The City of Newton will spend $10,494 securing the Newton Police Department.
The Board of Aldermen approved a $7,208 quote from Glassworks to install secure doors on the outside and also on the department’s evidence room. Bergeron Welding was approved to install burglar bars on the windows for $3,286.
The city is performing these upgrades because it will no longer be open 24 hours after the city moves its dispatching duties to Newton County. Currently, the station is never unmanned because its dispatching is done in house, but it will shut down its own dispatching April 1 and give those duties to Newton County 911.
The City of Newton is ready to apply for an education grant to help educate the public on the city’s smoke-free ordinance.
Jamara Dunn from the Smoke-Free Coalition approached the Board of Aldermen to reapply for the funding after the city ran out of time to get an education event planned and approved before the June 30, 2018 deadline. Since the initial education event hasn’t happened, Dunn said the city could reapply for the funding.
However, the city did implement a smoke-free ordinance last year. Dunn said her office never received the ordinance.
Even though the ordinance was approved, Dunn still felt like the city could apply for the funding. If funding is approved, Dunn’s office would help review the smoke-free ordinance and then recommend any changes to be eligible for the funding.
If approved, the city would be reimbursed for its expenses. And having the smoke-free ordinance in place would allow the city to be eligible for additional grants through Blue Cross Blue Shield.
In other business, the city will send a courtesy letter to 202 Cherry Street asking the owner to clean up the property.
The road closures for the Loose Caboose Festival for March 30 were approved.
A yield sign at the intersection of Magnolia and Clark avenues will be replaced with a stop sign to help increase safety at the intersection.
Forrest Construction’s bid of $13,400 for replacing the roof on the public works complex was approved.
Bancorp South’s financing of 3.99 percent for 36 months was approved for the purchase of new mowers.
Fire Chief J.C. Collins will receive a $2,900 raise for accepting the role as a city animal control officer.
The board accepted the resignation of Don Owens as a dispatcher, and they also approved reimbursing Police Chief Harvey Curry in the amount of $509.97 for the purchase of body cameras.
Andrew Dendis’ resignation from the fire department was accepted, and Dale Yates and Jason Perkins were hired as a part-time firefighter for $10 per hour.
