Medina police will continue to provide officer at school district

MEDINA – The village approved an agreement with the Medina School District where police officer Chad Kenward will continue to provide a full-time presence at the district during the school year.

Police Chief Jose Avila is a strong supporter of having a police officer dedicated to school district. He said the officer is on the scene to respond to any calls, develops relationships with students and also acts as a deterrent to crime.

“It’s an incredible working relationship between the police department and the school district,” Avila said Monday after the Village Board approved a one-year agreement with the district.

The school will pay the village $60,000 towards Kenward’s salary and benefits. That covers about nine months of the cost with the village paying the rest.

Medina first had a school resource officer as part of a grant about 10 years ago. When the grant expired after three years, there wasn’t a SRO for at least one year. The district and village have since agreed to partner in providing the service.

“I’m very grateful the superintendent and mayor have worked to keep an officer in the school,” Avila said.

In other action on Monday, the Village Board:

Voted to take out a $120,000 bond to pay for a new police vehicle, utility tractor with a snow blower, maintenance equipment, protective gear for the fire department and equipment for an ambulance.

Agreed to a five-year lease with the county where Orleans can erect a new radio communications tower next to the village water tank on Route 31A. The county won’t be charged to use the land at 11816 Maple Ridge Rd., but the county agreed to share some revenue with the village if a telecommunications company co-locates on the tower in the future.

May declare a roadway leading into the Medina Business Park as an official village street. If the roadway becomes part of the village highway inventory, Medina could receive state CHIPS money to maintain the road.

Peter Houseknecht, the Medina DPW superintendent, said the road went in more than a decade ago and needs some work. He would like to use state CHIPS funds to help with the road maintenance, rather than village tax dollars.

The village will reach out to the Orleans Economic Development Agency to declare the road an official village street.