Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, July 8, 1994 TAG: 9407080085
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By TODD JACKSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BOONES MILL LENGTH: Medium
The newly elected Palmer called the meeting to let residents voice their concerns. In a quaint little town with a population of 236, disagreements and controversy recently have become the norm instead of the exception.
And, with two factions in the town split by an aisle between two groups of chairs Thursday night, about 60 residents and others expressed their opinions about town police officer Lynn Frith's job, the duties of Palmer and council members and the problems town citizens have getting along with one another.
Jim Lawless, a resident of Boones Mill for seven years, stood up near the end of the meeting, looked across the room, and said, "The biggest problem here is a personality conflict. You people cannot get along."
The status of Frith's job, a hot topic in the town for several months, was the main issue again Thursday. Frith, the town's police officer since 1985, sat in the back of the room in a sport coat and tie and said nothing as citizens wrangled over the number of hours he works, his salary ($28,500 a year), his use of two police cars and the need for a full-time police officer in Boones Mill.
Palmer was elected on a platform of change, and the mayor has been outspoken about the need for a thorough evaluation of Frith's duties and his equipment, including a Camaro sports car that serves as his police vehicle most of the time.
The town also bought a backhoe that Frith uses from time to time for various town jobs, the most recent of which was work on a 2,000-foot water line.
Franklin County Supervisor Homer Murray, who represents the Boones Mill District, said the town should quit spending money unnecessarily.
"Think about it," he said to the crowd, "a little town of 200 people buying an air-conditioned backhoe."
Earlier in the meeting, Claude Carroll, husband of Town Council member Virginia Carroll, detailed figures he calculated using the council's minutes from June 1993 to May of this year. He said the town's law enforcement budget comes to more than $43,000 when maintenance on the police vehicles, gas bills and other costs are added to Frith's salary.
Carroll then said Frith gave out a little more that $12,000 in traffic tickets over the 12-month period.
"That's a $31,000 deficit," he said. "And we've only got a $128,000 town budget."
Others, however, gave their support to Frith.
"All I know is that I haven't had to go out and pick up someone who was killed [in a traffic accident] in Boones Mill since our town police officer got here," said Benny Russell, the town's former fire chief who now works for the county Public Safety Department. "You don't speed in the town of Boones Mill."
After the meeting, Frith said Palmer approached him last week and asked him to work a 40-hour work week because he was concerned additional hours were unlawful.
Frith said he has been working more than 40 hours a week because of the water line, but said he is volunteering that time to a project he estimated will save the town $15,000.
Palmer said a police officer should do police work.
"I'm afraid we're opening ourselves up to a future lawsuit. He may be able sue us for back pay."
Palmer also changed the lock on the Boones Mill Town Hall building last week, saying Thursday, "I was concerned about the safety of [town] records and who had access to them."
A few of the records that should be in the town's files are missing, he said.
Palmer said he gave a new key to Frith - but now he needs to get a key to the Camaro.
"It's an issue of responsibility," Palmer said. "I don't plan on driving it or anything."
by CNB