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Police chief briefs council on regional VEG unit and is permitted to obtain station-addition plans
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Summary
South Russell's police chief outlined the Valley Enforcement Group (VEG) services and asked council permission to obtain initial plans for a proposed police-station addition; council moved to allow the chief to secure no-cost preliminary plans and proceed through approvals.
Police Chief (speaker S6) updated council on department activity, technology and regional partnerships and sought approval to advance planning for a modest connecting addition between the police station and the drone garage.
In a presentation on the Valley Enforcement Group (VEG), the chief described VEG as a regional consortium formed in 2007 that provides tactical, hostage-negotiation, investigation and drone (UAS) services. He said the VEG UAS/drone team is the most-utilized unit; the village’s share of VEG assets in the truck is roughly $75,000, and annual team budgets generally range from $18,000 to $45,000 per member jurisdiction.
Council discussed whether municipalities deploying VEG resources are reimbursed for overtime and comp time; the chief said member jurisdictions pay for their own personnel while VEG covers shared costs like fuel for the response vehicle.
Separately, the chief proposed an addition to connect the drone garage and station, estimating an eventual project cost around $150,000. One resident-architect offered to provide initial schematic plans at no cost to the village. Council voted to permit the chief to obtain initial (no-cost) plans and to pursue necessary approvals so the project could be advanced into the 2027 budget process.
The chief also requested quotes to install acoustic panels in council chambers to improve streaming audio; council asked the chief to obtain price quotes for consideration in upcoming budget discussions.
