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Portage council approves MOU with school district to use new Cemetery Road facility as student-family reunification site
Summary
The council approved a five-year memorandum of understanding allowing the Portage Community School District to use the city’s Cemetery Road facility as a reunification site during serious school incidents; the police chief can expand use of the facility if needed and the city is indemnified except for city negligence.
The Portage Common Council approved a five-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) permitting the Portage Community School District to use the city-owned facility on Cemetery Road as a reunification site in the event of a serious incident at a school.
City staff said the building’s west-end location, large vehicle bay and community room make it suitable for reunification — the process of reuniting students with family members after an incident. The MOU specifies initial access is limited to public areas and community rooms; however, the agreement allows the police chief to use the entire property if the situation requires it. The MOU also includes an indemnification clause that protects the city except in cases of city negligence.
Council members asked about the presence of staff and sensitive information in the building; staff said confidential records are kept behind locked doors and that the chief would unlikely commandeer locked staff areas. The agreement carries no payment from the school district, includes a 60-day termination provision and is effective for five years. Council members approved the MOU by roll call vote.
If the MOU is activated in the future, school and city officials said they will produce an operational plan to define logistics, access and staffing during reunification events.
