By Lee Weyhrich
Staff Writer
PINSON — Pinson City Council devoted nearly all of this week’s meeting to upcoming and possible projects designed to enhance the city for its residents.
The council is still researching the possibility of a police force. The council received a copy of the expense report for Tarrant’s police force which will allow them to look at actual expenses for a similarly-sized city. Councilman Joe Cochran also received an insurance quote for $67,000, only $2,000 more than his original estimate. While Tarrant’s police force is larger than the one proposed by Cochran – 21 officers versus 12 proposed – the numbers should paint a decent picture of the possible cost of a Pinson police department.
Cochran also talked about possibly expanding the deputy program rather than beginning a police force and providing a base of operations for deputies operating in the city. The deputies would also be provided vehicles marked “Pinson” to distinguish them as part of the community. The City of Clay operates under a similar structure with their current contract deputies.
He proposed hiring a total of 12 contract deputies plus a supervisor, and providing office facilities. The supervisor, either a lieutenant or sergeant, would be based in Pinson and be dedicated to the city. By Cochran’s estimate this program would cost approximately $1.1 million. He has not run the plan by the sheriff’s department however.
Cochran wanted residents to know that he and the other councilmen were exploring multiple avenues to improve police coverage in Pinson.
“I’m not abandoning the police department concept, I’m just simply throwing an alternate out there,” Cochran said.
Either plan would only be possible with an additional 2-percent tax increase. The tax revenue would not only go to the additional police coverage, but it would also go towards converting the current library into a police station and converting Rock School Center into a new library.
Mayor Hoyt Sanders noted that the one percent state sales tax currently being debated in court as unconstitutional might open a little wiggle room allowing the city to gain the additional revenue for only one percent more than residents are paying now.
While renovations to these two buildings are a possibility, one renovation is an imminent reality.
The council is embarking on a project to update and upgrade the Palmerdale Homesteads Community Center. Step one is to replace 21 light fixtures. The council voted unanimously to replace them with LED fixtures. LED fixtures are several times more expensive, would pay for themselves in two years with the electrical savings, councilwoman Joy McCain said. The fixtures are expected to cost between $4,500 and $6,000. The building will also need some renovations, including paint and updating.
Residents of Innsbrooke will soon see some changes to their neighborhood. The council voted unanimously to approve landscaping improvements on the residential side of the ball field fence. The cost of the landscaping is estimated at $800. The mayor also wants to contact the high school Ag department about planting evergreens on the school side of the fence in certain places.
The city has also received approval from Jefferson County to take over some of the speed regulation in Innsbrooke and perhaps on other county-owned roads. The council voted unanimously to approve the proposal. The next step will be to install speed regulation devices such as speed bumps and speed humps and any other traffic regulation devices to slow the traffic where people seem to have the heaviest feet. The council has already placed a radar station on Innsbrooke Parkway and has received positive response.