State program to fund another resource officer for Gaylord school district

Paul Welitzkin, The Petoskey News-Review
·3 min read
Gaylord Police Chief Frank Claeys will ask the city council to approve the hiring of another school resource officer for the Gaylord Community Schools after a state program awarded funding for the position.
Gaylord Police Chief Frank Claeys will ask the city council to approve the hiring of another school resource officer for the Gaylord Community Schools after a state program awarded funding for the position.

GAYLORD — Gaylord Police Chief Frank Claeys will soon ask the city council to approve the hiring of another school resource officer for the Gaylord Community Schools.

Claeys told the council Monday night that the school district was awarded funding for the officer as part of a $25 million program to bring more school resource officers (SRO) to state districts that was announced last week by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

More:Michigan school districts express relief, excitement about resource officer funding

Claeys said that program is also funding an SRO for the Johannesburg-Lewiston Area Schools through the Otsego County Sheriff's Department.

Claeys said the additional officer will work in all of the Gaylord schools on a rotating basis for about nine months from September through June. In the summer, the officer will work in zoning ordinance enforcement "which is busiest time of the year for that and also do some traffic enforcement," said Claeys.

Basically, the grant will cover about 75 percent of the cost for the new officer with the city picking up the remaining 25 percent, according to city manager Kim Awrey.

The other positive associated with the grant is that Claeys will have access to an extra officer if an emergency arises.

"If we have anything from a bad car crash or another tornado, it gives us another officer in uniform to serve the public," Claeys said.

Currently, the city has a school resource officer who works in the schools from September until June and then patrols the downtown on a bicycle in the summer. The Downtown Development Authority pays part of the officer's salary with the city covering the rest.

“The Gaylord Community Schools (GCS) is very appreciative of receiving the SRO grant to allow for additional SRO coverage for our district,” said Superintendent Jim Cracraft. “Currently, Gaylord schools enjoys an outstanding relationship with local law enforcement and having additional support at our school site will help to provide additional security.”

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In other matters:

Council received the results of an audit of the city's finances for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, from Daniel Clark of the accounting and consulting firm Rehmann.

Clark said, as of last June 30, the city had $42.2 million in assets, up from $41.5 million in the year earlier period. Clark said the biggest change was in the city's cash and cash equivalents, which had an increase of about $2.3 million, due in part to funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of 2021 for costs related to COVID-19.

Clark said Gaylord's pension plan is 68 percent funded, up from 65 percent in in the year-ago period and the city has a total pension liability of $5.7 million.

Council also approved a Class C and SDM liquor license for the new Aspen Bluffs Recreational Vehicle Park on M-32 East.

Council also signed off on a license for a marijuana distribution business on O'Rourke Boulevard in an industrial park

— Contact Paul Welitzkin at pwelitzkin@gaylordheraldtimes.com.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: State program to fund another resource officer for Gaylord school district