By SUSAN TEBBEN
GLASGOW — Turkey buzzards have roosted in residential areas, to the point that the city is seeking a federal permit to shoot some of the birds.
“We have called Frankfort to get the federal permit,” Mayor Darrell Pickett said at Monday night’s regular city council meeting. “We don’t want to shoot them all, just some of them, and we are advising citizens not to shoot at them.”
There is an ordinance in place prohibiting shooting firearms within the city limits, and because the buzzards are a protected species, citizens would also be breaking a federal law by shooting them.
After paperwork is finished the city should receive a permit within two weeks, Pickett said.
Councilman Doug Isenberg said most of the roosts are near senior living residences south of town, and cause some apprehension among residents.
In other business from the city council meeting:
• Sam Terry and Melba Richardson were re-appointed to the Renaissance Main Street Steering Committee.
Terry was indicted by a Warren County grand jury for allegedly stealing money from the Hobson House Commission, which operates the Riverview at Hobson House museum in Bowling Green, or Friends of Riverview, a group that raises money for the museum, between April 2007 and July 2008. He was charged with 11 counts of theft by unlawful taking over $300 and one count of theft by failure to make required disposition of property, according to the indictment. He pleaded not guilty to all 12 counts during his arraignment in Warren County Circuit Court in September of last year. He was dismissed from his duties as executive director of the commission in October 2008 after a review of commission records revealed financial irregularities, according to Daily Times archives.
Pickett declined to comment on the legal matters, but said he does not foresee any problems for Terry in continuing his work on the board.
“He’s served the committee well and has been on the committee since its existence,” Pickett said.
Council approved Pickett’s recommendation of Terry’s appointment.
Warren County commonwealth’s attorney Chris Cohron said last September when the indictment occurred that no information had been presented that indicated illegal behavior involving Terry in Barren County.
The appointment is two years, expiring Dec. 31, 2011.
• Councilman Freddie Norris gave the quarterly police department report, and said the department was working very efficiently.
Norris also introduced a new procedure that Chief Horace Johnson has created, in an effort to keep police officers from moving on to other agencies. This includes new titles of Advanced Police Officer and Master Police Officer that would include new training, as well as salary raises.
“It’s for officers that are not necessarily looking to go up the ladder to higher ranks, but making it worthwhile for them, as far as salary, to benefit them after they’ve been here a number of years,” Norris said.
Norris also read off goals and objectives of the police department, including enhancing community policy, more crime prevention strategies, reducing illegal drug activity through enforcement and education, funding for a new police facility and adequate equipment, procuring funding to obtain grants and partnering with local, state and justice agencies to promote quality of life.
“I’ve really been impressed with our chief and his staff, from just going in and talking to him in a personal way,” Norris said. “They’ve been doing a great job, so I compliment them.”
