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After a lengthy process, Captain Christopher Trice was sworn in as LaFayette police chief during last night’s city council meeting in front of his friends and family. 

During its previous meeting on Sept. 9, the council voted to promote Trice following a recommendation from the police committee composed of current and former police chiefs. 

The vote was delayed due to the back-to-back meetings having a lack of quorum. Three council members did not attend the meeting in protest for how the search for the chief was conducted. 

One of the absent council members, Toney Thomas, made it clear that the issue was not with Trice, but rather with how the other council members were not involved in the search. According to Thomas, the council police committee interviewed and recommended the candidate in years prior, not a committee of former chiefs.

Council member Tammie Williams, the head of the police committee, and who organized the panel of chiefs, said the decision was made to remove personal feelings from the decision. 

“I also want to thank the Mayor and the council members for having faith in me doing this job. I know I got a lot of work to do,” Trice said. “We got some grounds that we laid out, me and my supervisors here, and tomorrow, we hit the ground running.

After the swearing-in ceremony, DeAnna Hand from LaFayette Mainstreet presented. LMS wishes to pursue grants for city street pole banners. There would be no financial obligation from the city, said Hand. However, she asked for help from the utility department to install the banners, once the funding is secured. 

“Not only do the street Pole Banners preserve the historic character of main streets and our towns. It also fosters community awareness and engagement,” Hand said. 

She added that the banners could be changed throughout the year to highlight holidays or local events. 

The rest of the agenda items were renewals of grants, including an annual grant for the senior center, and an annual chemical bid for the water treatment plant.