City deputy pondered for Cave Junction
From our weekly issue dated June 25, 2008
This photo, taken several months ago, shows Sheriff Gil Gilbertson and Mayor Tony Paulson reviewing police materials in the city hall basement. (I.V. News file photo)
A workshop to iron out details of a proposed contract for law enforcement within the city of Cave Junction will involve Sheriff Gil Gilbertson, city councilmen and Josephine County commissioners.
The workshop is planned for Thursday, June 26 at 3 p.m. in Cave Junction City Hall. Sitting as a contract review board Monday night, June 23, the three councilmen present also agreed that if agreement on details is reached during the workshop, that Mayor Tony Paulson be authorized to sign the pact.
The vote in favor was 3-0 by Mayor Pro Tem Margaret Miller, and councilmen Trish Arias and Don Moore. Paulson and Councilman Dan Fiske were absent. Gilbertson told the trio and the handful of citizens at the meeting that the best possible service will be provided under the pending agreement.
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The agreement to have a contract deputy would involve an officer working 40 hours per week “for general patrol service. The schedule will be set by the sheriff with consideration given to specific enforcement needs of the city,” according to the deal.
“The contract deputy,” the pending agreement continues, “will be directed to focus the majority of patrol service within the city limits.” Under the terms, the city would pay a total of $100,000 in four installments of $25,000 during the one year of the contract.
Kerby resident John Bowler disputed the arrangement authorizing the mayor to sign the agreement following the workshop. He accused the councilors of having already made up their minds.
Arias replied that she had not made up her mind, noting that the mayor has the OK “if we agree” on the details. Bowler twice said that “something weird” was going on, and said that the council could call a special meeting to approve the agreement.
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However, the sheriff and councilors noted that “time is of the essence,” as a deputy is due to be laid off unless the city contract is approved no later than Monday, June 30 when the current fiscal year will end. “I’m holding over one deputy, thinking that we will reach agreement on this arrangement,” Gilbertson explained.
Continuing to comment on what he feels is not proper, as well as the usually sparse attendance at council meetings, Bowler commented that, “It is remarkable how much city residents trust the council” to do what’s right. Moore replied that Bowler, as a resident of Kerby outside the city limits, might not be aware of how much the city residents do trust the council.
Later, under Citizen Comments, city resident Willa Gustafson stated that she, for one, trusts the council. Replied Miller, “It’s always nice to hear positive comments.”
In connection with the pending contract deputy agreement, the sheriff said that the city should be able to resume signing off on vehicle impoundments. Otherwise, persons would have to go to Grants Pass. He said that he would check with the D.A.
Gilbertson also told the council that he intends to begin using the basement of city hall, instead of the county building, no later than Tuesday, July 1. “We haven’t used the county building in months,” he said.
Although the former city jail will be utilized by the sheriff’s office, the county commissioners have decreed that no money will be spent on relocating computer cables until after the Nov. 4 election. It is not yet clear as to when the basement will be used as a temporary holding facility.
In a somewhat related matter, the council held the first reading of an amendment to the municipal code involving firearms. Although the council on June 9 dumped a plan that would have required heads of households to be armed, it wanted to add to the code section.
Under the current code, it is illegal for anyone, other than a law enforcement officer, to discharge a firearm of any kind in city limits. The proposal is to add to the code that anyone can use a firearm “in the defense of one’s person, as permitted by Oregon Revised Statute 161.219.”
In reply to a question from rural CJ resident Mark Russo, Miller stated that currently, even the discharge of a paint ball gun within city limits is illegal.
