During a regular Tuesday night meeting for the month of March, the Altus City Council gave its okay to a request from the Altus Police Department and City Administrator Mike Nettles for the City to purchase automatic rifles for police officers with the stipulation that the officers reimburse the City for the weapon.

Nettles said more and more law enforcement agencies are using the semi-automatic weapons because of their increased use by “the criminal element.”

The administrator also pointed out that the AR-15’s can be purchased at considerable savings from a supplier at this time. The city’s “blanket purchase” will save the individual officer about 600-700 dollars. Plans are to purchase 40 of the rifles at a cost of $22,000, according to Nettles.

Also receiving a nod from the board were several of the recommendations from the Elks Lodge Golf Course Committee.

The Council elected to wait for more research concerning annual membership and green fees, as well as cart rental and cart shed fees.

During the meeting of the Municipal Trust Authority, board members agreed to authorize staff to develop and negotiate an agreement with the town of Olustee to provide trash pickup and disposal services for the city.