The Salem City Council, on a unanimous vote, has agreed to a five-year extension to the school resource officer contracts with the Salem Grade and High School Districts. Both Mayor Nic Farley and Police Chief Todd Boles praised the results of the program. The schools will continue to pay 75 percent of the cost and the city the other 25 percent. Boles noted he felt more comfortable with his six-year-old son starting school with an SRO in the school. He says the city gets good value out of their 25-percent share since the SRO’s return for regular patrol in the summer months. The school districts have already given their approval to the extension.
The City of Salem is creating a non-profit organization that will allow it to apply for more grants. Finance Director Kelli Barrow made the recommendation.
“It would really help us in applying for grants,” Barrow said, “and a lot of the grants, even a recent grant we received, we cannot cash that check unless we are a 501(c).”
Right now, the city is holding a check to help pay for a drone program being developed by the emergency management agency because it can only be cashed by a non-profit. The application is expected to cost under $500. The city council members will be the nonprofit’s board of directors, with the city doing all the financial accounting.
The city council approved the transfer of $265,800 from TIF2 to the new TIF4 so the new TIF can pay back the city’s general fund for $265,800 provided to Scott Conant as part of the agreement to construct the new apartments on Airport Road. Formation of TIF4 was not yet complete when the payment to Conant was due.
Public Works Director Travis Sanders noted in his report that he is losing his three part-time workers who are returning to school, and he needs to replace them to work until December. Those interested can obtain an application from city hall.
