County putting in fingerprint scanner to ease firearms permitting

Local residents seeking to obtain or renew their firearms permit will no longer have to take multiple trips to complete the process following action taken by the Grady County Commission this week.
County commissioners unanimously approved the recommendation of Grady County Administrator Carlos Tobar to purchase a fingerprint scanner similar to one being purchased to replace the scanner used at the Grady County Detention Center.
According to Tobar, the county is having to purchase a new scanner because, as of April 8, 2014, Microsoft will no longer support Windows XP. The scanner is used at the detention center to fingerprint inmates as they are booked into the jail.
“This is an opportunity to offer better customer service and, based on the number of permits that were issued last year, this scanner will pay for itself in two years,” Tobar said.
The county administrator said that fingerprints are required both for new permits as well as renewals. He is recommending charging a $5 fee for taking the fingerprints.
“In 2013, we would have collected over $2,000 from that fee if we had been charging it. So far this year, we have already issued 93 permits and we are barely into the year,” Tobar said.
County officials say that citizens seeking a firearms permit in the past have had to go to the courthouse, then out to the Grady County Sheriff’s Office or Cairo Police Department for fingerprinting. If the fingerprints were not sufficient, then additional trips would be required.
Tobar says that putting a scanner in the Probate Court will make it a one-stop-shop for firearms permits in the future.
On the recommendation of County Auditor Tom Carmichael, the county is entering into a loan with Eagle Advantage Solutions to purchase the two scanners and pay for personnel training at a total cost of $11,330. The loan will be paid back over three months using Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax proceeds for the original SPLOST earmarked for the jail and jail construction.
Probate Judge Denise Maddox reports that in 2013 she issued 416 firearms permits and, as of Tuesday, she had issued 93 in 2014.
Grady County Commission Chairman T.D. David applauded the board’s decision. “This is a really good way to improve customer service. I’ve been a part of the process and this will save a lot of time and be much more convenient for the public,” Chairman David said.
In other business, the commissioners:
‰Approved an amendment to the mitigation easement and access easement between the county and James L. Tenewitz and Pamela P. Tenewitz, which relieves the county from the responsibility of building a pond for the Tenewitzes. Instead of paying for the construction of a pond, which was agreed to in the original mitigation easement, the county agreed to pay the Tenewitzes $40,000. According to County Administrator Tobar, this agreement will save the county approximately $25,000 on the Tired Creek Lake mitigation project.
‰Reappointed existing county department heads for another year.
‰Approved a beer/wine package sale license to Martika Moore at County Food and Tire.
‰Approved an alcohol pouring license for Shurterria Shantice Sherman, d.b.a. T&S Lounge, formerly the Wildrose Saloon at 2289 GA Hwy. 111 South.