A Du Quoin Police officer is likely to greet students returning to the classroom next month.
At Monday's city council meeting, commissioners voted to put on public display a proposed intergovernmental agreement with District 300 schools to provide a school resource officer.
The officer would be available to help respond to disruptions and report any serious crimes, and also would be able to help the district at any athletic or extracurricular events.
The city would continue to pay the officer's salary, and the school district would pay the city $40 per hour for 350 hours for a total of $14,000 annually. The officer would work at the schools as part of his or her city-assigned duties, and any additional time worked at the schools would be billed as overtime at $75 per hour.
Mayor Guy Alongi said the proposed agreement is the result of negotiations that have been going on for "some time."
"I wanted to make sure it wasn't a losing proposition for us," Alongi said Monday.
The agreement will come before the council for final approval next month and will initially span two years.
Youth advisory board plans move forward
At Monday's meeting, commissioners also voted to put on public display an ordinance that would create a youth advisory board
Alongi proposed the formation of the new board earlier this month. As currently written, the ordinance would establish a board comprising the four class presidents at Du Quoin High School, as well as five additional members appointed at large.
The new board would be tasked with recommending activities for youth in the community. Alongi also said he would like to see a youth event help this fall at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds to help get the idea off the ground.
Alongi previously said the city might possibly provide such a board with an annual budget of $500 to $1,000, although at this week's meeting, it was made clear the board likely would have no direct funding from the city. Its members, however, would be able to conduct fundraisers.
