Placement: Consent Agenda
Action Requested: Motion / Vote
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Approve Two Memoranda of Agreement for School Resource Officer Provision
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Submitted By: David Graham, Assistant City Manager
Strategic Plan Link: The City's Goal of safe, clean, and beautiful.
Executive Summary (General Business): Somerset Academy, Inc., on behalf of the Somerset Academy St. Lucie and the Somerset College Preparatory Academy, seek continuance of the provision of School Resource Officer (SRO) services from the City of Port St. Lucie Police Department (PSL PD) through a Memorandum of Agreement for each school. The agreements provide for the schools to disperse funds received from the State of Florida to partially fund the cost for SRO deployment.
Presentation Information: Staff will be available to respond if required.
Staff Recommendation: Move that the Council approve the Memoranda of Agreement; one for Somerset Academy St. Lucie and one for Somerset College Preparatory Academy.
Alternate Recommendations:
1. Move that the Council amend the recommendation and approve the Memoranda of Agreement; one for Somerset Academy St. Lucie and one for Somerset College Preparatory Academy.
2. Move that the Council provide staff direction.
Background: The City of Port St. Lucie Police Department provides SRO services to public high schools in the City, including Port St. Lucie, Treasure Coast, and Centennial. Through a contractual agreement with the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, these PSL PD SROs are partially funded from the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas Act and the 2019 St. Lucie Public Schools-sponsored referendum for teacher salaries, school safety and educational programs. As the funds provided through the Sheriff does not cover the total cost for the SRO services, the City funds the balance to enable the PSL PD SRO presence in these schools.
Similarly, but through a separate contractual arrangement with the City, PSL PD SRO services are provided to Somerset Academy St. Lucie and Somerset College Preparatory Academy. The difference between the two programs is that the Sheriff’s Office does not provide SRO services to charter schools. The Somerset schools provide the entirety of the funds received from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Act to assist in offsetting the City’s investment in providing SRO services to these schools.
Issues/Analysis: N/A
Financial Information: N/A
Special Consideration: N/A
Location of Project: N/A
Attachments: Two Memoranda of Agreement.
NOTE: All of the listed items in the “Attachment” section above are in the custody of the City Clerk. Any item(s) not provided in City Council packets are available upon request from the City Clerk.
Internal Reference Number: 4887
Legal Sufficiency Review:
Reviewed by Lee J. Baggett, Deputy City Attorney. Approved as to Legal form and sufficiency by James D. Stokes, City Attorney.