HomeMy WebLinkAbout20210617 - PSAC Minutes City of Hastings
Public Safety Advisory Commission(PSAC)
Meeting Minutes
June 17,2021
Virtual Meeting
Present: Commissioners Dolores Pemble, Jesse Starkson, Bryon Ascheman, Melissa
Blackstad and Gary Stevens.
City Staff: Police Chief Bryan Schafer,Fire Chief John Townsend
1. Chief Schafer provided a police department update.
-Chief Schafer updated the Commission members on the recent arrest of suspects
in the theft of catalytic converters. The noted that citizen reports were crucial to
the arrest of the suspects.
-Chief Schafer congratulated Officer Vomastek and K-9 Sonny on their
accomplishment at the regional certification trials. Office/K-9 teams from the
upper Midwest and Canada participated. Sonny placed 1st out of 60 dogs in
agility and Officer Vomastek and Sonny won Top Rookie Handler/Dog.
-There have been a number of citizen complaint arising out of the Highway 316
construction project including complaint from resident of Three Rivers Mobile
Home Park about vehicles using the streets within the park as a detour. Chief
Schafer and Chief Townsend also updated the Commission on how Police and
Fire were handling calls in light of the construction/detour.
-Chief Schafer and Sheriff Leslie are again"competing" against one another in
the Food4 Kids Food Drive.
-Other police department updates included(1)the mobile video system was being
updated; (2)the vacancy on the Commission was being posted; and(3) the Pride
event went well.
-Chief Shafer was asked about several recent incidents reported on social media.
2. Fire Chief John Townsend provided a fire department update.
- Safety Camp is scheduled for 6/23/21. This is a great event for kids and is well
attended.
-The fire department is sponsoring the Movies in the Park on 6/25/21 where
Planes,Fire&Rescue will be shown. The department will have fire trucks on
display by the levee.
-The new EMS protocols that department has been working on with the new EMS
director will go into effect on 7/1/21.
-Chief Townsend updated the Commission on the hiring process of full-time
firefighters as well as paid on call firefighters. The Commission engaged in an
extended discussion on the challenges in recruiting and retaining paid on call
firefighters.
3. Old Business
-PSAC Annual Report. The Commission discussed the draft PSAC Annual
Report. Absent objections,the report will be submitted to the City Council in
July.
-National Night Out. The Commission members discussed the planning punch
list for the National Night Out.
-Other Hastings Events. The Commission also discussed other upcoming events
including River Town Days,Fourth of July,the car shows on Sundays, the Rotary
concert,the fire department open house in October and the Booya on 9/11/21.
4. Next meeting is July 16, 2021
5. A motion to adjourn the meeting was made and seconded. The meeting was
adjourned at 8:00.