Hamilton County sheriff nominee Jim Hammond said he wants to get the sheriff’s department nationally accredited to help standardize personnel practices and obtain federal grants.

“It will open up many doors and avenues for us,” the Republican told the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Pachyderm Club on Monday.

According to the Web site of the Commission for the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies Inc., 29 law enforcement agencies in Tennessee are accredited, including the Chattanooga Police Department. Currently, four sheriff’s departments in Tennessee — Blount, Shelby, Sullivan, Washington — have received accreditation.

Sheriff Allen Branum said attaining accreditation takes “a lot of documentation,” but the sheriff’s department is closer than it’s ever been to meeting the commission’s standards.

“You really have to be cutting edge,” he said.

Mr. Hammond said it takes about three years to become accredited.

Also last week, independent sheriff candidate Jim Winters said in a statement that he would ask representatives from the National Sheriff’s Association to assess the Hamilton County Jail. He claimed accreditation would not be possible until jail security and procedures are reviewed.

Mr. Winters and Mr. Hammond will face Democratic nominee Greg Beck, independent Tim Akins and write-in candidate Fred Fuson in the Aug. 7 election.

CITY NEGOTIATING ON SOFTWARE WORK

The city is displeased with Oracle Consulting’s job implementing a municipal information software system and is trying to get back more than $400,000 from the group, said Dan Johnson, chief of staff to Mayor Ron Littlefield.

“They didn’t perform the work that they billed us for,” Mr. Johnson said last week.

Mr. Johnson said the city is in negotiations to recover the money, but declined to say the exact amount the city is trying to get back.

Asked if the city will sue the consultants, Mr. Johnson said “that could be an ultimate decision. I don’t know yet.”

The new enterprise resource planning system is supposed to consolidate city data from various departments.

After city off icials determined that Oracle Consulting did not follow through on the terms of the contract, the agreement was terminated, Mr. Johnson said. The city eventually hired Duley Hopkins and Associates, a locally based consulting firm, for $1.4 million, he said.

This week, the City Council is expected to consider another $2.8 million of work for Duley Hopkins and Associates to get the software functioning, he said.

The first parts of the system should be up and running in July, Mr. Johnson said last week.

RICO STAYS OUT OF CHAIR SELECTIONS

Council members picked a new chairwoman and vice chairman Tuesday night, but Councilman Manny Rico wanted no part of it.

The councilman abstained from voting during the brief process, in which the nine-member council selected Linda Bennett as chairwoman and Jack Benson as vice chairman.

Mr. Rico said in an interview Friday that the chair-selection process was not truly an election and that leadership picks already had been effectively determined before council members assembled for the evening meeting.

“I always thought a position like that was because of performance,” said Mr. Rico, who added that he does not think it should be a “popularity contest.”

Ms. Bennett, who served as vice chairwoman during the last year, replaced Councilman Dan Page as chairman.

WHAT’S IN A NAMEPLATE?

City Attorney Randy Nelson continued a tradition after the council election, giving Ms. Bennett a gavel for her duties.

“If any of the council people get out of hand, you will have the final word here,” Mr. Nelson said.

As Ms. Bennett admired her new legislative tool, Councilman Leamon Pierce, who served as chairman during the 2006-07 term, teased Mr. Page because the outgoing chairman had just realized that his name was on his gavel.

“It took me a year,” Mr. Page said, laughing.

Ms. Bennett’s name will soon personalize her gavel, Mr. Nelson said.

OPTIMIST HONORS

Two Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department deputies were honored at the Brainerd Optimist Club recently for a job well done, according to department spokeswoman Janice Atkinson.

Sheriff Branum nominated Detective Gil Jemison of the fugitive division and Deputy Mickey Rountree of the patrol division for the award, presented Thursday evening, Ms. Atkinson said.

“Detective Jemison has a strong drive to catch the bad guys and is an asset to (the fugitive) division and to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office,” she wrote in a news release, explaining that his efforts have resulted in the capture of suspects wanted on charges ranging from shoplifting to murder.

Deputy Rountree is a relatively new officer, Ms. Atkinson said, but his commitment to the department began while he was a teenager as a member of the Explorer program. He worked as a dispatcher before being accepted to the Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy in Nashville.

“He works hard to prevent traffic-related injuries and death and to protect the citizens of Hamilton County,” Ms. Atkinson said in the release.

UTC STUDENTS ASSESS OFFICIALS

A class of University of Tennessee at Chattanooga students told Hamilton County commissioners Wednesday what they were doing right — and what they could do better.

Several students from Professor Jean Howard-Hill’s State and Local Government class gave summaries of reports on the state of Chattanooga, Hamilton County and the state of Tennessee. The reports included policy recommendations. Student Shane Uselton told county commissioners that they shouldn’t raise taxes, for instance. “Keep them where they are for right now,” he said. Mr. Uselton also said the county should keep younger taxpayers in mind if the commission implements a property tax freeze for senior citizens. Commissioners responded to the reports with a round of applause.

E-MAIL ALERTS FOR RECYCLING, BRUSH

Need to be alerted when it’s your time for recycling and brush pickup? The city now has an e-mail service where citizens can get electronic messages to remind them of their time to get these services, according to a news release. Residents can sign up at www. recycleright.org or by calling 311. For more information, go to www.recycleright.org, call 311 or dial 425-6311.

COUNTYWIDE SPRING CLEANING

Hamilton County Commission Chairman Bill Hullander announced Wednesday what he’s calling “Clean-Up Time in Hamilton County,” an effort to get residents to get rid of old paint and paint cans. According to a news release, Hamilton County residents can bring the paint and cans to the county’s eight Ace Hardware locations for disposal April 25 and 26. The county Highway Department will then pick up the waste, the release states. Residents can take the paint and cans to the following locations:

4921 Highway 58

8531 Hixson Pike

5906 Lee Highway

1870 Dayton Blvd.

3502 Ringgold Road

9231 Lee Highway

2000 Taft Highway

8164 East Brainerd Road