County offers to cover 30% of deputy for Dorchester
Clark County may be willing to pay 30 percent of the cost for having a deputy assigned to Dorchester, but first, the proposal needs to make it through the county’s budgeting process.
That was the message delivered to the village board last week Wednesday by deputy clerk Christie Erikson, who said she spoke to Sheriff Scott Haines about the proposal, which goes before the county’s finance committee later this month.
“He feels very confident that it will pass there,” she said.
Before it becomes reality, the deputy position would have to make it into the county’s 2022 budget, which won’t be adopted until November, Erikson noted.
The county had originally offered to split the deputy position between Dorchester and Curtiss, but Curtiss officials have not said yet whether they are able to pay for a portion of the position.
Erikson said the sheriff is determined to have a deputy who concentrates on the northeastern corner of the county.
“He did say that Clark County feels like they need coverage out here, so they want that 30 percent,” she said.
Based on cost estimates previously provided by the sheriff’s department, the village’s 70 percent share of hiring a deputy and buying a squad vehicle would be about $129,000.
After that, the ongoing costs would drop to $83,000 to cover 70 percent of the deputy’s wages, gasoline, overtime and motor vehicle maintenance.
Prior to the departure of chief Gary Leichtman, the village had been budgeting about $116,000 annually for its police department when it was still active.
Trustee Eric Klemetson wondered how exactly the deputy would split up their time under a 70/30 shared funding arrangement.
“Are they going to be getting called off all the time?” he asked.
Erikson said anytime the deputy left the village, he or she would have to notify dispatch, so that’s how the deputy’s time will be tracked. The county will then send the village a bill for all the time the deputy spends in Dorchester, Erikson said.
“This will no longer be our employee,” she said. “We are contracting with them. We provide no benefits; we just contract for services.”
Village president Kurt Schwoch said the sheriff would like to start with a oneyear contract for the first two to three years based on possible changes in the department’s annual budget.
“Down the line, it could turn into a five-year contract so there’s a little more stability, but for now, he wants to keep it annual,” he said.
Memorial Hall updates
Jenny Halopka, lessee of Memorial Hall, told the board that the hall was booked out for weddings on nearly every weekend from April 10 to Sept. 18. She said this is “absolutely unheard of” for Dorchester’s hall rentals.
The hall will now be transitioning into bowling season, with a mixed couples Sunday night league starting Sept. 12 and a Tuesday morning league starting Sept. 14 at 9:30 a.m.
“We’re looking for bowlers,” she said. “Anybody is welcome. There’s no age limit. Everyone who’s free Tuesday morning can come down and bowl.”
The prices were kept the same as last year, at $8 per person for each game.
Halopka said the bowling lanes are in need of maintenance and repairs, so Erikson said she would try to arrange for someone from Schemm Bowling Inc. to service the lanes in the next couple weeks. Otherwise, local volunteers may be called in to do the work.
“It needs to happen before Sept. 12,” Halopka said.
Halopka also addressed a couple of other issues with the hall, including the possible need to change the locks at the facility after a door was left unlocked on at least three separate occasions.
“There’s definitely somebody up there who has a key that I don’t believe should have a key,” she said. “Nobody knows who it is.”
Halopka also told the board about an issue she had with a group of community members who use the hall for indoor walking throughout the week. She said the group was warned three times not to walk on Fridays so that wedding parties could have unfettered access to decorate.
The walkers continued to show up and walk around while renters were trying to set up, so Halopka took their key away.
“They were very upset with me,” she said.
Halopka said she will be returning the key to the group after Sept. 18, which is when most of the weddings at the hall will be done. She noted that the walkers are given quite a few special privileges, such as not having to change their shoes and not having to mop afterward.
“They weren’t respecting the very few rules that we have up there for them,” she said.
No one on the board objected to how Halopka handled the situation.
“It sounds like you got it covered,” Schwoch said.
Other business
_ The board approved the village’s contribution to the Central Fire and EMS District for 2022, which is $28,058 — an increase of $1,749 over this year.
Trustee Tom Carter, the village’s representative to the fire district, said the district is also going to be asking for a new ambulance. He pointed out how Dorchester’s ambulance is the one being replaced, but the village’s fire hall is not going to get the new ambulance.
“Station 3 ends up with the equipment that nobody wants, which I don’t think is right,” he said, urging local EMTs to voice their complaints if they have problems with how vehicles are distributed.
_ The board voted to waive the Memorial Hall rental fee for a polka group that would like to hold a dance at the hall in December or January. Halopka said the group charges people an entry fee, but it only covers the cost of the band, and everyone is invited to attend.
Halopka offered to handle all of the set-up and clean-up so there’s no additional cost to the village.
_ The board authorized Clint Penney to seek bids for a new tin roof at Memorial Hall. Penney said the existing roof is leaking in several spots, leaving wet spots in different areas of the hall.
_ Utility operator Rick Golz said he’s having to use more chemicals than originally anticipated at the village’s wastewater lagoons in order to control the higher levels of phosphorus.
_ The board approved Oct. 14-15 as village-wide clean-up dates.
