Johnson City Commission to vote on $726K in federal police grants

The Johnson City Commission will vote on a number of items Thursday evening, including approvals of police department grants and a voluntary annexation. Here's a look at some of the highlights from the agenda for the board's upcoming meeting. GRANTS FOR POLICE CRUISER UPGRADES, DIGITAL EVIDENCE SOFTWARE Two federal grants worth more than $726,000 for the Johnson City Police Department are up for commissioners' approval Thursday. Both grants were awarded to the city via the U.S. Department of Justice's bureau of justice assistance earlier this year. The largest grant, for $707,212, supports a one-year project to upgrade JCPD's police cruisers. According to the project description, the funds will support upgrades to the cruisers' "radar capabilities, vehicle striping, mobile radios, mobile internet routers and essential cruiser equipment and installation needs." The second grant on the agenda, for $18,917, covers JCPD's implementation of multiple products from Magnet Forensics, a company that makes digital evidence and investigative software for law enforcement and military agencies. According to the grant's project description, JCPD already uses some Magnet products designed for investigation workflow, as well as video evidence acquisition and analysis. The funding will support the purchase of three additional Magnet products, according to the grant: Magnet Graykey Essentials with Preserve for obtaining evidence from mobile devices; Magnet Griffeye Advanced for large-scale image and video analysis; and Magnet Verify, a product the company advertises as a tool that checks digital evidence for its legitimacy. VOLUNTARY ANNEXATION OFF OF WEST WALNUT BETWEEN JONESBOROUGH, JOHNSON CITY The commission will hear a citizen's request for their property near West Walnut Street to be annexed into the city Thursday with a low-density residential zoning assignment, pending a plan of services. The parcels listed in Thursday's agenda, owned by Charles Milner, total 2.62 acres. The property fronts Whitehall Drive and Celtic Court, which are both accessed by exiting West Walnut Street in Johnson City onto Alta Tree Boulevard. ANNUAL REPORT ON PILOT AGREEMENTS City staff are also slated to present the commission with an annual report of the Industrial Development Board's existing payment in lieu of tax, or PILOT, agreements. Commissioners will vote on whether to extend the city's agreement with the IDB, which allows the board to execute the city's PILOT agreements, by another year. Under state law, local IDBs are allowed to enter into PILOT agreements, which are a type of incentive that can reduce or freeze property taxes for developers for up to 20 years. Thursday's vote is procedural, as the city's agreement with the commission-appointed IDB is required to be renewed annually. The Johnson City Commission will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday at City Hall, 601 E. Main St., inside the commission chambers.