Sheriff outlines $7,000 Town Pump donation for tactical gas masks at public hearing
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Summary
Sheriff Ed Lester presented a public hearing on using a $7,000 donation from Town Pump to buy chemical-agent masks for the sheriff’s tactical team; proponents supported the donation and no opponents spoke. No appropriation vote appears in the provided transcript.
Butte-Silver Bow Sheriff Ed Lester told the council on Nov. 19 that Town Pump offered $7,000 to purchase new chemical-agent/irritant masks for the sheriff's tactical team and that existing masks are roughly 16–20 years old. Lester said the donation would allow the department to obtain “state of the art” masks for tactical situations.
The chair opened the public hearing. Freddie Frost spoke in favor, saying stockpiling equipment is prudent. The council asked Sheriff Lester what would happen to the old masks; he said they would be retained as backups and stored in the armory. The public hearing was closed. The transcript records the hearing and comments but does not record a subsequent vote to authorize the appropriation in the segments provided.
Council members had no additional recorded objections during the hearing; Commissioner Fisher and others asked procedural questions during the meeting about other items, but the transcript does not show a final appropriation vote on the gas-mask expenditure within the provided segments.