Pell City approves capital projects, including measures to help school security

Mar. 29—The city of Pell City approved numerous capital improvement projects at the regularly scheduled city council meeting, Monday, March 27.

Among those projects outlined in the plan was a proposal to equip school resource officers (SROs) with "go bags" to be used in response to possible school shootings.

Pell City Police Chief Clay Morris explained to the council that the bags would include additional ammunition, trauma kits and other gear to aid SROs in a speedy response to tragedy.

"They can just immediately grab the bag and respond to an active shooter incident at a school," Morris said. "You could grab your rifle and this bag and go."

Morris also wants to give a "crisis response kit" to SROs. The kit is a medical first aid kit with lifesaving supplies for mass casualty events, like shootings.

This proposal comes on the heels of another school shooting which left three children and three adults dead at a private christian school in Nashville, Tenn., Monday. The Covenant School shooting in Nashville is the 13th reported school shooting in America in 2023.

In addition to the discussion of school-related responses, Morris also gave an update on the need for police department vehicles. The city council already approved the purchase of eight new Chevrolet Tahoes last year for the department, but according to Morris, those Tahoes have yet to materialize and now, thanks to successful hiring attempts, the department is in need of even more vehicles.

"We were supposed to have the first six built in January to be delivered around March," Morris said. "It has now been delayed seven months. They have a build date of August — if we're lucky."

Once the vehicles are built, there is still the additional time needed to upfit the vehicles with police lights, cages and more, which, according to Morris, takes between two and three months.

In addition to the eight Tahoes the department is still awaiting, Morris asked the council for four more Tahoes and three Ford F150s for the new SRO positions.

"We are about to be out of vehicles," Morris told the council. "We are at a critical point."

Morris also went into detail about plans to update police radios. The city is hoping to be approved for a congressional redirection of funds to purchase the radio systems worth $618,000. Morris said he hopes state leaders see the value in the radios and reallocate the needed funds. A decision on the congressional redirect could come as late as December of 2023.

Another big ticket item on the capital improvement plan was the proposed plan for a new police department facility. The department, which is currently housed in Pell City City Hall, has outgrown current facilities, and then some, according to Morris. The police department of about 45 members is currently housed in roughly 4,000 square feet. The proposed plan is to renovate and expand the old boys and girls club building to accommodate the growing police force.

According to Pell City City Council President Jud Alverson, moving the police department out of city hall would free up office space for city administration.

"We're growing," Alverson said. "You can feel it. Everybody sees it. You sort of kill two birds with one stone. You get [the police department] out of that space. [City Manager Brian Muenger] can lead the effort with the department heads to reconfigure how the space they will vacate can be allocated. ... It puts off the need to someday expand city hall. In a few short years we are going to be out of space in this building."

The next step in the planning process is to involve an architect and draw up plans.

"We need to do it right," Alverson said.

The city council approved the capital improvement plan, including the next step in the proposed move of the police department, unanimously.

In other action, the Pell City City Council also:

—Approved the payment of bills on file.

—Approved minutes from the March 13, 2023 meeting.

—Held a public hearing regarding the rezoning of property located at 923 Cogswell Avenue from office business district (O-1) to low density residential district (R-1). No one spoke in favor or against. The hearing was closed and the ordinance to rezone the property was approved.

—Approved a special use permit for modification of an existing telecommunications facility located at 474 Walkers Crossing Road.

The Pell City City Council meets on the second and fourth Monday of the month at 6 p.m. in council chambers at Pell City City Hall.