Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety Schools topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Palm Bay tables SRO reimbursement agreement, asks staff to negotiate with school board
Summary
Council moved to table the school-resource-officer reimbursement item to allow direct negotiations with Brevard Public Schools and the sheriff's office; some councilors objected to current reimbursement levels and sought stronger county/school contributions.
Councilors on April 16 elected to table a proposed memorandum of understanding for school resource officers and requested staff-level and council-to-school-district negotiations before the next meeting. Several council members said the currently proposed reimbursement covers roughly 40% of the city's estimated cost for a full uniformed officer and urged the school district and county to increase their share.
Deputy Mayor Mike Jaffe and others said the city is committed to schools'afety and to having a presence in schools, but that the reimbursement formula should better reflect the actual cost of providing a trained officer. Council members were split about whether to deny the MOU outright to force negotiations or to table it and direct the city manager and a council liaison to negotiate. The motion to table passed 3'0.
City staff noted the MOU text makes any approved agreement effective July 2026, giving some time to negotiate before the start of the next school year. The deputy chief and police leadership described the operational value SROs provide, including information-sharing with crime analysts and improved intelligence for patrol operations. Council directed staff (Councilman Johnson volunteered to lead outreach) to meet with Brevard Public Schools and other county stakeholders and return with options at the second May meeting.
What to watch: The discussion could lead to new funding proposals or a renegotiated county/school arrangement before the new school year, and council members said they expect a firm deliverable or revised MOU after the outreach.
Vote: The motion to table passed (3–2) with Mayor Medina, Councilman Johnson and Councilman Hammer voting to table; Deputy Mayor Jaffe and Councilman Langevin opposed the tabling vote.
