CENTER — The Center trustees approved appointing veteran Sgt. Aaron Fresquez to the interim police chief position of the Center Police Department at the Town Board meeting on July 12.

The meeting started 45 minutes later than scheduled because the trustees devoted extra time with auditors to scrutinize the town’s finances.

The budget for mending roads, for example, calculated costs in 2021 before hyperinflation and supply chain issues drastically changed calculations worldwide. Barely into the second half of the year, they’re already $130,000 over budget. So, the board approved the audit results and agreed to prioritize projects for completion before the fiscal year concludes.

Town Manager Brian Lujan provided updates for grant-funded activities. Working with Saguache, Del Norte, and La Jara, Lujan is spearheading the Innovation in Housing grant.

Interim Chief Fresquez noted smooth operations during Independence Day celebrations in Center, and he provided details about the K9 Unit.

Fresquez said the department will host its second annual K9 Competition at 1 p.m. on July 23. In 2021, six teams from different agencies competed in challenges for dogs and their handlers. Admission is free to the public, and the department will sell food and concessions to help raise more money for the K9 Unit.

“We have a couple teams that said they would be there,” Fresquez explained, “and we’ll have our two dogs and another that’s being trained.”

Fresquez also said they will have a bouncy-house and other attractions for children.

Center Consolidated School District Superintendent Carrie Zimmerman gave the final presentation of the night, a review of safety procedures already under discussion with the Center Police Department.

“I wanted to focus on our security plans we have in place for this upcoming year,” Zimmerman said. “As you know, the school year ended on a scary note for the nation with all that happened in Texas. We want to be proactive to make our community as safe as possible for our kids. Phase one of our security plan is ‘Keep Out.’ The goal is to keep any threats out.”

To achieve the Keep-Out goal, Zimmerman outlined a plan to have the salary of a full-time School Resource Officer (SRO) paid by the school if the town of Center covered benefits. The SRO would be available throughout the year for potential emergency situations with the police department, as well as summertime and other periods outside the academic calendar.

In addition, the Center Schools security plan calls for a dedicated K9 Unit officer. This dual-trained dog will be able to identify firearms and apprehend suspects. Zimmerman also asked for help securing gaps in fencing between the classrooms and the administration building.

To close out, Zimmerman explained that the administration will be without power for two weeks while they install a generator for back-up power in the future.