County Awarded Courtroom Security Grant

The county has been awarded a grant to improve security in the third floor courtrooms of the courthouse.
During Thursday night’s meeting, the county commission voted to accept a grant in the amount of $17,031 with a 10% local match of $1,702.
The grant funds will be used to install two bullet proof benches and a panic alarm system (2 panic buttons) in the courtrooms. Funds will also be allocated for courtroom security training.
County Mayor Tim Stribling said he and Circuit Court Clerk Katherine Pack applied for the grant through the state’s Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC). This one time grant program became effective August 18, 2017. The AOC received $2 million in one-time funds appropriated by the Tennessee General Assembly and Governor Bill Haslam to improve court security across Tennessee.
Stribling explained that this is a reimbursement grant. The county will purchase the equipment first and be reimbursed through the grant program except for the 10% match.
In other business, the commission appointed Chris Russell as a member to the 911 board to represent Alexandria for a term of four years. Russell, who is also the Alexandria Police Chief, was recommended for the appointment by the DeKalb County Emergency Communications District Board of Directors (911 board).
The commission also voted to have DeKalb County included on a statewide listing of approved jurisdictions for the sale of consumer fireworks. With DeKalb County on the list, those seeking a permit to sell fireworks around the 4th of July and New Years Day will no longer need to have the county mayor sign their application as a requirement to obtain a state issued permit. All other state requirements will still apply.
“Tennessee law requires that all permit applications for the retail sale of consumer fireworks be signed by the chief executive officer of the county or municipality in which the fireworks are to be sold to fulfill the requirement of state law,” said County Mayor Stribling.
“The current practice requires the applicant to contact the (County Mayor) office in order to obtain his signature on the application that must be returned to the Department of Commerce and Insurance. The information provided about your jurisdiction will be made public so that applicants can determine any restrictions on the sale of consumer fireworks in your jurisdiction”.
“If you designate that the retail sale of fireworks are allowed in your jurisdiction and you elect to make that information public to potential applicants an applicant will not be required to obtain the signature for approval of the permit application”.
State law provides for the sale of fireworks by valid permit holders from June 20 through July 5 and from December 10 to January 2.