White Hall loses another police officer

By Editor | February 16, 2022 |

By Carmen Ensinger

The city of White Hall has lost another police officer with the resignation of full-time police officer Kyle Jacobs, which was accepted at the Feb. 8 meeting of the White Hall City Council.
Jacobs resigned from his position with the city to take a position with the Greene County Sheriff’s Department. In his resignation letter, dated Jan. 16, he said his decision was “in no way anything negative against the police department or the city.”
Jacobs went on to say that he had the goal of becoming a full time Sheriff’s Deputy since he joined the police force 18 years ago.
Last year, because the city was consistently losing officers to Roodhouse and Carrollton because they were offering more money, the city raised the salary of it’s officers to prevent this from happening. Jacobs will actually be taking a pay-cut by taking the position with the Sheriff’s Department.
The good news is that the city was not out any money putting Jacobs through the Police Academy.
The council approved a motion to cease the previous decision of the council for the monthly payment amount to the Water Maintenance and Equipment Fund until further notice when funds are available.
City Treasurer Mona McMillen explained.
“In 2019, the city opened the Water Maintenance and Equipment Fund like we had with the sewer and we put money in that fund for two or three months but we didn’t have enough money in the account to continue doing that,” she said. “We just didn’t have the extra to put back so we stopped doing that but we still had the account.”
In fact, the city had to make transfers from the sewer account, which McMillen said, they have managed to pay back with the exception of two.
“I am happy to say we are on the upswing with the water account now,” she said.
Catherine Williams, a member of the Greene County Economic Development Group, addressed the council about broadband.
“The City of Carrollton has organized a meeting with representatives from all of Greene County on Feb. 17 with the purpose of doing an assessment of the need of broadband in this county,” she said. “They originally received a grant just to do Carrollton, but it made more sense to do the entire county so the GCEDG agreed to pay the extra $5,270 to have the survey go county wide.”
This survey will roll out in a few weeks which will give everyone in the county the chance to do a speed test of their internet service which will create maps showing the speed, or lack there of, of the internet service in the area. Some areas, especially in the country, are entirely without internet service.
This information will be used to create maps which will then create a plan to get internet and broadband providers to hopefully work with the county to provide services to the area. The government is providing huge grants to internet providers to come in and provide internet services to underserved areas and by including the entire county, this area definitely qualifies.
“This is just the first step of a long, drawn-out process,” Williams said. “The meeting will explain everything and will give everyone the chance to ask questions, if you have any. The survey will be online, plus they will also be available at locations throughout the county.”
The broadband meeting will be at the Carrollton Grade School at 7 p.m.
Williams was doing double duty Tuesday night, also as a member of the White Hall Library Board.
“The Library Board is considering making the basement into a children’s library,” she said. “It is not in too bad of a shape, except right now it is being used as a storage shed for trash.”
Williams said there are cans of tomato juice that expired in 2017 stored down there, tents and poles thrown on the floor that are no good, old chairs, etcetera.
However, one man’s trash might be another man’s treasurer.
“We were thinking in spring we could do a free garage sale,” she said. “Put what we think someone might want out and just let them have it. And, if they want to make a donation for it – so be it.”
The council approved the closing of the alley between King and Carson streets. The entire alley goes to Delbert Gilliam.
The price of a boat sticker this spring will be $20 for everyone.
“We talked about making it one price for Greene County residents and another price for out of county residents, but we wanted to make it as simple as possible for everyone,” Alderman Derek Gilmore said. “We also talked about a two sticker system – one for the boat and one for the trailer so we will know if you have your sticker or not if you are out on the water. We can just look at your trailer and see.”