Columbus Town Council has approved the final agreement with St. Luke’s Hospital to provide two officers for security.

Council met Thursday, Sept. 19 and approved the latest draft of the agreement where the town will provide two officers and St. Luke’s will pay the town for the officers, equipment and training. The hospital asked the town to provide the officers to have an armed officer on duty for night security.

St. Luke’s must approve the contract before the agreement is final.

Columbus Town Manager Jonathan Kanipe and police chief Chris Beddingfield said the town hopes the officers will be in place by November.

The town will provide one uniformed, armed police officer and one town police car to the hospital from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. for the protection of hospital employees, visitors, patients and the property. The hospital currently staffs security guards.

As soon as the hospital approves the agreement, the town will advertise for officers and the officers will begin training to meet hospital standards.

The hospital will pay the town $100,895 in $8,408 monthly installments for the first 12 months to cover the town’s costs for its officers’ salaries, benefits, uniforms and equipment, including firearms, a police car, administrative and overhead costs, police department supervision, training and costs of insurance for the officers.

Following the first 12 months, the agreement states the hospital will pay the town $92,895 per year, payable in monthly installments of $7,741. The following years are less because of the up-front costs of uniforms and equipment the first year.