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MINUTES OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE <br /> NOVEMBER 7, 2022 <br /> AUDITORIUM <br /> Present: Baker (Chair), Shachner, Marx <br /> Others: Councilmembers Rader & Bullock, Mayor George, Chief Dunphy, Director Leininger, <br /> Assistant Director Baas, Engineer Papke, Chief Kaucheck, Captain Albrecht, Director Vargo, <br /> Chief Storey, Clerk Bach, members of the public, and Deputy Clerk Lascu taking minutes <br /> Time: 6:10 p.m. <br /> AGENDA <br /> Approval of the minutes of the June 27, 2022 meeting of the Public Safety Committee <br /> Motion by Councilmember Shachner, seconded by Councilmember Marx to approve the minutes <br /> from the previous meeting. All in favor. Motion passed. <br /> Communication from Councilmembers Baker, Bullock & Shachner regarding speed <br /> enforcement trends. (Referred to Public Safety 10/3/22) <br /> Chair Baker opened dialogue on the communication noting discussions that had taken place <br /> leading up to the meeting with the Planning Department, Mayor's Administration, and Law <br /> Department to understand what's already been done to address speeding in the city and explore <br /> state law issues, traffic cameras, etc. He added that it feels like people are going faster, but that <br /> the city needs to rely on data. While radar citations have declined at a steeper rate than traffic <br /> crashes, this is an unfair correlation. He concluded that crashes are part of how speeding affects a <br /> community and it's important that traffic speed be addressed, especially since Lakewood is a <br /> walking school district. <br /> Councilmembers spoke about the high volume of complaints that they receive from constituents <br /> regarding speeding in their neighborhoods, and expressed a desire for increased traffic calming <br /> efforts. <br /> Mayor George stated that her administration is looking at ways to reduce speeds, and highlighted <br /> the creation of the traffic calming program 2 years prior. She added that the city is hiring more <br /> police to assist with speed enforcement and the Planning Department is working on a Safe <br /> Routes to Schools Plan. She invited to Council to continue to explore ways to reduce speeds and <br /> build upon the two years of data collection that the city has gather through its traffic calming <br /> program. <br /> Assistant Planning Director David Baas went through a brief slideshow that demonstrated the <br /> evolution of traffic data collection over the last two years through the traffic calming program. <br /> Mr. Baas demonstrated the program's efforts on Elmwood Ave., where Planning worked in <br /> conjunction with the Police Department to analyze speeds and determine a right sized traffic <br /> intervention, which involved the installation of a speed radar sign. These signs have two-fold <br /> value in that they provide education to drivers in the moment about their exact speed and they <br />