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Sheriff outlines GHSP equipment grant and clarifies SRO staffing; board approves $30,000 grant and SRO contract amendment
Summary
Sheriff Fountain and Chief Boster described a regional Governor's Highway Safety Program award that will reimburse equipment expenses and approved purchasing additional radars. The board approved a $30,000 GHSP resolution and voted to amend the SRO contract to reflect 11 total SRO positions (including Oxford Prep); commissioners raised operational questions about duty hours and lunch breaks.
Sheriff Fountain told the Board the Sheriff's Office is participating in a regional Governor's Highway Safety Program (GHSP) grant that reimburses participating law-enforcement agencies for certain equipment and collaborative traffic-safety efforts.
Chief Boster described prior purchases under the program and said the current grant will allow the department to purchase five additional radars and continue regional collaboration. "This grant reimburses the county for any funds expended...we've been able to buy quite a bit of equipment such as radars, lidars, speed signs," the chief said.
The board approved a local-government resolution to accept $30,000 in GHSP funds and authorized the county manager to execute the finalized contract once county attorney review is complete.
Separately, the sheriff clarified the scope of school-resource-officer (SRO) coverage. Sheriff Fountain said the county has hired or is hiring to provide a total of 11 SRO positions — including assignments for Oxford Prep and other county schools — and described redeployment to ensure coverage for a new middle school with nearly 900 students.
Commissioners raised questions about SRO duty hours in the amended SRO contract (Section 3.2), specifically whether the one-hour lunch break would be on-site or off-site and how the Fair Labor Standards Act applies. The county attorney said he would research the statutory requirements and advise the board. The board then voted to approve the contract amendment as presented.
Next steps: County attorney to research operational/labor clarifications about lunch breaks and on-site presence; county manager authorized to execute GHSP contract once finalized.
