no minutes at the 5/18/09 cc meeting were approved - following is workshop item #13 only

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REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM Agenda Date Requested: 05-18-09 <").... ^ ~u5;2 Budl!et Requested By: Kenith AdC'ox Source of Funds: Department: Police Account Number: Report: Resolution: Ordinance: Amount Budgeted: Exhibits: Proposed Rate Spreadsheet Amount Requested: Exhibits: Current Agl'eement with L.P.I.S.D. Budgeted Item: YES NO Exhibits SUMMARY & RECOMMENDATION The existing School Resource Officer (SRO) Memorandum of Agreement between the City of La POIie and the La POlie Independent School District expires at the end of this school year. The current three year agreement provides for four (4) La Porte Police Officers to work full-time during the school year at the La POlte High School (two officers), La Porte Junior High School, and Lomax Junior High School. Additionally, the current agreement provides for one (1) La Porte Police Officer to work half.time as a DARE Officer at the School District's Baker 6th Grade Campus. The School District would like to continue the SRO Program for an additional three years and has requested to increase their use of the assigned DARE officer from halftime to full time and to add an additional officer to work full-time as an SRO for their DeWalt Campus. With these increases, the City would provide a total of six (6) full-time officers to the School District as opposed to four and a half (4.5) officers. As with the previous agreement, the School District will fully reimburse the City for the salary and benefits associated with these six (6) officers during 181 work days that school is in session. This constitutes 70% of each officer's annual salary and benefits. The City would have full use of these officers during the remaining 79 work days of the year, representing the remaining 30% of the involved officer's salary and benefits, The City would of course reserve the option of pulling these officers away from their school assignment at anytime dlll'ing the year should the need arise, i.e. weather emergencies. The Police Department is recommending the approval of this request from the School District due to the substantial benefits the program provides to the La Porte community. Due to the Police Depaliments limited reSOUl'ces, however, the Police Depal1ment is requesting that City Council consider allowing the police depaliment to hire an additional officer to replace the officer assigned to the new DeWalt SRO position. Since the School District will be reimbursing the city for 70% of the DeWalt SRO's salary and benefits, which is estimated at the rate of a mid-range La POlie Police Officer, the estimated cost to the City for the salary and benefits associated with the hiring of a new replacement officer is only $16,203. There would also be an estimated one time cost of $3,403 required for uniforms and equipment needed to fully outfit the new officer. The addition of this officer would require an Amendment to Ordinance 1285-R, increasing the Police Department's authorized strength fi'om 57 to 58 Patrol Officers. Since the school year begins prior to the 20 I 0 Fiscal Year, there should be sufficient funding in salary savings from the current (2009) fiscal year for vacant positions within the Police Department to cover the ShOl1 period oftime.