Students to get close-up view of government

The Shafter City Council Tuesday night approved a project that would see several local schools participate in a project that would allow the students to learn more about the operation of local government.

Student Council members from Richland School District, Shafter High School, GROW Academy and Maple School will be able to participate in a series of meetings held at City Hall.

The students would receive polo shirts as part of their experience, as well an opportunity to shadow the city officials during a workday, as well as sit in and participate in a City Council meeting.

Also a part of the project is a trip for the participating students to the State Capitol in Sacramento.

The trip would include a tour of the Capitol, a chance to meet local lawmakers and some sightseeing..

The budget for the trip is a little over $5,800 and is being funded by the city's Community Projects Fund.

In other city action, the council received a report on the first of the city's parks that have had public safety cameras installed, the first being Veterans Park. The council saw a presentation about the installation of the cameras and their use. The positive impact on the safety of the community was emphasized.

The council had the chance to see the view from the different cameras that were installed at the site. The cameras have night vision, and also have recording capabilities and are high resolution.

The cost of the Veterans Park project was approximately $68,000.