Pottsville Council tables requests

By Van A. Tyson

The Pottsville City Council tabled three requests for funding at its monthly meeting Monday night. The requests were for an additional policeman, ball park improvements and help with a boxing program.

Police Chief Blake Herren asked for an additional officer to reduce the need for overtime-comp-time, which totaled 586 for the year. He noted that the department is "covering the city 24 hours a day."

Herren said he was aware of tight budget and "This may not be the best time to address it." He said the choices are a new officer at a lower salary or an experienced officer at a higher salary. (Pottsville has five full-time policemen, including the chief.)

He noted that a new officer would have to be sent to the police academy for 12 weeks, which would involve continued overtime while he is being trained. He said the department would have to provide gasoline and a uniform, but the academy doesn't charge for the training.

Mayor Jerry Duvall said he was concerned about paying the overtime during the academy training.

Alderman Milton Eoff asked about hiring a part-time officer. Herren said that would require having a supervisor on duty at the same time and coordinating with the officer's other job.

Eoff also asked about help from Pope County. Herren said they had mutual aid from the Sheriff's Office, but it was limited by where deputies were at the time they are needed and noted that they did help with the recent shooting incident in Pottsville. (See separate story.)

Eoff said, "I can't see doing much this year."

Alderman Donnie Elliott said, "We need to table it until next month." The other aldermen agreed informally.

 

Ball field project

Gregg Long of Crafton, Tull and Sparks, presented the information about a softball ball park project, which has been discussed at previous meetings.

Long said the work discussed would cost $500,000 to $600,000, including surfacing parking with curbs and gutters.

He said about $250,000 could be saved by taking out the paving, curbs and guttering and leaving the parking area with gravel. Aldermen noted that the gravel, especially the hauling would cost something.

A plan has been proposed by the Pottsville Athletic Association to convert a football practice field to softball fields. Long was asked by the city study the project. Crafton, Tull is the city's engineering firm.

The discussion also revealed that some proposed trails would be eliminated or changed. Duvall noted that a grant had been obtained that included trails. "How can you eliminate them?" he said. The question of trails and the grant were referred to City Attorney Jeff Phillips for study.

Duvall then asked if anyone was present from the Athletic Association. No one was, so Duvall said the council would wait for them to be present to take further action. "I thought they would be here," he said.

 

Boxing program request

David Beck, who has a Dream Team boxing program on Highway 64 east of Pottsville, appealed for help with his program.

He said he has young people from Dardanelle, Dover London and Atkins, as well as Pottsville and feels that their participation helps keep them out of trouble and can bring good publicity to Pottsville.

He said he would ultimately like to have a community center, but for the present, he wanted a sign saying "children playing," some surfacing for parking and about $1,500 to help him provide three programs of competition during the year.

He said he was looking to prepare young people for the Olympics and that he had one participant who was fifth in the nation in his class. He said that he is a national Junior Olympics coach. He said he needed uniforms and shoes and a building.

Noting that he had boxed, he said, "Boxing is a violent sport only in the wrong hands."

He said he was disabled from a motorcycle accident.

Mayor Duvall said the sign was "no problem. City Attorney Phillips was authorized to look at the program's non-profit status and report back to the council on the legality of helping with the program at next month's meeting.

 

Subdivision approved

The council unanimously approved, on a voice vote, Phase II of the Brentwood Subdivision, as recommended by the Planning Commission.

All aldermen were present except Leslie Oates and George Woolf, including Milton Eoff, Larry Shingleur, John Heflin and Donny Elliott, as well as City Clerk Carless Teeter and City Attorney Jeff Phillips and Mayor Jerry Duvall. In other action:

* Mayor Duvall said that the Angel Lake Development would be re-bid, with the opening on July 25;

* The Council approved put up "No Through Trucks" signs on Sweeden Road, after making sure that Russellville would put up signs on its end of the road, which crosses city limits;

* Noted that Jim Kelley was not present as scheduled to talk about recycling.

* Brad Judkins, fire chief, reported four calls during the month and two mutual aid calls, and a house burned as scheduled.

 

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