GALLIPOLIS — Gallipolis City Commissioners passed an emergency ordinance during their regular Tuesday meeting authorizing the city manager to submit an application for a COPS grant.

If awarded, the grant money is to be used for the Gallipolis communication interoperability project, specifically radios for the Gallipolis Police Department for wireless communication.

Funding is available through the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS).

In other action, commissioners:

• Met with Tammy Brabham during the privilege of the floor portion of the meeting to discuss her request for a sewer tap on property located near Kerr Road and Ohio 850.

Brabham informed the commission that she recently received a Southern Ohio Agricultural Community Development Foundation (tobacco) grant for a business that would serve trucks coming off the highway and include a parts warehouse and retail facility. Brabham said the business could create up to 42 new jobs, however the Gallia County Health Department marked her for city sewer as the lines into the Dan Evans Industrial Park belong to the city.

The commission maintained that though they would like to grant access, a prior ordinance prevents it. Plus, if she were granted access then others would want access outside of the industrial park and the first priority is development within the park. In addition, the commission said that the line is industrial and not made to be tapped into.

The city was also concerned that residential developments would later seek sewer, which could eat up the capacity of the existing treatment plant..

Members of the Community Improvement Corporation also attended Tuesday’s meeting and backed Brabham’s proposal saying that they are in support of development anywhere in that area, though they also expressed concern with burdening the treatment plant capacity.

The commission did say that they would review the legislation and requested some projected usage rates from Brabham.

• Approved a motion to renew an agreement with the state for the Multi-Agency Radio Communications System (MARCS) regarding the lease of property for communications equipment. Pursuant to the contract, the state pays the city $1 for the lease.

• Reappointed Jim Salyers to the Gallia Metropolitan Housing Authority Board.

• A motion was made for an ordinance levying the license tax at an annual rate of $5 per motor vehicle in the city, but it died on the table for lack of a second.