Board of Aldermen meeting recap

     The Board of Aldermen met briefly April 10th, approving resolutions related to employee benefits, emergency management, and authorizing the City to opt into the national settlements related to the opioid pandemic. 
     The Board voted to continue its participation in the Central Jackson County Emergency Management Agency (CJCEMA), which is a cooperative effort between the cities of Grain Valley, Blue Springs and Lake Tapawingo in conjunction with the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District. The budgeted cost is $14,333.
     The Board also approved a resolution to allow Food Truck Fridays on the first Fridays of May, June, July, and August. Trucks will be located in the Grain Valley First Baptist Church parking lot, as well as Front and Gregg streets. A few trucks will also be located along Main Street. 
     Fireworks permit requests for the Grain Valley Band Parent Association and Grain Valley Partnership were both approved.
     During aldermen and mayor comments, Alderman Skinner continued to push for additional school resource officers. Alderman Arnold mentioned that several districts provide their own security service rather than partnering with a police department.
     Skinner referenced events such as community fairs that require security and questioned why similar coverage in schools is not mandated.
     "We're going to put hundreds of kids who cannot defend themselves in a building and not require some sort of security for these kids," Skinner asked.
     Skinner pushed back on the school district's response to his concerns in previous reporting by Grain Valley News, in which the school stated they believed the three officers currently assigned provide adequate coverage. 
     "My constituents don't believe that three SRO's are adequate for our schools," Skinner said. "I think the city needs to lead on this issue."
     Skinner challenged the City to address the issue in the short term by allowing an increase in overtime to serve both the road and also serve as a deterrent at the schools. 
     The next scheduled board meeting will be held at City Hall on Monday, April 24th at 7:00pm.