Council approves OPD purchases – Odessa American: Local News

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City Council members approved multiple items on the consent agenda during Tuesday night’s virtual meeting including two Odessa Police Department purchases.

Council approved OPD’s purchase of a Real Time Intelligence Center (RTIC) which the meeting agenda detailed will better equip OPD to be better prepared to respond. The RTIC costs $169,250 and a portion of that will come from forfeiture funds that were accounted for and seized during crime related arrests.

The other OPD purchase is for a FARO 3D Scanner and software which costs $51,787.59 and is a budgeted expense. The FARO 3D purchase can help OPD recreate 3D versions of, “scenes on fatalities, murders and other high value crime scenes.”

During the meeting, Charlene McBride gave an update on the 2020 census and Odessa Regional Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Dr. Rohith Saravanan gave a COVID-19 update.

Saravanan talked about antibody testing and said that more antibody testing can help medical and health professionals gain more data regarding where Ector County is on the curve.

He said that if one percent of the Odessa population is tested and 80 percent of those samples test positive for the antibody, “We can safely say that the virus has gone through our community and is probably out. If five percent or ten percent test positive for the antibody, we can safely say the virus has not hit our community. It may not or it may, but at least we know it has not hit our community or gone through our community fully.”

He said that information would be useful for public health to plan based on where the community is on the curve and that information gained from the antibody testing could help local elected officials make decisions on reopening the economy or pulling back on reopening.

Council also appointed Phil George and Rita Barrientes to serve on the Housing Authority of Odessa Board.

 

In other news:

 

A press release sent out Tuesday by Governor Greg Abbott’s Press Office detailed that he has extended the COVID-19 Disaster Declaration for all Texas counties to provide the state resources to help continue mitigating the spread of COVID-19.

 

Other council action:

 

CONSENT AGENDA

 

>> Approved of the request by 2012 Cross B, LLC, owner, for original zoning of Retail (R) on 4.14 ac. tract located in Section 46, Block 41, T-1-S, T&P RR Co. Survey, Ector and Midland Counties, Texas (northwest of the intersection of P Bar Ranch Rd. and Legacy Rd.) (Ordinance – Second and Final Approval)

 

>> Approved of the request of Tar Heel Holdings, LLC, owners, to rezone from Single Family-Four (SF-4) to Four-Family Residence (4F) Lots 37-43, Block 2, Galindo Estates (southwest corner of the intersection of S. Crane Ave. and Martines Pl.) (Ordinance – Second and Final Approval)

 

>> Approved of the request of City of Odessa, owner, for original zoning of Light Industrial (LI) on approximately 38 ac. tract in Section 45, Block 42, T-1-S, T&P Ry. Co. Survey, Ector Co., Texas (southwest of the intersection of Golder Ave. and Oregon St.) (Ordinance – Second and Final Approval)

 

>> Approved the purchase of the Real Time Intelligence Center (RTIC) for the Police Department for $169,250.

 

>> Approved the purchase of a FARO 3D Scanner Model 350S with Software for the Police Department for $51,787.59.

 

>> Appointed Boards.

 

>> Adjourned.

Reach Michael Merlo at 432-333-7769 or by email at [email protected].

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