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At Wednesday’s Houghton City Council meeting, the group voted unanimously to allow the police department to sell its 2008 Polaris snowmobile. Chief John Donnelly says that the unit that utilized the machine has been dormant for several years because of the limited territory the patrol covers.
Donnelly says that the county has a snowmobile patrol responsible for much more ground and it is thriving. He did not specifically tell the council who the department would try to sell the machine to, or the price they would ask, but given his remarks it seems likely that other area law enforcement will be the first choice.
The council also approved the purchase of a new vehicle for the Houghton City Police. It is being facilitated by a dealership in Lansing, which drew a question for Donnelly about whether local businesses were given first priority. Donnelly said that given the climate and topography of the area, maintenance costs are high and area dealerships get contracts for that work exclusively. The purchase was aided by a Rural Development grant, something that has been used in the past for similar buys.
New bullet proof vests are being obtained for all department personnel. The total is roughly $8,800 for 10 vests and the city is responsible for 50 percent of that. A matching grant picks up the other half.
