ICC eNews

Making the Case for Arming On-Duty Code Officers

[Source: Albany Herald | September 9, 2009]

Lee County Planning and Engineering Director Bob Alexander laid the groundwork at the Lee County Commission's work session Tuesday night for the county's lone Code Enforcement officer to be allowed to carry a weapon while on duty.

Alexander said Jim Wright is qualified to carry a weapon and offered a compelling argument for his doing so in reading a letter written by Wright.

"He's POST-certified to carry a weapon, and there would be no additional costs to the county for him to maintain certification," Alexander said after reading the letter from Wright that included an account of an unarmed Warner Robins code officer being shot in the face last year while attempting to have junk cars removed from property in that city.

"While there are many pros to the Code Enforcement office being armed, I have not found any cons," Alexander read from Wright's letter.

Also at the work session, Public Works Director William Clark asked the county for additional special-purpose local-option sales tax funds to go with some $600,000 in stimulus money recently received by the county for road repair work.

While funding had been provided for paving of Pinewood Road to Bronwood Road, Clark asked commissioners to consider continuing the paving an additional 1.52 miles to State Highway 32.

"The latest estimate I've gotten would be around $122,000 to complete that road," Clark said. "I'd like to see us finish that whole road if we can find the funding."

Clark also said an estimated $58,680 would be needed to complete bridge and culvert repair work on New York Road. He noted that a recent Department of Transportation inspection of the bridge forced the county to detour emergency vehicles and other larger vehicles around the bridge.

"The load limit on that bridge now is 3 tons, so essentially only passenger vehicles can cross it," he said. "That means buses and emergency vehicles must be detoured."

At a public hearing to discuss a proposed alcohol license sought by Joshua Butts and Sherry Butts at Shooter's Billiards on Philema Road, County Attorney Jimmy Skipper noted his concern about recent activity at the business.

"Understand, you will not be approving someone taking over an existing license," Skipper said. "As it now stands, there is no license at the establishment."

County Inspector Joey Davenport said the former owner of the establishment had recently surrendered his alcohol license to the county, saying there were instances of alcohol being sold that had not been purchased from a distributor and instances of employees in a state of drunkenness while conducting business at the establishment.

Sherry Butts said "bad blood" with the former owner led to his action in an effort to hurt the new owners' business.

In other items discussed at the meeting:

- Alexander said the state Department of Natural Resources was prepared to move forward with planning and design of a boat ramp on U.S. Highway 19 in 2010 and to begin construction of the ramp in 2011;
- County Administrator Alan Ours asked that Finance Director Heather Kittrell's name be placed on county accounts that would allow her to transfer money or make deposits;
- Alexander asked that the speed limit on a portion of Cookville Road be reduced from 45 mph to 35 mph;
- Lee Environmental Health Director Ken Collins asked that the county adopt state regulations locally so that enforcement could be carried out in local court;
- Commissioner Dennis Roland asked that the county consider an ordinance that would require developers to erect fences around holding ponds; and
- Commissioner Rick Muggridge asked that the commission fund materials that will help with the 2010 census count in the county.

"If we're undercounted, we're underfunded," Muggridge said.

Alexander also asked the commission to fund stormwater projects at Ledo Road, Lovers Lane Road at Mayhaw Road and Cookville Road at U.S. 82.

"These projects are badly needed, and staff suggests that you move forward with these three projects immediately," he said. "They're ready to go, and we have the SPLOST funds budgeted to complete them."

Original Release

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