Olympia Planning Commission reviews public safety chapter updates

At its meeting on Monday, Aug. 19, the Olympia Planning Commission reviewed updates to the public safety chapter of the city's Comprehensive Plan, focusing on code enforcement, fire department, and police department policies and programs.

Consultant Jason Robertson, who has worked with the city on various community planning initiatives, gave an overview of the significant revisions to the chapter. He noted that the updates emphasized things heard during prior public engagement processes, including centering the introduction on equity, community engagement, and accountability.

Some of the key changes highlighted by Robertson include:

• Reorganizing the chapter to emphasize equity, community engagement, and accountability in policing
• Adding a policy to reflect the city's CARES program, which diverts certain 911 calls to social service providers
• Establishing a goal for the police department to develop a real-time data analysis center to better identify and respond to public safety trends
• Expanding partnerships between the police department and other local agencies
• Prioritizing efforts to improve culture and retention within the police and fire departments

Robertson highlighted several notable social justice and equity policies included in the updates.

For code enforcement, the consultant noted there is a "non-fiscal code enforcement approach," which allows the city to work creatively with people who may have code violations.

For the fire department, Robertson explained they are undertaking a community risk assessment and developing a mitigation plan to identify the most at-risk neighborhoods and ensure equitable service delivery.

For the police department, Robertson emphasized an "added emphasis on culture in the departments," recognizing that many cities are struggling with police and fire personnel retention. He also pointed to more "proactive policies on community engagement and public involvement," acknowledging the challenge of balancing emergency response demands with building meaningful relationships with community groups and neighborhoods.

Commissioners' feedback

Commissioner Raphael Garcia provided several suggestions for strengthening the public safety chapter. He recommended incorporating language about using predictive analytics to help shape public safety priorities and resource allocation.

Garcia also suggested expanding on the accountability measures and how the city will evaluate the performance and outcomes of public safety services. He suggested the chapter could call for collaborating with mental health professionals to respond jointly to situations involving individuals experiencing mental health crises.

Regarding code enforcement, commissioners sought clarification on the policies around progressive enforcement and when fines or penalties are used as a "last resort." City staff explained the focus is on education and gaining voluntary compliance from property owners.

Several commissioners also noted the chapter's lack of references to public health and emergency preparedness, given the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. They suggested considering a dedicated section on this topic.

In response, Olympia planner Joyce Phillips stated the city has not identified a specific location within the comprehensive plan to address public health. However, she explained they have asked that public health be considered across all chapters, similar to how they integrate equity.

Phillips acknowledged that some pandemic-related communication strategies may be reflected in other chapters, such as the economy chapter, where the city learned a lot from the pandemic and how to work with the business communities.

Phillips said the city might not include a section on public health or a COVID-19 type of response within the public safety chapter. However, she emphasized that the city is considering the implications of public health and emergency preparedness as it develops each chapter of the comprehensive plan.

The public safety chapter will be reviewed before being incorporated into the overall Olympia 2045 Comprehensive Plan update. The planning commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the chapter on September 16.