During Monday night’s meeting of the Milford Town Council, Alicia Ley brought a petition before the council designed to show the town just how many citizens desired a full-time school resource officer for Milford School.

Milford town attorney Jay Rigdon informed the council that he has been in discussion with Dave Cates, Wawasee School Corporation attorney, and had begun preparing an ordinance to make a resource officer part of the town’s staff, however, he got the impression from the town that the officer would work through the school as an independent contractor. The goal is that officers in town will work full-time for the town, and work as resource officers during their own time, much like a security guard at a bar or bank might do.

“If they’re not going to be town employees, then I’m not sure why the town is involved,” Ridgon explained.

Currently, the agreement is that the town and the school will each provide half of the funds during the first half of this school year as part of the pilot program. Town Marshall Rich Miotto will manage the school resource officer schedule, to ensure there are no conflicts with town responsibilities, however, while officers are at the school they work as independent contractors rather than employees of the town. The town has decided to wait for further discussion at the school board meeting, however, they hope to have a decision made by the time school starts.

Ron and Vanessa Fox attended Milford Town Council again in an effort to ensure the legality of their intentions. Their attorney, Scott Royster, explained to the council that there was notice of a hearing to vacate the alley behind the home sent to surrounding neighbors, one of which attended in support of the vacation of the alley.

They explained that the alley is not being used as an alley and that even with the construction of the eight-foot porch they’re trying to build, it would not deny utility easements or prevent water lines in the area from being repaired if needed.

According to Miotto, residents have expressed concern over the lack of “No Engine Brake” signs on edges of town on SR 15. While town policy does call for them and the signs may have been there in the past, they are clearly not there now and with the influx of trucks on the road since the north end of Old SR 15 shut down, the town has decided to look into get proper signage put up.

Milford Family Physicians is rejoining with IU Health Network. MapleNet Wireless, IU Health Network’s service provider, attended the meeting to request use of the top of the town water tower as a relay site. Pat McCauley, field services manager for MapleNet Wireless, explained that the company would place and antennae and radio between the tower and Milford Family Physicians, which would travel between them and then to Goshen Hospital’s relay site for quick and easy access to patient information. The town agreed to allow MapleNet Wireless rental of the tower and a contract will be prepared and signed by Aug. 1.

The next meeting of the Milford Town Council is scheduled for 7 p.m. Aug. 5 at Milford Town Hall.