Moscow City Council approved a drug detection program for the Moscow Police Department in their first September meeting.
Sgt. Chris Reese from the Lewiston Police Department will be the K-9 commander for the new program and spoke on the benefits.
“They are extremely valuable (not only) to us, but to the community we serve,” Reese said. “A lot of our drug problems, at least in Lewiston and Moscow as well, they attribute to our other crimes.”
The Lewiston Police Department has had its K-9 program since 2009.
Reese clarified the police’s policy if a dog detects drugs.
“They are not allowed to search people,” Reese said. “My policy says we don’t, and I know Moscow policy says that it is not going to happen either.”
Councilor Maureen Laflin questioned protocols of apprehending individuals in the same case.
“We don’t train on people,” Reese said. “I have to testify in court how she trains.”
Moscow Chief of Police James Fry also answered more questions on probable cause if the dog alerted an officer.
“If the officer had something else, they can articulate to give them probable cause to follow up on that, they would,” Fry said. “Otherwise, the dog alerting alone would not be enough for that.”
The council also had a presentation of the mayor’s golf tournament that was held in August. This event was to raise money for charity for the Moscow Food Bank. The tournament was able to raise $3,035.09.
The annexation of property south of Robinson Park Road and east of city limits for a residential area was approved. This will change the land’s designation to a residential zone after previously being labeled agricultural.
A public hearing was previously held on July 28 and was approved with no conditions. Councilor Brandy Sullivan asked Mike Ray, Moscow planning manager, about the benefit of this annexation as there are no current plans for construction.
“The concern is that if it is not annexed into the city and we don’t have this incremental, logical and orderly growth,” Ray said. “It would cost more in the future to be able to extend.”
The council had a public hearing on the open budget for fiscal year 2020-2021, with an increase due to the CARES Act, and the American Rescue Plan Act. The city received $3,651,300 in federal funding, in which $143,000 went to cover expenses due to the COVID-19 shutdown. The remaining funds will be kept in general funds till the council makes decisions on the next fiscal year.
$600,000 from the fund balance will be used in the city’s emergency, radio and infrastructure projects. Federal grant funds of $4,826 in the art department will allow for a third exhibition in the Third Street Gallery.
The total amount approved for the open budget was $4,806,043 to accommodate the appropriations.
The council also concluded the sale of the Haddock Building after a positive public hearing. The building will be used for city office spaces.
Daniel V. Ramirez can be reached at arg-news@uidaho.edu or Twitter @DVR_Tweets