City Council Meeting: Police Dispatch, Sign Hill

met Wednesday evening at the Municipal Services Building.

Police Dispatch Consolidation

Police chief Mike Massoni spoke about the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury report that was released in July and gave recommendations for peninsula cities to consolidate dispatch services.

Massoni said he agreed with most of the report's recommendations, but was somewhat critical of the methodology.

He said that if South City was part of a consolidation in which certain personnel were dedicated solely to dispatch services, the department would have to hire additional people to fill in for other duties those dispatchers currently handle. Massoni said the report did not fully take into account what effect this restructuring of work duties would have on police departments.

Massoni said the collaboration with Pacifica, in which South City handles its dispatch services, which began a year ago, has been positive.

"Both sides are extremely happy with service being provided," he said at Wednesday's meeting. "My officers realize it’s probably the trend of the future. Now that we’ve been doing it for a year, we’re reevaluating and making sure we’re doing the right thing."

Concilmember Karyl Matsumoto asked why South City listed in the top three out of eleven cities in terms of costs, that provide their own police dispatch. 

"We do have a little more staffing than some other cities - that could be a part of it," Massoni said, referring in part to the two dispatchers that are on duty at all times day and night.

San Bruno Mountain Watch; Sign Hill

Also at last night's meeting, several members of the board of the nonprofit San Bruno Mountain Watch urged councilmembers to be proactive in protecting San Bruno Mountain and Sign Hill as open spaces.

Ken McIntire, the group's executive director spoke, as well as John Haffner and Christine Martens. Haffner and Martens described how they chose South San Francisco, when looking for a place to move to in the Bay Area from the East Coast, specifically because of its green open space. 

"We haven't actually found anyone who's against it," said SBMW boardmember Jo Coffey, in reference to protecting Sign Hill. "Except people who want to develop it. Most people want to see it preserved."

• Also at the meeting, councilmembers agreed to support Senate Bill 568, which which would phase out polystyrene food containers throughout California by 2016. Councilmember Mark Adieggo called it "a good first effort."
• Councilmember Matsumoto informally raised the idea of holding some city council meetings in alternate locations, such as in the Westborough Neighborhood. The council agreed to come back to this proposal at a later date.
• The city's interns spoke about their summer experience and thanked South City for the internship opportunities.

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