The Chelsea Standard
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
City OKs spending on police requests
By Edward Freundl, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: April 3, 2008
Spending on the Police Department took center stage at the March 25 Chelsea City Council meeting.
Advertisement
Police Chief Ed Toth Jr. presented three requests to help his department become more efficient, more modern - and more stylish.
Toth's first request was for the purchase of two pre-owned police motorcycles.
The department had six motorcycles, but about a year ago the lease went from $1 a year to $1,200 per year, so that was reduced to three.
"We use them for patrols and a significant number of special events," Toth told the council.
The chief proposed the outright purchase of two 2005 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide motorcycles for $9,462 each from American Harley Davidson in Ann Arbor
"They are a valuable asset for the city," Toth said. "They will be used for patrols from April to October, taking a patrol car off the street. That will result in a savings on fuel cost for the city for the seven-month period."
The three current motorcycles will be turned in at the end of their leases, and the police fleet will remain at two.
"I don't see going to more than two; I wouldn't feel comfortable buying more," Toth said.
"We only put about 1,500 miles a year on them, so they should last another 10 years."
The council approved the purchase at a cost not to exceed $19,000.
Toth's second request was for a change from the current so-called Class A uniform.
"We're looking for a Class B uniform that is not quite as dressy but still looks professional, and something that is durable and affordable."
A committee within the department researched vendors, products and costs and were able to recommend a package that would save the city about 20 percent.
For example, trousers for the Class A cost about $95, compared to about $60 for the Class B, "which is important when you need to replace them," Toth said.
The Class A uniform consists of a navy blue shirt, French (light) blue slacks with navy stripe, and a French blue, clip-on tie.
The Class B is simply navy blue shirt and slacks, with no tie.
"We would still have the Class A uniform for funerals and other special events," Toth said.
"We would have the same winter coat and spring/fall jacket."
The department has eight full-time and eight part-time officers, and Toth was asking for one Class A and three Class B uniforms for each full-time officer, and one Class A and two Class B for each part-time officer.
Toth requested that the council approve the bid from Metropolitan Uniform of Westland.
"It would cost about $8,000 for three sets of Class B's ($7.444.47), and we have $12,573 in the budget," Toth said.
The council approved the purchase.
Toth's final spending request was for a badly needed upgrade to the department's 1992-vintage telephone system.
"Our non-emergency phone lines don't mesh well with the Positron 911 system," he told the council.
"We don't have voice mail, paper messages have a tendency to get lost, and I pride myself on calling people back."
Voice mail can also be used as a training tool or for general communication within the department, he noted.
"We can also have a voice mailbox for an anonymous tip line," he added.
Toth told the council he met with a communications consultant who helped prepare four quotes.
"We recommend a Toshiba system for $7,568; plus $2,000 for a call accounting system," Toth said.
"The police department doesn't need all the bells and whistles, this is a straightforward system.
"We're not going to lose the personal touch - we'll still answer the phone," he added.
Councilman Rod Anderson voiced a concern about security but the chief assured him it would not be an issue.
Responding to Council member Cheri Albertson's question, Toth said the call accounting system was to track the number of non-emergency calls coming into the station.
"The 911 system lets us know exactly how many emergency calls we get, but we really don't have any way to track the calls coming in on that other line and what their disposition is," he said.
The proposal was approved, and Toth said it would be "a couple of months" before the system was installed and officers were trained on it.
The next bridge the council crossed was a long-awaited replacement for the span over Letts Creek at Veterans Park.
"You have no idea how happy I am to be bringing this to you," City Engineer Christine Linfield told the council.
In 2004 the bridge was ordered to be removed immediately because of liability and safety problems, Linfield noted.
Replacing the existing structure wasn't as simple a project as it sounded.
"The bridge is over a county drain and in a flood plain, which complicated the situation," Linfield added.
In the meantime, Contech Bridge Solutions of Minnesota quoted a price of $30,000 and community groups raised money to replace the structure.
"The Rotary Club pledged $15,000 and the Chelsea Community Foundation matched that with another $15,000," Linfield said.
"But since then, the last bid price we had (in October) was $32,800. We also had $3,000 in engineering services donated for us to get the permit from the (Michigan Department of Environmental Quality), and another $20,000 in engineering donated for the sitework."
Because of fish spawning in the creek, the DEQ delayed the start of construction until after July 1.
"That can actually help us out if we can schedule the paving with another road construction project we have planned in the area, because we can get a break on the asphalt price," Linfield told the council.
Concrete abutments and site work will have to be done, she said, including relocating a play structure and a small tree.
The 8-foot-wide, L-shaped bridge has an 80-foot leg that runs parallel to the north side of the creek, then a 40-foot span over it.
It is fully compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act regulations.
The council approved all of the separate votes required, totaling a not-to-exceed figure of $105,000: $32,800 to purchase the prefabricated bridge by taking $2,800 from the general fund to make up the balance from the two donations; $86,560 for site work and bridge installation by Cross Lake Construction Co.; and for $13,000 as a 15 percent contingency.
Because the project was not budgeted for the current fiscal year, a vote was also necessary to transfer $37,000 from other city accounts to provide sufficient funding for the project.
In other business:
The council conducted a required public hearing on Sheridan Books' application for an industrial facilities tax exemption (IFT).
Company officials said the book manufacturer is expanding its production line again by adding another new press and other equipment, which will require a physical expansion of the facility at 615 E. Industrial Drive.
"They have met al the criteria for a 10-year abatement for personal and real property," said City Administrative Assistant Georgia Beeman.
No residents in the audience spoke either for or against the proposal, so the council immediately took action on the request.
On separate unanimous votes, the council first approved the real property tax exemption for the $120,000 building expansion, then approved the personal property exemption for $7,763,816 in new equipment.
Not all stories are guaranteed to appear
online. The Web edition contains a reasonable
sampling of the print edition stories.
For the most complete news coverage, we invite you to
subscribe
to the print edition of the paper.
Expanded
Web
Coverage
TOP JOBS
