Council to give Fire and Police Departments a Boost
Marina’s Police and Fire Departments are both expected to get a big boost during Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
Two new firefighters will to be added to the Marina Fire Department, providing the city with two fully staffed engine companies, if the City Council authorizes the hires as expected during Tuesday’s meeting held at 211 Hillcrest Ave.
With current staffing, our fire department struggles to respond to two fires that occur at the same time. A fire truck takes at least three to operate, and just five people are on staff most of the time. Meanwhile, in the past 10 years, overlapping calls have more than tripled. That number will only go up as more and more homes are being built.
Currently, the department operates on three shifts, with shifts A and C having two captains, two engineers and 1 firefighter; while shift C has two captains, two engineers and two firefighters. With the two new hires, both A and C shifts will now have two firefighters, just like Shift B. The cost to the city will be $270,000 annually.
Also on the agenda is an approval for a big upgrade to the Marina Police Department’s technology. According to the staff report, the department has outdated equipment, including unsupported body cameras, obsolete Tasers and police cars with no in-car camera. The program used for dispatching calls is also outdated.
So, the City Council is being asked to approve a resolution authorizing contracts with Motorola and Axon for an “integrated suite of advanced surveillance and operational technologies.” While it sounds like Marina is purchasing a spy satellite, what’s mostly included are body cameras; in-car cameras; and high-tech dispatching software. Other improvements will make it easier for the department to share and gather evidence from other departments.
The department will also get new tasers. The Axon taser, according to the company’s literature, operates on 1,000 volts rather than 50,000 volts and is much more accurate and easier to use than the old models. The only seemingly possible controversial part of the upgrade is the addition of Automated License Plate Recognition cameras made by Flock Safety.
According to the staff report, “designed to identify and track flagged vehicles, Flock ALPR … instantly links license plate data with other incident records, effectively alerting officers to potential threats in real time and enhancing situational awareness.”
Flock Safety is different from standard ALPR technology because it captures even more detail than standard ALPR. The make, model, color of the car, bumper stickers and more are noted and this information is stored in a collective database. Currently, Flock Safety and the city of Norfolk, Virginia are facing a federal lawsuit filed by the Institute for Justice challenging that city’s widespread use of Flock ALPR cameras. The city has installed 170 cameras on roads, which constitutes warrantless surveillance, according to the lawsuit. Just last month, the City Council in Eureka, CA tabled a decision on adding 27 Flock cameras to its downtown corridor.
The approval of the FLOCK cameras is on the City Council’s Consent Agenda, meaning they are meant to be approved without any discussion. It will be interesting to see if that winds up being the case.
Packed Agenda
It’s a packed Consent Agenda, which also includes an agreement to work with EMC Planning Group to prepare plans and permits for the improvement of the coastal trail at Ford Ord Dunes State Park. The cost for the project, $800,000, will all be paid through a grant that city staff secured from the California State Coastal Conservancy. It will be used for restrooms, a parking lot, trail improvements, signage and more.
Also on the Consent Agenda is a claim against the city, which will be almost certainly be rejected by the council no matter the merits of it.
The claim against the city concerns a traffic accident that occurred within the Imjin Parkway Project, at the intersection of Abrams Drive and Imjin Parkway. A motorist was hit by a vehicle driving in the wrong lane, according to the claimant. Her claim goes on to state that her vehicle was totaled, her spine was fractured and she suffered head trauma. Her medical bills cost $52,000 and she lost wages of more than $15,000.
The claimant is asking the city for $10,000 “based on what I think is a fair amount …” states the claim. The City Council will likely deny the claim because accepting it might make the city liable for any other accidents that have occurred there, it might also affect the city’s insurance and would basically put the city at risk of all sorts of financial exposure. I’ve covered city councils for decades in California and these claims are always denied, whatever their merit. If a claim is truly valid, it can be shown in court.
What can’t be denied is that the project is behind and it’s created a messy situation at the intersection of Imjin Parkway and Abrams Drive. PG&E’s delay in installing power poles has stalled the opening of Preston Drive and far more traffic is being pushed to the Abrams Drive intersection for a longer period of time than expected. The makeshift intersection there is not only narrow and tight for traffic, it is confusing for many motorists.
Other action items on the agenda include staff direction for the rehabilitation of the Aquatic and Sports Center. The former military gym and indoor pool at 2nd Avenue and 9th Street is a great potential resource, but the cost estimate for creating what the community wants would cost about $40 million. With other more pressing needs, like a new fire station, the city is looking at phased approach.
The City Council will also be presented with a draft of the new General Plan update and discuss a contract for improvements and maintenance at Hilltop Park.
POLICE REPORTS
Nov. 9
• A 34-year-old man on Messinger Drive was charged with aggravated assault, threatening with intent to terrorize, and causing injury to an elderly adult.
• A 24-year-old man on Reservation Road was charge with battery of a spouse and probation violation.
Nov. 10
• A 34-year-old man on Beach Road was arrested and charged with assault of a spouse or cohabitant, kidnapping, obstructing justice, battery and violating probation.
• A 30-year-old man on Reservation Road was charged with vandalism.
• A dog was reported running loose on Cosky Drive.
Nov. 13
• A 20-year-old man was arrested and charged with evading police, reckless driving and going a speed of more than 100 mph on a highway at the intersection of Highway 1 and Canyon Del Ray.
Nov. 14
• A burglary was reported on Reservation Road.
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This report was created and edited by Jon Chown of Renee Mello & Associates. (831) 869-2484. DRE#02040730. Does your home have a story? Let’s tell it and sell it!