City Council Updates - June

During a regularly called City Council meeting on June 9, Interim Police Chief James Hommel gave his monthly update to council members. 

The update included fixing problems with HR paperwork, updates on day-to-day operations, and a request for new body cams and in-car video cameras for the Marlin Police Department. 

During the meeting, Hommel said that we had three, possibly four, interviews scheduled for later in the week, with one of the officers available to begin as soon as the weekend of June 13. 

He let the council know that the system used by the department had been upgraded to the Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) software. 

According to the Law Enforcement Information Technology Standards Council, the CAD systems allow public safety operations and communications to be augmented, assisted, or partially controlled by an automated system. Possibilities with the software include, among other capabilities, computer-controlled emergency vehicle dispatching, vehicle status, incident reporting, and management information.

Chief Hommel also brought up the subject of purchasing new body cameras and in-vehicle cameras for the department, as the law requires the use of such equipment in certain situations. 

Texas law requires officers to view the footage of critical incidents (like officer‐involved shootings) prior to making a statement, according to the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition.

Though not all incidents are required to be recorded, research has shown that releasing the footage of certain incidents can improve police‐civilian interactions within communities.

There was a specially called meeting of the Marlin City Council on Tuesday, June 16 to move forward with purchasing the equipment. 

“I have used these before,” Hommel told the council on June 9. “After four years, they were in perfect condition when I left.”

The 12 body cams total $8,700 and have a 1GB storage capacity, though there are options available to upgrade that. The four requested in-car cameras will cost $6,780, which totals $15,480 for all 16 cameras. 

Hommel proposed to use the $15,000 donation received by MPD in 2019, along with funds from the budget, to cover the expenses and get the department up to state standards. 

Old City Dump

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has requested that the City of Marlin voluntarily revoke their permit/registration on the land for the Old City Dump, held in Falls County. A motion made by Councilman Douglas Porter and seconded by Neddie Lange-Moore passed unanimously to fulfill their request. 

“It was my understanding that the reason we don’t use that anymore is because it will not pass TCEQ standards,” recalled Porter. “They updated the way they handle landfills.”

At the time that the landfill permit was designated, there was not an expiration date attached to it. 

According to City Manager Cedric Davis, by giving up the permit, the Council elects to not use that land for dumping grounds ever again. 

The land has not been used for dumping in over a decade and is currently filled with green pastures. It is currently leased out for use for cattle and hay-growing; the lease will end in the coming years. The City of Marlin now contracts out their dumping needs.

Bank Account Updates

The Marlin City Council unanimously approved creating separate bank accounts for Court Technology, Court Security, Juvenile Case Management, and Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (LEOSE) Police Training. 

According to Judy Sisk, the City’s Financial Director, bank accounts were unnecessarily consolidated in 2016/2017, though the state law requires them to be tracked via designated accounts. 

The Council approved moving $9,399.95 to the Court Technology account, $16,433.15 to Court Security, $4,033.38 to Juvenile Case Management, and $1,200 to LEOSE Police Training. Sisk stated that the numerical values of the different sections were kept track of via accounting procedure, i.e. separate lines on the budget

Brushy Creek 

Brian Sledge, the attorney for the City of Marlin concerning the ongoing Brushy Creek project, was unable to make it to the meeting due to a number of complications, but sent an email that answered many of the questions voiced by Mayor Carolyn Lofton. 

“I do hope the City filed the application for federal funding with the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) before the deadline,” Lofton read from the email. “Assuming that was all on time and in the works, I think the City should keep Mr. Mitamura involved to help answer questions and to make sure the NRCS doesn’t do anything that would be harmful to the overall viability of the project and so someone is keeping the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers updated on what is going on.”

Reading further, Sledge reminded City Officials to call either of them with any questions/advice needed and that the project is on a small standstill until further direction is received from the City of Marlin. Sledge also urged officials to make sure that those working on the EDC program be knowledgeable on the Brushy Creek project. The last bill received from the law office was in February of 2020 and was for the meeting Sledge attended with NCRS. The project will remain on standby until a reevaluation is received from NCRS.