Commissioner Peter Pfeifer: Cut Spending, Increase Safety

Last year, I wrote to you that I believed that the new people you had elected to the County Commission were entitled to one chance to change priorities that impacted last years budget.  I also said that I would be taking a much stronger stance in future years against spending I did not consider needed. 

The future is here. And, this year provides even more reasons to cut our budget.   

This year something with great impact has happened.  Nationally, property values have declined and foreclosures are up. The changes in the real estate economy have a direct effect on the financial position of our taxpayers and have a direct impact on local property taxes.    

We are all also aware of the recent increases in crime in our county.  These increases need to be addressed immediately. It is less expensive, and easier, to control crime when it is just getting started. It is harder, and more expensive, to try to control crime that has already become established.

So, I am supporting necessary spending. I am opposing unnecessary spending including that which may be wants or desires but not current needs. 

The first part of the budget that the Commission will deal with is the Capitol Budget and the Capitol Improvement Plan (CIP). We meet Thursday, January 31st and Friday, February 1st to discuss this budget. 

I am going to suggest the following changes to the CIP, and to our current Capitol Budget. 

First, the 2008 Capitol Budget (this year) contains an item for an Emergency Operations Headquarters combined with a new E-911 Headquarters and replacement of Fire Station #4. This is the Fire Station that already exists in downtown Fayetteville. 

The budgeted amount for this project is $3,690,000.  Let’s delay this.  The project should remain in our Capitol Budget Plan for a future year, but this year it is a want and not a need. We can do without it. 

What else can we do within this Capitol Budget that does meet current requirements? There are several projects that are intended to increase safety in our county public parks. These projects do have an immediate impact on the safety of our citizens and can help us make an immediate response to any potential gang related activities in this County. 

Those projects include the Marshal’s Station/Maintenance building at Kenwood Park. Kenwood is remote from the other County facilities and so is more difficult for county people to keep an eye on. I was not in office when the Park location was chosen and I do not have information about any possible alternatives that may have been evaluated back then. But, that no longer matters. The location of this Park is a fact. 

Establishing a permanent enforcement presence in this Park will have a dramatic effect on any attempt to use our Park for any type of criminal activity. It can prevent that activity from getting started. It can prevent a reputation from being established that the Park is an easy target for criminals. The cost of this building was estimated at $279,590. That would leave a saving of $3,410,410 from a postponement of the Emergency Operations Headquarters. 

What else?  There are several other items not included in this years budget that can have an immediate, direct impact on crime. These are the gates for Kenwood, Brooks, Kiwanis and McCurry Parks. The intent of the gates is to prevent unauthorized vehicle access during times when our Parks are closed. The total cost of these gates is $147,000. This drops our savings to $3,263,410. 

There were two carts proposed to allow patrol of the paths at Lake Horton and also Kenwood. That is another $12,000 I would add. 

Also proposed, but also postponed, are AED (Automatic Defibrillators for heart attacks) with Call Boxes for Kenwood, Brooks and Kiwanis Parks that would be for public use and to summon emergency help when needed. Their total cost was $35,000. 

The Commission did not fence in the perimeter of Kenwood Park when the Park was begun. I supported this because I didn’t think a 6’ chain link fence was going to provide much security. Anyone intent on doing so could simply hop over such a fence. 

Now, I understand that there are one, or more, places where an automobile or other vehicle could be driven into the Park from outside the real entrance. I think we should explore what would be needed to block these potential entrances from any such use. At the same time we should make sure that people do not access private property that borders the Park. 

I do not have an estimate of what that might cost but I think it should be planned and estimated. 

The total savings, to the taxpayer, of my proposal would be $3,228,410 less the cost to block off Kenwood. The benefit to our citizens and taxpayers are immediate. Spending less, crime reducing, and possibly life saving.

Peter Pfeifer
County Commission, Post 3