Nevada police to be equipped with Tasers

By Ralph Pokorny

Nevada Daily Mail

The Nevada Police Department will soon be adding a new weapon to their arsenal that will allow officers to end a violent confrontation without endangering themselves or resorting to their batons or guns.

Tuesday night the Nevada City Council approved the purchase of five X26E Tasers for $6,176.30 from Ed Roehr Safety Products Company, St. Louis, at the recommendation of Nevada Police Chief Christine Keim.

The plan is to put four of the Tasers in patrol cars and keep the fifth one in reserve.

"To outfit the entire force would be too expensive at this time," Keim said.

This equipment will reduce the chance of injury to both police officers and suspects, she told the council.

"When you are dealing with people who aren't rational you have to try to keep them from hurting themselves and others," Keim said.

This situation can arise when dealing with people who are on drugs or are drunk.

Keim said that these weapons will be used under strict department guidelines.

"We already have an officer trained on the X26E who can train the other officers," she said.

In other business the council: Voted to postpone until the Sept. 21 city council meeting consideration of rezoning property at the southwest corner of Ash Street and Austin Boulevard to allow Family Video to put a store there at the request of the property owner and the developer. The city council is also still awaiting further information from the Missouri Department of Transportation.

* Accepted a bid of $39,046 from Aries Industries, Inc., Sussex, Wis., for a sewer inspection camera.

* Accepted a bid of $7,072 for cement lined iron pipe, from Heartland Waterworks Supply, Grandview, to replace a water main in an area where the soil is contaminated with petroleum products. These products will permeate into the PVC pipe normally used for water lines contaminating the water.

* Held a public hearing and passed on first reading a ordinance to start the Barton Meadows Neighborhood Improvement District project and directing the city to obtain funding for the project.

* Passed on first reading a special ordinance approving the city's annual software maintenance contracts with ACS State and Local Solutions for the city's PACE 4.0 server software and the finance, payroll and utility customer accounting software. The total of both contracts, which run through Feb. 28, 2006, is $8,353.

* Passed on first reading a special ordinance rescinding the approval of a final plat for Ashland Estates which was superceded by a new final plat filed in June 2004. This needs to be done so the correct development agreement can be recorded at the Vernon County Recorder Office.

* Passed on first reading a special ordinance rescinding the approval an Ashland Estates Plat No. 1 Development Agreement with Dean Stutesman so the June 2004 development agreement can be recorded at the Vernon County Recorder Office.

* Adopted Resolution No. 1094 approving an estimated $3,000 in travel expenses for city manager Craig Hubler to attend the International City Managers Conference, Oct.17-20 in San Diego. Hubler will be recognized for 25 years of service as a city manager at this meeting. The travel expenses include $1.000 to cover a possible trip to Denver, Colo., to meet with Charlie Zitnik, Kirkpartick & Pettis, about possible solutions to weaknesses in the city's cash management procedures. These problems, which are discussed each year in the city's annual audit, were also pointed out in the petition audit currently being conducted by the Missouri State Auditor's Office.

* Adopted Resolution No. 1094 approving stop signs on Chestnut Street at the intersection with Barr Streets.

* Adopted Resolution No. 1096 waiving the prohibition on shooting firearms in the city limits to allow shooting events to be held during the Rec Fest, Sept. 24-26.

* Voted to pass on second reading a special ordinance approving a contract with the Missouri State College Police Laboratory, Joplin, to provide criminal laboratory services. The cost for the coming year will be $5,830.

* Passed on second reading a general ordinance re-enacting the city's conflict of interest disclosure policy.

* Gave final approval to a general ordinance to bring the city's sewer ordinances into agreement with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources regulations.

* Passed on second reading a general ordinance updating the city's standards for street construction to allow for different paving thicknesses in residential and commercial areas as well as to change the required width of sidewalks to meet current ADA standards.