Parksley council authorizes overtime for police, debates drug-testing policy amid staffing shortfall

Vice Mayor John Parks presided over the Jan. 13 Parksley Town Council meeting, where members approved limited overtime for the town’s police chief and discussed changes to the town’s drug-testing policy amid concerns about officer staffing and training costs.

The council voted to pay Police Chief Greer up to 10 hours of overtime weekly in addition to his salaried pay; the motion passed with votes in favor from Councilmen Vince Savona, Dan Matthews and Sam Welch and votes against from Councilman Alan Russell and Councilwoman Nash. At the meeting, Police Chief Greer described staffing strains after a recent resignation and said the department is "covering the same amount of hours now that they were covering when they had three full time officers" but that sending a recruit to the police academy would cost the town roughly $40,000 because on‑campus dorms are closed and lodging for 20 weeks would be required.

"Every police officer has taken the same oath, to uphold the Constitution," Police Chief Greer said when questioned about whether local officers would be obligated to enforce laws passed at the state level.

The council also debated proposed changes to the town's drug‑testing procedures. Councilwoman Nash said the town had identified hair‑sample kits priced at about $20 and lab analysis quoted at $59–$79; she reported a local, neutral collector (Karon Eichelberger) had agreed to assist. Councilman Dan Matthews urged caution, saying the current policy applies to "safety‑sensitive positions" but that the policy lacks a clear definition of that term and needs attorney and HR review before being implemented.

"If the town writes something incorrectly to save time, the town could be in trouble," Matthews said, emphasizing legal and privacy risks tied to health data.

Clerk Letitia Greer and other council members expressed discomfort with having a local resident collect hair samples; Matthews recommended an independent third‑party provider for random testing and for policy language that protects employee privacy. The council did not adopt a final, fully detailed drug‑testing policy in the meeting; Councilwoman Nash said earlier votes had moved the process forward and that testing would start Jan. 15, but Matthews asked that the town attorney review updated language.

The meeting record contains several procedural steps related to policing and personnel: Vice Mayor Parks asked the clerk to re‑advertise for a certified law enforcement officer (to avoid academy costs), and the council directed staff to seek candidates already certified. Councilman Russell said he favors generating new town revenue so the town can afford staffing and infrastructure investments.

The next procedural steps recorded were an instruction to advertise for part‑time public works help and to pursue a certified officer candidate; the town also formed a sewage committee during the meeting and appointed Vice Mayor Parks and Councilman Savona to that panel.