City Council Approves New Vehicles for Police

The  will be getting six new vehicles to assist their war on crime, a result of the passage of the consent agenda at the meeting Thursday evening.

Roughly $230,000 will be spent to acquire and outfit four Chevrolet Caprice patrol vehicles and two Chevrolet Equinox vehicles for the Criminal Investigation Division.

Police Chief Michael Wilkie said he expected to call Day's Chevrolet at 8 a.m. Friday to enter the order.

“The Criminal Investigations guys are really excited,” said Wilkie. “In most police departments, that group gets the hand me down vehicles.” Wilkie went on to say that the division had been getting by using older vehicles, but expected that the new Equinoxes would get many more useful miles put on them. Additionally, the division's personnel will be able to properly maintain and care for new vehicles.

The acquisitions were one of the many items included in the consent agenda, which passed unanimously. Other notable consent agenda items were: 

• Alcohol licenses have been issued for , Center Street Tavern and Parkside Italian Kitchen. The latter two establishments can sell alcohol on Sunday.
• The Comprehensive Plan Short Term Work Program and Capital Improvement Element have been updated.
• Condemnation proceedings to acquire the right of way and easements for parcel 20003200440 have been authorized. This proceeding is part of the School Street project, paid for by SPLOST dollars.
• Items that have served their purpose but are no longer needed will be sold or destroyed.
• The 2012 Exercise of Contingency Quantity agreement has been signed between the city and the Marietta Board of Lights and Water.
• The city has extended its subscription with the Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia.
• The city will purchase electrical equipment from Stuart C. Irby at a cost of $18,877.56. This equipment includes transformers, lighting fixtures, and other items.
• Unis Broykin and DeAndrea Crawford will teach creative movement and dance classes at Roberts School for special needs children.

The entire agenda can be found here.

It was a busy evening for the Mayor and Board of Aldermen. The group entered City Hall with dust on their shoes, having just arrived from a at a new senior living facility.

Additionally, the Mayor and Board of Aldermen issued a proclamation recognizing Constitution Week, which is Sept. 18-23. The Constitution of the United States was promulgated on Sept. 17, 1787.

Representatives of the Andrew Houser chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Mary Cabe, Nancy Gresham and Sandy Kaiser received the proclamation from Mayor Tommy Allegood. Cabe, Parliamentarian of the chapter, read a statement denoting the importance of the Constitution to American history.

Gresham, who is the chapter's schools chair, informed the assembly about their programs to educate young people about the importance of the Revolutionary War and the Constitution.

“I didn't realize until a few days ago that the Constitution was drafted because the Declaration of Independence was just that,” she said. “They had to have a document to govern all the states effectively.”

Although the group is rooted in history, the Mayor expressed some concern for the present and future of the country.

“The Constitution was meant to serve the people,” Allegood said. “We ought to call up Washington and remind the politicians of that.”