12272007276
MINUTES
CITY OF DUNN
DUNN, NORTH CAROLINA
The City Council of the City of Dunn held a Special Call Meeting on Thursday, December 27, 2007,
at 8:30 a.m. in the Dr. P.K. Vyas Recreation Center, 209 Jackson Road, Dunn, NC. Present was
Mayor Oscar N. Harris, Mayor Pro Tern N. Carnell Robinson, Council Members Buddy Maness,
Billy Tart, Chuck Turnage and Joey Tart. Also present was City Manager Ronnie Autry, Police
Chief B.P. Jones, Police Lt. Rodney Rowland, City Attorney P. Tilghman Pope, City Clerk Debra
West, and Daily Record Reporter Steve Reed.
Council Member Bryan Galbreath was absent.
INVOCATION
Mayor Harris opened the meeting at 8:34 a.m. and gave the invocation. Afterwards the Pledge of
Allegiance was repeated.
ITEMS ,FOR DISCUSSIONAND /OR DECISION
AUTHORIZATION TO APPLY
FOR GOVERNOR'S CRIME
COMMISSION GRANT TO
PREVENT GANG VIOLENCE
This is a second grant through the Governor's Crime Commission to Prevent Gang Violence. The time
frame of this grant will be from July 1, 2008 until December 31, 2009.
Police Chief Jones explained that after the last council meeting, it was learned that this grant application
must be submitted by December 31, 2007. The grant will be requesting three (3) temporary full -time non -
sworn employees under the Dunn Police Athletic /Activities League as follows: 1 — Community
Coordinator, 1 — Youth Coordinator and 1- Youth Services Officer. The Community Coordinator will be
working with call -ins of repeat offenders under the forming Harnett Community Action Committee,
contacting the community, churches, civic groups, parents and citizens to become involved in
prevention/intervention programs at the Dunn Police Athletic /Activities League along with other duties.
The Youth Coordinator will be working with youth to become involved in various programs through the
Dunn Police Athletic /Activities League, checking on school grades, becoming involved in various other
after - school programs throughout the county that Dunn PAL may not offer along with various other duties.
The Youth Service Officer will be working directly with youth that are drop -outs, suspended from school,
involved in gangs and other criteria and coaching these youth into becoming involved in school, Dunn PAL
and various other programs to turn from their current lifestyle as well as other job duties.
The grant will also request instruction materials, education materials, personnel training and youth
activities funding to help with continuing training of staff, assisting with helping further the education of
youth and assisting with providing more youth with athletic opportunities.
The grant will also request for equipment for the following agencies to further assist them in collaborating
with all agencies as it relates to gangs and assist in all suppression efforts of those agencies: Dunn, Erwin,
Coats, Lillington and Benson Police Departments. The grant will include seven (7) wireless broadband
internet access cards for laptops, 18 laptops to be distributed to the agencies listed along with four (4)
digital cameras for the Benson Police Department who did not receive these from the first grant.
Total amount of requested grant funds:
$138,487.00 25% of the grant is a mandated snatch and %2 of the match may be in -kind.
PAL is requesting that 12.5% of the match come from the current full -time gang officer with the Dunn
Police Department that is assigned to the Dunn Police Athletic /Activities League.
The remaining 12.5% match must be a cash match in the amount of $17,310.88.
This permission to apply for grant funds is for an 18 month grant and is not an award. PAL will report
back to the City Council on the success of the grant to ask for an acceptance if this grant is awarded.
It was explained that this grant will help the existing PAL program reach more young people. Information
is shared with surrounding towns on a continuous basis.
Discussion was held about the current gang grant that the City received, manpower which is already in
place, the accomplishments in receiving laptops and software to identify gang members and potential gang
members with the current gang grant.
Chief Jones spoke about a charting system which the City has in place that plots every known drug house.
Discussion was held about juveniles and it was explained by Chief Jones that those records must be kept
separate. He mentioned that the SRO (School Resource Officer) can identify juveniles through the help of
school children. A lot of drug information is given through the SRO Officer's relationship with the
children in the school system.
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Mayor Harris pointed out that this gives the city an opportunity to infiltrate the system. He mentioned that
PAL is a good program which interrelates to other programs.
Mayor Pro Tern Robinson stated that it is impossible to go in his community without hearing something
positive about the PAL program. It is amazing when you hear from kids and adults about Lt. Rowland. He
commended Lt. Rowland and stated that he wished that all kids would take part in this program.
A motion was made by Council Member Tumage, and seconded by Mayor Pro Tern Robinson to grant
authorization to apply for a Governor's Crime Commission Grant to Prevent Gang Violence. Motion
unanimously approved.
Further discussion was held about the pay schedule proposed for the personnel approved for this grant.
Mayor Pro Tem Robinson encouraged the council to attend the Martin Luther King Parade on January 21,
2008.
With no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 9:00 a.m.
Attest:
Debra G. West
City Clerk
CITY
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Oscar N. Harris
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