Fiscal Note
Existing staff and resources in the City Attorney's Office will be used for these legal proceedings. No appropriation is required.
Title
Authorizing the City Attorney to continue legal proceedings against Dane County and the County Executive regarding the County Executive's efforts to change operating practices of the Public Safety Communications Center without authorization by the Public Safety Communications Center Board, and authorizing the City Attorney to add Captain Carl Gloede as a plaintiff in the case in his official capacity as a Captain of the Madison Police Department and as the vice chair of the Dane County Public Safety Communications Center Board.
Body
WHEREAS, Dane County commissioned an audit of the countywide Public Safety Communications Center ("Center") by Matrix Consulting; and
WHEREAS, the consultant's report recommended that the county investigate the use of a phone tree ("auto attendant") system to help handle some volume of the calls received by the Center; and
WHEREAS, the implementation of such an auto attendant system would significantly change the operating practice of the Center (i.e., significantly changes the way the majority of calls into the Center are handled by the Center); and
WHEREAS, the Public Safety Communications Center Board ("Center Board") has sole authority to change the operating practices of the Center, subject to approval by the County Executive in cases involving a major fiscal effect; and
WHEREAS, the county has been pursuing the implementation of the auto attendant software for several months, and has presented their proposal to the Center Board and a variety of other interested bodies, including the county's Public Protection and Judiciary Committee, the city's Public Safety Review Committee and the Dane County Chiefs of Police Association; and
WHEREAS, these bodies have each provided feedback and recommendations subject to approval by the Center Board; and
WHEREAS, the County Executive announced last week that she would pursue the implementation of the auto attendant technology regardless of the decision by the Center Board; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor authorized the City Attorney to commence a lawsuit to test the County and County Executive's authority to institute these changes without approval of the Center Board; and
WHEREAS, the Court issued a preliminary injunction on February 19, 2010, to halt the implementation of that part of the proposed changes involving dispatch of parking enforcement or other public safety personnel.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Attorney is authorized to continue legal proceedings against Dane County and the County Executive regarding the County Executive's efforts to change operating practices of the Public Safety Communications Center without authorization by the Public Safety Communications Center Board, and is authorized to add Captain Carl Gloede as a plaintiff in the case in his official capacity as a Captain of the Madison Police Department and as the vice chair of the Dane County Public Safety Communications Center Board.