Town council designates officer training funds
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MISSION — The St. Ignatius Town Council approved a new fireworks ordinance and directed grant funds to be allocated for the an officer training program at its Oct. 1 meeting.
The new firework ordinance, which will go into effect in November, allows for fireworks to be ignited from 8 a.m. on Dec. 31 until 2 a.m. on Jan. 1.
Chief of police Jeff Ferguson asked the council for permission to begin a training fund with $1,162.50 he was able to get from a grant to cover half the costs of vests for officers.
Some council members asked if the funds should go into the general fund for equipment, instead of a training fund. Ferguson said equipment was already adequately budgeted for, and that putting the money into training would open the doors to having more qualified officers.
“The next thing I was going to ask for is a part-time officer,” Ferguson said.
The request prompted a question from councilman Ray Frey.
“I thought we talked about this officer every week for the past three meetings,” Frey said. “Why do we keep bringing it up?”
Council did not budget for a second police officer at its September meeting, although Ferguson inquired about one.
The council voted to put the money in the training fund, and did not bring up the part-time officer again. Mayor Charley Gariepy said he wanted to make sure that the Montana Public Safety Officer Standards and Training (POST) Council was on board with the way reserve officers will be paid.
“I want some sort of written thing from the POST about reimbursement,” Gariepy said. “I don’t want to get cross with the POST.”
City attorney James Lapotka said he would send Gariepy a copy of an attorney general’s opinion that explains how funds may be used to compensate reserve officers.
Frey also asked Ferguson to vary the hours he was on duty include more nights and weekends.
Ferguson said patrolling during school start and end times limits the amount he can vary his schedule.
“We can’t drop the town to protect the school every day,” Frey said.
In other business:
• Council directed town clerk Lee Ann Gottfried to draft a resolution that would enable employees to apply health insurance allowances to their family member’s insurance costs.
• Public works director Scott Morton said a group was preparing to repave the skate park.
• Morton said the start date for a water improvement project was delayed to Oct. 28. The original start date was supposed to be Sept. 1.
“They said they might get a well drilled, then they are sitting out for the year,” Morton said.
Morton said the funding agency for the project had visited St. Ignatius recently, which was helpful.
