Public Safety & Welfare Committee

CITY OF VERONA 111 Lincoln Street Verona, WI 53593 (608) 845-6495 veronawi.gov PUBLIC SAFETY & WELFARE COMMITTEE AGENDA-AMENDED DATE: MONDAY, February 24, 2025 TIME: 6:30 PM LOCATION: COUNCIL CHAMBERS VERONA CITY HALL 111 LINCOLN ST. VERONA, WI 53593 1. Call to Order 2. Roll Call 3. Public Comment 4. Approval of the minutes from the January 27, 2025 Public Safety and Welfare Committee meeting 5. Discussion and Possible Action Re: School Resource Officer Program Agreement By and Between the City of Verona and the Verona Area School District 6. Discussion and Possible Action Re: Project 2022-109 North Booster Station-Rohde Brothers Request for After Hours Work 7. Adjournment Phil Hoechst, Chairperson POSTED: February 20, 2025 Verona City Hall Verona Public Library Miller’s Market All agendas are posted on the City website at: veronawi.gov Notice is hereby given that a quorum of the members of the City Council or other standing committees of the City Council may be present at the meeting of the Public Safety and Welfare Committee to gather information about a subject over which they have decision-making responsibility. The City Council and any other standing committees will not take formal action at this meeting. IF YOU NEED AN INTERPRETER, MATERIALS IN ALTERNATIVE FORMATS OR OTHER ACCOMODATION TO ACCESS THE MEETING, PLEASE CONTACT THE CITY CLERK AT 608-845-6495 AT LEAST 48 HOURS PRECEDING THE MEETING. EVERY REASONABLE  CITY OF VERONA PUBLIC SAFETY & WELFARE COMMITTEE MINUTES January 27, 2025 1. Call to Order: Phil Hoechst called them to order at 6:30 p.m. 2. Roll Call: Phil Hoechst and Brent Kyzer-McHenry. Spencer Harrison arrived (via Zoom) at 6:38 p.m. Also present: Police Chief Dave Dresser. 3. Public Comment: None 4. Approval of the minutes from the December 9, 2024 Public Safety and Welfare Committee meeting Motion by Phil Hoechst, seconded by Brent Kyzer-McHenry, to approve the minutes from the December 9, 2024 Public Safety and Welfare Committee meeting. Motion carried 2-0. 5. Discussion and Possible Action Re: An application for a Fixed Full-Service Retail Outlet for Cider Farm Brands, LLC d/b/a Orchard located at 881 W. Verona Avenue 6. Motion by Phil Hoechst, seconded by Brent Kyzer-McHenry, to recommend that the Common Council approve an application for a Fixed Full-Service Retail Outlet for Cider Farm Brands, LLC d/b/a Orchard located at 881 W. Verona Avenue. Motion carried 2-0. 7. Discussion and Possible Action Re: Application for a Temporary Class "B" Fermented Malt Beverage License and Temporary "Class B" Wine License from Dee Baldock, Verona Area Community Theater for their performance of Suite Surrender on February 13-15, 2025 and February 20-22, 2025 Motion by Phil Hoechst, seconded by Brent Kyzer-McHenry, to recommend that the Common Council approve an application for a Temporary Class "B" Fermented Malt Beverage License and Temporary "Class B" Wine License from Dee Baldock, Verona Area Community Theater for their performance of Suite Surrender on February 13- 15, 2025 and February 20-22, 2025 contingent upon final background check. Motion carried 2-0. 8. Discussion and Possible Action Re: Application for a Temporary Class "B" Fermented Malt Beverage License and Temporary "Class B" Wine License from Dee  Baldock, Verona Area Community Theater for their performance of Grease-Senior Musical on May 8-10, 2025 and May 16 -18, 2025 Motion by Phil Hoechst, seconded by Brent Kyzer-McHenry, to recommend that the Common Council approve an application for a Temporary Class "B" Fermented Malt Beverage License and Temporary "Class B" Wine License from Dee Baldock, Verona Area Community Theater for their performance of Grease-Senior Musical on May 8- 10, 2025 and May 16 -18, 2025 contingent upon final background check. Motion carried 2-0. 9. Discussion and Possible Action Re: Ordinance No. 25-1057 Amending Section 10-1- 26 relating to Fifteen Minute Parking on West Verona Avenue Motion by Phil Hoechst, seconded by Brent Kyzer-McHenry, to recommend that the Common Council approve Ordinance No. 25-1057 Amending Section 10-1-26 relating to Fifteen Minute Parking on West Verona Avenue. Motion carried 3-0. 10. Discussion and Possible Action Re: Special Event Permit Application from William Martin, SBR Endurance Performance Center, for the Winter Wonderland Tri on February 9th Motion by Phil Hoechst , seconded by Brent Kyzer-McHenry, to approve a Special Event Permit Application from William Martin, SBR Endurance Performance Center, for the Winter Wonderland Tri on February 9th. Motion carried 3-0. 11. Adjournment: Motion by Brent Kyzer-McHenry, seconded by Phil Hoechst, to adjourn at 6:40 p.m. Respectfully submitted, David Dresser, Police Chief PUBLIC SAFETY AND WELFARE COMMITTEE—February 24, 2025 5. Discussion and Possible Action Re: School Resource Officer Program Agreement By and Between the City of Verona and the Verona Area School District o The proposed agreement includes a number of provisions, select provisions include: ▪ A term of a one-year period beginning on July 1, 2025 and continuing until June 30, 2026. Either party may terminate the agreement with 60 days’ notice. ▪ The Chief of Police shall select and assign the SRO, upon the advisory recommendation of a selection panel, composed in-part with representatives of the School District. ▪ The SRO is an employee of the City and will report to the Police Department Lieutenant of Patrol or designee. ▪ The normal day-to-day direction of SRO activities is the responsibility of the High School Principal, or designee, subject to approval by the Chief of Police. The SRO is not responsible for the day-to-day roles and responsibilities of security staff employed by the School District. The SRO will work cooperatively with school staff and school security to enhance building security and will typically defer to security staff to address and manage minor student disturbances/conflicts. ▪ The cost of the School Resource Officer is shared between the School District and the City using an 80/20 split. Overtime is paid by the entity that authorized the overtime. ▪ Staff from the School District and City will meet monthly to review and discuss the SRO program and expectations. ▪ The High School Principal or designee may provide a performance evaluation of the SRO to the Lieutenant of Patrol. The evaluation will be completed at the end of the spring semester. ▪ In case of an emergency, major investigation or unforeseen circumstances in the community, a ranking officer of the police department may temporarily reassign the SRO from the school in order to perform investigative, patrol or other assigned duties; however, the SRO will be returned to the school as soon as possible. ▪ The SRO will provide a data report twice annually, within one month of the end of the semester. The report will be provided in a spreadsheet or similar format. The data report will detail the following general aggregate information involving citations issued based on SRO activity at the schools of the District, unless prohibited by law: • Number of citations issued for that time period and  • Number of citations issued in each category as defined by municipal code/state/federal statutes. • The School District may supplement this data with demographic information. o Both City and School District staff worked cooperatively on the agreement, and City staff recommend approval. Motion: Recommend that the Common Council approve the School Resource Officer Program Agreement By and Between the City of Verona and the Verona Area School District.  SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM AGREEMENT BY AND BETWEEN THE CITY OF VERONA AND THE VERONA AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT WITNESS, this Agreement by and between the City of Verona, Wisconsin, 111 Lincoln Street, Verona, WI, (hereinafter referred to as “the City”) and the Verona Area School District, 700 North Main Street, Verona, WI. (herein referred to as the “School District”). 1.​ PURPOSE: The purpose of this Agreement is to define the duties and responsibilities of the City and the School District in the operation of a School Resource Officer (SRO) Program in the School District for those schools within the City’s corporate limits. Both the City and School District benefit from safe schools that create a safe learning environment for all students and view this Agreement as furthering the Parties interest in providing safe schools. 2.​ TERMS: a.​ APPLICABLE TERM: This Agreement shall be for a one-year period beginning on July 1, 2025 and continuing until June 30, 2026. b.​ EXTENDED TERM: The City and School District will review the SRO program no less than 60 days prior to its termination to determine if the agreement should be extended beyond June 30, 2026. c.​ TERMINATION: Upon sixty days written notice, either party may terminate this agreement. 3.​ PERSONNEL: The Chief of Police shall select and assign the SRO, upon the advisory recommendation of a selection panel, composed in-part with representatives of the School District. Nothing in this agreement shall be construed to alter the authority of the Chief of Police to select, assign and supervise police officers who work in the SRO assignment; however, the School District may request the removal of an officer if they are dissatisfied with his or her performance. 4.​ CHAIN OF COMMAND: The SRO is an employee of the City, and will report to the Police Department Lieutenant of Patrol or designee. The normal day-to-day direction of SRO activities is the responsibility of the High School Principal, or designee, subject to approval by the Chief of Police. For avoidance of doubt, the SRO is first and foremost a police officer and protecting the public is of paramount importance. The SRO is not responsible for the day-to-day roles and responsibilities of security staff employed by the School District. The SRO will work cooperatively with school staff and school security to enhance building security and will typically defer to security staff to address and manage minor student disturbances/conflicts. 5.​ WORK DAYS: The SRO shall be available to the School District for all teacher-contract days scheduled by the school calendar, subject to other terms of this Agreement. 6.​ HOURS OF WORK/WORK SCHEDULE: On days that school is in session, the SRO shall work eight and one-half hours from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. The SRO shall endeavor to be on the high school campus by 8:15 a.m. and remain on campus until 3:45 p.m. Hours worked over eight (8) hours per day shall be considered overtime and will be funded 100% by the School District. Any modification from the schedule must have prior approval of a police supervisor or High School Principal or designee. If the schedule modification results in overtime for the SRO, the approving authority is responsible for paying the overtime costs. In the event of an emergency, the above individuals must be notified as soon as possible. 7.​ EMERGENCY SITUATIONS: In case of an emergency, major investigation or unforeseen circumstances in the community, a ranking officer of the police department may temporarily reassign the SRO from the school in order to perform investigative, patrol or other assigned duties; however, the SRO will be returned to the school as soon as possible. If the school closes due to inclement weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances, the City has no obligation to assign the SRO to a school. 8.​ ABSENCES: The Lieutenant of Patrol or designee shall notify the High School Principal or designee on any day the SRO is not available to work because of illness or for any other reason. The SRO position will not be backfilled by patrol staff unless there are extenuating circumstances such as an active threat or to cover an extended leave of absence of more than one week. The SRO shall notify the High School Principal or designee at least two weeks or as soon as practicable prior to planned absences. 9.​ ACTIVITY REPORT: The SRO shall record activities on forms mutually approved by the City and School District. 10.​COMMUNICATION: The SRO, City and School District shall share requested information as permitted by applicable state and federal law when requested as pertaining to safety planning, when needed to operate a safe school, and for law enforcement purposes. Information shall be reported and provided in a timely manner and includes, but not limited to, school incidents, related law enforcement investigation reports, and tips. Both parties recognize the need to preserve the confidentiality of certain law enforcement-related information, including information involving pending investigations, drug and gang activity, and other sensitive information that if disclosed may compromise specific public interests. Both the City and the School District shall track the calls for Police support and have that information readily available to the public when release of such information is permitted by law. To the extent the City or the School District receive a request for public records, the City and the School District shall respond to the request in the ordinary course of business and their own. The School District designates the SRO and the Lieutenant of Patrol as assigned to the School District under Wis. Stat. § 118.125(2)(d). The SRO and Lieutenant of Patrol will be provided access to the student information system of the School District to aid in investigations involving students. The SRO and the Lieutenant of Patrol are not allowed to, and will not, share pupil records with any third party (including anyone who is not an  employee of the District) or allow any third party to view, copy, or otherwise access pupil records. If someone requests access to pupil records, the SRO and the Lieutenant of Patrol will refer them to the District to seek proper access. The SRO and the Lieutenant of Patrol shall take reasonable steps to protect the confidentiality of those records and ensure that they are not edited in any way. To this end, they shall keep their login credentials secure and confidential, destroy any copies of pupil records once they are no longer needed for the original purpose of the investigation, and report to their supervisor and the School District Deputy Superintendent as soon as they become aware of any improper disclosure. The SRO is encouraged to draft newsletters, to be shared by the District, periodically to foster transparency, build trust, and enhance understanding of their role within the district. The purpose of these newsletters is to provide insight into the SRO’s work, share success stories, and highlight meaningful interactions with students, staff, and parents. By doing so, the newsletters aim to strengthen connections with the school community, celebrate positive outcomes, and provide a clearer picture of how the SRO contributes to the safety, well-being, and overall success of the District. The frequency of newsletters shall be determined by the SRO, with the exception of one required newsletter to be drafted by October 31, 2025. 11.​DRESS CODE: The SRO may wear business casual dress, i.e., sports jacket, dress slacks, blouse or sweater at all times when on duty. However, the officer will have broad discretion on the appropriate dress, which may include a casual open collar department approved polo shirt, official police uniform or other clothing for extreme weather or environmental conditions. 12.​WEAPON: The SRO is first and foremost a police officer and is required to carry a duty weapon while on assignment in the schools. The weapon may or may not be concealed from public view at the discretion of the SRO. If the officer deems it necessary to store a weapon on campus, it will be locked in a safe in a location that is readily accessible to the SRO. 13.​OFFICER EVALUATION: The High School Principal or designee may provide a performance evaluation of the SRO to the Lieutenant of Patrol. The evaluation will be completed once at the end of the spring semester. If provided, the performance evaluation will conform to the City’s performance evaluation policies. Notwithstanding this paragraph, the Police Department expects the District to promptly notify the Chief of Police or designee of the facts involving any performance-related problem involving any member of the City of Verona Police Department. 14.​INCIDENTS: Incidents occurring on school premises that results in police intervention shall be investigated by the SRO or other department sworn law enforcement officers. He or she shall conduct a police investigation and prepare incident reports in accordance with accepted law enforcement practices and departmental policies and procedures. 15.​OVERTIME: Any overtime that is authorized by a school principal and the School District shall be funded 100% by the School District. Any overtime that is authorized by a ranking officer of the police department and City shall be funded 100% by the City. 16.​EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES: Extracurricular activities of the school, such as athletic events, dances, etc., and requested extra patrols shall not be considered a normal function of the SRO Program, unless mutually agreed upon by the SRO and the High School Principal or designee. To the extent the SRO provides services at extracurricular activities of the school, the services provided by the SRO shall be the same as the services provided during the school day. By way of example, the SRO shall not be used for security purposes in conjunction with an extracurricular activity. Further, the School District shall be responsible for paying all overtime costs associated with the SRO performing services at an extracurricular activity. 17.​ GUIDANCE COUNSELING: The SRO shall not engage in academic guidance counseling activities and shall refer any students requiring academic guidance counseling to the school guidance counseling staff. However, this provision shall not prevent the SRO from participating in or coordinating with the High School Principal or designee on student or peer court programs, or other alternative behavior interventions aimed at addressing student conduct and promoting conflict resolution. 18.​SCHOOL DISCIPLINE RULES: The SRO shall not serve as a School District administrator in the absence of VAHS staff but is expected to assist the administration or designee when called upon. The SRO shall not prescribe school disciplinary sanctions but shall refer disciplinary matters that he or she deems appropriate to the administration. However, the SRO may participate in or assist with the development of diversion programs for students as an alternative to issuing municipal tickets. In cases where a student's conduct could warrant both a municipal ticket and school disciplinary action, the SRO may offer participation in the diversion program, even if the conduct overlaps with school disciplinary measures, without interfering with the school’s authority to impose separate disciplinary actions. The School District agrees to immediately address and/or discipline any student who is being disrespectful towards the SRO or other police officers on campus pursuant to the School District’s Progressive Response Model. Where the Progressive Response Model prescribes discipline for students based on their treatment of a staff member, i.e. the use of derogatory terms or gestures towards a staff member, the treatment of the SRO shall prompt an identical response from the School District as it would for a staff member. 19.​SRO PROGRAM EXPECTATIONS: The SRO, Lieutenant of Patrol, and the High School Principal or designee shall meet at least once monthly to review and discuss the SRO program and expectations. 20.​EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES: The City will provide the SRO all equipment normally provided to a police officer. The School District will provide private office space, telephone, desk and a secure file cabinet to enable the SRO to perform the duties of the  position. Property purchased by either the School District or the City will remain the specific property of the provider. 21.​COMPENSATION: Subject to the overtime provisions contained in this Agreement, the compensation of the SRO, including wages and fringe benefits, shall be paid by the City based on the cost sharing provisions described in paragraph 23. 22.​LIABILITY: Each party shall be liable for the acts of its own officers and employees. Each party shall maintain policies of general liability insurance to cover its obligations in this regard. 23.​ COST STANDARD: The parties agree that the SRO Program is a cost-shared full-time position. The parties further agree that the actual and necessary cost (except overtime as authorized in paragraph 15) of the program will be shared with the School District who is responsible for 80% and the City responsible for 20% during the period when the SRO is actually staffed, i.e., the beginning of the school year in late August, to the end of the school year in early June. The period school is in session is considered 9 ½ months and wages and fringe benefits will be calculated using 79% or.7917 of the SRO’s annual salary and annual fringe benefits. The City will invoice the School District at the conclusion of each semester, i.e. mid-January for the fall semester, and mid-June for the spring semester. The District shall pay an additional $3.00 per hour worked by the SRO as SRO, plus all related fringe benefit and overtime costs to this payment, to the City for the purposes of the City compensating the SRO. For example, if the SRO were to earn $100,000, the City would pay for the 2.5 months of the summer when the SRO is not assigned to the School District, which would amount to $20,830 ($100,000 x 0.2083). For the remaining 9.5 months, the total cost would be $79,170 ($100,00 x 0.7917), which would be shared between the School District and the City using a 80/20 split. Under this arrangement, the City would pay $15,834 (20% of $79,170) and the School District would pay $63,336 (80% of $79,170). 24.​DATA ON CITATIONS ISSUED: The SRO will provide a data report twice annually, within one month of the end of the semester. The report will be provided in a spreadsheet or similar format. The data report will detail the following general aggregate information involving citations issued based on SRO activity at the schools of the District, unless prohibited by law: a.​ Number of citations issued for that time period and b.​ Number of citations issued in each category as defined by municipal code/state/federal statutes. The School District may supplement this data with demographic information.  25.​TRAINING: The SRO shall participate in approximately 16 hours of professional development as directed and required by the School District, and must be approved by the Lieutenant of Patrol. This professional development is in addition to the training and professional development required by the City and applicable state requirements for sworn law enforcement officers. The School District shall reimburse the City for all cost incurred, including compensation, for the SRO’s time in accordance to this provision. AMENDMENTS: This agreement may be modified by the mutual written agreement of the parties. Dated this _____________________________ day of ______________________2025. CITY OF VERONA BY: __________________________________________ Luke Diaz, Mayor Attest: ________________________________________ Holly Licht, City Clerk VERONA AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT By: __________________________________________ Jennifer Murphy, Board President Attest: ________________________________________ Dr. Tremayne Clardy, District Administrator