MINUTES City Council Public Safety Committee Monday, February 24, 2025 - 3:30 PM City Hall Council Chambers Members Present: Aaron Baker, Chair, Council Member Mac Morrow, Vice-Chair, Council Member Kevin Gallo, Citizen Member Mayor Maureen Copelof, Ex-Officio Member Staff Present David Todd, Assistant City Manager Aaron Thompson, Police Department Bobby Cooper, Fire Chief Kelley Craig, Human Resources Director Becky McCann, Communications Coordinator Selena Coffey, Assistant to the City Manager A. Welcome & Calll to Order Committee Chair Aaron Baker welcomed everyone and called the meeting to order at 3:31pm. B. Certification of Quorum Assistant to the City Manager Selena Coffey certified that a quorum was present. C. Approval of Agenda Motion by Mr. Gallo, seconded by Mr. Morrow to approve the agenda as presented. The motion carried unanimously. D. Approval of Minutes Mr. Morrow made a motion to approve the minutes, and this was seconded by Mr. Gallo. The motion passed unanimously. E. Police Department Workplace Culture Study Update Ms. Craig updated the committee about the selection of Berry Dunn, the firm who will be completing the Brevard Police Department workplace culture study. She noted that Manager Hooper will be bringing the proposal before the city council for their final approval. Ms. Craig noted that staff hopes to begin the project within the next 2-4 weeks and indicated that the study will include multiple on-site engagements, interviews, culture and climate surveys, etc. Mr. Baker asked ifthe firm had provided a copy of reports they had completed in other jurisdictions. Ms. Craig responded in the affirmative. Mr. Baker noted that he felt that employee engagement and input would be key for the success ofthis study. Ms. Craig noted that Berry Dunn will encourage employee participation in a variety of ways to ensure that employees feel comfortable participating in the study. Ms. Craig also noted that the total process may take 6-8 months for completion. F. Update on Traffic Calming Measures Mr. Todd provided an update on the various traffic calming measures on streets and intersections previously discussed by the committee. Probart Street Mr. Todd noted that staff continues it work installing speed bumps and speed humps and this work is largely dependent on days with good weather. Railroad and Probart Intersection Mr. Todd noted that staff met with a group that included NCDOT representatives, the city's traffic consultants, and community members and decided to slightly modify this intersection. He noted that the stop bar would be moved further forward into the intersection and the stop sign will need to be moved as well. He also noted that the respective corner would be concreted as this should better accommodate for vehicles turning onto Probart from Railroad Avenue and may prevent vehicles from hitting the curb. Mr. Todd added that the city will update the signage as well. Railroad and McLean Intersection Mr. Todd noted that there are many challenges at this intersection, as it doesn't currently meet ADA standards and therefore the city may need to add truncated cones,ADA-accessible buttons, and two-faced signage. The committee briefly discussed challenges with this intersection and Mr. Todd noted that staff, in collaboration with the city's traffic consultants, may be able to identify options for future improvements at this intersection. Carver, Oaklawn, and Hampton Intersection Mr. Todd explained that this intersection is difficult to address due to difficult sight lines coming up Carver. Currently there is no stop sign in this location and thestaff group feels that adding a stop bar and making this a three-way stop may be ideal, along with adding a pedestrian crosswalk on the east side of Oaklawn. The city's traffic consultants are continuing to review this intersection to find the best possible solutions. The committee shared their thoughts and concerns regarding this intersection. The idea of a mini traffic circle had been considered for this Minutes - City Council Public Safety Committee Meeting February 24, 2025 Page 2 of 4 intersection, but the traffic calming group, including the traffic consultants and NCDOT, didn't feel that this would be the best solution to address the concerns for this specific intersection. Carolina and Shipman Intersection Mr. Todd reminded that part ofthis intersection belongs to the state, while part ofit belongs to the city. The recent placement of speed monitoring devices revealed that the max speed was 45 mph and this was very infrequent, and the average speed was 25 mph. The city's traffic consultants did not feel that these speeds would be enough to encourage NCDOT to address the intersection more aggressively. Mr. Todd noted that the Police Chiefhad ordered new signage and speed monitoring devices that could be deployed in better locations and that the installation ofs speed bumps could be beneficial to slow traffic in this area. The committee received some comments and questions from resident Kellyn Haight regarding speed monitoring device placement. Ms. Haight's questions were addressed by Mr. Todd and Mr. Thompson. Fisher Road Mr. Todd noted that the speed monitoring device that had been placed on Fisher had not been working correctly, therefore staff didn't have additional data to share in that regard. G. Fire Department Transition Update Fire Chief Bobby Cooper publicly shared that he will be retiring effective Friday, February 28, 2025 and that Mr. Hooper had identified Bradley Elmore as the Interim Chief upon his retirement. Mr. Cooper noted that Management Solutions for Emergency Services will take the lead on recruiting for the Fire Chief position. Ms. Craig noted that the position would likely be advertised for 2-4 weeks and therefore the entire process may take 3-4 months. She also added that the city will be holding a retirement reception for Chief Cooper tentatively scheduled for the afternoon of March 14. Committee members offered their appreciation to Chief Cooper and thanked him for his service to the City of Brevard. H. Public Comment Morris Jenkins shared that he likes the benches at Times Arcade but is concerned about a trip hazard in that area. He suggested a reflective tape. Nora Jane Montgomery spoke on behalf of the Brevard Bike Alliance, advocating for safety for bicyclists and pedestrians. She encouraged the committee to review the Bike Ped Plan and support improvements addressed within the plan. Some oft the improvements that she recommended included reducing the speed on French Broad Minutes - City Council Public Safety Committee Meeting February 24, 2025 Page 3 of4 Street to 25 mph, creating shared lane markings on French Broad Street, and creating a bicycle boulevard on Morgan Street. Monica Driscoll spoke and commended Fire Chief Bobby Cooper for his service and visibility to the citizens and community. Kellyn Haight spoke about a small piece of land owned by the city on Carolina Avenue and suggested placement ofthe mobile speed sign to that area. She asked for clarification about plans for speed cushions on Carolina since the three-way stop was likely not feasible. Mr. Todd agreed to work with the Police Department to re- orient the sign for better data collection. Aaron Nicoletti asked about adjusting the light sequence for better pedestrian crossing at Park View and Main on Greenville Highway. Mr. Baker noted that this is an NCDOT light and the city will need to pose that question to them. I. Set Date for Next Meeting The next meeting was scheduled for Monday, March 24, 2025, at 3:30pm. J. Adjourn There being no further business, Mr. Morrow made the motion to adjourn, which was seconded by Mr. Gallo. The meeting was adjourned at 4:29pm. Minutes Approved: fpilaf.s X dawfbln Aaron Biker, Chair, Council Member or Mac Morrow, Vice Chair, Council Member X lna- AH Selena D. Coffey Assistant to the City Manager Minutes - City Council Public Safety Committee Meeting - February 24, 2025 Page 4 of 4