Gun and patrol car purchases OK'd

October 19, 2006

By PAUL ROY
INDEPENDENT HERALD PUBLISHER

HUNTSVILLE —County Commission voted here Monday night to purchase 28 Glock handguns and related equipment to be issued to Scott County Sheriff’s Department officers, following an impassioned plea delivered by newly-elected Sheriff Anthony Lay.

Sheriff Lay said he was asking that the firearms purchase be made now in the interest of safety for the men and women on his force as well as to reduce the liability to the county due to officers having to provide their own weapons.

“I would not ask you to do this if I didn’t think it was needed,” said Lay.

The handguns have been bid and the Finance Committee (and Sheriff Lay) recommended the bid submitted by Craig Firearms Supply Co. in the amount of $13,274.80. Of that bid price, $10,416 is for the hand guns (Glock, 45 caliber weapons), and the remainder for holsters and magazine housings.

Third District Commissioner Joel Newport asked that the purchase price of the guns and related equipment be made part of the resolution authorizing the purchase.

Seventh District Commissioner Willie Boyatt said he felt that department-issued handguns was the way to go, but added that “I don’t know if it’s the right time now.” He asked if “we can revisit it next year.”

After further discussion, the measure finally came to a vote with Boyatt being one of only three commissioners to vote against the purchase of the handguns. Ironically, the other two commissioners casting dissenting votes were Oneida police officers, Gerry Garrett of the Sixth District, and Alan Reed of the Fourth.

Earlier in Monday night’s meeting, the Commission voted to approve the recommendation of the Emergency Services Committee to purchase six government surplus vehicles to be used by the Sheriff’s Department.’

The purchase price of $33,600 for the six vehicles does not include costs associated with painting, striping and installing light-bars, radios and other equipment. Sheriff Lay reported that students at the Tennessee Technological Center will be painting the vehicles, and that equipment will be transferred from patrol cars being taken off the road.

The resolution stipulates that the purchase price of the vehicles will come from proceeds from a county surplus auction sale, which has been scheduled for Nov. 4.

In other business related to the Sheriff’s Department, the Commission voted 12-0 with two members absent to a grant a request by Sheriff Lay with regard to courtroom security.

Sheriff Lay asked the commission to allow him to restrict entrance (but not exits) to all but the north side of the courthouse when court was in session.

In so doing, Sheriff Lay said, everyone who enters the courthouse will have to pass through a metal detector and only two Sheriff’s officers, one male and one female, will be required to man the security screening station.

The other two courthouse entrances, one on the east side and another on the south side, would be designated as emergency exits only.

Lay also reported that he had obtained a price quote (“just over $400 each”) for Level 3 bulletproof vests for 29 Sheriff’s Department employees. No action was taken however, as the purchase price dictates a competitive bid process and the measure will have to work its way through the Finance Committee before coming back to the full commission for a vote.

Sheriff Lay is also asking the commission to consider raising the base pay of a deputy from the present $19,000 a year to $23,500, with a $200 per year raise being made available for each of the first five years of service, and $250 for years five through 10. Under the plan being proposed, the deputy’s salary would top out at $26,000. In addition, Sheriff Lay is asking for a $1,000 per year pay hike for each elevation in rank, and a $3,000 a year raise for management-level officers (lieutenants and captains).

In other business, the commission:

• Heard a report from Budget Committee Chairman Jeff Watson concerning overspending in the budget in several areas, issues which he says “must be addressed as we go along rather than at the end of the year.” County Mayor Rick Keeton responded by saying that he would begin calling the Budget Committee into session at least on a quarterly basis;

• Heard a report from Scott County Director of Schools Mike Davis who encouraged the commissioners to “try out” the school system’s new distance learning equipment by conducting a meeting with commissioners at various school sites. Davis also reported the current enrollment in the system of 2,881 students, including 199 in pre-K classes and another 252 kindergarten students;

• Voted to approve accepting five roads into the county road system, on the recommendation of Road Supt. Dick Sexton and a vote of the Planning Commission. The acceptance of the roads hinges upon the county obtaining a permanent easement or deed as well as each road meeting the county’s right-of-way requirements. The roads accepted are Pauline Drive, seven-tenths of a mile in length; Oak Mont Drive, five-tenths of a mile; Chance Drive, six-tenths of a mile; Laural Branch Drive, five-tenths of a mile; and Sug Mountain Road, one-tenth of a mile;

• Approved the purchase of a combination heating and air conditioning unit (for $836) to be installed in the new utility building at the Scott County Ambulance Service;

• Approved allocating $500 for a corporate sponsorship of the upcoming October 28 fund-raising walk to benefit the Scott County Women’s Shelter;

• Approved allocating $2,000 per year for three years to help sponsor of the county’s Imagination Library program, “subject to the availability of funds each budget year” from 2006 through 2008, according to a provision which was added at the request of Fifth District Commissioner Paul Strunk;

• Approved posting speed limit signs of 15 mph on York Drive in the Second District and Marcum Road in the Seventh District;

• Approved a mediation agreement before a three-member panel of judges in a dispute with the Town of Huntsville over expansion of its growth boundary lines;

• Approved allowing the Sheriff’s Department to furnish three patrol cars for the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #5669 fund-raising roadblocks in the Town of Oneida. The measure was approved despite a statement from County Attorney John Beaty, who said it was his opinion that “roadblocks are not authorized” and that if the county participates it “could be subject to liability” in case of accident or injury;

• Approved, on separate votes, a series of professional contracts for outpatients services for the Scott County Drug Court, traffic school instructor, and a probation services contract with the East Tennessee Community
Services Agency, both of which are for the Scott County General Sessions Court;

• Voted to appropriate $1,500 to the Scott County Food Assistance Program for the purchase of turkeys for Thanksgiving for needy Scott County families;

• Approved a Nov. 4 fund-raising roadblock for the Seventh District Fire Department;

• Gave County Mayor Keeton the authority to begin negotiations with three different firms to obtain the lowest possible interest rate for a loan/bond to cover the cost of the construction of the Scott County Justice Center; and,

• Voted to authorize the preparing of a resolution honoring local armed services veterans for Veterans Day (Nov. 11, 2006).

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