Rec checks considered
Jackson officials eye criminal history of employees, volunteers
BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer

An ordinance designed to have criminal history background checks conducted for recreation employees and workers who deal with township youths will come before the Jackson Township Council on Oct. 24.

The ordinance was initially introduced on Aug. 8 and scheduled for a public hearing and vote for adoption on Aug. 22. Action on the ordinance was later put on hold while council members made some adjustments to the proposed law.

According to municipal officials, the ordinance was designed to require a criminal background check for any person involved with coaching, managing or supervising participants, or any other title consistent with those terms. Also covered are any umpires, referees, member of any boards that govern such organizations or anyone who uses township-owned property (real or personal property) for activities of the organization.

For the purpose of the ordinance, a youth is defined as any person who is younger then 18 years of age.

Prospective or current employees will be required to submit their name, date of birth, address, fingerprints, written consent and any other required information in order for the background check to be completed.

Failure to comply with the requirement by refusing to submit to the background check will prohibit that individual from participating.

Any person who is found to have a criminal background will be disqualified from serving.

The initial proposal gave the township administrator the responsibility for coordinating the background checks.

"I reread the ordinance and found some glitches," Councilman Scott Martin said. "We took a step backward and examined the ordinance."

Martin said the latest amended version, which the council introduced at its meeting on Oct. 10, is different because it permits a nonprofit organization to employ its own individual or company to conduct the criminal background checks of the people associated with that organization at their own expense.

"They (the nonprofit organizations) will have to supply the township with a list of names of the people who have cleared their checks," Martin said. "[They can use any source they want] as long as they are doing a criminal history and a sex offender check."

Martin said municipal officials are not looking to add costs to nonprofit organizations.

"We just want to make sure our kids are protected," the councilman said.

The original ordinance required that any full-time, part-time, permanent, temporary or seasonal employee of the Jackson Recreation Department or any nonprofit youth serving organizations operating in Jackson would be checked.

The council never voted on the ordinance on Aug. 22.

"There were a few rewrites," Martin said. "I wanted to make sure it was right and so we met with our attorney. We wanted to make sure all the concerns were addressed on our side as well as the organization's side. Now we will have an ordinance in place that will mandate criminal history and sex offender background checks on all volunteer and all recreation personnel throughout Jackson. This has the support of the sports organizations. I'm very happy they took the time to talk with us about it."

Martin said Councilwoman Ann Updegrave, vice chair of recreation, played an integral role in creating the ordinance.