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03-10-15 OPC PacketSECTION 3 PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSION Section: 3-3-1: Establishment 3-3-2: Membership and Terms 3-3-3: Legal Advisor 3-3-4: Meetings, Officers and Procedures 3-3-5: Duties and Functions 3-3-6: Compensation 3-3-1: ESTABLISHMENT: A Public Safety Commission is hereby established to advise the City Council on police, fire protection, emergency management and other public safety matters and to provide better communication with public safety service providers, to provide a forum for complaints and suggestions regarding public safety service and to educate the public on issues related to public safety service. (Ordinance 2014-06, adopted April 14, 2014) 3-3-2: MEMBERSHIP AND TERMS: A. The Public Safety Commission shall consist of seven (7) members, all of whom are appointed by majority vote of the City Council. B. The terms of each member of the Public Safety Commission shall be four (4) years staggered and overlapping as presently established beginning March 1 of the first year and shall expire on the last day of February of the last year of the respective term. C. Any and all adult residents or business property owners of the City of Otsego are eligible to be appointed to the Public Safety Commission at the discretion of the City Council by majority vote. D. The City Council shall also appoint one (1) of its members as a non-voting ex - officio member of the Public Safety Commission who shall attend Public Safety Commission meetings and act as a liaison between the City Council and the Public Safety Commission. E. The Wright County Sheriff or their designated representative shall attend the Public Safety Commission meetings as a non-voting ex -officio member and act as a liaison between the City and the Wright County Sheriff's Office. 3-13 F. The Fire Chief or their designated representative shall attend the Public Safety Commission meetings as necessary as a non-voting ex -officio member and act as a liaison between the City and respective Fire Department. G. The City Council may also appoint alternate member(s) to a term determined by the City Council from time to time as they deem necessary. The alternate(s) shall attend all regular and special meetings of the Public Safety Commission and shall act as a replacement at any specific meeting in the event of the absence, for whatever reason, of any regularly appointed member of the Public Safety Commission. H. In the event of a vacancy during the term of any member of the Public Safety Commission, the vacancy shall be filled by appointment by the City Council and shall run until the current term expires. Removal: Any member of the Public Safety Commission may be removed from office with or without cause by a four-fifths (4/5) vote of the entire City Council. 2. Any member of the Public Safety Commission who misses three (3) consecutive Public Safety Commission meetings in a calendar year, calculated at the end of each calendar year, due to unexcused absences, may be removed from office upon approval of the City Council. Excused absences include: a serious personal or family medical condition, death in immediate family or unanticipated work-related commitment. It shall be the duty of each member to notify the City staff liaison or recording secretary if the member will be unable to attend a meeting. 3. The Public Safety Commission may make a recommendation to the City Council by majority vote to remove a member prior to the expiration of their term with said recommendation to include the cause for such action. (Ordinance 2014-06, adopted April 14, 2014) 3-3-3: LEGAL ADVISOR: The City Attorney shall serve as the legal advisor to the Public Safety Commission. Questions of the City Attorney shall be directed through the City Council liaison or the City Administrator. (Ordinance 2014-06, adopted April 14, 2014) 3-14 3-3-4: MEETINGS, OFFICERS AND PROCEDURES: A. Meetings: 1. The Public Safety Commission shall hold a minimum of one (1) regular meeting per month on the second Tuesday of each month unless canceled by the Chair due to a lack of business items or lack of a quorum. 2. A special meeting of the Public Safety Commission may be called by the Chair or by approval of a motion of the majority of the members stating the purpose of such meeting with written notice posted at least three (3) days in advance of the meeting. 3. Any site inspection involving four (4) or more members as a group must be scheduled and noticed as a Special Meeting of the Public Safety Commission. 4. All meetings of the Public Safety Commission shall be open to the public and comply with the State Open Meeting Law requirements. B. The agenda for each meeting shall include an open forum for citizen comments. C. Officers: 1. The Public Safety Commission shall elect officers from its membership at its first meeting in March. 2. The officers of the Public Safety Commission shall be: a. Chair. b. Vice -Chair. C. Secretary. 3. Duties of the officers: a. Chair. (1) The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Public Safety Commission and shall preserve order and decorum and shall decide all questions of order. (2) The Chair shall appoint any necessary committees and shall appoint any committees requested by a majority of the members. 3-15 b. Vice -Chair. The Vice -Chair shall preside at all meetings in the absence of the Chair and perform such duties as requested by the Chair. C. Secretary. The Secretary shall provide for permanent records of the Public Safety Commission proceedings, which shall include minutes of its meeting, its finding of fact, recommendations, and the action taken on each matter which it considers, and are to be submitted to the City Clerk. D. A quorum of the Public Safety Commission shall consist of four (4) members. E. The conduct of the Public Safety Commission meetings shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order. (Ordinance 2014-06, adopted April 14, 2014) 3-3-5: DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS: The duties and functions of the Public Safety Commission shall be as follows: A. To develop a citizen complaint procedure on matters regarding police, fire, ambulance and other emergency response services. B. To promote public interest in and an understanding of public safety and the provision of these services in Otsego. C. To serve as a forum for the citizens of Otsego to voice their opinions regarding public safety within the community. D. The Public Safety Commission shall advise the City Council on the duties and responsibilities of the Wright County Sheriff and the Deputies of the Wright County Sheriff's Office in providing police service to Otsego, but is not a Police Civil Service Commission with those powers granted such a commission under State law. E. The Public Safety Commission shall advise the City Council on matters related to the provision of fire protection services to Otsego by the Fire Departments the City is contracted with to receive these services. (Ordinance 2014-06, adopted April 14, 2014) 3-3-6: COMPENSATION: As compensation for services rendered as a member of the Public Safety Commission, each member and designated alternate(s) shall receive $10.00 for attendance at each regularly scheduled or special meeting. (Ordinance 2014-06, adopted April 14, 2014) 3-16 Mission Statement: The Public Safety Commission is appointed by the City Council and is charged with developing a citizen complaint procedure, promoting public interest in and an understanding of police work. They serve as a forum for the citizens of Otsego to voice their opinions regarding community safety and police services.