Council Passes on Uniformed Police Change

The day after a student sociopath killed 32 people at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA, several on the Grove City Council wanted to ban city policemen in uniform from attending Council meetings. Buried as Agenda Item #15, it drew much discussion from the audience in attendance at Tuesday night's regular meeting.

But common sense prevailed, with the council voting 5-0 to bounce the issue back to Acting City Manager Debbie Mavity, from which it had come the week prior, to die quietly or be resurrected later. Last week Councilman Larry Parham had asked her to issue a new policy banning uniformed police from attending council meetings, but she felt the entire council should make the decision and had it put on the Agenda for Tuesday night's meeting.

Councilors Mike Davenport and Gary Trippensee spoke in favor of the ban, while the newly elected Mayor, Gary Bishop, said he was neutral; Terry Ryan was opposed to the ban and Parham recognized the opposition to it and made the recommendation to send the issue back to Mavity. The measure is aimed at Chief of Police Ivan Devitt, who comes to council meetings on his own time, unpaid, and in uniform. He was hired by former city manager Bill Galletly, after Galletly fired former chief Mark Wall.

From the audience, Dave Rieden said "if someone thought this up in jest, it is not amusing. We need uniformed police at these meetings." Bill Miller said Columbine, the Amish church murders and other events made for a less friendly atmosphere. "If you pass this measure and someone comes in here and kills people, you, the Council, will be legally responsible," he said.

Councilman Terry Ryan said "the Amish people thought they were safe and look what happened there."

Gary Trippensee generously said "police may come to meetings, but not in uniform," while Davenport said "we don't need uniformed officers here."

Miller pointed out that at the Delaware County Courthouse Sheriff's deputies are now in the courtroom to protect the judges, after events last year occurred when judges were threatened.

Resident Duane Heitzman said "we need police here, it would be a mistake to change it."

Concha Trippensee, wife of Councilman Trippensee, disagreed, as did Steve Rowe.

The meat of the matter came when someone asked what started the Chief of Police's appearance in uniform at council meetings about a year ago, under former city manager Bill Galletly. "It was just requested," said Mavity. The new council made no secret during the election campaign that it would make changes in measures Galletly instituted during his four years as City Manager.

Police Chief Devitt stood at the door, in uniform, for the entire council meeting which lasted over two hours.

In other Council action:

--Council elected Gary Bishop as Mayor, and Gary Trippensee as Vice Mayor, by a 4-0 vote, with abstentions from Bishop and Trippensee on their own election.

--Agreed to advertise for two positions on the GMSA Board to fill seats open by former mayor Carolyn Nuckolls and former councilman Dave Helms.

--Rejected 4-1 a plan to require fencing around dumpsters, instead sending the issue back to the Planning & Zoning Board with the recommendation that all current businesses be grandfathered. Ryan was the lone holdout for acceptance of P&Z's recommendation.

--Requested the Mayor send a letter to GRDA requesting that all shoreline within Grove's city limits should be designated "multi-purpose" in the new Shoreline Management Plan, still under review by GRDA.

--Issued a proclamation declaring April as Fair Housing Month.

--Approved a grant request from the Department of Justice to purchase new vests for the police department.

--Agreed to waive the permit fee of $100 for Second Saturdays to hold sidewalk sales in downtown Grove from June 9-Oct. 13.

--Approved a new cemetery plan and the spending of $274,800 to develop the property adjacent to the nearly-filled Olympus Cemetery east of town, subject to budget approval.

--Appointed Larry Parham as Council representative ex-officio to the Chamber of Commerce Board.

--Postponed action, again, on a request by Don VanHooser to develop some property on Carey Bay, due to a misprint in the legal designation. It set a special meeting on Friday at 8 a.m. to reconsider the issue.

--Voted to amend Sec 7-105 of the City Ordinance increasing city spending and bidding limits from $5,000 to $12,500 to match policy.

--Set a special meeting May 2 with representatives of the Oklahoma City Managers Association on a presentation on "How to Hire a City Manager."

Mavity reported that 40 resumes for the open position of city manager have been received, and that the Personnel Manual needs overhauling. She expressed appreciation to the new councilors saying "I want to work with each of you and head in a positive direction." Gary Bishop reported that April 21 is the citywide "trash off day" where tree limbs, trash and other discarded materials will be picked up by city workers, starting in the Eastern portions of town, moving to the West.