Commissioners approve resource officer agreement with South Putnam

The Putnam County Commissioners have agreed to placing a pair of student resource officers at South Putnam Schools for the coming year.

Under the direction of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the two part-time officers will provide 48 hours of coverage split among the three schools in the corporation each week during the school year.

Scrutinized but ultimately approved by the South Putnam School Board last month, the agreement faced fewer questions from the Putnam County Commissioners on Monday.

Sheriff Jerrod Baugh explained that the agreement is for 40 weeks a year, so the SROs will not be on the county payroll during the summer. Additionally, the 48 weekly hours of coverage time will be split between the two officers, thus keeping the county from having to pay for holidays or benefits.

With the officers under the command of the Sheriff’s Office, the school corporation will pay the county $45 an hour for the service, which is funded by a school safety grant.

Not all of this will go toward the salaries, but will establish a fund for future needs for the program. Baugh noted that after the first year of a similar program to provide a hospital resource officer at Putnam County Hospital, there was an extra $25,000 in the account. This was used to purchase a handheld radio and a taser for the officer.

Commissioner Tom Helmer, a retired PCSO deputy, asked what sort of coverage would be provided for Fillmore Elementary School, which is approximately a 15-minute drive from South Putnam Middle/High School and Central Elementary, which are on a single campus.

Baugh explained that coverage at the schools would vary, but that it was an improvement over the former situation, in which South Putnam shared a Cloverdale officer with Cloverdale Schools for 20 hours of coverage across three schools.

“We don’t want to be predictable,” Baugh said. “It’s going to get Fillmore coverage that they don’t have now.”

The agreement will also provide for an SRO to be present at home football and basketball games.

The main expense to the county at this point is a vehicle for the two officers to share. Baugh said this would be drawn from the Sheriff’s Office fleet of loaner vehicles, therefore not requiring a new purchase.

The agreement between South Putnam and Putnam County will automatically renew each year if neither party opts out of the contract.

Commissioners Helmer and David Berry approved the agreement. Commissioner Rick Woodall was not present Monday.

Another of the older Sheriff’s Office vehicles was the subject of a different brief discussion, as a Dodge Charger from the loaner fleet was transferred to the Van Bibber Lake Conservancy District for its new town marshal program.

“It’s an opportunity for us to have somebody in a place with a high concentration of homes,” Baugh explained. “(This car) is going to be worth more in our county still in service than it would be the financial value of trading it in.”

In other business, the commissioners:

• Learned from County Engineer Jim Peck that Bridge 288 on Arnold Road over CSX Railroad in Marion Township was found to have critical damage in the most recent round of inspections.

Peck had already predicted this outcome both last June and following the permanent closure of a similar bridge in Madison Township two weeks ago.

The difference with this 116-year-old concrete structure is that its problems may be solvable with the installation of new guardrails.

Peck said he sent a request to Drew Corp. for an estimate on fixing the guardrail issue. He noted that although the county has just 30 days to fix such an issue before closure, the bridge could be closed and then reopened.

Additionally, the closure does not apply to pedestrian or bicycle traffic, meaning that it can be opened for cyclists in the Dust Bowl 100 race set for Saturday, July 27.

• Also heard from Peck that paving was set for completion on County Road 1200 South this week, but that the county could soon run into supply issues with its asphalt provider. Not as much will be available with Milestone Contractors, the company that will perform Community Crossings work for the county, also needing a supply of hot mix asphalt.

• Learned that an equipment demonstration will get the county some free grinding work on a Heritage Lake road.

Peck said the company reached out to him about doing a demonstration, which will take place on a 300-foot portion of Monmouth Drive on June 27.

The demonstration will give officials from Putnam and neighboring counties an up-close look at the equipment.

County crews will then overlay with a new road surface.

• Received a report from Peck on recent damage to a dump truck and the department truck barn.

An employee had the bed of the truck up while attempting to enter the barn, causing damage to both vehicle and structure.

Damage to the truck was $3,756.24, with a $1,000 deductible for the county to pay. The barn sustained $21,120 in damage, with a $5,000 deductible.

Peck was approved for an emergency claim to cover 50 percent of the barn repair cost up front, as FBi Buildings requires it as a down payment.

• Tabled an appointment to the Putnam County Hospital Board, as they continue to review the resumes of two candidates.

Berry and Helmer were joined for the meeting by Peck as well as County Auditor Kristina Berish and County Attorney Jim Ensley.

The next regular commissioners meeting is set for 9 a.m. on Monday, July 1 in the Commissioners Room of the Putnam County Courthouse.