Board approves police vehicles

MINER -- A lease-purchase agreement will put two new patrol vehicles on the road for the Miner Police Department.

Miner's Board of Alderman approved the lease-purchase arrangement with First Capital during their meeting Thursday. The regular monthly meeting was rescheduled from Tuesday due to the election.

One of the department's vehicles has over 200,000 miles and the other has over 100,000, according to Alderman Justin Medley, and are now costly to repair and maintain. "We know one of them is ready to go and we're worried about the other one," he said.

The city has budgeted for the purchase of one vehicle per year in the current and recent budgets. Medley said the lease-purchase is "just a way to get two vehicles now instead of waiting until next year for one."

The total cost for the financing is $3,000. The city can buy the vehicles at the end of the lease for $1.

The cost for the two 2006 Crown Victorias, which were purchased via the state bid, is $44,900.

In other business:

* An ordinance calling for a general municipal election April 4 was approved by the board.

Positions on the April ballot will include mayor, a Ward 1 alderman and a Ward 2 alderman. All of terms are for two years.

* Board members approved a gas franchise renewal for Atmos Energy.

"We do that every 20 years," Medley said.

Under the franchise agreement, the city receives 5 percent of the annual revenue from gas sales in the city with the money going to the general revenue fund.

* Board members denied a rezoning request from Kelles Wade for property located at the corner of Jewel and Vanhorn behind the Book Bug.

Wade had asked for the property to be rezoned from R-1 single family to R-2 multifamily with the idea apartments would serve as a buffer between commercial and residential zones.

Comments during a public hearing before the regular board meeting were all against the zoning change.