The average age of the Waycross Police Department’s fleet of vehicles was reduced significantly last week with approval to buy six new units.
The purchase came in passage of a resolution Monday, December 9 by the Waycross City Commission at a called meeting in City Hall. The Dodge Durango will cost about $50,000 each fitted with all customary law enforcement equipment, Purchasing Director Mamie Jackson said.
WPD Chief Tommy Cox said 37 percent of the fleet is eight years or older and the age of another 20 percent is 10 years or more. Nine vehicles are currently shelved for repairs.
“We need to have something more reliable on the street,” Cox said. “Many have served their time well, but their turning into money pits.”
The resolution was one of two commissioners approved at the short session. The other accepted the certified vote total from the December 3 runoff in the special election for the commission’s District 1 seat and Shawn Roberts as the winner.
Roberts, who was sworn in December 5 to replace the late Norman E. Davis, was in his seat for Monday’s session. It marked the first time this year all five commissioners were present with Mayor Michael-Angelo James for a meeting.
In other business, Commissioners Diane Hopkins and Katrena Felder made appointments to the nominee pool for the Citizen Board of Ethics after available alternates had been named to replace original members selected to hear a complaint.
City Manager Ulysses “Duke” Rayford also informed commissioners updates to the Employee Handbook would be presented in a resolution to consider at their next bimonthly meeting Tuesday, December 17.
Resolutions
Rayford sought the purchase approval (which was unanimous) for the vehicles because they were available for immediate delivery from Akins Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram in Winder, Ga. The vehicles were in the department’s budget and will be purchased under a state contract with money available from the general fund.
Once in house, financing bids up to five years will be sought on the SUVs as well as others approved in the budget at an anticipated interest rate of around five percent, Finance Director Greg Smith said.
“It’s taken as long as 11 months in the past,” Jackson said of some vehicle deliveries. “That’s why we want to purchase them outright (while available).”
Cox said the department has 34 patrol positions, but only 32 working vehicles.
“Because of officer vacancies, we’ve been able to get away with (shortage) right now,” he said. “We like to carry two to three extra vehicles.”
Jackson said an order placed (Tuesday, December 10) would have the vehicles in Waycross this week.
The second resolution passed on a 3-2 vote with Hopkins and Felder in the negative. Hopkins questioned the need for the resolution in the discussion period, saying she believed it a first during her long tenure on the panel.
She said being sworn in had sufficed in the past once the Ware County Board of Elections and Registration had certified the vote. Acting City Attorney Huey Spearman said the fact this was a special election to determine the seat necessitated commission action for the record.
Contacted later, Felder didn’t want to offer a reason for her decision. A text message to Hopkins seeking her reason wasn’t returned.
Ethics appointments The board of ethics is in need of additional nominees to replace alternates Dr. Earl Martin and Tim Peacock being seated to consider the complaint of citizen Clayton Nelson against Felder for misuse of her city issued credit card and also attending a partisan event while on a city business trip.
Dr. Martin replaced Felicia Brown three weeks ago while Peacock was seated shortly after panel member Martin Gray resigned in the middle of the board’s meeting December 2. Both Dr. Martin and Peacock were seated by order of Mayor James.
Since their selections are no longer available, Felder and Hopkins added to the board’s pool by naming Marian Solomon-Gaines and Michael Hargrove, respectively. Spearman said should another situation arise like December 2, Mayor James already has designated the Rev. Kit Brinson as first alternate and Dr. Jene´Walker as second alternate.
In January, the five commissioners and Mayor James each will select two citizens for two-year terms to compose the pool going forward. Current members can be renominated.
Five members and two alternates are chosen in a blind draw to consider each ethics complaint filed.
