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Council Approves Resource Officer

The Jamestown City Council has approved suspending its hiring freeze for a school resource officer for the Jamestown Public Schools District.

On Monday, the council approved the resolution to meet the school district’s request for a school resource officer. According to a staff report included in the information sent to the council, city workers and the media, the agreement with the school district includes reimbursing the city $109,480 to cover 10 months of the cost for the police officer. The city will be responsible for $22,060 for the two months during the summer when the officer won’t be working in the school district.

During the council meeting, Jeff Russell, At-Large councilman, asked Elliot Raimondo, city corporation counselor, if JPS had previously stopped funding the school resource officer position because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Raimondo said because of the many monetary unknowns during the pandemic, the school district did stop funding the school resource officer position.

In other business:

¯ The council approved entering into an agreement with Hope Chautauqua Coalition to acquire 10 sharps containers for syringe disposal, with medial waste costs covered by the state for one year.

Last month, the council heard a presentation from Kari Huels and Kelley Potter of Prevention Works about the syringe disposal program.

Huels said it’s a state funded program that would purchase the syringe disposal kiosks and one year of medical waste disposal services. She said Advowaste is a regional medical waste disposal company that could perform the service for the city.

Huels toured the city with Dan Stone, city parks manager, to see some of the areas in the city that are problematic when it comes to syringes not being disposed of properly. These areas included city parks like Panzarella and Dow, the Greater Jamestown Riverwalk and city parking garages. She said Chautauqua County is considered a high-intensity drug area, so Jamestown should be approved for the program.

Huels said this a multiagency effort, and she is also working with the Jamestown Police Department and Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office.

¯ The council approved supporting the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) being submitted by Northwest Arena officials for a grant of $1.4 million to fund the completion of TheZone children’s area that will be constructed in the new three-floor addition at the facility.

TheZone will be an indoor, fully American With Disabilities Act compliant sports-themed play space for toddlers through pre-teens occupying the second floor of Northwest Arena’s recently completed expansion. According to the resolution, this new project will create a memorable childhood experience that promotes healthier futures, enhance Chautauqua County’s appeal to visitors, fuel Jamestown’s economic momentum and will be a point of community pride.

In May, Keith Martin, Northwest Arena general manager, led the council on a tour of TheZone that will have several features, with one being an announcer stating a child’s name as they enter the area with the colors of their favor sports team being highlighted.

There will be a space for children to have their photo taken with their favorite sports team uniform for their very own sports card. He added children will also be able to design their very own locker for their favorite sport.

In the free play area, children will be able to play all kinds of different sports and games, and there is even an overhead jumbotron that will show instant replays. The area will include STEAM and STEM educational learning activities. TheZone will also include a toddler bullpen for infants. Children will also be given an RFID chip to record each experience they have at TheZone, so they can know when they’ve hit a personal best score.

¯ The council approved a resolution to support the CFA for the Jamestown Renaissance Corp.’s Prendergast Landing project, which will focus redevelopment efforts on converting an abandoned building and two adjacent undeveloped parcels into a small business, recreational and retail hub. The

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