Miller upgrades website, law enforcement, fire department

By: 
Steve Chapman

Deputy Ryan Devost

The Miller Rural Fire Department made an even trade of their old fire truck to get this 1995 Freightliner. (Photo submitted)

Numerous, recent changes at city should improve quality of services offered by city to residents, taxpayers
 
Some exciting things are going on in Miller. The city unveiled a new website at the start of this year, and a member of the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office has been assigned to handle full-time law enforcement duties in the city. Also, the Miller Rural Fire Department has acquired two new fire trucks for use in responding to emergencies.
New city website:
Earlier this year, the city’s new website came online. The new site boasts a number of features, including: a link to the Payment Group, allowing residents to make utility payments online; a government page which lists city officials, minutes of city council meetings, displays of city ordinances and reports and other information; a calendar which shows important upcoming events, and other features.
Mayor Stacy Daniels said the page was created by developer Amanda Schnelle at a cost $640, and will cost an additional $140 per month to maintain. The site will be operated by Daniels and City Clerk Denise Robertson.
Daniels said she was “very excited” to have a new website in Miller.
“We feel this will be a great tool for our residents to stay informed and also to anyone wanting information regarding Miller,” she said.
The new site can be viewed at www.cityofmillermo.org.
Deputy Devost assigned to enforce the law in Miller:
Deputy Ryan Devost, of the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, has been assigned full-time law enforcement duties in Miller.
“I am assigned to the city, but I will also handle county business, as long as it is not too far away,” he said.
The LCSO currently handles law enforcement in Miller since the departure of the city’s last police chief, Levi Neely, and Devost, who has about 13 years of experience in law enforcement, said he took the job after Sheriff Brad DeLay asked him if he would be interested in the position.
“It was actually an open position, and I was contacted by the sheriff and asked if I would be interested in it, and of course, I interviewed as well,” he said.
Since taking over law enforcement duties in the city, Devost said he has been working to make himself visible in the community.
“I’ve been going to the sporting events, talking with businesses and addressing any concerns that the city council might have, that kind of stuff,” he said.
Devost also said he is working to build trust with the members of the community.
 “I know that they’ve historically not had a good run with my predecessors, as far as people who have held positions in a law enforcement capacity in the city, and for the most part, broken the trust of the people, which has long-term effects, regardless of who comes next,” he said. “I’m just there to … answer whatever questions I can, (and) basically make it clear and easy for everybody that I don’t play favorites; I don’t play politics. It really comes down to what’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong. (But) if we have to meet in a negative encounter, I’m still going to be respectful until I can’t be, as far as having to take enforcement action. But I’m not much of a ticket writer, I’m not much of a telling-people-they-need-to-mow-their-lawn type, unless I’m told by somebody higher than me.”
A meet-and-greet with Devost is scheduled to take place at the fire station at 109 N. Park on Thursday, March 11, with the regular city council meeting to follow at 7 p.m.
Miller Rural Fire Department acquires two new trucks:
The Miller Rural Fire Department has two new pumper trucks for use in responding to emergencies. One of the trucks is a ’95 freightliner with a 1,000 gallon tank and a 1,250 gallons-per-minute pump; the other is an ’82 Seagrave.
The department did not have to pay any money for either truck. They made an even-trade of their old Freightliner, on which the transmission had gone out, for the Freightliner, while the Seagrave was donated to them by the Belle Fire Protection District in Maries County.
Anthony McBaine, the department’s fire chief, said the two new firetrucks will give them more flexibility when they respond to emergencies.
“Now, we’ve got two engines, versus just the one, so we’re not putting all the wear and tear on one truck,” he said. “We’re able to dedicate one truck to car wrecks, one truck to structure fires, so it relieves some of the pressure off of the trucks. For the maintenance side of them and stuff. And now we’ve got two pumpers to be able to come into structure fires with, instead of just one. So, it gives us a better quality of trucks to be able to respond to structures, and not have to worry about our one truck going down and what to do after that point; we’ve got two to operate off of now.”
 

Category:

Lawrence County Record

312 S. Hickory St.
Mt. Vernon, MO, 65712
www.lawrencecountyrecord.com

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