By Eason Franklin
The Lowndes Signal

The Mosses town council is continuing its search to find a full-time police chief to replace its Chief of Police’s interim status.
The decision to begin accepting applications for a full-time Chief of Police passed unanimously by town council members during the July 20 town meeting.
Mayor Walter Hill and town council members want to be sure they can set a budget for the police department before the beginning of the 2011 fiscal year, according to Hill.
“We wanted to restructure the police department,” said Hill. “It became evident when planning for the new fiscal year.”
Police Chief Jimmy Harris has served as the interim police chief since his predecessor, Michael Patrick, was terminated by Mosses’ previous administration for his improper hiring practices.
Harris commented on the steps he would be taking over the next few weeks to secure his position as the full-time police chief.
“I have talked to the council about my interest in the position and will be giving public safety meetings to talk about having a full-time police chief,” he said.
Mosses’ town council will be forming a committee during their Aug. 10 meeting to review qualified applicants for the position.

Other actions taken by the council on July 20 agenda include:

– Hill stated the town was in the mid-stages of the CDBG sewage stimulus grant project and is looking forward to the second phase of the project.
The town of Mosses acquired $500,000 in grant funds to extend water and sewer lines less than one year ago.
The second phase, according to Hill, will cost between $2-4 million and will tie every household serviced by Mosses Water and Sewage to the sewage treatment plant.
“This will alleviate the problems with sewage systems and leave room for expansion and growth for the community to add on to,” said Hill.
Grant funds include the installation of fire hydrants throughout the “areas of concern” within the community.

– Mosses has submitted the final paperwork for $64,000 in grant funds to obtain new equipment for the police department. The grant would require a match from the town of Mosses.

– Hill announced plans to apply for another grant for $10,000 that will contribute to the beautification of the community. The grant has a deadline of July 31.

– The town of Mosses will now be giving official names to different areas of the community to “give identity to the various areas.”
A new sign will soon be unveiled for the area of Village East after its delivery.
The council is asking for assistance from the citizens of Mosses over the next several weeks to rename specific subdivisions and sectors of the Mosses community.

– Damien Steele was unanimously appointed by the town council to serve on the Mosses police force.