City Council News Briefs

Council OKs grant for police gear

The City Council approved a request by Olney Police Chief Dan Birbeck to apply for a $10,000 grant from the L.F. and Carla Perry Foundation for gear to train Olney police to respond quickly in an active shooter situation. If approved, the grant will buy simulation guns, headgear, throat protectors and breaching tools, Chief Birbeck said. “This will prepare us, along with surrounding agencies, to respond to active shooters,” he told the Council.

KOB to plant donated trees

Keep Olney Beautiful got permission June 13 to plant a crop of donated trees around the city. The City Council voted to allow the group to plant the trees on City property June 13. KOB will inform the Council as soon as it determines where the trees will go, Mayor Rue Rogers said. KOB will plant them, and the City will provide upkeep, he said.

Gas prices keep city trucks in yard

Mayor Pro Tem Tom Parker said on-call City workers should stop taking home City-owned trucks to reduce the City’s fuel bill. At the June 13 meeting, Parker proposed paying $25 per weekend as compensation for workers to use their own vehicles to drive to the City public works yard on weekends for emergency calls. “Fuel is going to kill us,” Parker said. “The City didn’t budget for $5 a gallon.”

Public works ready to install new stop, yield signs

The Public Works Department soon will install new stop and yield signs on about 50 uncontrolled intersections throughout the City, Public Works Director KC Blassingame told the City Council June 13. “We have all the stuff to do the uncontrolled intersections ...so we will be starting that pretty soon,” he told the Council. In January, Olney Police Chief Dan Birbeck asked the Council to post new traffic signs at all City intersections to cut down on traffic and pedestrian accidents. Only two existing signs will change; the rest will be new signs, Birbeck said. The public works department was expected to start installing signs at intersections with the highest risk of accidents first.