Daingerfield City Council address road hazard, receive demonstration on ticket system

By: Toni Walker

Editor

news@steelcountrybee.com

At the regularly scheduled meeting of the Daingerfield City Council, the council discussed hazardous conditions on Carey Lane in Daingerfield. Mayor Lou Irvin, during the departmental reports, brought up the topic at the request of citizens who had spoken with her. Nancy Loyd, a resident in the area, was also in attendance to address concerns with the state of Carey Lane.

A section of Carey Lane has washed away due to back up of water caused by dumped brush. The area of concern, according to Loyd was worsened due to numerous factors, including large trucks the landowner had while doing roof repairs. Although the road is still passable, it is of great concern to the city, and City Manager Rocky Thomasson has a plan in place to attempt to alleviate the water issue, giving the city the opportunity to repair the road. The plan will take time, as it involves getting the property owner’s permission to enter the property and make the repairs and build a retaining wall.

Thomasson assured the council that the landowner’s permission had been received, and that plans would proceed, but could possibly entail the permission of other landowners, as well.

In other business, city secretary Heide Edmonson swore in the council members and mayor. Mayor Lou Irvin, Councilwoman Martha Campbell, and Councilman Lonnie Tucker all ran uncontested for their current seats, and were sworn in by Edmondson.

After the swearing in of the members, the council heard from Seargent Corey Parr, who demonstrated the department’s new ticketing system. The department recently added two new handheld, electronic ticket writers and two printers, to cut down on the time an officer needs to write a ticket. Each officer has a unique log in, which keeps their information from the time the log through the duration of the shift. The handheld unit, which is carried by the officer to the vehicle during a traffic stop and scans the VIN number while the officer is speaking to the driver. Having the new ticket system also allows for fewer trips back to the patrol car, meaning the officer has view of the driver and passengers of the vehicle during more of the stop. The scanner allows for the majority of the information to be scanned directly into the handheld, with minimal items needing to be manually entered. The handheld also gives the officer an opportunity to determine if the driver will receive a warning or a full out ticket. The ticket is then printed, and the officer delivers the ticket to the violator. The printer remains in the patrol car, in order to prevent damage to the unit.

In other council news, during the City Manager’s report, Thomasson reported that the new animal shelter should be up and running, in order for them to move in on Monday, May 16.

With no other business, the council adjourned until their next regularly scheduled meeting.