News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Sparta Board of Aldermen amended the city’s human resources policy Thursday night to include the new GPS system being rolled out in city vehicles.
The system will help the city manage its vehicle fleet, more so than keeping tabs on where vehicles and employees are. Still, City Administrator Tonya Tindle said the city will not tolerate tampering with the new equipment.
“We don’t want these tampered with,” Tindle said. “That’s the reason that we put them on there, is to help maintain our fleet. So we added this section in our human resource manual, and we will give a copy of this to every CD employee and new hires so that they are made aware that they’re in there.”
Tindle said the city wanted employees to be fully aware of the system.
“It’s not like we’re trying to hide it or anything, but to let them know that if it is tampered with, there is a possibility of disciplinary action,” Tindle said. “We just want to be forthcoming with it.”
A grant paid for at least one third of the software addition. Tindle said the city’s insurance company recommended the software.
Mayor Jerry Lowery said the new software proved useful in a different way during the winter storm showing city crews plowing and salting some 1,011 miles of road.
“Directly from this information that we can prove that our trucks were on the road and we’re out doing work,” Lowery said. “It’s a good thing. It’s not like we’re trying to be big brother on everybody, but we think it’s going to save the city money through insurance premiums and through some other legal issues and also gives information out to the people in the community.”
In other business Thursday night, Aldermen purchased some 100 tons of road salt to replenish the amount used during the storm. The total cost of the salt at just over $11,500.
Aldermen approved a rezoning of property at 305 South Young Street from residential to Commercial D. Aldermen also approved the advertising for a new truck driver for the street department.
The city will also install a new street light on Sugar Hill Drive, requested by a new homeowner.
