Update: Corrected the number of years L.A.D.D. has operated in the Dowagiac area.

The Dowagiac Police Department has received a helping hand from one of the community’s nonprofit organizations.

Ward 1 Councilmember Lori Hunt presented a $250 check for the Dowagiac Police Department, on behalf of her employer, Living Alternatives for the Developmentally Disabled Inc., during the city council meeting Monday evening at City Hall. Accepting the check on behalf of the police department was Mayor Don Lyons.

The organization, located at 300 Whitney St., Dowagiac, provides staffing support to individuals with disabilities in the community, so that they may live as independently as possible, as well as increase the quality of life of those L.A.D.D. serves, Hunt said. The statewide organization has been in the Dowagiac area for 39 years, she added.

“We see your police department as a partner in this goal, to make our communities a great place to live, work, relax and pursue a healthy, active lifestyle,” Hunt said, reading off a statement from the organization.

The $250 donation will go toward special projects for the department, Hunt said.

“[We] would thank you for the excellent service you provide the community and for the collaborating with L.A.D.D. to make a difference,” Hunt said.

The organization has also donated money to the Dowagiac school board, for helping make the community a better place, Hunt said.

The city council also approved a contract with GHD Services Inc. for $7,265, to perform annual monitoring services for 22 wells located along Nubour Road, Davis Lane, Marcellus Highway and McKenzie Street in Wayne Township. The work is required by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, which turned over monitoring duties to the city in 2012. The wells are being monitored due to the presence of the former city landfill site near the properties.

The council also approved the payment of $302,995 worth of bills and payroll.