Fulton officials considering whether to hire public safety officer

FULTON — Fulton officials are considering whether to hire a public safety officer.

At Monday night’s City Council meeting, Fulton Police Chief Nick Neblung proposed hiring a public safety officer, a civilian position dedicated to the enforcement of city ordinances. Responsibilities would include enforcing grass, trash, automobile and parking ordinances, and assisting at car accident scenes, according to Neblung.

Fulton Mayor Wendy Ottens discussed how this position would necessitate the adoption of a building code, possibly the International Property Maintenance Code. The motion for the ordinance is to be discussed at the next meeting.

“I’ve always been a proponent of having a community service officer,” Neblung said. He previously has submitted multiple proposals to institute the role.

In addition to the potential hiring discussion, the City Council awarded the bid to CTI, of Davenport, Iowa, for audio/video equipment at a total cost of $45,248. The purchase is part of the city’s ongoing project to renovate and add onto Fulton’s City Hall and Police Department to create more storage space and upgrade technology.

The city last year planned to renovate a portion of the building; however, when wet spots and black mold were discovered in a wall dating to construction in the mid-1990s, city officials decided to replace the affected portions with new walls. Construction also includes new flooring.

Construction is being completed by Eissens Construction & Roofing Inc. and is expected to be finished in the fall of this year. The city has budgeted an estimated $300,000 for the project, and expected to spend anywhere from $45,000 to $50,000 for new technology that will allow the city to video stream meetings, according to city business manager Tammy Garibay.

Electrical and heating, air-conditioning and ventilation work will be underway within the coming week, as will work on the windows.

In other business:

• The council approved the purchase of a dog kennel from Sterling Fence and Deck at a cost of $1,750.
• The council approved the certificate of authority for public works director Eric Sikkema to authorize the purchase of road salt for the community.
• Adim and Sanela Dzeladini have been approved for a Class A-1 liquor license.
• Fulton city officials are currently in talks with Simple Grants, which presented at Monday’s meeting. The company specializes in helping cities apply for grants based on a comprehensive grant strategy. Ottens expects talks to continue with the company to see if the city is willing to contract for their services in the future.
• Fulton’s Pleasure Park has been the point of discussion in regard to lighting. Some have brought up the proposal to replace and install lights in the park for night hours, but objections have been raised about potential costs and safety concerns of replacing the old lights. The discussion was tabled.
• Fulton City Hall’s hours will be shifting. Beginning the week of April 29, City Hall will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.