Jewett discusses police staffing, park rental fees

Council held its May 21 meeting in the newly renovated park building following an open house held an hour earlier.

Council President Josh Walters conducted the meeting in the absence of Mayor Bo Bailie and announced the village had received no applications for the police department.

He called it a concern but Councilmember Bobbie Prevot said she did have a conversation with Harrison County Sheriff Mark Touville. She said his office does not contract with villages concerning their ordinances but said Touville agreed to increase patrols in the village.

“I told him that our main concerns was the increased truck traffic with semis not stopping at a stop sign,” Prevot said. “They don’t slow down at the main intersection.”

Prevot was also concerned with children being out of school and now is calling it an issue. He said Touville doesn’t have the manpower to supply a deputy to sit in the village all day.

“But they are going to try stuff so they know that none of the villages have police, you know, they’re doing the best they can as well,” she told council.

Council exchanged ideas to advertise for an officer with Prevot volunteering to place a notice on the village’s Facebook page after discussing the expense of advertising through newspapers. They also spoke of other social media sites to post the ad and agreed to post the job “up to” 30 hours per week needed.

Also, council discussed their park rental situation and how much to set their fees.

The downstairs rental fee previously had been set at $200, with $50 refundable to the renter and another $50 designated for cleaning costs.

“So we get a hundred for the building,” Walters said.

Walters said the entire month of June already has been reserved for the basement section.

Prevot said the newly completed upstairs section is nicer than the downstairs area and suggested charging $250 for it.

Village Administrator Dan Beckett felt a fee of $350 for the whole building was sufficient. Fiscal Officer Linda Ager suggested $400 for both levels with the cleaning of both as a reason.

“If they want both of them they just get both of them,” Ager said.

Beckett said he did not wish to book both to two different parties because when one is booked, they usually want the park and felt that would be a conflict with different parties booked at the same time.

“I’m not going to have that where there’s a big argument that they paid their part,” Beckett continued.

Prevot suggested offering the option to rent both with half using the park while making the parties aware that another party has rented the other part of the building, and may also want to use the park.

“Whereas just not telling them anything,” Prevot said.

They agreed to try that approach and if one party doesn’t want the other section rented then they can rent the entire building.