HAMLET - The Hamlet City Council met in a special three-hour budgetary session on Friday, March 2nd.
The purpose of this open meeting was to review preliminary proposals for major budgetary items to be considered for the upcoming fiscal year of 2018-2019.
Presentations were provided by the fire department, the public works division, and the police.
Primary requests for the fire department included air packs and a vehicle for official use by fire department personnel. It was noted by Chief Calvin White that fire department personnel are sorely in need of new and improved air packs. He demonstrated the significant differences between the older ones currently in use by his firemen and the improved technology and safety features of the newer models.
Primary requests for the public works department included money for specific sewer line repairs and preventative maintenance on a particularly troublesome stretch of pipe behind the Food Lion. Public works officials Ernie Billingsley and were well-prepared with data, statistics and personal observations in regard to the issues faced by their workers on a daily basis. Maintaining the infrastructure of the City of Hamlet requires astute attention to the condition of our streets, sewers, water supply system, power grid, and other miscellaneous details that most of us never even think about. It is because of the good work of our city personnel that we don’t have to.
Primary requests for the police department included a drug and gang specialist, camera monitors for the city, and an additional K-9 officer. Chief Scott Waters and Patrolman Chad Haywood made an excellent case in support of their request for a full-time drug and gang intervention officer. Complete with pertinent statistics and a video record of the plethora of evidence of gang activity in Hamlet, the officers provided a convincing argument of the dire need for the establishment of such a position.
Another position was likewise requested by the police department. Chief Waters noted the need for a full-time animal control officer, lamenting the current situation in which patrol officers are summoned away from their normal duties to tend to calls regarding stray dogs and cats as well as other potentially dangerous animal control situations. Waters offered specific statistics to support his contention, informing the Council that no less than 671 reports involving animals were addressed by the HPD in 2017.
Other issues of note included the possibility of contracting for the maintenance and upkeep of Mary Love Cemetery, the possible future need for a “belt press” for the water treatment plant, and/or perhaps entering into a contractual agreement with Rockingham as a possible means to more efficiently address the sewage needs of Hamlet.
Perhaps the most interesting presentation of the day was made by Tsunami Monitoring Services. The capabilities of the company’s state-of-the-art Tsunami camera were highlighted and demonstrated, with multiple examples of the machine’s video surveillance prowess being shown. Specific features of the high-tech camera include a full 360 degree range of scope, dual level interactive WiFi feed capability, and a superior level of practicality as a function of its ease of mobility.
The HPD is requesting four cameras to be strategically placed in and around the city as needed. High-crime areas could be easily monitored, as could special outdoor events such as parades, the Seaboard Festival, the County Fair and other such activities. While the cost of each camera is in the range of $7000, the fact that the mechanism is relatively lightweight and mobile – and thus capable of being fully functional when mounted onto a vehicle - while being housed in a virtually impregnable casing was yet another positive aspect for consideration.
The Council members were impressive in their attention to the details and rationale associated with each and every request that was put before them. Each councilman at some point in the morning-long proceedings inquired and actively probed as to the degree of need and cost-benefit associated with the individual budget requests. This approach held true throughout the duration of the session and was equally applied to all of the department heads and personnel who came before the Council.
The Hamlet City Council will reconvene in April to further discuss the details of these propositions.
