Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Police topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Clinton mayor asks Vermillion County Council for help replacing patrol vehicles as sheriff reports $8,700 in inmate housing bills
Summary
Clinton Mayor John Moore asked the council for assistance buying two to three patrol vehicles to keep new police officers on the street; Sheriff Holtkamp said housing inmates off-site after the county jail AC failed produced about $8,700 in bills so far.
Clinton Mayor John Moore asked Vermillion County Council members on Aug. 11 to consider financial help to buy new patrol vehicles so the city can put two newly sworn officers on patrol.
The mayor said he needs at least two, ideally three, fully equipped patrol units and that outfitting two or three vehicles at current prices could cost roughly $162,000. He detailed concerns about the citys existing fleet, noting several vehicles have high odometer readings and some are inoperable. Moore said municipal staffing and recruitment are strained by low starting pay and competition from larger agencies.
Sheriff Holtkamp addressed the council earlier about a separate issue: when the county jails air conditioning failed in June, the sheriff said the department temporarily housed inmates in other jails; he reported receiving bills so far from three of five hosting jails and estimated about $8,700 in charges to date, with two invoices still outstanding.
Council discussion focused on potential approaches rather than immediate funding. Commissioners and staff discussed options including: - County purchase of new vehicles and gifting or loaning them to municipalities (insurance implications were raised; one commissioner suggested gifting or direct payment to avoid county insurance exposure). - Rotating newer county fleet vehicles down to municipal partners when replacement occurs, which could extend useful service life for towns that drive fewer miles. - Exploring grant opportunities, shared fleet arrangements and timing purchases before anticipated budget constraints.
No formal funding decision was made. Commissioners asked the mayor to meet with county staff and the commissioners to explore options, and said any request for county dollars would have to be processed through the countys budget procedures.
Votes: there was no formal vote on vehicle funding. The sheriffs report on inmate housing bills was informational; the sheriff said he will follow up with the remaining two jails to collect outstanding invoices and share a consolidated total.
