Meeting Information

• Date: September 9, 2024
• Title: Administration and Enterprise Oversight Committee Meeting
• Present: Robin Wonsley (Chair), LaTrisha Vetaw, Jeremiah Ellison, Katie Cashman, Aisha Chughtai (Vice President), Linea Palmisano (Vice Chair)
• Absent: None
• Guests: Nikki Odom (Chief Human Resources Officer), Jared Jeffreys (Chief of Staff of Office of Community Safety)
• Votes: 4

Highlights

• Reappointment of Civil Service Commissioners
• Data Request Process Staff Direction
• Neighborhood Safety Department Management Updates Legislative Directive
• Procurement Practices for Violence Prevention Contracts Legislative Directive
• Contract Amendment with SoundThinking Inc. for Gunshot Location System

Discussion

Reappointment of Civil Service Commissioners

Nikki Odom, Chief Human Resources Officer, presented background on the Civil Service Commission and endorsed the reappointment of Commissioners Candace Falk and William Walker Jr. The commission oversees city employment practices and hears appeals from employees. Odom emphasized the commissioners’ expertise, qualifications, and neutrality in carrying out their responsibilities.

Vice Chair Palmisano and Council Member Cashman expressed their support for the reappointments. The motion to approve the reappointments passed unanimously.

Data Request Process Staff Direction

Chair Wonsley introduced a staff direction to address concerns about the city’s data request processes. The directive aims to gather information on how data requests are triaged, timelines for completion, and reasons for delays. Vice Chair Palmisano raised concerns about the potential workload this might create for an already overwhelmed team. Wonsley defended the directive, stating that the requested information should be readily available and emphasizing the importance of transparency.

The staff direction was included in the consent agenda, which passed unanimously.

Neighborhood Safety Department Management Updates Legislative Directive

Chair Wonsley explained the need for this directive, citing ongoing concerns about operational challenges within the Neighborhood Safety Department (NSD). The directive requests that NSD leadership provide a transparent public update on how they plan to address identified management concerns and restore critical partnerships.

The legislative directive was included in the consent agenda, which passed unanimously.

Procurement Practices for Violence Prevention Contracts Legislative Directive

Chair Wonsley introduced this directive, which aims to address issues with payment delays and contract processes for violence prevention partners. The directive requests an update on how procurement practices for violence prevention contracts align with national best practices.

The legislative directive was included in the consent agenda, which passed unanimously.

Contract Amendment with SoundThinking Inc. for Gunshot Location System

This item generated significant debate among committee members. Two options were presented: Option 1, which proposed a longer contract until 2027 with expanded coverage, and Option 2, which proposed a shorter contract until March 2026 with more limited expansion.

Chair Wonsley and Council Member Ellison supported Option 2, arguing it aligned with upcoming evaluations of the technology’s effectiveness. Vice Chair Palmisano strongly advocated for Option 1, citing recent incidents of gun violence in areas that would be covered by the expanded option but not the limited one.

Council Member Vetaw expressed frustration with the lack of clarity on how the decision for Option 2 was made: “I guess I’m trying to understand the rationale behind how we got to some of the technology being expanded. Not, like, I understood that the heat map portion of it, but, like, I thought it was Ward 6, 7, and 10 that this would have been expanded into.”

After a failed attempt to forward Option 1 without recommendation, the committee voted on Option 2.

The motion to approve Option 2 passed with 4 ayes (Ellison, Cashman, Chughtai, Wonsley) and 2 noes (Vetaw, Palmisano).

Public Comments

There were no public comments during this meeting.