MEETING MINUTES

LOCAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE (LOC)

CENTER FOR HIGHER EDUCATION AT UNIVERSITY PLACE IN IDAHO FALLS

Thursday, January 15, 2004

 

Present:  Bob Stiger, Ann Howell, Carol Baldwin, Susan Morris, Chuck Hatch, Mark Brainard, Leo Herrman

Absent:  Jennifer Fisher

Guests:  Joy Fisher, Greg Horton, Ray Hart, Dennis Allen, Lee Krehbiel, Jason Walker, Connie Gomez, Carol Spain

Approval of Minutes – Carol Baldwin moved that the November 6, 2004, minutes be approved.  Susan Morris seconded.  There was no discussion.  Motion carried. 

Call for Additional Agenda Items – Bob Stiger added action items from the last meeting.  Lee Krehbiel asked that Jason Walker from ASISU be given time to make a presentation.  Bob added the Golden Jubilee.

ISU Mailbox – Connie Gomez requested permission for a mailbox near the northeast corner of the SUB as indicated on Attachment 1.  It would be used for mail going to and from the Pocatello campus via the ISU buses.  Connie, the bus driver and someone in Pocatello will have keys.  It will be a different color than USPS mailboxes.  Joy Fisher said they would like a neutral color.  Ann Howell suggested taupe would blend with the building.  The top slot will be welded shut and it will be bolted to the concrete.  Lee Krehbiel said it needs to be sited so it doesn’t impede snow removal.  Ann Howell moved that the mailbox be installed.  Chuck Hatch seconded.  Motion carried.

Monument Sign – Greg Horton requested that we decide what changes we want before spring so construction and landscaping is not delayed.  They have received designs from Ray Pankopf that were used for the UI Coeur d’Alene Center.  Bob Stiger suggested they make a recommendation.  Ray Hart asked if it needs to go to the Master Plan Committee.  Joy Fisher said the Master Planning group would have to do the final approval.  Ann Howell clarified that this was the monument sign and not the student sign.  Action Item:  Greg will come back with a design recommendation and present the plans to the Master Plan Committee for approval.

ASISU Putting Green Proposal – Jason Walker, ASISU, presented a proposal to place a putting green next to the SUB.  If the LOC is open to the idea, they will gather information re. location, size and cost and make a formal proposal.  All University Place students, faculty and staff would have access.  Equipment would be available for checkout and instruction would be available.  Carol Baldwin asked about maintenance equipment requirements.  Ray Hart said some of the Foundation land between the SUB and the CST will be needed for a catch basin.  The specific area hasn’t been designated.  Action Item:  Jason should be invited to the next Master Plan Committee meeting to present a request for land use.  This should include size, space, ongoing maintenance and cost.

Golden Jubilee – Bob Stiger noted this is the 50th year anniversary of Idaho State College and the University of Idaho offering higher education classes in Idaho Falls.  There were 8 classes offered and 5 made.  The process has been started to get a committee involved.  The committee will include faculty, staff and external people.  The celebration will run through the year.  The first event is a jazz concert scheduled for the 24th.  A concert series is one idea.  Ann Howell said the anniversary could be incorporated into the marketing campaign.

Parking Lot Survey – Greg Horton reported the parking lot surveys had been completed for last semester.  Action Item:  Tony Paterson will conduct the parking lot survey next week.  We haven’t maxed out.  The scheduling of classes has improved and alleviated some of the problem. 

Stop Signs – Greg Horton contacted the I.F. police department but he hasn’t seen any action.  Bob Stiger said there are two issues:  Enforcing the stop signs and getting additional signs.  Action Item:  Greg will contact the I.F. police department regarding additional stop signs and enforcement next week.  Susan Morris brought up the issue of parking on the ring road.  Greg said the issue would be discussed at the next parking committee meeting.  Lee Krehbiel said some students riding the bus view the request to park on the ring road as a mandate.  They feel if they are taking classes here and purchase a permit, they should be able to park anywhere.  It isn’t wide spread.  Joy Fisher suggested the buses load where we want students to park.  Ann Howell explained that they do.  There are two areas where the buses load.  The parking on the ring road created 40 spaces with the intent the bus students would park there.  The top lot was for student services staff and the SUB staff and clientele.  The bus students are arriving early and parking in the upper lot leaving the ring road for the others.  The other option would be to create staff and visitor parking.  Bob noted this issue is new to the LOC.

ELC Request – Connie Gomez said the parking committee went along with the UI Foundation proposal regarding the ELC bus.  The ELC bus will have a designated parking space behind the SUB and the children will be loaded in the northeast or south loading zone.  The ELC indicated to Connie that it will work for them.  Action Item:  Greg will write a letter to ELC to formalize the proposal.  Ray Hart needs to have access to the vehicle keys so they can be moved to plow snow.  Action Item:  Lee will get keys for Ray.  Bob Stiger said eventually there will need to be another approach for dealing with parked vehicles during snow plowing.

Chemistry Lab Burglar Alarm – Bob Stiger summarized previous action.  Greg Horton brought a request from Steve Chatterton to the LOC to approve a card lock on the Chemistry Lab.  That motion was approved.  During the last two months Bob and Steve talked on the phone because people showed up to install a motion detector/burglar alarm that hadn’t been put before the LOC.  Steve explained ISU has received a federal grant from Homeland Security for $266 k to upgrade certain areas of campus relative to terrorism.  Part of the grant was installing card readers and motion sensors in our chemistry labs and storerooms.  People in Pocatello wanted these items in the storerooms and labs.  There was some miscommunication that it wasn’t presented to the LOC because the motion sensors are all part of the grant.  The connectivity of being able to receive burglar alarms was part of the grant.  They received about $20 k to buy receivers in Pocatello to set up in their dispatch area.  They receive the signals from all of their chemistry labs and their reactor and other areas they have identified as areas that would fit into this concern over terrorism.  The issue of the burglar alarms and card readers in the facility here is part of that grant.  Bob asked for a clarification of the connection between the chemistry lab and terrorism.  Steve said the FBI and other entities have identified certain vulnerabilities that include chemical and hazardous waste storage areas.  Bob asked if we have chemicals that are terrorist threats.  Steve replied we have a chemical storage area in this room downstairs.  Bob said we have a chemical storage area in the janitor’s closet.  It is a question of what chemicals.  Are there some guidelines of what constitutes a threat?  Are we spending a lot of the government’s money putting in alarms and a system when we could take a bottle of hydrogen peroxide and put it somewhere else?  He is trying to understand the nature of the threat.  Steve said he couldn’t answer that question specifically.  His discussion with Dr. Stroman and Dean Pratt on this issue was that they had chemical storage in these areas that they felt concern over and that they wanted this kind of protection.  Bob said he is not comfortable that we don’t know what we are protecting.  He just wants to know what we are concerned about.  There may be a real threat but he doesn’t understand it.  Steve said he would be happy to bring a list of specific chemicals in these areas.  Bob said the question is whether or not this group will approve putting motion detectors in.  As a joint facility, the LOC should know the reasoning behind the action.  Ann Howell said she doesn’t doubt there are chemicals in the chemistry lab that could be put together and be volatile and would be of use to a terrorist.  Leo Herrman said he had not heard an objection to putting the motion sensor in other than we don’t know what chemicals are there.  What is the objection to the motion sensor?  Bob said the question is why are we spending money doing something and manning something if we don’t need it.  The objection is that we don’t know why we are doing it and that it was not brought before the LOC.  There are other places in that building and others with chemicals and hazardous materials.  What are the criteria for protecting hazardous materials?  We are doing this ad hoc and it is not very systematic or satisfying that we don’t know why we are doing it.  Leo Herrman moved that we approve this motion detector.  Ann Howell seconded.  Bob asked for discussion.  Chuck Hatch asked where the alarm rings.  Steve replied at the receiver in the public safety office in Pocatello.  Chuck asked if someone on site or if the fire or police department in Idaho Falls was called.  Steve said the group up here, the people with an interest in the alarm system, would provide them with a call out list and specific instructions with what they should do when an alarm activates.  The chemistry people have an interest and they want to be notified.  Any others who want to be notified can provide them with phone numbers and priority and they will follow it.  Chuck said he doesn’t understand why the alarms don’t ring in Idaho Falls if this is really critical.  Steve didn’t believe I.F. has the means to receive the alarms.  It is a radio or phone call away to make notification if there is a breach.  He said they could install cameras in that room to help assess what has occurred when the alarm goes off so their office could make an immediate evaluation.  Their dispatch is manned 24/7.  They have radio and telephone communication with first responders and anyone else that needs to be notified.  The information can be passed on, perhaps not instantaneous, but depending on the time of the day, if there are security officers on scene, they will be notified to respond immediately as well as whoever else is on the list.  Chuck commented on the distance between Pocatello and Idaho Falls.  He said these are issues that fold into the Security Plan.  In response to the distance concern, Steve said they have cell phones, instant communication, and contacts with the fire department and police department.  The communication network is established.  It is no different than an alarm coming into a central alarm station or even the police department in Idaho Falls.  They still have to press a button to dispatch an officer to the scene.  If there is an unauthorized entry into that room and security officers are on duty here at this facility it is a matter of seconds to have them respond.  Chuck asked how this ties into the Security Plan.  Is it component of the Security Plan?  Ann said we don’t have one that has been approved and signed off on and a lot of these issues go to that very question.  She thinks we are coming from two different directions on the security and it can’t be solved today.  Chuck said it seems to him that this issue should be folded into that resolution.  Ann said we had talked about another meeting on security and all of these issues need to be folded into that.  That is probably our next step.  Leo made an observation that there was no security plan in place when we installed security cameras in the hallways and he isn’t sure why this is any different.  Bob noted the observation.  Bob asked if there was further discussion on the motion.  Being none he called for a roll call vote:  Those voting affirmative were Leo Herrman, Ann Howell Susan Morris and Carol Baldwin.  Those voting negative were Chuck Hatch and Mark Brainard.  Motion carried.

CHE 206C Use – Bob Stiger said that after four years that room is still empty.  Ann Howell said she thought they had moved in some equipment.  Bob said there are not any classes being held in the room.  Dr. Bowen brought up the fact that we have 25 classes going off campus and here we have essentially two rooms tied up.  He believes that if Dr. Schou needs a laboratory that is not a classroom to do sensitive research he should do it in Pocatello.  Why are we doing this here?  Ann said it initially began as a CIS lab and that’s why it was here rather than there.  Then it was tied into the EIFIT honeynet and grew even larger.  She doesn’t know where EIFIT is with what they are doing in conjunction with Corey Schou.  Carol Baldwin said they have equipment in the room.  Bob said it isn’t clear what they are doing.  Action Item:  Ann will get a status report on this and bring it back to the next meeting.

Fire Reporting – Bob Stiger said he had received a memo from Greg Horton and had a discussion with Ray Hart.  The fire alarm system at the SUB is being reported to Pocatello and the fire department is not being dispatched until somebody locally investigates.  He understands that is a difficulty with the local fire marshal.  We had an unintentional exercise when a child set off the fire alarm.  The dispatch to the local fire department was delayed because Tony had to go across campus to verify it.  Steve Chatterton gave the sequence of events.  When a fire alarm comes to their office, they have an established notification process.  That process can be changed at any time at the request of those who have an interest and have responsibility for it.  Right now, the dispatch is simultaneous.  Tony carries a radio.  Steve’s dispatchers are capable of doing two or three things at the same time and they often do.  The fire alarm came in and they touched the radio to dispatch Tony to the fire as they were notifying the fire department.  They have to dial the number to the fire department.  The second dispatcher, who has another line, received a call from Karen telling them a child had activated the fire alarm and it was an accident.  They had the child there with the custodian and Tony was responding.  Bob asked if we were responsive to the fire marshal’s request that the I.F. fire department get notified at the occurrence.  Steve responded it was as far as he was concerned.  At the time the call came in there was no fire, and their dispatch did not believe there was any reason to continue the response to the local fire department.  If the LOC wants them to do that on false alarms or on situations like this, they are happy to but that’s not the policy or methodology their dispatchers follow.  Lee Krehbiel said, as a follow up, the chief has requested that we do follow through because he wants to send out a unit even if it is a false alarm because of a case or two where there actually was burning in places where it was not visible and so they returned to base and had to rerespond.  The fire marshal wants to preclude anything like that happening.  Lee talked with Greg last week and he would like to meet with Steve and develop that further protocol based on what the fire marshal has requested and present the protocol to the LOC at it’s next meeting.  Steve asked what was expected of them in the meantime.  Bob said to call the fire department.  Lee replied that basically we follow through, even when we know it is a false alarm, and call I.F.F.D.  Ray Hart recalled a conversation when they were in the hall and Mike (Fire Marshal) had specifically stated they were to dispatch the fire department whether it was a false alarm or not.  Ray has a question of why it didn’t happen.  When he called fire dispatch they hadn’t received a call.  Bob said that Steve had said it had been turned off by a phone call from someone locally.  Ray said the conversation he remembers was in the foyer and Mike Sheets, the Fire Marshal, specifically stated whether it is a false alarm or not he wants dispatch and they will show up.  Greg said the conversation Ray is referring to was a couple of months ago and included Steve and the Fire Marshal.  Lee would like to set up the meeting and develop the protocol and bring it back to LOC.  Leo said in the meantime if there is a situation like that call the fire department and tell them one was pulled and you believe it to be a false alarm and let them respond however they want.  Greg said another reason it would have been good for them to respond is that they discovered yesterday that there were problems with the alarms in the SUB.  The reset on one level didn’t reset it down below.  The fire department would have noticed that and made recommendations for repair.  That’s another good reason that the fire department be involved no matter what.  Dennis Allen asked if this shouldn’t be another issue for the Security Plan.  Bob said it should.  Action Item:  Lee will meet with Steve and Greg to develop the protocol and report back to the next LOC meeting.  Bob asked if we were in agreement that we would do what we are supposed to do and call the fire department.  Steve said they do that by written instruction and he needs written instruction so that his dispatchers are trained according to the way you want it.  Ann moved that Lee be empowered to move on the action item.  Susan seconded.  Motion carried.

Ray asked for clarification by the LOC of who is in authority for running security on campus.  There is confusion and they are continually butting heads on this situation.  Ann said the answer is in the current signed agreement.  Greg is responsible for security.  There has been a proposal from ISU to have more responsibility shifted to ISU for security.  That is in the process of being discussed.  Right now, Steve and Greg coordinate on the security issues and according to the original agreement Greg is responsible for the security.  Bob mentioned that Nancy Spink, UI Risk Management, is also very interested and involved in what is going on here.  If there are issues that come up, she should be involved and she is also a good resource.  Greg asked about Tony Paterson’s reporting.  Ray asked if Tony should bring information to Greg.  Do we follow what we have in place or continue to live with whatever?  Steve said he could address the issue of Tony.  Tony’s instructions are to follow any direction that Greg gives him and notify Steve.  If Steve has any direction to give to Tony, he’ll give it to Tony and Tony can notify Greg or Steve will notify Greg.  Ray asked if that shouldn’t come from Greg.  If Greg is in charge, shouldn’t he be giving Tony those instructions on what he should be doing?  Dennis said in the current arrangement Tony has two bosses.  Bob said that is the current arrangement.  Ann said yes.  Because he is an ISU officer he has two bosses as many people on this campus do.  Steve said he doesn’t see the difficulty.  Bob said the difficulty is that they conflict.  Steve said if they conflict at this point of time, Tony is to follow Greg’s direction.  If Steve has a problem with it, he will follow through channels. 

Adjourn – Ann Howell moved the meeting adjourn.  Susan Morris seconded.  There was no discussion.  Motion carried.

 

 

Minutes prepared by Carol Spain, Management Assistant, University of Idaho at Idaho Falls.

 

 
 
 


ATTACHMENT 1