St. Joseph suspends school JPA

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Here is the link: St. Joseph minutes starts on page 18

Motion to suspend indefinitely the Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) with School District 742

BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION n 08/31/2023, I zoomed in on a meeting with St. Cloud Police Chief Jeff Oxten, Waite Park Police Chief Tony Reznicek, members of Stearns County Sheriff Department Steve Soyka, Captain Jon Lent and Lt. Zach Sorenson, Sauk Rapids Police Chief Perry Beise, and Sartell Chief Brandon Silgjord.

With the recent restrictions put on School Resource Officers assigned to schools by the legislature, there has been a movement to pull officers from schools until language regarding holds and procedures can be clarified. Currently both SCPD and WPPD have the exact same language with District 742 as the City of St. Joseph. The City of St. Joseph does not have a dedicated SO. However, review from legal in respective departments of WPPD and SCPD has been to suspend the JPA with the district indefinitely because the JPA blankets the entire department as agents of the school. By suspending the JPA with the school district, officers would still respond to the school on a call for assistance and use the least amount of force reasonable, but necessary to bring the situation under control.

STAFF RECOMMENDED ACTION Motion to suspend indefinitely the Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) with School District 742

SUPPORTING DATA/ATTACHMENTS The new law reads the following: "The portion of the law itself limits district employees - including SOs - from placing students into certain holds. Those include putting a student face down on the ground, or putting weight on their head, throat, neck or chest, thereby making it so they can't breathe."

JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT
This Agreement ("Agreement") is hereby entered into by and between Independent School District No. 742, St. Cloud Area School District ("District*) and St. Joseph ("City*), the parties being governmental and political subdivisions of the State of Minnesota.

WHEREAS, Minnesota Statutes Section 471.59 authorizes government entities to jointly or cooperatively exercise any power common to the entities or any similar powers; and

WHEREAS, both the City and District have a joint obligation to deter and prevent crime and violence at the District's schools and wish to fulfill that obligation by engaging the services of the City's peace officers to serve as School Resource Officers in the District's schools; and

WHEREAS, Minnesota Statutes Section 126C.44 authorizes the District to make a levy on all taxable property located within the District for the purpose of paying the costs incurred for the salaries, benefits, and transportation costs of peace officers who serve as School Resource Otticers.

NOW, THEREFORE, IN CONSIDERATION OF the mutual promises contained in this Agreement and other valuable consideration, the sufficiency of which is acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

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