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Safety panel recommends public safety commission |
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Wednesday, 30 July 2008 |
Citizens’ safety committee says it’s needed to manage police, fire
The Citizens Public Safety Committee, which began studying the city’s public safety departments last October, has concluded that the residents of Benton would be better served if the police, fire and communications departments were managed by a public safety commission.
That recommendation was noted by Dave Mattingly, spokesman for the committee, on Tuesday night when he reviewed the group’s report for the public at Benton Municipal Complex.
Benton City Council, upon the recommendation of Aldermen Steve Lee and Bill Donnor, established the group to review current and future needs of the police and fire departments, emergency medical services and 911 communications support. Lee is chairman of the council’s standing Health and Safety Committee.
In making the recommendation for establishing a public safety commission, Mattingly noted that the commission should be set up along the lines of the Public Utilities Commission and should be given the authority to hire a full-time director.
“We believe that this would help remove public safety from being so politicized both by the city’s administration and the City Council,” Mattingly said.
“It is obvious to us that the current administration and council as well as past officials struggle to resolve the ongoing problems of funding, managing and compensating public safety employees without it developing into a ‘those for’ and ‘those against’ mentality,” he said.
Both of those comments are included in the official report that was presented to the city.
Funding — or rather a lack of it — for public safety departments in the city is a serious problem, the committee determined.
“Benton’s population has grown over 27 percent in the past seven years ... ,” but the funding for the public safety departments has remained static, Mattingly said.
Added to that is a “projected growth of 20 percent in the next five years,” which will further place “a tremendous strain on our public safety resources,” Mattingly said.
In its formal report, the committee “strongly” recommends that 76 percent of the city’s General Fund revenues be dedicated to public safety annually starting with the calendar year 2009.
If the commission is established and the 76 percent funding dedication is set, the panel “will strongly endorse the passage of a half-cent sales tax dedicated to public safety in a special election in the spring of 2009.”
“Lack of funds for public safety departments to sustain and growth their level of service in line with the dynamic population growth has been and remains a serious problem,” Mattingly said.
He pointed out the high turnover rate in the police department, which has averaged 15 percent on a base of 53 sworn officers on roll.
“The worst year for turnover in the past seven years was 2004 at 24 percent while 2005 was only 8 percent,” Mattingly said.
However, he pointed out, six officers have left the department this year along with Chief Gary Sipes.
The fire department has experienced a “different kind of problem,” Mattingly noted. “While real turnover is averaging only 6 percent per year over the past five years, those who leave the department are on average very senior employees.”
As an example, he noted that in 2007 only three employees left, but their cumulative years of experienced totaled 32. “Turnover of this nature adversely affects the experience level of the department,” he said.
The committee’s report notes the following “critical priorities” with the public safety arena that should be addressed immediately:
•Build new fire station on the east side of Benton by 2009/2010 at a cost of $2.2 million.
•Reinstate advanced life support service for the fire department in 2009 at a cost of $335,000.
•Hire and retain at least 60 sworn police officers as soon as possible.
•Institute a salary review program immediately, which would lead to reasonable expectations for annual pay raises of 2.5 to 4 percent.
•Set up escrows to be used to purchase fire trucks, police cars, required safety equipment and improved communications devices.
Conducted in conjunction with the Citizens Public Safety Committee’s review was a survey conducted by four University of Central Arkansas students — Keeley Donnor, April Young, Nikki Strickland and Sydney Estes. The study was done without charge, Lee noted, while pointing out that the city has spent many thousands of dollars on other surveys related to public safety issues.
Donnor attended Tuesday’s meeting and was commended for the service she and her fellow students provided the city.
The students’ survey focused on obtaining local residents’ opinions of Benton’s public safety programs and determining which areas are in need of improvement. A random telephone survey was the methodology used in which the students placed 1,033 calls during a two-week process. The students determined that residents feel that public safety programs should be the city’s first priority with streets and utilities following a close second, according to the report’s executive summary.
The survey included the question: “Would you support any additional revenue source to aid public safety programs?” To that query, 68 percent said “yes,” the report notes.
Earlier public hearings the Citizens Public Safety Committee conducted brought out numerous concerns from area residents, including the following:
•No advanced life support service on fire and rescue trucks.
•No funds being reserved for the city’s next fire truck, which will cost around $400,000.
•No funds being reserved to buy and replace police cars.
•No funds being reserved for required safety equipment.
•No funds being reserved for the next police/fire station.
•No funds available for across-the-board raises. The last across-the-board raises for police and fire personnel were given in 2004.
•No funds available to hire, train and increase public safety personnel.
In addition to Mattingly, other members of the Citizens Public Safety Committee are Carolyn Boone, Don Birdsong, Mary Kay Mooney, Bill Hampton, Robert Edwards and Winifred K. Stamps. Fire Chief Ben Blankenship and former Police Chief Gary Sipes also served on the panel. When he resigned, he was replaced by Capt. Roger Gaither, who is serving as interim police chief.
Dr. Jeff Walker, professor and graduate coordinator of the Department of Criminal Justice at University of Arkansas at Little Rock, served as an adviser for the group for several weeks. |
 |  |  |  |  | Just being with family and eating good food is the best part!!- Liz McGee Quantz (Haskell, AR)
The Mabelvale United Methodist Church in Mabelvale, AR will
be hosting a fall carnival on Sunday evening October 26th from 5 to 7pm in the
Fellowship Hall. Kids will love it, parents will too! - Roger Poole (Bryant, AR)
I make an awesome Pina Colda Cake. You buy a boxed yellow
cake mix and mix it and bake it per the instructions on the box. After you bake the
cake allow it to cool for about 15 minutes. Use the end of a wooden spoon to poke
medium size holes all in the cake. Take a can of Eagle Brand Milk and Cream of
Coconut and alternate pouring them into the holes. Place the cake in the fridge for
about one hour, remove and put Cool Whip on top, as much or as little as you like.
The cake is better if you let it sit all night in the fridge before eatting. It is
wonderful!!! - Kelly Chase (Alexander, AK)
My favorite memories of Thanksgiving were when we lived in
Tulsa, Ok. There were always folks that didn't have a place to go for the holiday-
so they wound up at our house along with most of my husband's family from Benton.
The house was packed. The Thanksgiving meal was wonderful. But the celebration
didn't end there. At night, all weekend, there were pallets spread throughout the
house and the good eats seemed to never end. And on Friday morning (after
Thanksgiving) all the females were up before dawn and Christmas shopping by 8:00
a.m. Those are memories that I will cherish forever. - Billie Loe (Texas)
I always get to make the turkey for our Thanksgiving. So
you can add more butter or flour for consistency. Wash your turkey, pat dry, take
another stick of butter and rub all over turkey. Then take with your hands and smear
the batter a little thick, all over the turkey. Once all of the turkey has the
batter on it, I will melt the another bar of butter and put it in the bottom of the
pan of my turkey. It will make a wonderful gravy to use on your turkey when done.
So, then get enough aluminum foil to make a "tent" over your turkey. Put in oven and
bake @ 375 all night. It will be so moist, the crispies are great and the gravy
makes it better. Now the flip side to this is, it will be so tender it will fall apart.
So, I do not serve as a whole turkey. I go ahead and slice up, pour some grave
over some of the sliced up turkey for those who like it and then slice up some
turkey without gravy. You will have many compliments on this. Happy Thanksgiving
and Enjoy! - Liz Johnson (Benton) We prepare a traditional Thanksgiving dinner that morning.
Then we pack it all up and travel to deer camp in South Arkansas. We serve dinner to
all those who don't have family with which to share. We'll spend the afternoon
playin' dominos, pitchin' horseshoes and just visitin'. It's a wonderful time. - Pat Stuckey (Bismarck) We invite all the family in and cook the traditional feast.
Everyone gets silly when they get full. That is entertaining. - Jim Perry (Benton) Frozen pizza - Greg Marsh (Medicine Hat) The whole family gets together and we have dinner and noon
visit for a while then go home to take naps and get ready for black friday sales! - Terrie Schulz (Benton)
My childhood memories are of the sumptuous dinners my
grandfather, Byron Yarbrough, Sr. would prepare. Family members came from all over
Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas to our home of South East Street. It was a wondeful
time I really didn't learn to appreciate until he and my grandmother passed away.
Later, my cousin Eleen Murray brought the tradition back and family members gathered
at their home near Lake Norrell. Today, it's the memories of
Thanksgivings past that I treasure. It was because of these gatherings that I came
to realize the importance of family. - David Hughes (Herndon, VA)
My favorite time of remembering Thanksgiving is when all of
my family would get together and enjoy the most wonderful feast I have ever tasted.
My mom would make at least 2 to 3 different stuffings, actually her and my sister
Tammy Parker(Schultz) would make everything. I am not quite the chef my mom and
sister are. I live now and have lived for most of my life away from home in
different states so I have tasted many other dishes. None can compare to my
mom's(Pat Brumley). But most of all it is the family being altogether and just
laughing and having fun. My husband experienced this tradition for the first time in
1999 and still to this day can not stop talking about it. His traditions were not
the same. He couldn't believe the amount of food, fun, and family we had for the
holidays. I didn't understand it because I am used to it always being that way. I am
very lucky to have the family I have. My ex-step dad (David Hughes) still treats me
and my sister like his own so I have extended family to share the holidays with too. Even if it
is just a phone call, prayer, or written. I sure so miss Benton. I was raised
there and even though I am in Hoosier state since 2001 I let everybody know I am
proud to be a Razorback. I will never be anything else. God bless everyone in
Benton and someday I hope to see you soon. - Debbie Brooks (Schultz) (Columbus, IN) |
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