Sheriff Patrick Ray has negotiated terms of a new contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide extra patrols at five designated lake sites this summer.
The commission approved the agreement during Monday night’s regular monthly meeting.
During a workshop meeting with County Mayor Tim Stribling and members of the County Commission Thursday night, Sheriff Ray said that while there will be fewer patrols and the overall revenue from the deal will be less this year, the county is to receive more money per patrol. The contract runs from May 4 through September 7. “I got with the Corps and negotiated back and forth and came to an agreement. We’re looking at somewhere around 95 patrols at $202.50 each which comes to around $19,440 for the year or $40.50 per site. On Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays their crowds down there are near nothing through the week. Weekends is when they have most of their camping and things like that. We will only run one time on Fridays, two times on Saturdays, two times on Sundays, and then Labor Day and Memorial Day we’ll be running two times. On Friday before the 4th of July, we’ll run twice that day. Of course, If they have trouble we’ll go anyway,” Sheriff Ray told the county commission.
For three decades the Corps has contracted with and compensated the county to provide extra sheriff’s department patrols at certain lake sites.
Sheriff Ray said the new terms are better than the deal originally offered by the Corps for the upcoming year which would have reduced the number of patrols as well as the rate of compensation to the county. The Corps had proposed 219 patrol periods this year at five lake sites. The county would have received a total of $35,040 to provide the service. That would have been down from the 229 patrol periods in 2014 and 236 in the year 2013. The Corps’ rate of compensation to the county has also been declining in recent years going from $37,760 in 2013 to $36,640 last year.
The sheriff’s department must only use full time POST certified officers to conduct the patrols during the designated time periods specified by the contract.
During February’s county commission workshop meeting, the emergency services committee recommended that Sheriff Ray ask the Corps to increase the rate of compensation from $32 to $40.50 per lake site in the proposed new contract which would be $202.50 per patrol period.
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