Fairmount Mayor Harry Pierce swore in officer Chuck Butler as the new chief of police for the city at the council meeting Sept. 13.

Butler, who served as the first police chief in Resaca, had been serving in Gilmer County prior to coming to Fairmount.

“He wants to focus on community policing,” said Pierce in an earlier interview.

Butler said after the meeting that one initiative the department has taken on was organizing the Presidential Volunteer Service Award for the town. Anyone doing community service throughout Fairmount can log their hours at the police department and, if they accumulate a certain amount, will be recognized by the White House.

“It’s the city’s way of saying thanks,” said Butler. More information will be available through the police department and city hall.

Butler also said he hopes to have the department operating 24 hours, seven days a week in about three weeks.

Butler’s hire comes after Fairmount dismissed former police chief Andy Key in June, along with a city police officer after it was found that the department enlisted an unauthorized individual to perform searches during arrests.

Fairmount eyes property, possibly condemnation

In hopes of moving forward with plans for a new City Hall, council members voted to have the city attorney send a letter to the owners of an alley way near the site to deed the land back to the city or face possible condemnation.

“At one time, it belonged to the city,” Councilwoman Linda Sledge Johnson said.

Councilman Jim Dodd said nothing could be built on the site, except parking and the land would give an additional 64 parking spaces to the town.

Attorney Bill Thompson said the letter could be drafted but the land would have to be appraised so the town can determine a fair value for the property.

Dodd suggested giving the owners two weeks to respond to the letter.

The council also approved the resolution to add a vote for a pouring license to November’s ballot. Voters would first have to vote on whether they wanted the city to allow restaurants to serve alcohol and then vote on how restrictive the law would be. Thompson said it is currently dragged similar to Calhoun’s meaning the sale of alcohol would be tied to the sale of food.

In other Fairmount news:

*There was a first reading of an ordinance to create a recreation board. The board would have five members and handle the scheduling and maintenance of the recreation facilities.

*The council did not vote on the millage rate; they will hold off until the council can determine how many taxes were brought in. Last year, the council cut the millage rate to 5.093 from 5.88 after tax revaluations in order to offset the increase of many local property values.

*The Sonoraville High School parade will be Thursday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m.

*Halloween at Tate Park will be Saturday, Oct. 30, 5-7p.m.

*The Christmas Parade will be Saturday, Dec. 4 at 5:30 p.m. with a rain date of Dec. 11.

*The Lighting of the Christmas Tree in Tate Park will be Saturday, Nov. 20, at 5 p.m.

*The town recognized Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia for a $300 donation to the city.