City council re-appoints police chief

By Staff
Kim West
The Russellville city council ended weeks of speculation about the status of Police Chief Chris Hargett by voting 5-0-1 to re-appoint him during its regular meeting Monday night.
Hargett, who has served as head of the police department since 2004, received five re-appointment votes with Councilman Lanny Hubbard abstaining. Hubbard, who represents District 1, intended to vote against the re-appointment, but his vote was recorded as an abstention.
Hubbard said he voted based on the majority of feedback from his district.
"The people of my district feel that the younger police officers – not Chris Hargett – don't know how to handle a lot of the situations, like cars being pulled in behind the houses," Hubbard said. "I'd say 75 percent of them wanted me to vote no. I'm representing District 1, and not myself because I have no problems with Chris."
The council unanimously approved a maximum appropriation of $20,000 from the 2007 capital improvement fund to split the cost with Franklin County for an access road in the Country Hills subdivision.
"This has been an issue during the campaign because there's no access road in that subdivision," Mayor Troy Oliver said. "This road will provide a way out for emergency vehicles."
During its work session prior to the meeting, the council heard a presentation against the possible removal of fluoride in the city water by the Russellville Water Board. Four local dentists – Dr. Steven Hammack, Dr. Alan Sherrill, Dr. John Graves and Dr. Mark Love – signed a letter addressed to the city council and water board asking for the retention of the fluoride, which has been in the city water supply since 1963.
"We will take no action right now other than to talk to the water board and see what they intend to do," Oliver said.
In other business, the council: