During a work session Monday night, the Hartselle City Council discussed continuing to be a part of the Morgan County Narcotics and Violent Crimes Task Force.

The city has been a part of this for more than nine years along with the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office and the Morgan County District Attorney’s Office.

There will be one officer dedicated to the task force who is rotated out every five years.

The agreement mentions that the agencies realize that illegal drugs and related crimes pose a danger to Morgan County and recognize the advantages that can be realized by combating the problem as a unified and cooperative effort in the form of a Drug Task Force. The task force will increase the flow of drug related intelligence and enforcement between the various law enforcement agencies within Morgan County.

The council should give the mayor their approval to enter into the agreement for the time period ending September 30, 2016.

The council will enter into a contract with the Morgan County Commission requesting funding again for the library and the airport for the upcoming county budget year.

The council will act on a request from public works to pay Reed Contracting for paving services. Twenty out of 24 planned street repaving projects have been completed. There are four and a half streets left from the original street planning project and those may be paved at a later time. The current cost for the completed paving is $204,508.50. This will be paid for from the 7 percent and 4 percent gas tax funds.

Police Chief Ron Puckett also requested the council approve hiring a dispatcher to fill a position that was recently vacated prior to fulfilling the six month probationary period.

A discussion then took place concerning a department head having to come back to the council for approval to hire and fill a budgeted position when the new hire has not completed the probationary period.

City Clerk Rita Lee reminded the council that they placed this condition on department heads two years ago when budgets began to get tighter.

Councilman Tom Chappell expressed his opinion that if a position is budgeted, the department head should be able to hire without the council approving the hire.

This will be discussed later and the council will vote to allow Chief Puckett to hire the replacement at the meeting Tuesday night.

Council President Bill Smelser also presented the council with a plan to move the work sessions to Tuesday evenings before the council meetings.

A discussion followed about the council meeting beginning immediately after the work session even if the session ended before 7 p.m.

City Attorney Larry Madison will be asked to advise the council on this and ask if the council meeting would have to begin at a specified time.

The council will vote on all of the above items Tuesday evening, June 22, at 7 p.m.