HomeMy WebLinkAboutV(F) Approval and Authorization to Use Contingency Funds to Purchase a Personal Watercraft SR Personalwatercraft Page 1 of 1
Agenda 9-02-2003
Item V F
Mayor C.etltet of Good Commissioners
S. Scott Vandergrift »W Danny Howell, District 1
Scott Anderson, District 2
City Manager Rusty Johnson, District 3
Jim Gleason �z Nancy J. Parker, District 4
STAFF REPORT
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Commissioners
FROM: Steven J. Goclon, Chief of Police
DATE: August 25, 2003
RE: AUTHORIZATION TO USE CONTIGENCY FUNDS TO PURCHASE
A PERSONAL WATERCRAFT
ISSUE
Should the Honorable Mayor and Board of City Commissioners authorize the police department to
spend not more than $10,000 out of contingency to purchase a personal watercraft (jet ski) for police
and fire department usage.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
In 2002, the Ocoee Police Department applied for a grant to obtain a personal watercraft (jet ski) for
the purposes of patrolling Starke Lake. The grant from Honda of America has not materialized to
date. The purchase of a personal watercraft was not budgeted for in the current or the upcoming
fiscal year as it was hoped that the grant would materialize. The amount of boaters and personal
watercraft users on Starke Lake has generated a number of complaints about speeders and reckless
operators. The purchase of a personal watercraft would allow the police and fire departments to have
a convenient way to patrol the lake, deal with these complaints, and render aid to those who need it.
The City purchasing the personal watercraft would no longer leave it at the mercy of any independent
sources for the use of a personal watercraft (i.e. grants, loaner programs, other law enforcement
agencies).
RECOMMENDATION
It is respectfully recommended that the Honorable Mayor and Board of City Commissioners approve
this request to authorize the police department to spend not more than $10,000 out of contingency to
purchase a personal watercraft for police and fire department usage.
file://C:\My Documents\SR Personalwatercraft\SR Personalwatercraft.htm 8/25/03
Page 1 of 2
Sibbitt, Melanie
From: Maxwell, Brenda
Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 10:56 AM
To: City Clerk Distribution List
Subject: FW: Support City Manager's Request for Purchase of Watercraft to Patrol Lake
Original Message
From: Gleason,James
Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 7:40 AM
To: Maxwell, Brenda
Subject: FW: Support City Manager's Request for Purchase of Watercraft to Patrol Lake
You should have received an agenda item from the Police Department for the Purchase of a Jet ski.
This e-mail should be part of the information packet.
Thanks
Jim Gleason
Ocoee City Manager
150 North Lakeshore Drive
Ocoee, Fl. 34761
jgleason((ci.ocoee.fl.us
Work:407-9053111
Fax: 407-656-6885
Cell: 407-509-2770
" The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we
created them"
-Albert Einstein-
-----Original Message
From: Hmtreehs@aol.com [mailto:Hmtreehs@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 12:33 AM
To: sanderson@cl.ocoee.fl.us; dhowell@ci.ocoee.fl.us; nparker@ci.ocoee.fl.us; svandergrift@d.ocoee.fl.us;
rjohnson@ci.ocoee.fl.us
Cc: amross@cfLrr.com;jgleason@ci.ocoee.fl.us; bsidwel140@earthlink.net; Petvega@aol.com
Subject: Support City Manager's Request for Purchase of Watercraft to Patrol Lake
Good Morning Mayor and Commissioners,
We who live along the canal between Starke Lake and Lake Prima Vista have endured rude,
reckless jet ski riders for years. They have sped through the canal so much that our
shorelines have eroded severely.
Worse than that, their high speed presents a definite hazard to other persons. They
consistently disregard signs calling for 5 mph.
A couple of weeks ago, two young males on a jet ski went through at an estimated 60 mph.
They replied to my neighbor, who had called out to them to slow down, with vulgarities. She
called OPD.
8/27/2003
Page 2 of 2
Office Jacoby responded and was very helpful. He said the patrol program, in which he and
Officer Blake had worked, had been discontinued. He said the OPD no longer had a watercraft
to use to patrol the lake. However, he said that when they did, they issued a lot of $80 tickets
to reckless boaters.
This set into motion our request to Jim Gleason to respond to the situation. We are concerned
not only about the safety of boaters around the canal, but also the boaters and swimmers all
over the lake. Due to the skyrocketing number of people from all over the area using the
recreational facilities and the lake, constant police presence, especially on the weekends, is
definitely needed for general public safety.
Jim responded quickly, and by the end of the day Monday a week ago, he had crafted a
resolution. With the assistance of Chief Goclon,Jim is going to present to you a request to
approve the purchase out of contingency funds a watercraft for use by OPD .
We urge you all to support this request.
I would ask that you respond to us via e-mail with your thoughts so we can respond to any
doubts you may have that this is necessary and worthwhile. In addition, we intend to attend
Tuesday night's meeting.
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration.
Yours truly,
Henry
Henry Morgan
304 S. Lakeshore Dr.
Ocoee, FL 34761
Ph (407) 656-5089
Fx(407-656-5817
8/27/2003