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7. MATTERS OF COUNCIL INTEREST A. Councilwoman Buchan invited everyone to attend the inaugural performance of the Messiah concert series, beginning this Sunday, February 2, 1997 at 7 p.m., at Messiah Lutheran Church. She said, "This is the Church's new program to offer itself as a cultural resource in this community." B. Councilwoman Buchan provided a brief update of the activities of the Council Public Safety Committee (Mayor Hartnett, Councilman Ruskin and Councilwoman Buchan as Chair.) Chairwoman Buchan advised that the Committee had been considering a Vehicle Release Fee as part of the Police Department's overall fee schedule, which will come to the Council for review. The Department would like a $50 per vehicle release fee to be paid by a person who has had his/her car towed because of an enforcement action only (such as driving under the influence, without a license or a suspended license.) The Committee is still considering a fee for abandoned cars. (209) The second item the Committee has been considering is the Urban Gunshot Locator System. Chairwoman Buchan said negotiations are continuing, but there was no firm date as to when this item will come back to the Committee. Police Chief Bolanos told the Committee that there was a great deal of support for the system expressed at the Redwood Village Neighborhood Meeting he attended. Chairwoman Buchan said the Committee was also told by a member of the Police Officers Association that a majority of Officers did not believe the system was very effective, and believed the Council should not fund the Urban Gunshot Locator System due to: 1) phantom calls; and 2) what they perceived as a general unreliability of the system. The POA is doing a study on the gunshot locator system and will submit it to the Committee if the Committee requests it. (209) Councilman Leipzig said he would "higWy encourage the Committee to look again at the abandoned vehicle element" of the proposed vehicle release fee policy. "That's our biggest problem. We do have a large cost associated with that." In response to Councilman Leipzig's questions, Chairwoman Buchan advised that the original purchase price of the gunshot locator system was around $250,000, but was now in the range of $80,000. She added that the eventual cost would be split between the County and the City. After Council discussion, Chairwoman Buchan asked City Manager Everett to provide actual costs of the system, including staff time. MEMO 1/28/97 Councilman Leipzig asked that this item be brought back to the Council before any further negotiations are conducted. Councilman Leipzig said he did not support the purchase of this system at any cost, and he did not want the City Attorney nor City staff to waste any time on further negotiations if the Council did not support it. MEMO 1/28/97 REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTE BOOK NO. 55 JANUARY 27, 1997 MINUTES Page No. 116 PAGE 13