Council approves weapons purchase

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

— The town council approved the purchase of weapons for the police department and turnout gear for the fire department at its Oct. 14 meeting.

According to unofficial minutes, Highfill Police Chief Jack Sanders asked the council for approval to use $1,500 of the $1,900 his department had raised at the Benton County Fair to purchase a Dell2T server, and the rest of the money his department had raised and Act 988 money to purchase four handguns, one carbine rifle, one shotgun, two gun racks, one taser and three taser batteries for a total of $6,153.77. He said the handguns would be for paid officers so that the department did not need to stock different kinds of ammunition for differentservice weapons.

Alderman Michelle Rieff made a motion to approve the purchase, but Alderman Richard Boles suggested purchasing only part of the items. After discussion on the use and need for the weapons, Rieff made a motion to approve the purchase without the carbine rifle. Alderman Keven Varner and Rieff voted in favor of the motion. Alderman Sandy Evans and Bolesopposed it. Mayor Chris Holland broke the tie by voting for the expenditure which totaled $4,003.78 without the rifle.

Also approved was the expenditure of $10,000 for fire department turnout gear and training. According to unapproved minutes, the state paid $45,000 and the city had to match the state grant by paying $5,000. Fire Chief Jeremy Jackson requested an additional $5,000 to finish equipping and training his department for the gear.

The town received a grant in the amount of $43,000 for storm sirens, Holland told the council, bringing the total received this year to $78,000. According to the unapproved minutes, Holland said the money would fund three sirens and that the city would apply for more grants for sirens next year.

The town council moved another step closer to restricting the use of compression brakes within the corporate city limits when it passed on a second reading an ordinance prohibiting the use of engine brakes in the town. The ordinance will come back for its third and final reading at the November meeting.

Also passed on a second reading was an ordinance adopting the city’s new municipal code of ordinances. A final reading is set for November.

Placed on its first reading was an ordinance designating places in the town for the public posting of city ordinances. Places designated by the proposed ordinance would be the new Highfill Town Hall, the Highfill Community Building, the Highfill Fire Department, Highfill Park and Village Market & Grill, Inc.

News, Pages 16 on 10/27/2010