By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
A long-term decision on which agency will handle the Village of Waterford’s policing needs should be firmed up within a couple of weeks.
The background
In a case of déjà vu, the Village earlier this year inquired about contracting with the Town of Waterford for Village policing services in 2016.
In 2012, a similar round of discussions took place between the Town and Village; at that time, the Village Board decided to continue with its longstanding practice of contracting out for police services with the Racine County Sheriff’s Department.
Since the Village made its most recent overture, Town officials have been drawing up a contract proposal and discussing some of the logistics of a unified Waterford policing arrangement.
The drafted contract was not yet ready to present to the Village Board, Village Administrator Rebecca Ewald reported at Monday night’s Board meeting.
“We’re hoping to get the draft within the next few days,” Ewald said as she delivered her administrator’s report toward the end of Monday night’s meeting.
Town Chairman Tom Hincz has asked for feedback from the Town’s four supervisors before forwarding the draft document on to the Village Board, which had originally hoped to review it April 27.
Hincz said Sunday that each of the Town Board supervisors was given the opportunity to review and comment on the drafted contract proposal.
“What it comes down to, is things will go back and forth between the attorneys,” he said.
The Town Board has already given approval to proceeding with a contract that’s drafted by the Board’s attorney, “so the Board doesn’t have to re-approve it” to include new draft changes, Hincz explained.
“We’re not dragging our feet,” Hincz added, noting that the contract proposal would be for 2016 services.
Moving forward
The Village’s current contract calls for the Racine County Sheriff’s Office to provide the Village with estimated costs for regular police services by June 1.
Within 60 days of receipt of those estimated costs, the Village must notify the Sheriff’s Office in writing whether it wishes to renew, reduce or increase regular police services for the following year.
Monday night, Ewald said some steps will be triggered once the latest draft contract proposal from the Town arrives at Village Hall. Village trustees Tamara Pollnow and Jerry Filut will review the submitted document with both Ewald and the village attorney.
The goal, Ewald said, is to have a firm recommendation in place by the time the Village Board next meets.
“It is our intention to provide the Village Board with recommendations on the draft at the May 11 Village Board meeting,” Ewald said.
Editor Patricia Bogumil contributed to this report.
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This would be a terrible move.
Super secret contract costs until it is approved I guess. Good thing lawyers are involved and both sides are burning money on this expensive pipe dream. When is enough going to be enough?
So much for this not costing the town taxpayers any money. I see this as a cost to town taxpayers in the administration of this pipe dream by Ditscheit. Shouldn’t he be administering his own police department? Who will suffer when he has to split his time between town services and village services?
It’s time to put the politics of this fiasco away and realize that we village residents deserve better!
Village Residents….Please voice your opinion. Racine County Sheriff for the Village of Waterford. If we switch to anyone else, such as the town, we will see the difference. The sheriff’s department will not be as heavily influenced with small town politics as the village. I see the day to day operations being impartial to any figures that think they have power here. Again….PLEASE choose the Racine County Sheriff for our continued services.
I guess I ask myself (and so should you) which agency I want investigating if I’m a victim of a serious (or even petty) crime. I am convinced the Sheriff has the resources and training to deal with issues from the start. The town of Waterford PD with all 7ish of their full time employees? Yea, not so much.
Just another reason or two to believe this is a behind closed doors insider deal in which decisions are rarely made in the best interest of village residents.
Not to mention it appears a full time town employee appears more expensive!! But alas, the numbers and structuring seem hush hush so we really don’t know….
The town police force is a disgrace and we deserve better! I’d prefer to keep the professional protection from the sheriff’s department.