Chelsea City Council tackles school safety, acquisition of annexed land

The Chelsea City Council met at Chelsea City Hall on Aug. 7 to go over a handful of pressing matters facing the community. In addition to the meeting being open to all members of the Chelsea community, it was also live-streamed on the city’s Facebook page.

With Shelby County students heading back to school, superintendent Lewis Brooks, along with Shelby County Sheriff John Samaniego, spoke about their efforts to ensure all students’ safety, with over 20 school shootings having occurred since January of this year.

Brooks claimed that the city has been taking the steps needed to increase school safety since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012. Such steps have included deploying school resource officers, a $1.3 million security revamp on school entrances and revised safety plans. Future safety measures include implementing the use of K-9 officers to accompany SROs at the schools.

Important business during the meeting included voting in favor of the proposed resolution to purchase a transport ambulance vehicle for the city’s fire department. A resolution to authorize the upgrade of the city hall’s audio/visual system passed as well, and the public works project will include the addition of two 75-inch screens in the general council meeting room and a new speaker system with an audio equalizer.

An ordinance to acquire 2.03 acres of annexed land offered by Horton Ventures was introduced, accepted and carried over.