Full time!
During Monday night’s regular monthly meeting of the Alexandria Mayor and Aldermen, a majority of the council voted to officially name interim Police Chief Vincent Turocy as the new full time chief replacing Kenneth (K.D. Smith) who was terminated by the board last month.
Also, by a majority vote, the board hired Nathaniel (Nate) Lombard as a full-time officer. According to Mayor Beth Tripp the town as of late had no full-time officer.
Members of the board in attendance were Jonathon Tripp, Jeff Ford, Sherry Tubbs, Bobby Simpson and Luke Prichard. Alderman Tiffany Robinson was not present. According to Mayor Tripp, Robinson has resigned her alderman seat only eight months after being appointed by the aldermen to fill an unexpired two-year term.
Alderman Simpson said he preferred the town ask the sheriff’s department to conduct law enforcement for the town rather than the police department.
Alderman Simpson: “Aint we going back down the same road we’ve done rode down”.
Mayor Tripp: “No”.
Alderman Simpson: “Yes we are too”.
Mayor Tripp: “I don’t feel that way. We need full time”
Alderman Simpson: “It’s the same thing again. I want to talk to the sheriff’s department and get them to come down here and take it over”
Alderman Sherry Tubbs: “We couldn’t do that without going through certain steps and that takes about six to eight months so we have to do this right now or we could be held liable”
Alderman Simpson: “Can we at least schedule a workshop and get the sheriff or somebody to come down here and talk to us”
Alderman Tubbs: “We can but we have to hire somebody right now. We’d have to change the city charter and everything”
Mayor Tripp: “And that takes time. It’s (charter change) got to go in front of the state (legislature)”
Alderman Tubbs: “(Sheriff) Patrick Ray said he would come and talk to us”
Alderman Simpson: “Lets schedule a workshop and get him to come down here”
Alderman Tubbs: “We have to get our finances together too. We haven’t even started on the new budget”
Mayor Tripp: “We’ll need a workshop for it (budget). We’ll have our finance officer and MTAS coming for that as well, but I would like for you to consider hiring him (Turocy) as chief at least for now and Nate as our full-time officer and vote on it”.
In other business, Ambre Ahlgard was hired as a part time water clerk and to perform other duties in the office. “It will be beneficial to have her. Before we had four office staff and now we have only three,” said Mayor Tripp.
As for a proposal for the town to lease the doctor’s building for the police department, Mayor Tripp said no action has yet been taken on that, but a workshop could be scheduled later to discuss it.
Aldermen Simpson and Prichard inquired about having a new city attorney to give legal advice on the matter
Alderman Simpson: “Where’s the lawyer”
Mayor Tripp: “I’m still working on that”
Alderman Prichard. “I don’t know how we are voting on any of this stuff without an attorney”
Mayor Tripp: “Because I don’t need an attorney”
Alderman Simpson: “I do”
Alderman Prichard: “I do too”
Mayor Tripp: “You are always welcome to bring your own (attorney) and that’s fine”
Alderman Simpson: “I didn’t know there was BYOB here”
Alderman Prichard: “I didn’t either”
Meanwhile the board voted to have the AC unit repaired in a 2018 Dodge Durango for the police department at a local service shop for $989.
At the request of Chief Turocy, a majority of the board voted to spend up to $3,876 to outfit the five members of the police department with new uniforms using available funds in the budget.
A majority of the board also voted to spend $499 per unit to have a vendor update the city patrol cars with new graphics and markings, at the request of the chief. The total cost is about $3,000.