Charles Oliver
charlesoliver@daltoncitizen.com
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The Dalton Police Department will get two new patrol cars and the public works department will get a new street sweeper thanks to an amendment to the 2010 budget the City Council approved 4-0 Monday night.
The amendment calls for $289,605 in new revenue and new spending. The revenue includes various state and federal grants as well as some transfer payments from Dalton Utilities.
“Our storm water ordinance calls for us to sweep every city street twice a year,” said Public Works Director Benny Dunn.
Dunn said the street sweeper will replace a six-year-old sweeper the city is currently using. The city should have the new sweeper by fall, he said.
A vote on an ordinance to require businesses that buy gold, silver and jewelry to take part in an electronic database that can be accessed by Whitfield County law enforcement agencies was removed from the agenda before the meeting.
“We still intend to pass that, but we have some details that still have to be worked out,” said Mayor David Pennington.
The computer system for pawn brokers has been up and running for about a year, and Dalton Police Chief Jason Parker says it has already helped deter and solve a number of crimes.
Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office Maj. John Gibson said he expects that agency will ask the county Board of Commissioners to pass a similar ordinance requiring gold buyers in unincorporated parts of the county to also take part in the pawn shop database.
“It hasn’t been as pressing an issue in the county, but it is something we’ve been talking about (with the police department). We’ve been waiting to see what the city does,” Gibson said.
