Pubdate: Wed, 22 May 2002 Source: Daily Home, The (AL) Copyright: 2002 Consolidated Publishing Contact: http://www.dailyhome.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1632 Author: Denise Sinclair Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts) SYLACAUGA TO PARTNER WITH TALLADEGA COUNTY DRUG AND VIOLENT CRIME TASK FORCE The Sylacauga City Council is offering its support to create a Talladega County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The council approved a resolution Tuesday night to fund the task force for fiscal year 2002-2003. District Attorney Steve Giddens spoke to the council about the task force during a work session Monday night. The District Attorney's Office, through the Talladega County Commission, is requesting grant funds from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs Law Enforcement Planning Division. The grant would pay the operating costs of the task force, Giddens said. Giddens and Assistant District Attorneys Barry Matson and Chad Woodruff discussed how the District Attorney's Office wants to implement the 10 member task force. Six officers would come from various agencies in the county, including one officer from the Sylacauga Police Department and two from the Talladega County Sheriff's Department, Giddens said. The District Attorney's Office would hire four officers for the task force. In applying for the grant, Giddens' office needs a match of $114,000, with a total requested amount of $335,567.70 from ADECA, bringing the proposed projected cost to $449,567.70. The money would pay for state-of-the-art equipment, travel and rent for a building in Talladega to house the task force. Giddens asked the council Monday night for a $24,000 cash match from Sylacauga. He is asking for $30,000 from the Talladega County Commission, $25,000 from the city of Talladega, $15,000 from the cities of Lincoln and Childersburg and $5,000 from Oak Grove. Giddens said his office devised the funding mechanism for each city based on population, crime statistics and the percentage each city pays to the juvenile fund. He said Sylacauga's match could be recouped to a certain extent by seized assets and forfeitures from drug arrests. The task force, if funded by the ADECA grant, could begin operations Oct. 1, which is when the new fiscal year starts. Matson said the District Attorney's Office had looked at funding the task force for more than a year. "We wanted to look at other counties and what they did. What works and what doesn't work. We tried to make the funding fair for everyone," he said. Giddens said the task force is based on Calhoun County's. "Calhoun County has had a model agency for 14 years. We think we can be a success," he said. Councilwoman Lois Showers said she had some concerns about the funding amount, and Councilwoman Mickey Orton questioned whether grant funding would be available in the future if the task force is funded. Giddens said Calhoun County has been funded for 14 years. "If done right, I fully expect it to be going on from year to year. I think it will be successful," he said. Showers said she liked the idea of a task force but believes Sylacauga should be paying less than Talladega because of its population and crime rate. "I know we have a drug problem," Showers said, "but I'm concerned about the cost." Giddens said he understood her concern. "I want Sylacauga to participate. What do you think is a fair amount, $21,000?" he asked. He said the District Attorney's Office is committed to the task force. "I want you (Sylacauga) to participate. Somehow I will get the other $3,000," Giddens said. He said he appreciated Showers' handling of taxpayers' money. "I have no problem with that." Council president Doug Murphree said he believes all the council members are committed to the task force. The task force will operate under the District Attorney's Office with a board of directors that includes police chiefs in the county, including Sylacauga Police Chief Louis Zook. The council adopted a resolution funding the task force with a local cash match of up to $21,000 starting fiscal year 2002-2003. In other business, the council: * Adopted a resolution granting a tax abatement to American Foam Cast for an expansion project totaling some $1.5 million for all state and local non educational ad valorem taxes; all mortgage and recording and all construction related transaction taxes, except those construction related transaction taxes levied for educational purposes or for capital improvements for education. The period of abatement for the non educational ad valorem taxes is 10 years under state law. The expansion will create 10 new jobs over two years. * Authorized Mayor Bruce Carr to sign certification for matching funds for airport improvements at a cost of $14,520 with the city getting some $290,000 in the grant process for the project. * Raised the threshold on fixed assets from $1,000 to $5,000. * Granted a special events permit for the District Attorney's Office's Domestic Violence Unit for June 28 and 29 for "breakfast at city hall" ceremony in Sylacauga and a 2 mile run/walk event finishing up with "lunch on the square" in Talladega June 29. * Refunded a $155 license fee for 2002 to W.L. Petrey Inc. * Set June 18 at 6 p.m. as the date of a public hearing on nuisance abatement of property owned by Kenneth Seals on Threatt Road. * Approved expenses for John Gladness to attend a civil remedies for nuisance abatement seminar in Valley in June; for one council member to attend Promise Day awards in Salt Lake City, Utah, in June; and for Nora Sherbert and Kim Martin to attend a professional administrators conference at Point Clear in July. * Approved accounts payable of $112,280.64 and payroll of $276,182.17 for April. * Heard a complaint from a citizen about hours changing on the inert landfill, failure of a burned house to be thrown down and clearing railroad tracks of downed signs and unused cross ties. Prior to the meeting, Carr recognized the Public Works Department for its efforts throughout the city; encouraged citizens to shop at home; congratulated high school graduates; thanked teachers for their efforts during the school year; and mentioned a Sylacauga Beautification Council project to beautify intersections down Broadway to the high school with hanging baskets filled with flowers. * Murphree announced the absence of Councilman Don Flippo whose father died recently. - --- MAP posted-by: Alex