Crosslake Police Chief Erik Lee was authorized to offer Mission Township a one-year contract for police services for $62,870 at the township’s annual meeting Tuesday night, March 9.
The Crosslake City Council also agreed 4-1 at its meeting Monday, March 8, that it would then consider costs to the city police department in determining future contract amounts, which may include 3% increases each year to make up for years of no price hikes.
Council member Dave Schrupp voted against the one-year contract.
Mission Township paid $56,200 for Crosslake police services in 2020.
Lee said Wednesday, March 10, that citizens attending the township's annual meeting the previous night overwhelmingly supported the Crosslake Police Department and the partnership shared over the past 26 years. Citizens at the meeting supported increasing the tax levy and adjusting the 2021-2022 budget to reflect the $6,670 increase for Crosslake police services.
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There was also support to continue a three-year contract, Lee said.
Lee's proposal to the city council was for a three-year contract to include 3 percent increases in 2021 to $57,886 and in 2022 to $59,622, and a 2% increase in 2023 to $60,815.
Last month, Mayor Dave Nevin said Crosslake isn’t recouping its costs to service Mission Township and asked that specific police costs be determined. Lee and City Administrator Mike Lyonais did that and presented those costs to the public safety committee and then to the council Monday.
Annual costs for 2021 accounting for all salaries and related benefits were estimated to be $58,502 without mileage and $62,870 with mileage. The city’s cost would be the same with or without the contract.
For example, if health insurance was removed from the equation, the estimated cost to provide service would drop to $46,828 without mileage and $51,196 with mileage.
Lee said this contract is not an additional burden on the department. Officers patrol the township for 24 hours a week. He didn’t want to lose the funds from his budget if Mission Township decided not to contract with the city.
Nevin said the township wouldn’t drop Crosslake.
Nevin and council member Marcia Seibert-Volz maintained that Mission Township should pay a fair cost for police services, including officer salaries and benefits, and Crosslake taxpayers should not shoulder an unfair burden of that cost.
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In other public safety related action, the council:
Approved fire service contracts for 2021-2022 with Manhattan Beach for $12,414 and Fairfield Township for $21,670. The cost of each contract is based on a percent of tax capacity for that portion of the city or township Crosslake covers.
Approved a financing package to pay for a fire truck that costs $879,000. The council agreed to issue $865,000 in general obligation equipment certificates and use most of an estimated $50,000 the city expects to receive after firefighters helped fight fires in Oregon.
The certificates will be for seven years with a low interest rate of .6038%.
Agreed to declare the police department’s 2016 Ford SUV as surplus so it can be sold, and to replace two computers in the police department’s office for a total of $2,981.
Police reported 170 incidents in February in Crosslake, including 33 emergency medical services calls, one burglary, one property damage accident, one suspicious activity, one traffic arrest, four traffic citations and 45 traffic warnings.
Police reported 49 incidents in Mission Township in February, including 35 traffic warnings, five traffic citations and two traffic arrests.
The fire department reported 45 incidents in February, including 33 EMS calls, one motor vehicle accident with injuries.
North Ambulance Crosslake reported 71 calls in February.
Council members Schrupp and John Andrews attended Monday’s meeting online via Zoom.
Nancy Vogt may be reached at 218-855-5877 or nancy.vogt@pineandlakes.com. Follow her on Facebook and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/@PEJ_Nancy.
