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<br />MINUTES OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE <br />JULY 31, 2023 <br />AUDITORIUM <br />Present: Councilmembers Baker (Chair), Marx & Shachner <br />Also Present: Councilmembers Kepple & Bullock (remote), Law Director Vargo, Assistant Law <br />Director Crossman, Mayor George, Planning Director Leininger, Chief of Staff Storey, Clerk <br />Bach <br />Call to Order: 6:07 p.m. <br /> <br />Approval of the minutes of the June 20, 2023 meeting of the Public Safety Committee. <br />A motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes of the June 20, 2023 meeting of the <br />Public Safety Committee. All members voted in favor. Motion passed. Minutes approved. <br />Communication from Councilmembers Baker, Bullock & Shachner regarding speed <br />enforcement trends. <br />Chairman Baker reviewed outcomes and main points from the previous discussions around speed <br />enforcement which started in October 2022. He noted that from January through May, Lakewood <br />Police performedspecial patrols in school zones and that they intend to continue these patrols <br />during the upcoming school year. <br />Director Vargo confirmed that Lakewood Police have implemented new speed patrols and <br />increased focus on speed enforcements and that both strategies have yielded results in the form <br />of increased citations. He referenced a legal memo regarding the implementation of speed <br />cameras that was drafted and shared with the committee. The memo is confidential under <br />attorney-client privilege. <br /> <br />Assistant Director Crossman summarized key portions of the legal memo which investigated <br />what would be required by the city to implement a traffic camera program. He noted that traffic <br />camera programs can be contentious and have been targeted by the legislature since 2015. The <br />legislature has set out extensive requirements for traffic cameras. He concluded that it would be <br />important to consider all the steps to implement and maintain a compliant program including <br />reporting to the state and to the city’s tax division. <br /> <br />Mr. Crossman continued to explain that some of the legislature’s most burdensome requirements <br />have been thrown out in court. Despite the court decision, the legislature did not revise the <br />statute when it had the opportunity to do so in 2019. <br /> <br />Chair Baker and Mr. Crossman addressed how the statute differentiates school zones from non- <br />school zones. For traffic cameras in school zones, Mr. Crossman explained that the state will <br />reimburse the money that it collects from the city under certain conditions. <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br />