LOOGOOTEE —
Alleged continuing communication problems involving Martin County dispatch dominated Monday night’s meeting of the Loogootee City Council.
For about the last 18 months, the law enforcement dispatching duties for Loogootee have been evenly split between the city’s police department and the Martin County Sheriff’s Department. City dispatchers now handle calls from noon to midnight each day.
This split was pushed by former mayor Don Bowling as a means to save the city more than $50,000 annually in dispatcher salaries.
The agreement between the city and county also calls for the city to pay the county $10,000 per year to help cover the cost of dispatchers. All 911 calls have been routed to the sheriff’s department for years and is not affected by this agreement.
During the July 2012 council meeting, Councilman Rick Norris, who is also a city police officer, said communication problems during the previous few months involving the county dispatch threatened the safety of Loogootee residents. He said the problems included the occasional loss of phone service for 911 calls.
At the July meeting, Mayor Noel Harty said he had discussed the matter with Police Chief Kelly Rayhill and Fire Chief Morgan Huebner. An executive session was planned for prior to the August meeting, in which Sheriff Rob Street would be invited.
However, Monday night, both Norris and Harty said the council meeting with the sheriff never took place. The mayor said he still plans to meet with Street on the matter by March 15, which is four days after the next council meeting.
Before the city council met Monday, the Board of Public Works and Safety met briefly and approved a suggestion by Rayhill to reduce the number of hours worked by city dispatchers from 12 per day to seven per day. This would save the city $13,000 per year in salaries.
The mayor is on the board, along with councilmen Fred Dupps and Ron Gilbert.
During the council meeting, Norris initially proposed an ordinance prohibiting the city dispatchers from working less than 12 hours per day.
He said some of the same communication problems he had addressed back in July were still occurring.
Norris said until the sheriff’s department could improve its dispatching services, he was opposed to any reduction in hours for city dispatchers.
Councilman Rich Taylor agreed with Norris that it was a “public safety issue.”
Rayhill said he has never experienced any communication problems. He also said Loogootee is one of the few cities which still has its own dispatchers. Many counties now have a central location for dispatching.
Clerk-Treasurer Nancy Jones asked City Attorney Mark Jones if the council had the legal authority to pass such an ordinance to override the board’s decision. The attorney said dispatching fell under the jurisdiction of the board, but he was not sure if an ordinance would legally trump the board’s action.
At that point, Taylor moved to have the matter tabled until the March 11 meeting, which was approved by all council members except Dupps.
Harty said he would arrange a meeting with Street, which would include himself, Norris, either Dupps or Gilbert, Rayhill and Huebner. By law, no more than two council members may attend the meeting, which will not be open to the public.
If three or more members attend, that would constitute a quorum of the council, which would make it an official meeting which must be advertised and open to the public.
In other business
•Nancy Jones told the council the Department of Local Government Finance approved the city’s 2013 budget with the exception of Cumulative Capital Development, which was cut from $28,000 to $26,400.
•The council approved buying four new banners to fly over city streets, which will replace banners which have been flying for 10 years. The cost will be no more than $10,000, depending on the quotes received. Harty suggested taking $500 from the promotions budget and the remainder from Economic Development Income Tax revenue.
•The board approved two new firefighters for the city’s volunteer fire department, J.D. Graves and Logan Dant.
Local News
Loogootee City Council meets
- Local News
-
-
Police Report
CITY REPORT
Monday
8:49 p.m. - A complainant on station turned in a pouch that contained an electronic tablet. The pouch was found at Eastside Park. -
WC to graduate on Friday
Washington Catholic High School will hold its commencement exercises at 8 p.m. Friday in the gymnasium. Following the procession and invocation, Karie Craney, principal, will make introductory remarks. The salutatory addresses by Hannah Emmons and Steven Holland will follow a musical selection by the WC Ensemble. The valedictory address will then be given by Andrea Onyett. Daryl Hagan, superintendent of Catholic Schools Diocese of Evansville, and Andrew Wibbeler, dean of students, will present graduate scholarships. Bishop Charles C. Thompson, Diocese of Evansville, Daryl Hagan and Karie Craney will then present the diplomas.
-
D2DInc moves to WestGate @ Crane
Design To Delivery, Inc., a consulting firm supporting private companies and government agencies engaged in federal procurement and government contracting, officially opened its first office outside of its Washington, D.C. region in the WestGate @ Crane Technology Park on Tuesday.
-
High winds hit area; cause damage
Daviess County and the city of Washington were hit hard by storms that passed through the area Tuesday morning.
High winds accompanying the storms ripped through the area damaging buildings, uprooting trees and sending a 20-foot piece of wood through a car parked on the lot of Washington Chrysler Center. -
WHS wins SeaPerch title
Washington’s SeaPerch teams took home gold at last Saturday’s national competitions at the IUPUI Natatorium.
The WHS NJROTC STEM team won first overall out of 100 teams competing at the national finals. The NJROTC team took first in the obstacle course and the deep water transfer portions of the competition, and received special recognition in the technical innovation.
-
Washington man arrested on molestation charge
A Washington man was arrested Friday for one count of child molesting. Jacob Tyler Taylor, 19, 603 E. Main St., Apt. 3, was arrested by city police for a count of Class B felony child molesting.
-
Lyons gets 65 years
Dressed in a bright green jumpsuit and escorted by members of the Daviess County Sheriff’s Department, Corey Mitchell Lyons, 23, entered the court room, and sat hunched over a table with his family sitting behind. On the other side of the room sat family members of a baby who's was life was taken too soon and the mother of Lyons’ child Savanna Johnson.
-
ND graduating Friday
North Daviess High School will hold its commencement exercises at 7 p.m. Friday in the high school gymnasium.
-
Police Report
CITY REPORT
Monday
8:36 a.m. - An employee of Fast Max, 1200 E. Nat’l Hwy., reported a drive-off worth $16.09. The driver was identified via video and after contact, went back and paid for the gas. A debit card malfunction was blamed. -
Area Briefs
1968 WHS reunion planned
Washington High School Class of 1968 is planning a casual reunion to be held at 7 p.m. June 22 at Mulligan’s. Light refreshments and a cash bar will be provided. - More Local News Headlines
-
Police Report
Florida FBI Shooting Has Boston Bombing Links
Garcetti Elected Los Angeles Mayor Over Greuel
Raw: New Video of Deadly Oklahoma Tornado
IRS Official Pleads 5th Amendment
Lawyer: Feds Investigating Susan Powell Case
Former Rep. Weiner Running for New York Mayor
Jodi Arias: Death Penalty Would Cause More Pain
Police Ram House to End Hostage Standoff
Families Begin Returning to Their Homes in Moore
Raw: Aerial View of Moore Tornado Damage
Looking for Love? Take the Prague Metro
First Person: Baby Falcons on a New York Bridge
Crews Race to Find Survivors of Okla. Twister
Oklahoma: Images of Devastation, Reunion
Raw: Students Clash With Police in Chile
Protests Outside Cincinnati IRS Office
New Xbox One Entertainment Console Unveiled
