Rockford Sun

Village of Pecatonica Public Safety Committee met Feb. 1.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

1. Call to Order- The meeting was called to order by Committee Chairman Marilyn Wilke at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, February 1, 2023.

2. Roll call – Chairman Marilyn Wilke, and Village Trustees Kathy Doty, Trustee Gerald Howard was absent.

Also in attendance were Village President Tom Heister, Sergeant Interim Chief Al Nylund, Matt Summers and Marjory Herbig.

3. Additions/Corrections to the Agenda

add to #11 New Business, a. Discuss Breathalyzer, b. Discuss Gun Disposal, c. Discuss Taser Disposal, and d. Discuss Parking Enforcement

4. Approve the Agenda -

A motion was made by Trustee Doty and seconded by Chairman Wilke to approve the agenda as amended. Discussion, A roll call vote was taken. All present voted yes. Motion approved 2-0-1.

5. Public Comment

Marjory Herbig addressed the committee in regards to the parking at 4th and Main Street, in front of Green Bean it makes it very difficult to cross or turn onto Main Street. She is requesting that the Village install no parking signs for the first couple parking spots to allow more visibility. Discussion. Village President Tom Heister has been in talks with Rosie’s Coffee to try and come up with a plan. This will be discussed at future meetings.

6. Approve the January 4, 2023 Minutes

A motion was made by Trustee Doty and seconded by Chairman Wilke to approve the January 4, 2023 minutes. Discussion. A roll call vote was taken. All present voted yes. Motion approved 2-0-1

7. Review the Current Financials

The committee discussed the current financials. The committee also began the discussion on the upcoming budget. The budget will be discussed at the Finance Committee meeting.

8. High Level Review of the Proposed Budget

The committee reviewed the proposed budget and discussed. The Finance Committee will continue the discussion on the upcoming budget and this will be discussed at upcoming committee meetings.

9. Status Update of Recruitment of New Officers

Chairman Wilke informed the committee that they are in the final steps of naming the new Police Chief. The committee went on to discuss the other open positions within the police department. We now have four part-time officers on staff and are currently still looking to fill a full-time position. Discussion.

10. Status of Training for Non-lethal Weapons

Nylund gave an update on the Non-lethal Weapons training. He is waiting to hear back from the Training to see if the class is still going to take place. He is also working with the State Training Board to have the course approved by the state. The training is currently not approved by the State. The approval of training courses has changed due to the Safety-Act. The state is currently behind on the approval of training classes. Discussion. This will be discussed at upcoming meetings.

11. New Business

a. Discuss Breathalyzer

A new breathalyzer has been purchased. However, Chairman Wilke stated that the purchasing policy was not followed and this should have been approved at the board level due to the cost of the new machine. The committee discussed the protocol that is in place when someone is charged with DUI. The breathalyzer that the village had prior was outdated and non-repairable, it was picked up by the State to be disposed of. Discussion. This will be discussed at the next Regular Board Meeting and to be voted on at the February 21, 2023 Regular Board Meeting.

b. Discuss Gun Disposal

Nylund informed the committee that a hand gun was donated to the police department a few weeks ago. He contacted the ISP and the transfer is legal, however the gun is not something the police department needs or would be able to use. He also has two other revolver guns that need to be disposed of. Discussion. Village President Tom Heister asked that he get all the information to the Village Clerk Gwenn Shirley tomorrow. An ordinance will need to be written up and voted on at the Regular Board Meeting for the disposal of the weapons.

c. Discuss Taser Disposal

The police department has six Tasers that will also need to have an ordinance will need to be written up and voted on at the Regular Board Meeting for the disposal of the weapons.

d. Discuss Parking Enforcement

Nylund reviewed the current parking ordinance with the committee. He pointed out some inconsistences within the ordinance, along with some missing information or information not referenced. The village attorney will need to review the ordinance and this will be discussed at future meetings.

12. Adjournment –

A motion was made by Trustee Doty and seconded by Chairman Wilke to adjourn the meeting. Meeting adjourned at 7:19 pm

https://villageofpecatonica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Public-Safety-2-1-2023.pdf