Dougherty law enforcement officials laud community for support

ALBANY — Dougherty County Sheriff Kevin Sproul and Dougherty County Police Department Chief Jackie Battle said Monday their departments had received an outpouring of support from the community in the wake of violence against law enforcement officers around the country.

Addressing the Dougherty County Commission at that body’s business meeting, Battle said, “The community has been very receptive to the things we’ve done to show them we are looking out for their best interest. There is a feeling in the community that we are all in this together and we support each other.”

Sproul praised area religious leaders who held a communitywide anti-violence rally at the Veterans Park Amphitheatre last week at which local law enforcement officials were invited to attend and speak.

“It’s important that we as law enforcement officers let our community know that we are here to serve and protect them, and we appreciate the outpouring of support we’ve gotten from them,” the sheriff said. “I think it’s also very important that our church leaders have gotten involved in offering their support.”

County Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas said he’s glad to see the ongoing communication efforts.

“There is a communications gap between a lot of citizens in the community and law enforcement,” Cohilas said. “I think I speak for this entire board when I say we appreciate the work our law enforcement does. It’s important that this (community) dialog continues.”

Also at Monday’s board meeting, Library System Director Pauline Abidde and Library Board Chairman Walter Kelley updated the commission on new equipment the system plans to purchase with some $27,000 in grant money it will receive from the Sabal Trail Community Grant program. The program is a community outreach effort by the Houston-based Sabal Trail energy company that will start construction of a 465-mile, Alabama-to-Florida natural gas pipeline soon.

Part of the pipeline will run through south Dougherty County.

Kelley said 27,145 individuals had visited the five library branches in the system during the month of May, and Abidde said the system had followed up its successful three-day book sale three weeks ago — which netted more than $11,000 in sales — with its first Book Sale Friday last week. That 2 1/2-hour effort brought in $734.

Also at the meeting, the commission:

— Agreed to reallocate $431,158 in Public Works Facilities and Storm Drainage SPLOST VI funds so that immediate work can begin on replacing the 18-year-old track at Hugh Mills Stadium;

— OK’d a one-day alcohol license for a Boy Scouts of America fundraiser at the Potter Community Center Oct. 18;

— Approved a resolution to a 1998 GMA lease pool agreement that moves assets from the Bank of New York Mellon to Regions Bank;

— Agreed to allow an amendment to the lease pool agreement that would allow software financing to increase from 10 percent to 50 percent;

— Made appointments to the Department of Family and Children Services Board (Norma Kay Heath and Henry Mathis), the Tax Assessors Board (Larry Thomas), and a joint city/county appointment to the Gas Board (William Walker);

— Approved Anthony Tucker’s rezoning request for 4.5 acres of land at 1202 SE Liberty Expressway from C-3 (commercial) to C-8 (commercial recreation) to allow for the expansion of the Albany RV Resort at that property. With the approval, Tucker plans to add 15 sites to the RV park.