SYLACAUGA TO PARTNER WITH TALLADEGA COUNTY DRUG AND VIOLENT CRIME TASK FORCE

The Sylacauga City Council is offering its support to create a Talladega
County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The council approved a resolution
Tuesday night to fund the task force for fiscal year 2002-2003.

District Attorney Steve Giddens spoke to the council about the task force
during a work session Monday night.

The District Attorney's Office, through the Talladega County Commission, is
requesting grant funds from the Alabama Department of Economic and
Community Affairs Law Enforcement Planning Division. The grant would pay
the operating costs of the task force, Giddens said.

Giddens and Assistant District Attorneys Barry Matson and Chad Woodruff
discussed how the District Attorney's Office wants to implement the 10
member task force. Six officers would come from various agencies in the
county, including one officer from the Sylacauga Police Department and two
from the Talladega County Sheriff's Department, Giddens said. The District
Attorney's Office would hire four officers for the task force.

In applying for the grant, Giddens' office needs a match of $114,000, with
a total requested amount of $335,567.70 from ADECA, bringing the proposed
projected cost to $449,567.70.

The money would pay for state-of-the-art equipment, travel and rent for a
building in Talladega to house the task force.

Giddens asked the council Monday night for a $24,000 cash match from
Sylacauga. He is asking for $30,000 from the Talladega County Commission,
$25,000 from the city of Talladega, $15,000 from the cities of Lincoln and
Childersburg and $5,000 from Oak Grove.

Giddens said his office devised the funding mechanism for each city based
on population, crime statistics and the percentage each city pays to the
juvenile fund.

He said Sylacauga's match could be recouped to a certain extent by seized
assets and forfeitures from drug arrests.

The task force, if funded by the ADECA grant, could begin operations Oct.
1, which is when the new fiscal year starts.

Matson said the District Attorney's Office had looked at funding the task
force for more than a year. "We wanted to look at other counties and what
they did. What works and what doesn't work. We tried to make the funding
fair for everyone," he said.

Giddens said the task force is based on Calhoun County's. "Calhoun County
has had a model agency for 14 years. We think we can be a success," he said.

Councilwoman Lois Showers said she had some concerns about the funding
amount, and Councilwoman Mickey Orton questioned whether grant funding
would be available in the future if the task force is funded.

Giddens said Calhoun County has been funded for 14 years. "If done right, I
fully expect it to be going on from year to year. I think it will be
successful," he said.

Showers said she liked the idea of a task force but believes Sylacauga
should be paying less than Talladega because of its population and crime rate.

"I know we have a drug problem," Showers said, "but I'm concerned about the
cost."

Giddens said he understood her concern. "I want Sylacauga to participate.
What do you think is a fair amount, $21,000?" he asked.

He said the District Attorney's Office is committed to the task force. "I
want you (Sylacauga) to participate. Somehow I will get the other $3,000,"
Giddens said.

He said he appreciated Showers' handling of taxpayers' money. "I have no
problem with that."

Council president Doug Murphree said he believes all the council members
are committed to the task force.

The task force will operate under the District Attorney's Office with a
board of directors that includes police chiefs in the county, including
Sylacauga Police Chief Louis Zook.

The council adopted a resolution funding the task force with a local cash
match of up to $21,000 starting fiscal year 2002-2003.

In other business, the council:

* Adopted a resolution granting a tax abatement to American Foam Cast for
an expansion project totaling some $1.5 million for all state and local non
educational ad valorem taxes; all mortgage and recording and all
construction related transaction taxes, except those construction related
transaction taxes levied for educational purposes or for capital
improvements for education. The period of abatement for the non educational
ad valorem taxes is 10 years under state law. The expansion will create 10
new jobs over two years.

* Authorized Mayor Bruce Carr to sign certification for matching funds for
airport improvements at a cost of $14,520 with the city getting some
$290,000 in the grant process for the project.

* Raised the threshold on fixed assets from $1,000 to $5,000.

* Granted a special events permit for the District Attorney's Office's
Domestic Violence Unit for June 28 and 29 for "breakfast at city hall"
ceremony in Sylacauga and a 2 mile run/walk event finishing up with "lunch
on the square" in Talladega June 29.

* Refunded a $155 license fee for 2002 to W.L. Petrey Inc.

* Set June 18 at 6 p.m. as the date of a public hearing on nuisance
abatement of property owned by Kenneth Seals on Threatt Road.

* Approved expenses for John Gladness to attend a civil remedies for
nuisance abatement seminar in Valley in June; for one council member to
attend Promise Day awards in Salt Lake City, Utah, in June; and for Nora
Sherbert and Kim Martin to attend a professional administrators conference
at Point Clear in July.

* Approved accounts payable of $112,280.64 and payroll of $276,182.17 for
April.

* Heard a complaint from a citizen about hours changing on the inert
landfill, failure of a burned house to be thrown down and clearing railroad
tracks of downed signs and unused cross ties.

Prior to the meeting, Carr recognized the Public Works Department for its
efforts throughout the city; encouraged citizens to shop at home;
congratulated high school graduates; thanked teachers for their efforts
during the school year; and mentioned a Sylacauga Beautification Council
project to beautify intersections down Broadway to the high school with
hanging baskets filled with flowers.

* Murphree announced the absence of Councilman Don Flippo whose father died
recently.