CHAFFEE CITY ATTORNEY TELLS BOARD OF PROBLEMS IN HOLDING DELTA PRISONERS

CHAFFEE - The City of Delta is eying the Chaffee City Jail as a place to hold its municipal lawbreakers, and it's an idea that doesn't sit well with Chaffee city officials.

At its regular meeting Monday night, the Chaffee City Council sent a request for use of the jail from the city of Delta to the Chaffee Police Board. But the request didn't get sent to the board until some city officials voiced displeasure with it.

Delta city officials decided in late May to hire a part-time town marshal. Now, Chaffee City Attorney David Summers said, the city of Delta is requesting periodic use of the Chaffee jail for lawbreakers.

Summers warned the council of possible repercussions with such an arrangement.

"There are a lot of considerations to take into play here in making a decision on this type of matter," he said.

The first factor, Summers said, deals with any injuries that might occur at the jail and the resulting legislation the city could get tied up in. Secondly, he said, the city could wind up having to pay the medical expenses of any inmates who become sick or ill.

Another factor to consider is the possibility of Chaffee city personnel not being able to fully perform their required duties due to having to deal with the Delta inmates, said Summers. A Chaffee city employee, he said, could also potentially wind up as a witness in a Delta case and have to go to court on paid city time.

City Councilman Jerry Wolsey of Ward 1 spoke against the plan.

"I think we need to steer away from that if at all possible," he said. Joining him in chorus were Councilpersons Irmgard Chronister of Ward 2 and Brad Bader of Ward 4.

Ward 2 Councilman Ed Gauthier said he probably felt the same way as Wolsey, but the matter should go to the city police board. Chronister didn't agree at first.

"I think its the council's business," she said. "I don't think it's the police commission's business because the city of Chaffee is responsible."

She later changed her mind, though, and agreed to send the matter to the police board.

On a separate matter, the head of the Bootheel Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission advised the council to not approve any more extensions for road work under way in the Chaffee Industrial Park. The official, Dan Bollinger, said in a public hearing before the council's regular meeting that no reason existed for the work not to be done.

The work deals with the construction of two service roads running on each side of Columbia Sportswear. The city received a $57,000 community development block grant for the work.

The work is being done by Apex Paving Co. of Sikeston. The company has until July 15 to complete the work until penalties are assessed.

The consulting engineer and surveying firm of S.H. Smith is involved in the project.

Chaffee Mayor Ron Moyers said after the meeting that the city had already approved three extensions for the work. The council approved the final extension at its last meeting, after Moyers said the work had lagged because of wet conditions in the spring. Moyers had said only ditch and shoulder work still needed to be done.

Chaffee City council members went into executive session after their public meeting to discuss litigation. Ward 3 Councilman Randy Dooley did not attend the meeting.