Council deletes inactive Community Policing Advisory Committee from town code

The Percival Town Council voted to remove the Community Policing Advisory Committee from the town code, adopting ordinance 25-02-02 by a 6–1 roll-call vote.

Town attorney John Cafferkey told the council the committee had been effectively vacant for years and the last recorded meeting was May 2022. “The suggestion was made that since it is not an ongoing entity that is functioning…and the deletion from the code has no effect good or ill,” Cafferkey said, recommending the code change. Council member Nett moved the ordinance and the motion was seconded and carried after roll call. The clerk recorded a final tally of six yes votes and one no.

The ordinance deletes the section of the town code establishing and maintaining the committee; staff said the change is a housekeeping action that removes an inactive, nonfunctioning advisory body. Council members who voted in favor said the committee had not been meeting and that deleting the dormant language aligns the code with current practice. The dissenting vote urged retaining citizen input mechanisms.

Councilors did not attach additional changes to policing policy or reconstitute the committee at tonight’s meeting; staff said the town could reestablish a body or pursue other community engagement tools if there is public interest in the future.