Interim city manager brings up security issue

Thursday, March 6, 2008

At the city commission meeting Tuesday, Interim City Manager Bob Farmer discussed the possibility of having a police officer attend commission meetings for security purposes.

Farmer said he put the item on the meeting's agenda for commissioners to discuss the issue partly because of what happened on Feb. 7 at a Kirkwood City, Mo. council meeting. At that meeting, a man who had a grudge against the city decided to go on a killing spree. He murdered five people before Kirkwood police killed him. Two were police officers, one was the public works director and two were council members.

"I think there's at least a discussion that you all (the commission members) may want to have as to whether we should have some security down here," Farmer said. "My thought would be to try it."

A uniformed patrol officer could sit in on the meetings, Farmer suggested. Officers are on duty at the time of the meetings anyway.

"Those things don't happen here, but I bet they thought the same thing in Kirkwood," Farmer said.

Other communities are discussing the same measures, trying to take a proactive approach to security at public meetings, Farmer said.

The consensus among commissioners was that it would be a good idea to have an officer present at the meetings. Further discussion with police department officials on specifics will be conducted in the coming weeks.

"I think having an officer here is not a bad idea," Commissioner Jim Adams said.

In other business at Tuesday's meeting, commissioners took the following action:

* Approved a revision in the city's purchase policy. Employees must purchase any item costing less than $200 from a specified local vendor based on a rotating schedule that will be set up. Farmer said he received a call from a local merchant about how the city hasn't purchased items from his shop. The owner said that just wasn't fair.

* Approved a low bid from Air Vacuum Corporation for $29,463 to install a diesel exhaust removal station in the bay area of the fire station.

* Authorized to proceed with the removal or repair of four properties in Fort Scott that directs the owners of the properties to either make repairs to the structures or remove the facilities within 90 days. The structures are located at 10 N. Little St., 124 Grant St., 301 Shute St., and 215 Eddy St. The homes on Shute and Eddy streets sustained damage from fires and the owners indicated they would be demolished.

* Authorized $5,000 to go toward Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Bourbon County. The money will come from the special alcohol tax fund. The organization is currently serving 31 children, mostly whom come from families in which a parent is incarcerated or whom live at or near the poverty level. The organization needs more volunteers that would help it serve more children. If interested in being a volunteer, contact Reed Hartford, the chairman for BBBS of Bourbon County, at (620) 223-9570.