A Public Safety Commission is created and established. Said
Public Safety Commission may be known and referred to as the "West
Hollywood Public Safety Commission" or the "Public Safety Commission."
(Prior code § 2982; Ord. 89-240 § 1, 1989)
The Public Safety Commission shall consist of seven members
who shall be residents of the city. Members shall not be officers
or employees of the city.
(Prior code § 2983; Ord. 89-240 § 1, 1989; Ord. 94-411 § 1, 1994)
Each member of the City Council shall appoint one member of
the Public Safety Commission. The Council as a whole will appoint
the remaining two members. Appointments shall be made at a regular
Council meeting.
(Prior code § 2984; Ord. 89-240 § 1, 1989; Ord. 92-330 § 1, 1992; Ord. 94-411 § 1, 1994)
a. Each
member of the Public Safety Commission appointed directly by individual
councilmembers shall serve a two-year term commencing on March 1st
following a general municipal election. Upon expiration of the term
of office, each such Commission member shall continue to serve until
his or her successor is appointed and qualified. Each such member
of the Commission serves at the pleasure of the appointing councilmember
and may be removed by that councilmember at any time. In the event
the office of a councilmember becomes vacant during the term thereof,
and until the office is filled, the Commission member appointed by
such councilmember may be removed by a majority vote of the City Council.
b. The
two Commission members appointed by the Council as a whole shall serve
two-year terms commencing on March 1st following a general municipal
election. Upon expiration of the term of office, each such Commission
member shall continue to serve until his or her successor is appointed
and qualified. Such members may be removed by a majority vote of the
City Council; provided, however, that no member of the Commission
may be removed prior to March 1st following any municipal election.
c. Commission members are subject to term limits as set forth in Section
2.30.040 of this code.
(Prior code § 2985; Ord. 89-240 § 1, 1989; Ord. 94-411 § 1, 1994; Ord. 00-589U § 5, 2000; Ord. 00-590 § 5, 2000; Ord. 03-663 § 25, 2003; Ord. 19-1067 § 7, 2019; Ord. 23-09 § 20, 2023)
For the five individually appointed positions, vacancies on
the Public Safety Commission shall be filled by appointment of the
individual councilmember or his or her successor who made the appointment
which is vacated.
(Prior code § 2986; Ord. 89-240 § 1, 1989; Ord. 92-330 § 1, 1992; Ord. 94-411 § 1, 1994)
If a member of the Public Safety Commission is absent for more than three regular meetings in any twelve-month period, the office of such member shall be vacated. In such event, the City Clerk shall notify the City Council of the vacancy and shall advertise for a replacement. A successor may be appointed for the remainder of the term as provided in Section
2.60.050. Notwithstanding the foregoing, up to three additional absences in a twelve-month period will be permitted for the purpose of bonding with a new baby, adopted child, or foster child and will not be counted against the allowable number of excused absences.
(Prior code § 2987; Ord. 89-240 § 1, 1989; Ord. 03-663 § 26, 2003; Ord. 23-09 § 21, 2023)
Regular meetings of the Public Safety Commission shall be as
provided in the Commission by-laws, provided that the Commission shall
meet no more than once monthly.
(Prior code § 2988; Ord. 89-240 § 1, 1989; Ord. 03-663 § 27, 2003)
The Public Safety Commission shall evaluate and make recommendations
related to public safety and neighborhood livability, analyze the
level of emergency services preparedness and emergency management,
and assist city staff and the City Council in promoting and maintaining
communications with citizens relative to public safety.
The Public Safety Commission shall have the power and be required
to:
a. Analyze
the level of law enforcement needs and make policy recommendations
to the City Council, which can include reimagining public safety through
alternate community-based systems and mechanisms that are needed to
achieve a safe community for all West Hollywood community members;
b. Evaluate
and recommend mechanisms to involve the Fire Department in community
services;
c. Analyze
the level of emergency services preparedness and emergency management,
make policy recommendations, and assist city staff and the City Council
in strengthening community response to emergencies;
d. Analyze
and make policy recommendations to the City Council on ways to promote,
in partnership with law enforcement and first responders, the best
practices in community-oriented policing for the fair treatment, safety,
and well-being for all;
e. Serve,
in conjunction with city staff as the city's main mechanism to establish
and maintain communications with citizens relative to public safety,
including processing, hearing, and monitoring trends in complaints
received by the city regarding law enforcement;
f. Assist
the City Council in monitoring and evaluating all contracts with public
safety agencies, develop recommendations for improving citizen input
on public safety issues, evaluate any specialized training needs,
and propose service level recommendations for City Council consideration,
including making recommendations for changes;
g. Evaluate
and make recommendations regarding neighborhood livability.
(Prior code § 2989; Ord. 89-240 § 1, 1989; Ord. 03-663 § 28, 2003; Ord. 21-1148 § 1, 2021; Ord. 23-09 § 22, 2023)
It shall not be the role of the Public Safety Commission to
conduct investigations into individual complaints related to the services
being provided by the city or any of its contractors including the
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Nor shall it be the role
of the Commission to direct the process or the procedure by which
service level recommendations are carried out.
(Prior code § 2990; Ord. 89-240 § 1, 1989)
Accurate and permanent records of the acts of the Commission
shall be kept, and such records shall have the same status as records
of other administrative departments of the city.
(Prior code § 2991; Ord. 89-240 § 1, 1989)
The Public Safety Commission shall organize and operate in accordance
with uniform by-laws for city commissions adopted by the City Council.
(Prior code § 2992; Ord. 89-240 § 1, 1989; Ord. 02-627 § 7, 2002)
Members of the Public Safety Commission may receive compensation
for their services as set by resolution of the City Council. The secretary
of the Public Safety Commission shall submit to the Finance Officer
at the end of each calendar month, a statement showing the number
of meetings of the Public Safety Commission attended by each member
during each month. No additional compensation shall be paid for expenses
incurred by the members of the Commission in the performance of their
duties, except that the City Council may from time to time authorize
in advance, expenditures for attendance at seminars, institutes, or
other meetings which the City Council finds to be beneficial to the
Commissioners in the performance of their duties, and in the best
interests of the city. Claims for such expenses shall be filed with
the Finance Officer and shall be subject to audit and approval by
the City Council.
(Prior code § 2993; Ord. 89-240 § 1, 1989)