Try your best illegal move and Columbus Police Department will crush your groove.
Columbus City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to approve buying new radar systems for the police department.
Chief Joseph Daughtry explained he wanted to equip patrol vehicles, including motorcycles. CPD now has only five radar units.
“We’re getting 15 for the vehicles and three additional units for our motorcycles,” Daughtry said. “These radars are top of the line. It doesn’t matter which direction our officer is sitting or moving in, he can pick it up. It also picks out the fastest moving vehicle if there’s a bunch of cars.”
The low quote was $30,487 from Stalker Radar, Daughtry said.
CFO James Brigham said the money was within CPD’s budget.
Mayor Keith Gaskin, speaking at his Wednesday press conference, said the city gets many complaints about speeding.
“Needless to say it was important we get new radars to enforce speeding,” Gaskin said.
New fire truck
The council unanimously approved a payment of $817,364 for a new truck for Columbus Fire and Rescue.
The truck was ordered over a year ago, Gaskin said, and is custom-made for CFR.
Brigham said the city has no money in the truck.
“(Federal Emergency Management Agency) provided a little over $743,000 in a grant to us for that truck,” Brigham said. “Out of our fire insurance rebate money we’re paying our 10% match, which is a little over $74,000. There is no city taxpayer money in that one.”
CFR Chief Duane Hughes told The Dispatch the truck will go to Fire Station 5 on Lehmberg Road.
“The engine and transmission on the truck that we had there quit,” he said. “We bought a used truck in 2019 to use in its place, and when we get the new truck we’ll move that (used) one over to Fire Station 3 to replace the truck there. It’s a miracle when that one cranks.”
Chick-fil-A paving
One of the most hated roads in Columbus is on the verge of being repaved.
Tuesday night the council approved $20,250 to pave the city’s portion of the road west of Chick-fil-A.
The most badly damaged portion of the road is owned by Magnolia Place Cooper LLC, which also owns the adjacent shopping center that contains Old Navy and PetSmart. Ted Cooper, owner of Magnolia Place, has agreed to pay $27,750 to pave his portion of the road.
The council’s approval was contingent on Cooper paying his share of the money.
Gaskin, during his press conference, said the road will be redone completely.
“It will be milled down and resurfaced, not just filling the potholes,” Gaskin said. “Once that is complete the city will look at an agreement to take that ownership back in the hopes it will never get back in the condition it’s in right now.”
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
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