Maysville to restrict personal use of police cars

“If we cut back on driving the cars home, how much is that going to help us?” Baker asked.

Sullens estimated fuel costs alone at about $5,900 a year for one patrol car – the one driven by an officer who lives about 34 miles away from Maysville. He added that the estimated cost is based on premium fuel rates.

“We’re getting to the point where we’re going to have to put a cap on mileage,” said councilman Clay Dorsey. “I hate to do it because I know it’s an incentive.”

Sullens answered: “With salaries up as they are, it’s not much of an incentive anymore.”

The chief conducted a review of what area police departments do with respect to patrol car use. He mentioned Hall County as amending its policy to keep all vehicles from leaving the county unless the officers are working. Additionally, full-time Maysville officers receive an hourly wage nearly equivalent to what Commerce police do and those officers do not have take-home car privileges, Sullens reported.

Council members agreed the chief should limit personal use of departmental patrol cars to a 10-mile radius of the city and continue to authorize travel for business purposes. Sullens, as the department head, should be excluded from the provision, they told him.

The chief also was urged to consider using regular gasoline in patrol cars despite manufacturer’s advice that the performance vehicles use premium fuel. Along with the change, however, the council asked Sullens to monitor the cars’ performance and any issues that may spring from the downgrade.

“(Changing gas) will save you money on your budget. That’s 20 cents a gallon,” councilman Stephan Lewis said. “That makes a huge difference.”

Sullens said he would rework the figures and resubmit them this week.

Additionally, the council asked city clerk Barbara Thomas to request that Georgia Power audit the energy consumption at the city’s library, in particular. The budget calls for the library to use power adding up to nearly $11,000 in utility bills in 2012, up more than $2,000 from last year.

Even so, the council acknowledged that most of the $6,000 increase in the library’s proposed budget in 2012 relates to an additional staff member’s salary.

Baker initially raised the library as another area the council should address for cuts, but the group did not pursue much discussion on the subject.

Maysville council was tentatively scheduled to meet again at 7 p.m. on Nov. 1 for a regular meeting.

In other business at the meeting, councilwoman Lynn Villyard volunteered to poll members of the downtown development authority to see if any of those serving plan to continue on the board.

She and other council members said they were conflicted about filling the DDA vacancies since the authority is supposed to make its own nominations, according to its bylaws.