administrative function, so.

E

Patrol ranking officers have a number of collateral duty assignments and those.

E

Include everything from literally making sure we have enough forms to do our job.

E

So a street sergeant who's backing up an officer on the street on a domestic call.

E

That's not his only job or her job, they literally make sure we have enough paperwork.

E

And we have enough forms and arrest, paperwork and search warrant forms.

E

They brought our intoxilizer machine, they keep track of our radar books to make sure our raiders.

E

Radar, certifications are all up to date that doesn't have to be a sworn officer that does that.

E

And if we were to have this position, it would afford us the opportunity for those.

E

Street sergeants and supervisors to be more active and more on more on the street.

E

Supervising high liability calls than making sure we have enough forms to do to do our job.

E

We also are looking at replacing an aging canine unit, who we have.

E

Yearing nearing the end of his career here shortly next slide, so I thought.

E

This was an interesting slide to put in. We talk about recruiting and retention a lot.

E

In the last two years, this is where our new police officers have come from.

E

We've never seen this type of um chart before and, and I thought it was interesting because.

E

We have officers from all over the country as far west as seattle, washington, two from colorado and.

E

That kind of speaks to our recruitment challenges where ten years ago, those would all be new england.

E

uh We're reaching far and wide to fire to find our candidates. A lot of these candidates are virtually.

E

All of those officers hired are full-time officers somewhere else in the country and.

E

They're leaving some of those bigger departments for a better quality of life to live here.

E

And they want to start new somewhere else and thankfully, that they're they're coming here. But.

E

You know, like I said, 10 15 20 years ago. They would all be new hampshire.

E

They would all be massachusetts, but um it kind of goes to show the challenges that we.

E

Had and how far we're going out to recruit and where we're getting our officers from.

E

uh In fact, there's a the officer starting in a week or two who's from uh nypd.

E

And we have another one, uh hopefully going a background from nypd as well slide.

E

Information technology in the strategic plan uh there's two two significant undertakings which.

E

Is our cad rms system and outlook 360 cad rms is looking at 12 to 18 months before our live test.

E

And again, that's the police software that we use to do police reports.

E

If I were to take a police report tomorrow, I'm entering it in the same software that I entered it.

E

24 years ago, so that's uh that's outdated. At this point and also outlook 360 is our email.

E

The city is transitioning uh to a different email and we are moving to.

E

A.Gov and because of uh criminal justice requirements for security purposes,.

E

Requires a special type of compliance and that's a significant undertaking with that.

E

Objectives we talk about the importance of training, properly trained officers, reduced.

E

The liability to the department in the city in 2020 the governor, signed an executive order based.

E

On the recommendations from the commission on law enforcement, accountability and transparency.

E

To increase the amount of training officers for all new hampshire police officers, we are working.

E

To attain that goal of an additional 24 hours of training by 2024 prior to that a full-time.

E

Officer in the state of new hampshire required eight hours of in-service training per year.

E

But that is being moved up to 24 hours of training per calendar year at fy 22. We added to our budget.

E

The cost of six hours of that training that included ethics, de-escalation and bias-based.

E

Policing in fy 23, we are adding an additional nine for training such as mental health crisis.

E

And intervention response in fy 24, we anticipate uh adding a final nine hours for the 24 hours.

E

Strategic plan objectives in 23 in the cip, we have.

E

Four hundred thousand dollars over two years for mold and asbestos remediation.

E

Reconstruction and assembly of abated areas, air quality testing and electrical services.

E

In the out years, in our strategic plan, additional patrol officers and detectives.

E

Potentially, looking at online crime reporting replacing a polygraph examiner, who was retiring.

E

Increase our training hub capabilities, which means that we would host more training here.

E

At the police department, so in turn we would get more free seats at that training.

E

Additional command staff to attend the fbi, academy and perf, a youth advocate and mold.

E

Asbestos, remediation and reconstruction of the basement level of the police department.

E

Some may or may not know, but we were working for the past two years with the resident group.

E

Representatives to highlight a few of the things that we worked with that group.

E

We are working to collect and maintain more accurate encounter data.

E

Or posting sops to our website and we're conducting surveys in.

E

Marginalized neighborhoods and we're more closely examining our prosecution data.

E

City growth, so city growth has.

E

Certainly a significant impact on the city and it has a significant impact on police services.

E

It's easy to talk about. You know, citizens, growth and the effects it have, but I think of you know.

E

How does growth affect the police department on a day-to-day level, uh and I can give a.

E

Couple examples of that uh and I'll I'll bring up specific projects or specific uh new developments.

E

But it's not to certainly cast dispersion on any of them, but it's just to get kind of give.

E

You highlights of what new buildings and people do to the police department, uh the viridian for.

E

Example soon after the viridian opened up, we have complaints about speeders, exiting water.

E

Exiting water country the officers respond to that complaint. They make directed patrols at water.

E

Country they talk to management at water country to try to have traffic calming measures upon exit.

E

So when people leave water country they're not speeding past the dog walking area of the viridian.

E

We have theft of packages in the lobby because it's a community lobby so when amazon drops off.

E

A package or somebody drops off a package. Inevitably somebody will steal that package.

E

Officers take an initial report. They review surveillance of the suspect they post that suspect.

E

To social media they identify the suspect they see that that suspect has a long history.

E

A theft and is connected to many other thefts throughout the region. They complete warrants.

E

Including search warrants arrest warrants and they work with those other jurisdictions. So.

E

That one call of service generates roughly 20 hours of investigative time involving multiple.

E

Officers and detectives, and that doesn't include time for prosecution in court down the road.

E

If it were to go to trial at the west end yards during construction, there's burglary, there's.

E

Burglaries of construction tools that happens at nearly every construction site in town anytime.

E

Anytime, something is up for construction or being built. People are looking to steal from that site.

E

Again, it involves initial police reports, identification of suspects search warrants.

E

Arrest warrants dozens of hours of investigation and that's before any residents even move into the.

E

Building when residents move into these buildings, we see the same type of calls that I mentioned.

E

You know at the viridian a few weeks ago a vehicle crashed into the west end yards.

E

Building and had it never been there, the crash probably wouldn't have happened, but even that one.

E

Crash calls already for traffic calming measures in the neighborhood and complaints about speed.

E

And again I think uh I uh west end yards, I think I said it was wasn't the meridian.

E

um But again, even before the west end yards is fully occupied, we've already gotten calls.

E

To slow traffic down and and reduce traffic in that area, port walk place in the downtown. The.

E

Noise complaints at bar closing this generated dozens of calls to police to enforce the noise.

E

Ordinance, in addition, police command staff and city officials met with residents and bar owners.

E

Multiple times in an effort to come up to some type of resolution, middle hill and the westerly.

E

Apartments on lafayette road in the bypass again, complaints about loud motorcycles, mufflers and.

E

Traffic concerns and these residents ask for and expect the police to address these issues.

E

Again, that's just a few examples of how the city growth directly affects us. A little history on.

E

Our budget present our budget history and our budget presentation history on february 11th.

E

The commission held a work session on the fy23 budget february 16th, the chief presented the.

E

Police budget at our public hearing changes take place along the process each step of the way.

E

And the final submission is before you today, so the impacts of the submitted budget, fy 23.

E

The overall impacts we are representing uh in our f fy 23 budget.

E

These do include the increase of two officers in the cro. The crime analyst slash admin position.

E

Salaries, 149 390, that includes contractual cola and step increases training. Forty thousand three.

E

Forty five phase, two of the executive order um for the uh increased training insurances, forty.

E

Four thousand three: eighty nine gasoline: twenty one thousand two hundred ten dollars increased.

E

By thirty percent, given the current conditions and other operating costs, a hundred and twenty.

E

Six thousand two hundred and twenty eight, including uh technology, cloud-based, email.

E

Enhanced investigative software fleet repairs, the vendor rate, hasn't increased our hourly rate for.

E

Maintenance on cruises hasn't been increased for over a decade so that increased this year.

E

The remaining 62 877 is for taser replacement battery backups biological waste cleaning of.

E

Cruisers and holding cells, training related costs like registration, travel and general cost.

E

Of living increases in the light items for inflation.

E

As you can see, with the total budget increase, it's a 4.8 increase over fy 22.

E

We illustrated in the budget budget workshop, the police department is primarily staffing.

E

The only uh our other operating is only seven percent of the total.

E

Budget funds and our overtime is only five percent.

E

In our capital improvement plan, we have the following projects identified under buildings.

E

And infrastructure, we have three projects: that being land for a new police facility if needed,.

E

New new police facility, as outlined in the cip hearing uh the 1.4 billion for preliminary design.

E

Once the prospective sites are chosen and police deficiencies.

E

uh In repairs and that's the project that will get the department by until.

E

A new facility is funded and requesting an additional four hundred thousand a year.

E

Under cip for uh information systems, all of our with our our it equipment includes rolling.

E

Stock such as servers, laptops, ruggedized, laptops, pcs and things like printers and mobile radios.

E

Also, under the cip, it is our new compute, computer-aided dispatch and records.

E

And the full cost of that project is estimated at 1.3 million.

E

For rolling stock in the budget, the police department currently has 37 vehicles, which.

E

Includes our patrol black and white cruisers detective cars, animal control vehicle as well.

E

As other police vehicles like the crime scene, van training, car and motorcycles.

E

Vehicles are set on a replacement schedule based on use. For example, patrol cars have.

E

A five year life and are usually retired at over a hundred hundred twenty thousand.

E

Miles whereas detective cars can be used for as much as uh ten years.

E

We utilize some patrol cars if they have lower miles to recycle them into a detective's car.

E

And you'll still see actually rolling around out there. We still have two.

E

Ford crown victorias, which are almost a historical police cruiser at this point, but.

E

You won't, I challenge you to try to find a crown vic out there, uh but we have two of them.

E

That we use as school resource, cruisers um and they're kind of like an old-school police car. So.

E

uh It's just evident the fact that we still uh get the most out of our cars as we can.

E

We use cars until they become burdensome with repairs and in fy 23. We are seeking four vehicles.

E

So in closing, portland portsmouth is a safe community to call home or visit.

E

It doesn't get that way and stay that way by accident. It takes professional.

E

Thoughtful and highly trained officers and civilian staff in the last two years, policing on.

E

A national level has had more demands and calls for reform placed on it than in recent history.

E

This combined with recruitment and retention, has led to many challenges.

E

In portsmouth, we feel those effects and are responsive to the needs and wants of our community.

E

As shown prior, I've highlighted our challenges in the last year and we are committed to face.

E

Those challenges head on with tremendous growth in our city comes a higher demand for our services.

E

The department's budget reflects being able to respond to those demands with the level.

E

Of service and professionalism that both our residents and visitors have come to deserve and.

E

Request of us so with that said, uh we'd be happy to answer any questions that you may have to the.

E

Best of our ability- and this is something that we're unable to answer here- we'll certainly.

E

We'll certainly circle back with you. Thank you, acting chief for a thorough uh presentation.

C

There any questions the council of the council, then I'm going to preface this by planet asking.

A

Most presenters the same question and I know it's apples to oranges when it comes to the.

A

Police department, but you had just spoke about 1.3 million for it equipment and I know the.

A

City is looking at essentially standing up a new I.t department with five people.

A

In it is this equipment that possibly those five people could help maintain to save costs. No.

E

The the two and I'll ask for backup on that as well, but the police department has two I.t.

E

Two, it employees strictly for the police department, and a lot of that is for.

E

Our servers that we need to maintain for our computer systems and our networks.

E

That exchange police information through the state through the federal government.

E

So um I think those two kind of silos are separate in that sense with rit. Thank you.

A

Yes, thank you mayor, um first of all, very good presentation. I think it was uh very informative.

A

And going through the book, I noticed a couple things um in terms of arrests. Things like.

A

Sexual assault is up significantly um simple. Assaults are up significantly and larceny.

A

Significantly, um I guess: what do you need to address those? Why is it do you have any.

A

Sense of why that is happening, why it's increasing, and what do you need to address that.

E

One of the things that we found, particularly comparing statistics from years of 2020 2021.

E

Is obviously covet impacts, so I would say that the statistics in 2021.

E

Are more reflective of normal years, as opposed to 2020, where the data for 2020 is is unreliable.

E

Because 2020 was such an anomaly of a year, it's tough to categorize, so I wouldn't characterize.

E

Although on paper, it sure looks like there's a jump in those numbers, I would say that those.

E

2021 numbers are now starting to return return to somewhat normal, um based on what we saw in in 2020.

E

Because you know we would pull statistics for any number of things, and- and I would go back to if I.

E

Was looking to compare something, I jump right back to 2019, because I wouldn't even look at the last.

E

Two years because I couldn't rely on it, so I I would say that those 20 20 numbers are are not.

E

They, although they are an increase from 2020, but it's it's more returning to uh returning to the.

E

Norm that said, your question still remains: what what do we? What would we want to uh combat that.

E

Obviously, the reduction of crime is one of our primary focuses, so crime prevention initiatives.

E

Have crime deterrence so simply having in the downtown area an additional officer presence.

E

Where we could have two officers at night, as opposed to one during our busy months, uh certainly.

E

An increased patrol down there uh increasing community involvement. For um you know, building.

E

Those building those partnerships. Obviously all of this with has the overall attempt to reduce crime.

A

And I follow the um the other things that I see that have.

A

Arisen on the group b are drunkenness and disorderly conduct and dui.

A

And I assume those numbers reflect similarly the change of years and the and the clovid.

E

Yeah, I think when, when the restrictions of covid started to loosen up, quite frankly, people forgot.

E

How to behave um and we're still even seeing it now, uh the increase in dwi's that we've had just.

E

In so far in this year in 2022 and we're kind of out of the we're kind of out of the time frame,.

E

Where the restrictions have been loosened, um you know if you follow our facebook or or see any.

E

Of our social media, the amount of dewey crashes that we've had in 2022 so far is discouraging and.

E

Alarming so we have grant funded highway safety patrols. uh You know catching those drunk drivers.

E

Arresting them more frequently and a lot of that comes down to detecting them sooner and if we.

E

Can intervene in that sense as far as increased traffic presence increased patrols? um You know.

E

We are, we already do a pretty good job of messi messaging out uh dwi awareness and prevention, but.

E

uh Sometimes it it takes more arrests to send the message, and I have one other thing. Therefore, yeah.

A

There's a recent new york times article about traffic in new york city, that people.

A

Are driving much faster on residential streets in new york city, and I mean it was it's a situation.

A

In new york that is created a much higher death rate um because of uh accidents with pedestrians.

A

I know this has been a problem in portsmouth and I appreciate the efforts that.

A

Both the traffic and safety committee and the and public works and the police department.

A

Have been doing on it, I just want to thank you for that and keep it up. We will yeah.

E

That's routinely the number one complaint we get at. The police department is speed, reckless.

E

Driving dangerous driving uh and it continues to be our primary focus. And if our primary focus.

E

If the community requests that our primary focus be moved in another direction, we'll go in that.

E

Direction, but until until that time, the thing that I continue to hear year after year is exactly that.

E

Thank you, counselor cook,.

B

Thank you mayor and, and thank you as well I, when I'm going through these statistics, one.

B

Of the things, that's really obvious to me is that uh the police department's doing a great job at.

B

It, in effect with more arrests for um cases and responding to a lot more calls than prior is.

B

There a standard measure of calls per number of officer that helps you determine staffing levels.

B

Ultimately, not that I'm familiar with it, so you you would would that be an example of how.

E

Many calls an officer in any given shift should respond to right. um I don't know if that's.

E

I got written a note, but I can't read it uh I don't. I don't know if yeah I don't know if.

E

That's a statistic we can, we can capture because one call could take five minutes. uh Another call.

E

Could take three and a half hours, uh even your most basic ground ball, run-of-the-mill dwi arrest.

E

uh Is three hours worth of paperwork? For you know for an officer on a 10-hour shift, a domestic is.

E

Probably three hours a domestic arrest, so uh in in some some nights you can.

E

Handle 20 calls for service that are quick ones and some nights at a roll call. You'll.

E

Get one call and you'll work on it that entire day and then part of the next day.

B

Thank you and I have one more question, and this is just an informational question.

B

Because you talk about increased training hours, you didn't mention this type of.

B

Training, but I'm I'm curious if our police department is going to be engaging in it.

B

Training for dealing with individuals with developmental disabilities. I know that this.

B

Is something we're starting to see in manchester and concord yep? So we do train on that. Currently.

E

We do have in-house training, particularly for autism awareness when we deal uh when we deal.

E

With calls for service involving adults or children with autism and our response.

E

In fact, we have one of our ranking officers who works with a local autism uh center.

E

In collaboration on a continuous basis on the best practices and in ways.

E

That we can respond to calls for persons in crisis like that, in fact, we do. We have a couple of calls.

E

A couple of well-known individuals in town who we deal with quite frequently and we've learned.

E

uh The specific approach on how to deal with that person, in fact, in our computer system, when we have.

E

A resident, for example, who has autism we're able to put notes in the computer system.

E

That an officer can read prior to arriving, which may be some key indicators of how to how.

E

To de-escalate or things to do or not do on that call so that that is certainly part of our our.

E

Training now and and training in the future. Thank you so much you're welcome mrs sameer. Thank you.

B

um Thank you captain um question um as we look through in the staffing needs for the.

B

Two additional offers one of the things I didn't see and obviously, throughout the.

B

Process um had kind of hoped that we've seen we have seen more in other communities is.

B

A mental health um counselor or a social worker on on staff. So I guess my question is: um when.

B

We're looking at this budget and we're looking at adding more officers is that something that.

B

Ben considered in the department is aden. um A mental health advocate a social worker on staff.

E

Yeah, although it's it's not in this budget, that is certainly something that uh we're seeing more.

E

Frequently and that's in part with the talks with seacoast mental health and the mobile crisis unit,.

E

It's been done on a local level in the seacoast region in general,.

E

But also incorporating the mobile crisis unit is is doing partly that right now anyway, so so.

E

We'll have officers, although that person is not funded by the police department, we're not paid.

E

We're not paying them, uh we, we do now respond the calls for service and if we need a mobile crisis.

E

Response coordinator, that we have a phone number, we can call it's still in.

E

The rollout process right now, but we've had instances of an officer being on a call for a.

E

Mental health or a crisis related call, and it does meet the criteria for these responders to respond.

E

We will make a phone call and a lot of times that they will actually come out to the scene.

E

De-Escalate and then take the call over for us, so I think right now, that's a first step.

E

As this process starts to get more underway, and people start to use this.

E

More frequently in law enforcement, so we do have that capability now in the form of a mobile crisis,.

E

Unit but I would certainly think future budgets that bring somebody in house in our department.

E

To focus on that full-time would be a benefit to the city and our residents, because we we would.

E

Have that person uh under more of our control, we wouldn't have to wait for 30 minutes. You.

E

Know they could respond sooner, but I certainly do think that's something for the future. Thank you.

E

Councillor tabor, thank you. Your honor thanks for a great presentation. Captain.

F

And I two comments: uh I'm looking at your comparable entry level.

F

Pay- and I think you prove very clearly that we're simply not competitive on our entry level pay.

F

To hire and offer an officer in portsmouth, we pay less than seabrook.

F

Less than dairy, less than londonderry substantially less than concord and keen.

F

um So it's I, I think, you're you're proving your point here and in the long run.

F

The difficulty hiring means operating with empty positions, more overtime. It means turnover when.

F

We don't get the top quality hires that we want, and so, if we invest in this, we'll lower turnover.

F

Run with fewer positions, open positions and actually be more efficient, so I support that, but.

F

For us, as a council, we're wrestling with a needed boost to pay and three new positions in the same.

F

Year, um which gets our payroll running at a eight nine percent clip, um so I wanna challenge.

F

You some of your assumptions uh and uh for the good of the effort hear from you on this.

F

The calls for service, if I go back over a six-year span of time and.

F

2016 42 000 2017 53, 000, 2018, 51, 000, 2019, 49 000., so.

F

We were running significantly higher levels of calls for service before covet.

F

Then it falls to 33 000, approximately and back up to 35 000 this year. So in the near term,.

F

We're seeing an increase in calls as coveted lanes, but in the long term we were managing.

F

49 50 000 calls a year with a sworn force of 68 officers. So now we want to go up to actually 66.

F

Sworn officers in 2019, so now we want to go up to 70, uh plus one civilian.

F

Am I missing something here? uh It would seem that the tempo pre-covered.

F

Was was significantly higher and we were doing it without those extra positions. Can I see what.

E

You're reading from is that is that the budget book the I went back to the prior year's budget.

F

Books- okay- um and I know that there's flaws with the the system that you have and it's it's very.

F

Imperfect but I would assume it's comparable between years, because it's the same song.

E

I would in first part to mention to you you mentioned about the salary, so uh you did you.

E

Did get the handout and, like I spoke to during recruitment retention, you can see kind of where we.

E

Fall with the entry level patrol officer pay the 10-year patrol officer pay and that's why I say.

E

You know a good qualified candidate can just interview three to four places a week and then.

E

Shop for where they want to work- and I think those charts kind of reflect where we're at.

E

uh On our pay scale, uh with respect to the the new positions, um I would say that they're not.

E

New positions, they're positions that we once had that we are we're not funded, so we're not trying.

E

To add to a a total that we didn't have before, I think it was a 71 or 72 we had in 2007 um so by by.

E

Officer, you know, 69, you know 70. You know, I would also say those those calls for service or some of.

E

Those are officer generated uh calls for service. So when you see those numbers that uh you know.

E

A call for service could be an officer generating a traffic, stop an officer generating an activity.

E

On their own- um and I would say that you know part of the reason why some of those numbers are lower.

E

Is it's not necessarily a response for a call for service, but it could be something that an officer.

E

Him or herself generates and if we don't have the officers to generate some of those numbers.

E

It's going to reflect in the numbers, so by virtue of the fact that you have.

E

Less officers you're going to have less property checks, you're going to have less directed patrols.

E

You're going to have less traffic enforcement so that that could speak to certainly some of that.

E

Decline or that lower number going back, five or six years does coincide with the fact that.

E

We do have a lower number of officers in those years, but there's so many different things that.

E

um Contribute to calls for service, it's tough to kind of judge, using calls for service to.

E

Staffing levels is: wouldn't just be a it's, not a one-for-one if it's not a simple algorithm, if.

E

You have this many calls for service. You should have this many officers, because you know we could.

E

Have you know lower numbers of calls for service some year, but we could have twice the amount of.

E

Events that require police activity. You know we have a a women's march. You know a few years.

E

Ago that was uh billed for 500 to 750 people that turned into five thousand. uh You know: that's not.

E

A call for service, but that's something that's gonna, that required. You know 25 cops to work.

E

So I completely understand, if x, y y, uh but there's there's a lot of different variables.

E

In there, where simple calls for service doesn't completely reflect the need for police services.

F

Just to maybe make it simpler, um what does the community get for this investment and two new.

F

Patrol officers and a crime analyst so when I, when I talked about what I call for service, sometimes.

E

Entails so a simple theft report, you have an officer who may be tied up.

E

For an entire investigation 15 to 20 hours, we have one officer that works: that side of town.

E

That officer is now not working that side of town, because they're doing a call for service.

E

Or a coffered job, if we're able to increase our presence, we're able to backfill that vacancy that.

E

That officer just created so that next call for service that comes in uh there would be a shorter.

E

You know response time for it, you would be able to have um additional staffing to replace staff.

E

That's not there, it would decrease the amount of forced overtime, hence having more arrested.

E

Officers that are not getting ordered in three days a week when they come to work.

E

So you know you have an officer who's, more refreshed. You have an officer whose morale is.

E

Better, you have an officer who can take a day off if they want it. um You know currently our.

E

Our our current day shift the the only the only time of day and uh the only week day.

E

That an officer can take off without incurring overtime is one day a week. So six out of seven.

E

Days a week if somebody wants to go home now on day shift, the answer is no, because we don't.

E

Have the we don't have the personnel to backfill it? So um you know the city may not get anything.

E

Out of having an officer have a day off, but they might have an officer who's, more relaxed.

E

More well-rested the next day they're at work. So, if I could, one sure is that six days schedule.

F

Due to unfilled positions, no I mean out of a seven day work week. If you look at the schedule.

E

Six out of those seven days, there's no flexibility to give anybody a day off.

E

Only only one day, a week on that shift, are you able to give somebody a day out? Okay,.

F

I'm just I'm just curious whether that's due to open positions, I mean, if you were fully staffed.

F

With that, would you still have to have that you'd have less of you have a lot less of that? Maybe.

E

Maybe three days a week because again somebody's on an officer on that shift, maybe on military.

E

Deployment for a year or paternity leave, whereas if you you had that you had that flexibility, you.

E

Had that additional manpower, um you would still be able to backfill that okay, great, thank you.

F

Counselor denton thank you honor to follow up on councillor tabor's question regarding staffing.

A

Several years ago, chief mara and then chief mirner looked to flatten the department, the numbers.

A

Which you're requesting would that complete the flattening of the department? I believe.

E

The flattening was specific in the in terms of ranking officers, not not department in general.

E

Not non-ranking it wouldn't. uh We've successfully flattened the department going back a few chiefs.

E

Now, based on a internal review that was conducted, but we wouldn't be adding any ranking officers.

E

Positions with these two new officers, so in a sense it would continue to flatten.

E

But um that was specific to ranking officers. Thank you. You're welcome councillor bagley.

A

Thank you, your honor. um I've got a couple questions the first one as a council member.

A

On the parking traffic and safety, I probably hear more from residents than the rest of the council.

A

You know why aren't the police out there doing more traffic stops for clarity of just for.

A

Everybody at home when we do a traffic stop and we write a ticket. All the cost is you know our police.

A

Force, but where does that revenue go? It goes to the police academy, because the police can so not.

A

To the town, no, it goes, we don't retain any of that revenue zero. So so that's just I wanted to say.

A

That for the people at home that you know, if we do more traffic stops, it may help slow people down.

A

But it's not going to offset any of the costs that we maintain the police department with the second.

A

I kind of want to follow up on the assistant mayor's question the work you're doing with.

A

Seacoast mental health that seems very timely and I'd like to encourage that. If I understand.

A

Correctly, we're not actually funding any of that. How does that correct exactly nope we're not we're.

E

Not funding it, it's a collaborative effort uh working with seacoast mental health in the state.

E

uh But we're not we're not funding any of that. um Basically, the way that would work was if, if.

E

We respond to a call for service which we respond to multiple mental health crisis related calls.

E

In a given day, there's a certain parameter and a certain um a certain pre-requisite that if.

E

The call involves this type of behavior if there are no weapons involved. If it's just a perhaps.

E

A suicidal but non-violent individual if it meets a number of those criteria which a lot of ours do.

E

It then becomes eligible for a mobile crisis unit response. Then we would call mobile crisis.

E

Unit from the scene, the officer would explain to them the circumstances of what was happening and.

E

Then we will request a case worker to come to the scene for us so that we can then transition over.

E

The call and and care and custody of the individual to more appropriate resources.

E

That being mental health professionals, but it does not come out of our budget and just to follow up.

A

On that is how long have we been working with this relationship? Is this relatively recent yeah? It's.

E

Been uh it's a slow rollout, um it is an initiative that we're that we are working with right now. We.

E

Do use the uh mobile crisis unit on a daily if not weekly basis, but it's it's been within the.

E

Last year it's been a slow, build out, it's the entire state, that's doing it! It's not just here.

E

So it's it's a brand new initiative, it's a new program and as benchmarks, get met.

E

And as bugs get worked out, you'll see more of a 24-hour response, as opposed to.

E

A daytime response where you have crisis workers that can come out at all hours and available at.

E

All hours of the day, but it's a relatively new initiative in the last year year and a half.

E

But since it's a statewide initiative, it's been a little bit of a slow rollout, but.

E

We're working very closely with seacoast mental health uh locally for for our piece of it, that's.

A

Great to hear and then my final question um there's a position: that's not funded! That's.

A

The youth advocate position. What is that, exactly and and with everything we've just been through.

A

With covet is, is that something that you might think we really need at this time yeah, so the.

E

Youth advocate position uh is a civilian position um that we had until I'm not sure how long ago.

E

Yeah, probably 2004 2005., it's it's a civilian.

E

Position that's assigned to the family services unit that.

E

Specifically works with juveniles who are eligible for diversionary programs, so alternatives to.

E

Court sanctions in alternatives to juvenile petitions, where you're sending a juvenile to court.

E

The youth advocate would be an intervention step where it would be an intermediary response between.

E

Holding a juvenile, accountable and perhaps diverting them or finding some other alternative.

E

Other than a court imposed discipline uh best suited for that individual a lot of times with.

E

You know with juveniles, that's a it's a very important part of their developmental process.

E

Important part of their age and it's critical to intervene with the most amount of resources.

E

Properly for individual juveniles, because you know you could you could steer a kid away from a life.

E

Of crime, if you handle it right when they're 12, 13 14, as opposed to just petitioning to court and.

E

Then they're in front of a judge, you know that sometimes that can do more harm than good. So.

E

Having that youth advocate that's able to work a little bit more closely, and it's also a civilian.

E

Position, it's not a police officer, but they do work for us and they they they carry our message.

E

But it may be well received better from a civilian than a detective. You know with a badge and a gun.

E

So we've seen great success with that we've had that position. We had that position for many years.

E

So that would be a position that we would look to request back. Okay, yeah, I guess on the council.

A

Maybe our job is usually to find places to cut things from the budget, but this seems.

A

Like something, at least from my perspective, having a young child who's gone through, the.

A

Covet experience that youth advocacy is going to be very important over the next three to five and.

A

Probably even longer years, so if that's something that's in need of the police department.

A

That I hope we consider it okay, it is in the strategic plan in an out year, okay, great, to get.

G

Boots on the ground right now, thank you, counselor, thank you, honor um and thank you, deputy chief.

A

Captain maloney for this presentation, um so I I see the value in eliminating the forced overtime.

A

The crime prevention obviously is huge, being efficient as possible and also.

A

I can see the retention of officers losing 60 officers and several dispatchers.

A

And I can see where that would just add costs and costs and more training and be very unefficient.

A

With that said, without affecting services, um what is, is there anything that you could cut.

A

If, um without affecting services, without affecting all the things that I just mentioned in this.

A

Proposed budget, if you had to cut something you know or is this a this is what we need. This isn't.

A

A perfect world presentation um this is, you know this is what we would you know request. um I don't.

E

Know what the chief would say to me if, if he told me if I said that we would want to cut something.

E

That could be one of those questions. I said I'd get back to you.

E

You know, but uh you know I would say probably the the the two full-time officers would be a.

E

Priority over a civilian position, however, um you know I I think, in culmination of the the three.

E

Positions that um you know going into this budget, um I know that the approach from the chief and the.

E

Chief staff was that to not put in something that we don't need, um you know and and we we wouldn't.

E

Put something in there simply as a bargaining chip, knowing that we would lose it if we needed.

E

To thank you just um one other question. I I know you mentioned that uh that other civilian position.

A

Where they could actually save the apartment money where they could do checking radar guns doing.

A

Statistics and stuff, like that, where you wouldn't have a full-time officer taken away from his job.

A

Doing that so that actually would be efficient for the department as a whole. Correct, correct, yeah,.

E

I run stats on a regular basis and I probably shouldn't, uh but I'm one of the people that that.

E

Knows how to use the computer system probably better than anybody? Because it's quirky and.

E

I shouldn't be running stats based on what I'm doing, and I hate not being able to be.

E

Responsive to the needs of the community, so when parking traffic can save me.

E

Parking traffic and safety safety asked me for data on an intersection. It bothers me that I.

E

Can't get it to them in five days, uh but the fact of the matter is, I look up, look around and see.

E

Where I can maybe farm that out and get that done, and I have nowhere to farm that out to so it's.

E

You know, as far as presenting a a professional work product.

E

Forward, um I don't like to disappoint people who ask things of us uh and that and that's hard to do.

E

Sometimes- and I tried to get that's that, but I was preparing for the budget- I just couldn't, do it so.

E

We would become more efficient with the addition of that absolutely excellent. Thank you.

C

Assistant mayor, thank you. Thank you. Captain um quick question. As I'm going over some light items.

B

Here when I look at say general um patrol and we look at professional services.

B

We're looking at a request of three times to the last two prior budgets: um it's page 287.

B

So just to get clarity on a couple of things so um that.

B

And then, throughout pretty much the whole department we're seeing.

B

Not large requests, but anywhere from you know, as it adds up through each individual department.

B

Within the department, um roughly 20 to 25-ish thousand dollars of an increase in clothing,.

B

Allowances, so just questions of that is that just the general now cost increase of uniforms of of.

B

Laundering, that of are you doing the clothing allowance or the clothing line, clothing allowance.

D

Karen you need the mic. Can we back up to the first one yeah professional services on page 287,.

E

Yes, under general patrol, yes, that's new england trauma yeah, I'm just looking at it right here.

A

Where is the camera.

B

It's about halfway down you're, looking under professional services under patrol.

G

Yeah so basically I was just going essentially line by line and much like.

B

Comparing um relative to the last four budget cycles, and just anyone, even if they were minuscule.

B

Obviously, that's our job to look at and kind of ask why yep so uh we learned under coven.

E

We had a number of officers uh during the early days of covid that would come down with covet.

E

And then be in in a police cruiser and then we would have to decontaminate the cruiser.

E

And we we found that asking our civilian part-time uh mechanic to decontaminate and disinfect police.

E

Cruisers uh was inefficient and not fair to that person. So we've contracted out new england.

E

Trauma services, which is a biohazard cleaning company, so we have police cruisers that become.

E

Contaminated with bodily fluids, uh a number of other different things that contaminate a cruiser.

E

Previously we had had again our civilian garage mechanic clean that cruiser.

E

Same thing, with a cell, a police cell that can becomes contaminated with bodily fluids,.

E

Historically, city janitorial staff would take care of that, so the increase is to pay for a.

E

Professional biohazard cleaning company to come in and do that rather than suggest subjecting.

E

Our civilian staff who's not trained or equipped to deal with that. So that's! That's! That increase.

E

Thank you and if you could, if you wouldn't mind, I guess for some of us explaining the difference.

B

Between the line, items of clothing allowance allowance and clothing want to do that. Yeah.

G

Sorry, clothing allowance is contractual; okay, um it's in their collective bargaining agreement.

G

In terms of clothing, we do outfit a budget for about three officers to be outfitted. It costs.

G

About 3 600 to outfit an officer, and that would be the clothing if they damage their.

G

Uniform on duty we pay for that. um So that's the difference between clothing allowance and clothing.

B

Thank you um and one more question: if you don't mind skipping over to page 290.,.

B

um As you said, I I think throughout the um the roll-up is: was it six vehicles.

E

Four there's four in the cit four uh four in the uh cip um in the rolling stock enrollment stock.

B

Sorry I said rolling out my opponent um in the fleet maintenance. We have a dramatic jump there.

B

Too, um so, if there's a little, I don't know if that's you yeah over karen uh fleet maintenance.

E

I kind of I went over that kind of real quick, so um we take our cars.

E

To get serviced at a local ford dealership, the ford dealership had not increased its hourly rate.

E

For service in 10 years, so they finally did increase their hourly rate to change oil, realign a.

E

Cruiser or fix a transmission so that increases to accommodate the change in that service fee.

E

Okay, he called, and he says, we're actually operating in a deficit for you guys.

G

And they also take our cars immediately. We don't wait, we get everybody else.

G

Gets bumped our cars get done so. Okay, thank you for answering those questions.

C

Concert cook. Thank you again, sorry to follow up with another question.

B

um I noticed the overtime percentage in the budget is around five percent.

B

um What is that reduction from like what percentage are we at now, um and I noted that the.

B

Overtime, pay doesn't change significantly um in the budget itself. It's pretty similar to last year.

B

Even though we're anticipating a reduction in overtime by adding a few officers, is that just.

B

Because of pay rates or and then I have another yeah, I was going to say on our overtime. Basically.

G

We track everything by hours. That's the only way to do things out apples to apples. So, yes, the rates.

G

Go up but then we we have, as the chief said, we had 15 retirements or people who left so rates.

G

Do go down on that! Okay, based on the number of hours we have hours tracked back to 2001.

G

um And we basically do like a 10-year kind of rolling average of what we need and then take the.

G

Median or the average- and I guess the follow-up on that is um we talk about forced over time, but you.

B

Also, probably have um patrol officers that have become reliant on overtime to supplement income.

B

um No, no, you can. You want to speak to overtime. I'd like to hear the rest of the was the rest of the.

E

Rest of the question yeah, I was just wondering how many, um how many of our officers see the.

B

Overtime as as supplement to income, and will we see a change in that when we have increases.

B

In salary rates I was going to say, our overtime is all generated by the supervisors. Pretty much.

G

You have to ask a supervisor if you're going to stay in detectives late to work on a case.

G

In patrol they're, all pre-done by the supervisor staff, as they look at the daily rosters.

G

So there is no manufactured overtime or overtime that somebody to get used to. We do have a lot of.

G

People who like to work overtime and a lot of people who don't like to work overtime so.

G

Somebody might get 20 000 one year, whereas their coworker only gets five thousand in overtime. It's.

G

Basically, they sign up for the patrol over time detectives. It's based on the case investigation.

G

So it's kind of very difficult to try and get used to doing any overtime unless it's.

G

Offered. Thank you thanks. No other question, one more um to piggyback a little bit on.

B

Councillor cook's question: could we um assume that there would be a potential reduction in in over.

B

Overtime expenses with new hires might be hour for hour. Okay, because if a police officer will come in.

G

They will get a shift on that shift. You would see a reduction in overtime because they would.

G

Be speaking like you would see a reduction if the new officer came in on a shift on that particular.

G

Shift you'll see a reduction because they might be a tba or or whatever, but on all the rest of.

G

The shifts, if there's a no officer there you're still going to see the same amount of overtime.

C

Thank you guys. I just had uh two questions. If there's not any other from the council.

C

Well, maybe, let's start one uh first uh on the it side of the house, there's certainly.

C

A lot of work that that your department does, that has to be firewalled from.

C

The rest of the city, but when you mention things like you know, moving to outlook.

C

Something that the city uses. I hope there would be a understanding when it comes to.

C

Help desk and administrative tasks like that that could be overseen by a potential office.

C

Of the the chief information officer to investigate those where there could be.

C

uh Potential efficiencies. So let's uh comment um and again uh with your request around data.

C

I think that these are going to be some of the and pulling your data yourself. You know.

C

Acting chief maloney, I definitely would agree with the sentiment that you should not be pulling.

C

Data and working in spreadsheets, I am sure that you are fantastic at that and know the quirky.

C

Computer, but I think, as a city as we grow, we're going to have a greater need for data and see.

C

Inter departmental data, you know, pts and and um in the police department fire department, um seeing.

C

That uh work in less silos would be something that I that I hope we can see more broadly, as.

C

A city and- and that comment is, is directed at at this department, but also um in terms of general.

C

Government, um the other uh question I had, um and this goes back to the staffing we now have a.

C

Deputy chief in this, this is a new role um correct, and could you speak at all to the to the new role.

C

Of the deputy chief and what you're hoping to accomplish with that uh with that role, yeah the.

E

um We had a deputy chief for a number of years and then that deputy chief's position was turned into.

E

A captain, so he had uh three captains. uh The chiefs wanna go all night with the microphone.

E

um I should have just taken this an hour ago for one more microphone here.

E

We had a deputy chief before and two captains and that that deputy chief's position was.

E

uh Downgraded to a captain, so we had three captains that was done under chief mara.

E

Chief newport has seen the benefits of having a deputy chief position for strategic planning.

E

Succession planning and overall management of of the police department, so the request is that.

E

The deputy chief position be refunded again for those reasons, uh in the reasons that.

E

That position exists for uh probably 15 of the. You know, 24 years that I've been here anyway.

E

um In that that organization chart in there does does reflect that deputy chief position. Okay and.

C

Then the administrative so that previously it was the captain of the investigative division.

C

Captain patrol division, and previously there was a captain of the administration division or is that.

C

Is that how that's correct and that's gonna, who is the administration today, would be the deputy chief.

C

Okay, so the deputy chief is going to be then in charge of correct.

C

Administration, correct, yes, all right and I believe I also got a note. I was able to read it.

C

um That chief newport is is dialing in from running around the forests of of quantico. In.

C

His training and he would like to say a few words if that's our right he's the chief. What do I do.

H

I just figure it out. Chief newport, I miraculously appeared.

H

uh We can hear you they hear me, okay. I can't figure out how to get the camera on here, but.

H

At least as long as you can hear me, uh first I'd like to thank uh acting chief maloney for.

H

Stepping up and making this presentation for me on my behalf, he's done a great job. I think.

H

He's been very thorough and you guys have been good and asking some very good questions. I think.

H

He's been able to answer most of them, uh there's some that I could add some additional comments on.

H

uh Starting with the deputy chief position, as captain walnut he's already stated that.

H

Looking back over our past and seeing different uh administrative structures, I feel that the deputy.

H

Chief position allowed us to have the best span of control and allow us to succession plan and.

H

Provide the best overall management of our department and for our supervisors. So that's why I.

H

Believe to go back towards that uh previously, when we did have a deputy, we still had a admin captain.

H

And a we had one captain that was in control of uh patrol and detectives, and that seemed to be.

H

Overwhelming actually it was overwhelming, because I was I was that person at the time.

H

So I feel a better benefit is now to have a captain over to texas and the captain over.

H

Patrol and have the deputy chief absorb uh the majority of the admin captain positions.

H

uh I just I've been taking notes listening to you guys I'll just go in reverse order.

H

Mayor as far as the the I.t stuff and the email and the outlook, we currently have that role with.

H

Outlook now of the city manages it for us and in the city, when we transfer over to, I think, to 360.

H

From the information's been provided to me, we are going to go to a.gov.

H

But I believe the rest of the city is not and.

H

Currently, with us going to a dot gov, we will be in charge of managing our own email. So I don't know.

H

If there's a potential a future for the city to manage that or will be managed on our own.

H

The overtime uh as capital only explained, but this really all goes back to the manning.

H

Position than us asking for the extra bodies, part of that is a new focus on officer wellness.

H

And captain maloney already mentioned that about people being ordered over and working.

H

Extended hours- and you know council tabor had mentioned- you know going back some.

H

Years we were doing more service calls with less people, but again the number of calls.

H

Changes depending on the type of call we're dealing with a lot more mental health calls.

H

Now than we were then- and the title calls are a lot more time, consensual time con are sensitive.

H

And take longer to uh get through than some of the calls we're dealing with back then.

H

Having those additional offers officers gives us that release that we do not have now what we've.

H

Been doing now and maintaining for the last two years is not sustainable. uh I think our officers.

H

Are almost at a breaking point now because yes they're working a lot over time, because.

H

We're we're a little bit of short staff because we have some openings. But in addition to we're.

H

Always going to have that opening, uh you know it's very rare that we're completely fully staffed, but.

H

It doesn't take an account when people are out for training people out injured.

H

uh You've had like capital millions said: we've had some long-term deployments that will continue and.

H

If you go back into those early years, we had enough relief officers even with the 66 we had.

H

Like 35 officer patrol where, like right now uh going forward looking at like, we only have 31.

H

Officers in patrol because of staffing shortages for people being out for different reasons.

H

So having those additional bodies will allow us to have that relief in back. In addition to that,.

H

The number of calls for service can be reduced with the additional staffing out there, because.

H

It would be more proactive rather than reactive, and we can prevent calls because we can make.

H

More of a presence and part of what we've done in the last two years is that, being more of a.

H

Presence why you see our some of our numbers are going down, is because we're being more visible.

H

Prevent calls from happening uh rather than being more reactive, like we were in the past,.

H

On the youth advocate, that's something we've had in the past. It's something that has.

H

Karen cynical mentioned that we have a strategic plan that we'd like to bring.

H

Back and it's a diversion program again, another program to be proactive rather than reactive,.

H

As well as the mental health position that uh council bradley was talking about.

H

That also is something that we've been talking about in our strategic plan and looking at in the.

H

In and out year, possibly next year, but we've also been looking at the public crisis team. As captain.

H

Maloney has dated and seeing how that system works and see how the two can complement each other.

H

And I think that's it unless you have any other further questions for me. Thank you, chief newport.

C

C

Is all the questions we have again um didn't? uh Read it but uh loved the mission of the.

C

Police department, the courts and police department actively works in partnership with the community.

C

To protect, prevent crime and respectfully justly and compassionately, help all people.

C

Community commitment and compassion uh really appreciate all the work that that you've done.

C

It feels like in some ways covet is in the rearview. It's certainly uh the effects of.

C

That will be felt by our community for many years to come. uh Appreciate all the work that.

C

The police department has done um to to be there uh for us in a time when uh there was.

C

A lot of difficult challenges, both physical but also mentally in our community, and appreciate.

C

The work that you do every day and the work you do putting together this presentation, so thank.

C

You acting chief maloney and karen senecal for a great presentation uh and answering our questions.

C

This evening, okay, thank you ron appreciate it. Thank you, everybody. Thank you. Thank you.

D

So your uh your runner will switch gears and bring up fire chief jermaine.

C

Oh and thanks to the work of the police commission appreciate this.

I

A

Working on it give me one second.

I

Well good evening, mayor mcheckern city manager, connor and city councillors,.

I

We'll be here here in front of you tonight to present the fire department's fy23 budget proposal.

I

Start off just to recap of our uh the essential services that that we provide the city and the.

I

Citizens of portsmouth, obviously, fire suppression, 911, els, emergency response uh included in that are.

I

Of course, car accidents, technical rescue and any other type of medical emergency situations.

I

Hazardous materials and disaster mitigation response we're responsible for emergencies.

I

Along the marine environment along the waterfront and the confines of portsmouth.

I

Our fire prevention inspection activities, emergency management, the seabrook station, drills.

I

That we do through the year and, of course, most recently, our response to the coca-19 pandemic and.

I

Testing and vaccine clinics and such and then community services and community engagement.

I

And that's really, you know all the other things that we're called upon in the course of our daily.

I

Daily routine, it doesn't fall into any of the other categories.

I

Our department organization, as it is as it stands today, I resp. I re report to the board of.

I

Fire commissioners, um and then under me, is we have our administrative manager and budget coordinator.

I

Further down the tree assistant chief mcquillen's, our chief of operations and training he's also.

I

Responsible for fleet maintenance, buildings and grounds maintenance and licensure reporting to him.

I

Is our part-time mechanic and then, of course, the four shifts. The four individual shifts, a b c and d.

I

That are made up of a ship commander or a captain, and two lieutenants and twelve firefighters spread.

I

Amongst the three fire stations in the city on the other side of the tree is deputy chief howe.

I

He's the deputy chief of prevention and all the community risk reduction activities which include.

I

Code enforcements inspections, fire investigations and fire and public education, es2 fire inspector.

I

Prevention officers that work for him in that division and that's that's our tree. That's it.

I

Our position summary for fy23 is essentially the same, except for one small change.

I

We had one less part-time position. We had a person that um was a billing clerk that.

I

Assisted with uh calling information and working with a third-party ambulance biller to uh for.

I

Ambulance, billing and follow-up collections, our third-party biller changed the way that they do.

I

Their activities and they're able to get most of that information from the hospital now, instead of.

I

Relying on us to provide it to them, there's a little bit left over of our responsibility on.

I

Our end, but it certainly wasn't enough to justify an entire part-time position, so we were able to.

I

Eliminate that position and uh the remainder of that work is being absorbed by our administrative.

I

Manager that position nobody lost their job, that position became empty last summer and we.

I

Were absorbing most of that work anyway, so we've just decided not to include it in this year's.

I

Budget, our goals have remained largely the same as with most fire departments in the.

I

World and we maintain and strengthen the reliable delivery of our essential and critical emergency.

I

And non-emergency services promote the safety of our community and employees through comprehensive.

I

Education and training provide effective, efficient and customer-centered services.

I

And minimize the risk of life and property loss through our proactive planning, education.

I

And enforcement of the applicable codes and standards and pretty much.

I

Encompasses both sides, the operations and the prevention side of our of our business.

I

um Efficiency, so there's always a lot of talk in our. It seems to me in the last few budgets.

I

That I've done here that there's a lot of talk about efficiencies. And what can we do as a as.

I

As a department to do as much or more work um with the amount of people that we have, and I.

I

Would argue that in our fire department we've been doing, we've been doing this for quite some time.

I

um And just as some examples that I was able to pull out here- and I explained this in the last.

I

Last year, but for the benefit of most of the new council, I kept it in here for this year as well.

I

We have administrative duties that we have assigned to our line officers. Our captains.

I

Lieutenants and in the fire department, the way we work are the chief officers.

I

Myself and assistant chief mccullen and deputy howe and the two fire prevention officers are.

I

Really, the only administrative people that we have they're the ones, the only we're the.

I

Only ones that actually, for the most part, sit in an office and do our work at a desk.

I

And the captains and lieutenants are all assigned to ships they're assigned to trucks they're. They.

I

Respond to calls you know they work to shift work, that's their primary responsibility, but we've.

I

Assigned them administrative duties um as well as to as well as their their assigned.

I

Ship responsibilities um and part of that of those duties, you know each each officer has.

I

You know one of these as as a list here, um one's a training coordinator, which is a big one. There's.

I

Two of them training one for fire, one for ems, um as you can imagine, we're constantly having to.

I

To train if these skills are very perishable and if we don't keep up on them, then they do go away.

I

um Ems quality assurance and quality improvement, and we have an officer assigned to inventory.

I

Management for all of our ems supplies, we do almost 3 500 ammo calls a year, and this.

I

You know supplies needs to be managed. um We have a one of our fire prevention officers.

I

Liaisons with the it department for information technology doesn't really do any it, but he.

I

Liaisons with the it department to keep to keep our computers in line and for upgrades and so on,.

I

We have an officer assigned to just maintaining the diagnostics and hazard.

I

Detection calibration equipment, which is very important to us. It's the devices that we use.

I

To sense carbon monoxide, cyanide, hydrogen sulfide or chlorine gas among the big ones.

I

And we need to make sure that those obviously the wrong point if they're not and it puts.

I

Everybody in a dangerous spot, we have a person responsible for scba maintenance and management.

I

That's a occupational health requirement that we have records on the maintenance and the upkeep of.

I

Those and the daily checks of those and that's those are air packs that we use to breathe in.

I

The fires we have an officer assigned to technical rescue, rescue equipment, management and maintenance.

I

As you're well aware, we've a few years ago got a heavy rescue truck and it has several hundred.

I

Thousand dollars worth of specialized rescue equipment in it, and this officer is responsible.

I

For maintaining that equipment and also training, all of our firefighters and officers on how to use.

I

It and then we have an officer that manages our protective clothing and makes sure that you know.

I

We don't have a set- that's older than 10 years old by nfva standards and also manages the replacement.

I

And repair of all that equipment and again that's an occupational health requirement and those are.

I

Requirements in the event that, if something happened to a firefighter that they would want.

I

The records of all these to make sure that they're maintained. So it's important that we have to do.

I

That but again, all these duties are are assigned to officers who also respond to emergencies, manage.

I

Their respective shifts and conduct training and so on and in many departments and many.

I

Departments close by to us and really around the fire service, these these responsibilities.

I

Are absorbed by an officer that that's all they do that's their administrative job and.

I

They're they're lieutenants or their captains, and sometimes some departments are chief officers so.

I

That would require an additional additional position in our department. We could certainly.

I

You know if, if you were giving it to us, we would take it but we're you know we're.

I

Managing quite well with the system we have here now, but you know to point out.

I

In a lot of departments, that's another, you know 100 200, 000 worth of position.

I

Continuing on uh our administrative manager, budget coordinator, tracy freeman, we have she's.

I

She's it she's she's our administrative staff. um She provides. You know the executive support.

I

For all three of the chief officers, the four captains and the board of fire commissioners.

I

She administers the payroll tracks, payables and expenses tracks and updates to budget daily.

I

Coordinates with federal state and local grant activity files and tracks our workers, comp claims.

I

Tracks the use of department leave when we do have if we ever get part-time personnel back.

I

She would supervise them, assist myself and as emc and running the emergency operations center.

I

And again, she's absorbed the uh what's left of the third-party ambulance. Billing services.

I

Continuing on with our efficiencies, which we're quite proud of in the fire department,.

I

We have an in-house firefighter that we use our in-house off-duty firefighter that we use for.

I

Routine vehicle maintenance scheduling um does the minor stuff light bulbs, oil changes and so on, but.

I

uh The major stuff for liability purposes, breaks and, uh and so on, schedules with the uh the vendors.

I

In our area to make maintain our uh our vehicles, which obviously is very important, um we're unable.

I

It's it's very hard to to lease or rent a fire truck or an ambulance. If something you know were.

I

Major to happen to one um unlike construction equipment, I'm sure is probably easier to get, but.

I

Weren't able to do that and and finally um where I think. As far as I'm aware we're the only.

I

Department in the city whose buildings aren't maintained custodially by the city.

I

The department of public works: we do it ourselves, um our own on-duty personnel, it's three, no three.

I

Stations, nine offices, 13 bathrooms three kitchens and over eleven thousand square feet of garage.

I

Space is maintained by on duty personnel and uh not that that's unique to us. It's.

I

Ubiquitous in the fire service- and it has been for- I think many many many years and I think it's a.

I

It's a hold holdover from 50 years ago, when you know fire department, firefighters just went to.

I

Fires and there weren't that many of them- you know they weren't daily, that's for sure and in their.

I

Spare time they maintained the buildings and did the custodial work in the buildings. That's not the.

I

Way it is anymore, we, our firefighters and officers, are pretty busy from the time they get there and.

I

They put their their gear on the truck and get their equipment checked, get the training done.

I

um Tool, maintenance and so on, and then you know the up to 5000 emergency runs that they respond to.

I

A year, um I think again to point out that you know in if we were another department in the city, this.

I

This is another couple, full-time positions that the city's paying for to maintain our buildings.

I

Next slide, our calls for service trends.

I

Much like uh councillor table pointed out with the police department from 2015 up to 2018-19.

I

And it kept getting higher and higher every year and then our covet years hit um and we took a dip.

I

But um you can see that they're they're, starting to trend back up in 2021 and 2022 is, is on pace.

I

With 2021 um up through the first quarter, you see, the red line is fire only and blue is, is ambulance.

I

Only in the yellow, it doesn't add up to those other two, because it's total runs and some of them.

I

That include both fire and ambulance response, such as a car accident or a serious medical aid, call.

I

But again, just to show that we're we're trending back up out of the coveteers.

I

Next slide speaks to the fact that we do generate revenue for the city.

I

Through our ambulance billing and collections, it had trended upward for many years.

I

Until fy in 21 and again because of the impacts of covid it uh because fy21 encompasses a lot.

I

Of the the months where there was such a decline in calls and such and therefore declining revenue,.

I

But we expect that to climb back up again with the with the ammo's responses as they increase as well.

I

Next page is a it's: the budget, summary snapshot, and I I pulled this out and just to uh to point.

I

Out that, basically everything in the top half the contractual obligations is is.

I

Just that as contractual or um legislatively driven in in the case of retirement costs,.

I

Things that we, you know we are obligated to pay for, um and it's 94. You know over 94 of.

I

The entire budget, which leaves us a little less than six percent for essentially what is overhead.

I

uh Which you know the top half is, is the people and uh and paying for them, and the bottom half is.

I

You know what it costs to keep them on the trucks and the stations open and the vehicles running.

I

You can see uh in the top half we did there's the reduction of the part-time.

I

uh Part-Time billing clerk and in the in the lower half and the other operating you know.

I

It's a total of twenty three thousand dollars. That's increased over last year's um fy 22 budget.

I

Which brings me to our request for this year of 10 million 149 433.

I

And it represents a 333 thousand dollar or 3.39 percent increase over fy 22.. The effects on the.

I

Budget for this year, the significant effect is an increase in our shift coverage account.

I

Of 98 0480 and that's in an attempt uh back in 2019 and when I first became the chief. We.

I

Were authorized to hire an additional firefighter per shift to go from 14.

I

To 15 firefighters per shift- and that was the beginning of a five-year plan.

I

To eventually have a staffed engine or or ladder truck as a case in station two and a staffed.

I

Ambulance in all three of our stations 24 hours a day to do that, we would need a maximum of 16.

I

Firefighters on duty, with a minimum of 15. right now, um we're only eight we're still only able to.

I

Carry uh 13 minimum, even though we're staffed for 15, because we haven't yet reached that level of.

I

15 per shift, I was authorized to hire them back in 2019 and we still haven't gotten there yet.

I

Because of retirements resignations and uh we've had to let a couple of people go so and again to.

I

uh Acting chief maloney's point, the recruitment is just as difficult for us um we're having the.

I

Same problem, so again, this this five-year plan began in 2019. It was derailed for two consecutive.

I

Fiscal years by the covet 19 pandemic and we're hoping to get it back on the rails again, this is.

I

An incremental increase to to do what we want to do to staff all three fire stations with an.

I

Ambulance and an engine would cost close to or probably more than half a million dollars and we.

I

Know understand that that's not going to happen in one fiscal year, so we need to incrementally.

I

Do that over a period of time, this is a and I hope to be able to get back on track.

I

This won't allow us to get to that point where we can stack the ambulances, the third animals for.

I

Even part of the time, but it does get our minimum staffing from 13 to 14 as much as possible and and.

I

If we eventually are able to fill these positions that are vacant, I think we have four left to fill.

I

It'll be easier to reach those minimum of 14 staffing, because we'll have that buffer. That.

I

Basically, a floating position on each shift, so that's the and it's the first measurable increase.

I

For this purpose in three fiscal years, and also point out that this budget doesn't doesn't ask.

I

For or propose any new programs or positions, but does maintain the current level of service.

I

Stations and resources that we have already.

I

Our strategic plan is, is pretty much the same and just as I spoke to um you know,.

I

Obviously, continue this and to strengthen and maintain the high level reliable delivery of.

I

Essential emergency and non-emergency services, but to eventually provide one staffed truck and one.

I

Staffed ambulance in each of our three geographic response zones or stations in the city at all.

I

Times and then, therefore, to do that, we need to appropriately fund the salary and the benefits.

I

And shift coverage lines to ensure that those 15 on duty, firefighters, are there 24 7.

I

That's the bulk of the uh of my presentation.

I

Certainly open questions, and I can certainly speak to uh you know the recruitment and retention.

I

And the request for the four percent as well, if need be, thank you chief.

A

Counselor bagram, um thank you chief and thank you, your honor. uh Looking at the sheets. It's.

A

It's pretty clear to me that we are: um we got an outstanding fire department. That's.

A

Woefully underpaid compared to pure fire departments in the region. I think there's.

A

Be hard to make an argument. Otherwise, just the numbers don't lie, um not a question, but I do want.

A

To call attention to the 22 school public outreach visits that fire department did, in addition to the.

A

Five thousand covid 19 vaccines that were administered to people that were unable to travel.

A

To the vaccination sites, along with a thousand uh covet 19 tests, I think the fire department.

A

um All the departments uh had to step up because of covid, but I certainly think.

A

The fire department did a outstanding job in that regard and I don't think it should go unmentioned.

I

Thank you, uh yeah we're, I'm very proud of of our the men and women of our department that stepped.

I

Up um when need be, and the biggest the biggest step up they did was um when the vaccines became.

I

Available and they needed people to staff these vaccine clinics, and uh you know what what better.

I

Group than us we had the skill set um and they had the drive to do it and want to do it and to.

I

Your point they were, you know we administered within the city alone, over 5 500 vaccines to.

I

Vulnerable adults, older adults and and younger you know more vulnerable, medically vulnerable people.

I

And regionally when they opened the regional vaccine clinics and they you know they became.

I

Harder to staff because they were open, you know every day and for a length. You know.

I

Longer length of time again they reached out for help and and again our firefighters, responded and.

I

To the point of I mean, 350 000 was reimbursed from the state complete.

I

100 reimbursement, so I mean you, you break that down into into hours and that's how.

I

Many, how many hours our firefighters staff these clinics than when they needed to.

C

Councilor cook and councillor tabor, thank you, your honor and thank you chief. I really appreciate.

B

You outlining everything tonight for us. I actually received a request, a question from a resident.

B

On a third party ambulance building and how that works in our system, and so I'm curious.

B

How that works for our residents and I'm also curious what the differential is on.

B

um Cost for providing ems service versus incoming reimbursement for ems service. If we know that if.

B

You know, I don't know if the budget doesn't seem to be broken down into fire versus ems.

I

It's it's not, I mean our, you know, all of our all of our let's see how I explain this um and answer.

I

The question all of our all of our firefighters are ems personnel as well. Everybody at the end of.

I

The end of their year of probation, everybody can do every job in the department whether.

I

It's on an ambulance or an engine, or not so um to quantify the cost of an ambulance.

I

Run or responses is very hard to do, because I mean essentially we're there already. Okay.

I

Does that help I mean I guess I can't really put a number on.

I

You know we can look at how much it costs to just you know which each firefighter on that.

I

Ambulance is paid, I guess per day. However, they're also firefighters, you know they're they're doing.

I

They're, responding to fire calls and in other emergencies, as well as as ems runs as well. So.

I

It's hard to put a number on. You know exactly how much that cost. As far as the billing, the average.

I

Ammo's call you know if, if they do anything at all meaning any monitoring or any intervention.

I

Whatsoever, it's roughly around twelve hundred dollars and that gets billed through again. This.

I

Third-Party biller and uh and then, if, uh if they don't pay, then it goes to collection.

B

Thank you, I guess I'll clarify. Is it safe to assume that the incoming receipts for payment.

B

um For ems services, really don't cover our costs for ems, providing ems service.

I

I would say it's it's, it doesn't cover, it doesn't cover the entire cost. No.

I

But it's you know it's the service, that's provided and again I don't want to.

I

I put that slide in there just to you know, to show that we do generate.

I

Revenue for the city, but I don't want us to become a revenue generating department. That's.

I

Not why we're here we're here to provide that that ems service to the citizens of the city.

I

You know there are some cities that have you know a separate private ambulance company do that and.

I

That I can tell you, cost a lot more than having firefighters who are already here. Do that service.

I

So um does that help? Does that answer that does. Thank you very interesting. Okay. I think.

A

Counselor, the most important thing the chief said was that when the ambulance arrives at the scene.

A

Of a fire and or a medical emergency, those two gentlemen, all, ladies and gentlemen, can step out.

A

And become firefighters, most importantly, they're, not just sitting aside in the truck smoking, a beer.

A

And having not smoking out of a beer, they're doing they're doing doing the work of a firefighter.

A

um So, in order for us to maintain the 13 and 14 levels that would like in 15 and 16.

A

Levels it would like to have it's important to think of these. People are generating.

A

Money but they're also assisting and paying for the service of having them there as a.

A

Fire department, as a fire officer, it really works quite well. It's a good system. Thank you.

C

Oh counselor tabor. Sorry, actually, I think counselor cook had the same question. I did.

F

But to put a finer point on it: if we need to invest in salary upgrades.

F

Should some of that cost be born by looking at our ambulance fees.

I

Not sure, I'm not sure we we have, we did increase our ambulance fees this this year, this fiscal year.

I

um We did a study and we were. We were part of a study that showed that we were.

I

Quite below the average of what other municipalities of our size were billing.

I

So we did increase it. It was the largest increase that we've had that. I can remember.

I

In many years, so so that will increase some. um But again I I hesitate for us to become.

I

A revenue generating service we're not we're not selling a service in the ems. You know.

I

In the ems realm, we're providing that service um and and really you know, if I'm honest.

I

That's where we make the difference in people's lives on this job is in the back of that animal.

I

And soar you know when, when our when our men and women walk in there, you know with.

I

Their equipment to to respond to somebody's uh somebody's situation, um truly, that's where.

I

Differences and lives are being made and saved, like literally all the time. Absolutely and.

F

And we also should recognize that through covid, uh every one of your ambulance and emt folks.

F

They didn't have the choice to stay home. No, they did not right there on the front line.

I

No, they did not, we, uh they were out there and and we you know, we spent a considerable amount of time.

I

And put all our heads together to find out how we can do that safely and keep our family safe as.

I

Well, because you know we certainly didn't want to bring, you know that disease back to their homes, so.

I

It was, it was a trying time for all of us at that point before anybody really knew.

I

You know what was going on and how to how to handle it right. Thanks.

A

Cancer bagley uh just the other counselors asking about ambulances and for the the folks listening.

A

At home, could you explain the differences between the two emt levels and paramedic sure.

A

And the ratio that we have in the department and what our goals are sure uh there are three.

I

Levels of ems licensure in the state of new hampshire there's the basic emt level, which.

I

Requires about 100 hours of training and you become a basic emt for an additional 100 or so.

I

Hours of training you become an advanced dmt, and that gives you more uh more clinical latitude as.

I

Far as treatment you're better, you have better uh diagnostic skills, better patient assessment skills.

I

And there's a few more medicines that you can administer and then for an additional 2000 to.

I

2500 hours of training, you can become a paramedic and that pretty much opens up the entire toolbox.

I

For you and you're you're acting, uh you know not completely the same as an emergency room position.

I

Out in the field, but you there are a lot of things that you can do as a paramedic that you know will.

I

Will get done to you if, if not in the field, you know in the hospital by the emergency physician.

I

um This it's got to be 30 or 40. You know different medicines that are allowed to be administered and.

I

Procedures, intubations and, and so on, that you know our the paramedics are able to do and.

I

Over half of our staff are trained to the level of paramedic. We have at least two on duty every day.

I

As a minimum and uh oftentimes it's four or five or six, even so, and we're we have people in school.

I

For paramedic all the time, thank you. May I uh do something new. uh Commissioner often you hear.

A

The police response or the fire response, and one of the one of the ones that I'm probably the most.

A

Proud of is when another town or another city, or even the county of air force base or another.

A

Service provider asks for a portsmouth ambulance to do a paramedic transfer. In other words, they.

A

Want to do our ambulance to meet with their ambulance with the patient on board, to satisfy the.

A

The opportunity of saving this life because they don't have the ability to do it, but our people.

A

Do it's, it makes me proud every time I hear it, so I just want you folks to know it does happen.

A

And it happens a lot as these generations getting older, and none of us here are but.

C

Thanks, commissioner,.

C

Any other questions the council.

C

Well, uh chief jermaine and commissioner gamester thank you uh for coming before and explaining.

C

The budget- I uh would be remiss if I didn't take this opportunity to publicly thank you.

C

For the work that you've done over the last couple years, uh certainly uh since you become chief but.

C

You know I remember selfishly being able to get a covet shot when I, when I needed one.

C

But also any time that there would be somebody that that was worried or needed help. You know.

C

Your phone call way to to to make that happen. I know that that's not easy, but it's appreciated.

C

And I would you know, one of the goals has been getting up to to 15 and I think that um maybe a.

C

A lesser leader would have gotten there already, because he would have lowered the standards of the.

C

Fire department, uh you have not you've, held those standards incredibly high and you've asked and.

C

Expected a lot of your department um and that's something that we are thankful for uh in the city.

C

Of portsmouth for the example that that you've, that you've shown and that you lead with and so.

C

Appreciate all the the hard work and the effort that went into presenting this budget to us thank.

C

You I I I appreciate that into your your point of of holding standards. um You know, we've had just.

I

In the time that I've been chief, I've had to let go eight firefighters on probation because they.

I

Weren't meeting the minimum competencies that are expected that I expect of them to be a firefighter.

I

In the city and to your point, I would rather cover the vacancies and not get to those minimums.

I

Then have you know, firefighters that just aren't meeting the standard because it puts our citizens.

I

In in danger- and it endangers the firefighters that they work with, who are protecting those.

I

Citizens, so um thank you for for mentioning that, because it's it's not it's not easy to.

I

Do to look someone in the face and tell them this they're, just not good enough, and you know.

A

But as you hear the chief say from time to time, that's not going to happen under my watch.

A

He's very good at it very good at it.

C

Well, uh thank you both again uh for coming here tonight um and it's appreciated the work that goes.

C

In a couple of numbers, represent all the people and and work that you do over a year, and it's.

C

You know it's it's hard to encapsulate all that, but I thought you've done a good job and.

C

uh Fort smith is grateful for the service and explaining the service here tonight with.

C

With numbers very good, thank you. Thank you. Folks have a nice night. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

C

What's your team doing good, did they win rich? They were down three to one.

A

When I left, but I have faith, I've taught them all the tricks. They know.

G

All right, let's see next up, I believe we have um public comment so.

C

We're all set with the fire so appreciate that you're welcome to stick around for public comment.

C

But we'd ask that anyone that wants to speak to come up to the microphone and please do so.

J

280 south street, um I have mostly questions not comments um fair enough. Hopefully it will.

J

Help facilitate things um first thing, I'd like to remind you is: I do not have the data that you have.

J

um And my questions are going to be related to the budget book. The data that I I do have and.

J

That's how the questions are going to come forward and I'm. I will.

J

Recite these by page, so everybody could follow along and see where I'm coming from.

J

My first question is, um of course, I'm going to address the elephant in the room. The increase.

J

That is outside of the it appears that outside of the collective bargaining agreements, so my.

J

Question is, and I just want to state before I say anything else I am not saying I don't support this.

J

And I don't support the purpose. I'm trying to understand the process here and and where we're.

J

Coming from so my my question is um the increases that are listed on on the uh on the on the bottom.

J

Of the budget they're about uh a little over half a million and um from what I'm reading on here.

J

It's increased costs associated with medi medical and dental federal retirement obligations. This is.

J

On page, five have increased, uh we're looking for additional personnel, um and this is the one I'm.

J

Trying to understand it says a step increase for all personnel, not yet at the top step.

J

And then 2.05 cola, uh six six unions that have previously settled contract. So my question is.

J

You're listing this as outside of the collective bargaining agreements.

J

Is that how this is working so um the both fire and police commission.

J

Came and recommended increases based on the data that you obviously have.

J

Is this going to be included or negotiated within those agreements later or is this kind of.

J

Outside setting a precedent here, so that's that's my main question and um the other. The other.

J

Question here is you have a step increase for all personnel last night during the presentation, the.

J

City manager mentioned this was only police and fire. So I'm trying to understand the difference.

J

Between only police and fire or all, is it really all? So that's my that's. My first question.

J

J

I'm going to ask, um I guess: I'll: go to police.

J

In the police position detail.

J

There was two positions on page 283 at the bottom that were unfunded a captain and a sergeant.

J

And we just saw uh recently in the herald that we had. uh We had quite a few uh promotions.

J

Was this included in here or was this? Did this go to print before that those occurrences happened.

J

So that's my first question. um My next question is on the next page page 280.

J

On the the requests are for um two patrol officers and then a clerk.

J

Admin and on that page, at the bottom, it says um we already. We have a crime analyst. So my question is.

J

Is this crime analyst two or is this the same one or do they include it in here.

J

I I don't know if the page helped you on that one. um My next question is on uh software.

J

On page 291- and this is still in police.

J

The per the mayor's question on moving my to microsoft outlook: um can we combined those.

J

Services with the rest of the it department, especially since we will be increasing the.

J

It department, but going down on to line computer software and maintenance, we've seen an increase in.

J

This line over the last couple of years of from in 21 from 66 000 up to the new budget is two.

J

Hundred thousand eight sixty nine, so when we get the new upgrade of the new prime system, uh will.

J

That affect this, and uh will it will it bring that down because it seems to be just still we're going.

J

To put money out for a new system, so will the computer maintenance of the old system go down.

J

uh Last question is on the cip: the police department presented they had 400 000.

J

Over two years- and basically this is still for mold remediation. I guess my.

J

Question is: uh is the mold remediation still happening, and how is it going what's the status.

J

um On the last thing for police, I will go to the rolling stock and the request is for.

J

Is for four explorers and it's going to come out of arpa funds this time.

J

It's on page 23, sorry uh and then back in the rolling stock on I 11.

J

These crown vics, they think they they keep coming back last year. They requested it was a city id.

J

Number two and it was for our crown victoria, but they purchased instead an explorer uh that.

J

Was listed above that and the other crown vic is past its prime, obviously with uh useful life, but.

J

They're not asking for a replacement- and I guess that was answered tonight by they're hard to find.

J

So that would be my question uh on that. There also was one included that that.

J

Wasn't quite to its the end of its uh useful life that would be uh included this year, so.

J

The question on that one would be: um is it? Is it really a necessary.

J

Necessary addition uh on fire, I really don't have any questions. uh I think it's.

J

Great and um the only question I would have is: do we see the uh the revenue? Where do we see the.

J

Revenue coming in from the uh from the ambulance, um obviously this is the this is replacing.

J

An ambulance here, but it's not listed in the uh does it run through the general fund. Instead yeah.

J

um The other thing I remember from last year we were, we were trying to put money away for our.

J

Third ambulance- and I would I was wondering about what the status of that was, if we're still trying.

J

To do that and um and upgrade at the third station, and that's my questions, thank you. Thank you.

G

Esther kennedy 41 pickering app, um I kind of had an overview question. I wasn't able.

G

To attend last night, but last night it looked like the public hearing was closed.

G

And over the years we have always voted to keep it open so that, at the end of.

G

This process, where we actually learn about the budget and hear what people have to.

G

Say there's an opportunity to have a public comment, so I don't know what bob would say.

G

The attorney, but I would encourage you folks, to find a way to have a public comment session.

G

After you do all this work, so the public can speak because I think people were depending on that.

G

um Because it happened every year and last night I heard the gavel go down, so I would encourage that.

G

I have, over the years, always watched our health insurance and I guess my questions are.

G

It's down, they gave us a health insurance 2.3. According to the information we received.

G

Online, which is lower than last year's, I want to thank the fire department for admitting they were.

G

Overstaffed by half position, so if you take the fire there shouldn't be an increase in health.

G

Insurance and yet there is so, I guess I would love to hear where that's coming from and again.

G

I'd like to thank the fire department from coming down for 29 000 and having no increase in staff.

G

For the police and the fire um I'm a firm believer. We should give credit where credit's due.

G

We heard the chief today tonight say that they brought in 360 some thousand dollars.

G

For federal funds for what they did for covet, yet you didn't see that tonight.

G

You saw the ambulance revenues and that's a small portion.

G

I am curious what we are bringing in in those federal funds to those departments, the police.

G

And the fire, I think we need to start looking at revenue folks, you're up 10 million dollars.

G

And what you need to do is find the offsetting revenue for that, and I know I commend the chief.

G

By saying we're not here for the money, I hear that, but I think there if there is ways to look at the.

G

Funding and also celebrate who is bringing that funding in. We should be doing it and.

G

I could not find in the budget where the revenues of the federal revenues were coming in.

G

Actually, there was only comments of state, local and and whatnot, so I would encourage that.

G

In the police department, I didn't hear why the contracted services up were up by 28.

G

Now there is a study that um a really thorough study that was done on the police department, not.

G

Too long ago, I would encourage that you get a copy of that dust off, bring it off the shelf and you.

G

Get a copy of that. I talked about what the needs were of the police department. It talked about.

G

And there was a lot of money spent on that study and I talked about what the officer.

G

We have only gone up 342 individuals in this city now, with that said, I know, we've gone up.

G

With our hotels and and our lodging, so I guess my question to you all is what is the adequate.

G

Number for our population- and I know when I looked at it not too long ago, we were there.

G

So I would encourage you to find the data and to look at that data.

G

And to really say what are our needs are based on the data. I understand the mental health crisis.

G

And I respect the assistant mayor, I think many police officers are going to a more.

G

Therapeutic approach, where they're having social workers or other kind of behaviorist.

G

Supporting some of our mental health individuals in our communities.

G

And I don't believe our community is any different. We are definitely seeing it all after our covered.

G

Pandemic, I heard counselor bagley bring up school resources. I think that is a great place.

G

I have never seen a lot of um that's something that we should work on as a city.

G

Again, it's the mental health and supporting those. If we were going to do.

G

Some extras, I think, maybe we want to be proactive and start looking at it. That way, and I also know.

G

The federal funds can be used for that and I don't see anywhere what we're using our federal funds.

G

For so I know, 2 million was given back to the schools. I know we're getting quite a big chunk.

G

For the city- and I guess my question to you all- is what are you using it for so I would.

G

Encourage you to think about all those things um and really look at that. I'm really curious.

G

Why the insurance went up when the insurance rate went down? Thank you. Thank you. Esther.

C

Any other speakers.

C

With that I will uh during this meeting I will call out that there will be.

C

Opportunity for public comment, there's also a public dialogue session on the 19th, where it.

C

Will be more of a question and answer interactive format, but it I will also talk to bob in terms of.

C

Having a an additional public hearing, that would have been an oversight by myself.

C

Not to vote to extend that so we'll we'll have that goal is to have as much opportunity for.

C

The public to speak and to know that there will be people that are tuning in tonight.

C

That will want to speak on other topics outside of public safety. So look forward to that, but.

C

With that, I will adjourn the meeting and have a great night portsmouth. Thank you.

D