Sharon residents given the power to fight back against reckless drivers

Story by Megan Dame, Press Reporter

The citizens of the City of Sharon had a lot to say on some specific topics at the recent April meeting of the city’s mayor and board of aldermen.

A group of Sharon residents appeared before the board to ask the city to take action regarding reckless driving on its residential streets. The primary issue heard from most of the group was speeding and how those who speed place Sharon’s children at risk.

They reported that the city’s existing traffic signage needs work as many signs in the city are severely damaged, faded to the point of being illegible and even signs that are now missing. Sharon public works director Greg Evans said he would investigate the claims and move forward with repairing and replacing those signs.

Addressing the problem of speeding, Sharon police chief Mark Kimsey explained that his department is aware of the speeding and had stepped up on having his officers patrol residential areas. He said a contributing factor to the problem is that there are few safe places for officers to set up speed checks in residential areas.

“What we are asking is for citizens to make every attempt to get a good description of the vehicles and possibly the driver. Then you can call that into us, and we will do what we can to help,” Kimsey said.

Kimsey said that the citizens should provide their own name and number for updates. The personal information of the tipster will be kept private.

Kimsey explained that, while officers can’t issue citations to the individual unless the officer witnesses the offense. He said once they identify an offender, officers would contact that person and warn them about traffic laws.

Another issue brought up by the citizens was the city’s drainage system. With the spring rain just getting started, the city’s drainage system is subpar.

Sharon mayor Donna Stricklin addressed the flooding concerns by acknowledging that she is aware of the problems and had asked Evans to look into the problem. Evans reported he had spoken with someone from the state offices and shared that a representative of the state would come to assess the problems and make recommendations Evans said the representative Has two jobs on his schedule in front of the city but would come to Sharon once those two jobs were complete.

Strickland explained the floodwaters were damaging the city’s streets and said they must be able to identify any problems and how to fix those issues.

The final topic brought up by a citizen came from Sharon resident Bradley Adams. Adams said he would like to bring the city’s Corn Fest back if there was enough interest in doing so. Strickland agreed, telling Adam’s that the residents are interested in this pursuit. She told Adams that first, he and other volunteers would need to plan a meeting and announce the time and location of the meeting and to announce that anyone interested should attend.

 Afterward, Kimsey addressed the board to share that Sharon police officer Rodriguez had completed all requirements at the police academy and was now a certified police officer. Kimsey applauded Rodriguez for his achievement and asked the board to consider giving Rodriguez a raise in pay as part of this promotion.

Kimsey asked the board to award Rodriguez a raise in pay to $17 per hour. Stricklin agreed that Rodriguez should be awarded a raise but proposed the pay raise of $16 per hour until Rodriguez completes a 6-month probation period. After the probation period is complete, Stricklin offered to bump the rate to $17 per hour.

According to the mayor, the average pay of a certified officer is comparable to that rate. She explained that with a severe shortage of police officers throughout the state, city’s must be able to compete with another agency. The board agreed and voted to offer Rodriguez a rate of $16 per hour for the entirety of a 6-month period of probation upon which time, Rodriguez would be bumped up to earning $17 per hour.

Chief Kimsey also appeared before the board to ask that the city’s policies on the use of patrol cars while on call. A resident had taken notice that Kimsey would use the city’s patrol cars for non-work activities and. Kimsey had been spotted with members of his family in the car with him.

Kimsey was very transparent and said that he had done this, but rarely and with purpose. Kimsey cited two recent events, attending church and coaching his daughter’s softball team. He said that the only times he would do so he was on call.

He said that he felt that should a call come in, he would have to hurry home and swap from hos private vehicle to his patrol car. When seconds count, he felt like he was wasting them.

Kimsey asked the board to consider reviewing its policy. He said the car should only be used in similar situations and not as his vehicle. The board agreed to take the request and Kimsey’s reasoning into account before making a final decision.

In the time set for the mayor’s comments, Stricklin had several items that were just informative, and no action was to be taken until a future meeting.

Stricklin told the board that the city had accidentally entered the incorrect year while finalizing utility bills in December. The affected customers will be paid for overpayments or receive credit on their bills to settle the accounts.

Stricklin sought approval to have Randy Potts reconcile the city’s bank statements from November to March. She said Potts has completed the task requested by the auditors to reconcile the city’s bank statements thru June 2022. She said that this will help prepare for the city’s annual audit. The board agreed to Stricklin’s request.

It was also announced that Becky Hames resigned from her position as city recorder effective March 17. For all who are interested in the position, the city is taking applications at Sharon City Hall.

The next meeting of Sharon’s mayor and board of aldermen will take place Monday, May 8 at 6:30 p.m. at Sharon City Hall.