The Luther Town Board, in a Special Meeting Tuesday night, voted for money to be spent on additional rooms for an upcoming fire fighter training in Lawton.
Two weeks ago, the Board approved three rooms, but that was not enough rooms for a female volunteer fire fighter to attend the training (and not bunk up with the guys).
So they revisited the issue tonight.
“She is a volunteer firefighter and she needs the schooling,” said Trustee Carolyn Lawson. The board approved the motion but voted that the total cost should not exceed $800 for all of the rooms to accommodate the firefighters attending the Destry Horton Wildland Fire School.
The costs comes out of the Fire Department’s grant, not the Town General Fund.
The board also voted, with three yes votes, to approve lodging for Luther police officers to attend a Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) course on forensic photography in Tahlequah. Participants will receive a forensic police digital camera as part of the training.
Trustee Birlene Langley said currently the police department does not have the equipment to take photographs at crime scenes. But Sgt. Mike Oliver said he has a camera from a previous training with older technology. Trustee Ron Henry asked Sgt. Oliver why the camera wasn’t used to investigate the robbery at the Luther Rock N Vape Shop in September. Sgt. Oliver told the board that he wasn’t on duty during that investigation and he was not called to take pictures.
Trustees wanted to ensure the cameras stay with the Town, not the officers who attend the training. Still, Mayor Cecilia Taft and Trustee Ron Henry were no votes.
The other agenda item was to purchase identifying decals for two police vehicles that are currently unmarked. Trustee Henry said, “We are not an undercover town. All police vehicles should be marked.”
All five Trustees approved spending $600 to put police decals on the police department’s Dodge Charger and Chevrolet Caprice that are not being used for patrol. Previously, those cars were considered “administrative” vehicles, used by Police Chief Marcus Thurman and Deputy Chief MIke Class. Sgt. Oliver told the board state statute doesn’t require administrative vehicles to be marked, but a local jurisdiction could override that law.
The trustees then transitioned to their Luther Public Works Authority meeting and called for an Executive Session to interview applicants for the number two maintenance position opening. Four male applicants and meeting attendees waited outside on Main Street in front of Town Hall during the session, as each applicant was called in individually.
About an hour later, the board reconvened in open session and voted to table the hiring issue until its next meeting, February 14.
