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Graves meets with Darien board

Photo

David Graves

DARIEN — Walworth County Sheriff David Graves has agreed to study the possibility of providing contracted police services with the village of Darien.

At a regular meeting Monday night, board members and Graves had an initial face-to-face talk about what the village hopes to get from the sheriff’s office.

The board in a special meeting Dec. 4 directed Administrator Marc Dennison to talk to Graves about the possibility of contracting for a supervisory position.

Board President Evelyn Etten on Monday told Graves the village’s first choice is to keep its officers and contract for department management.

“We thought we could possibly contract with the county,” Etten said. “You provide a person and bill us for the service.”

Graves, the president of the Badger State Sheriff’s Association, has never heard of such a contract on a long-term basis, he said. He heard of a similar, temporary situation in one other county, he said.

Graves did describe a different kind of contract that is more common in Wisconsin and is outlined by state statutes.

In some counties, municipalities contract for police services with sheriff’s offices. State statutes require the sheriff to first offer jobs to local officers if they meet the sheriff’s requirements.

The officers are absorbed into the county payroll as deputies. The sheriff assigns deputies to cover specific municipalities, Graves said.

Graves was not trying to sell the board on that kind of contract, he said.

“But since you asked, I came here to see what you would like me to look into,” Graves said.

Graves on Monday was not able to give the board a cost estimate for either type of contract. He also did not know what would happen to equipment and other capital investments should the village contract with his office for services.

He said he would try to have more information in time for the board’s January meeting.

The village is “hesitant” to hire a chief to replace Steve DeVoy who agreed in November to resign, Etten said earlier this month.

After almost a year of legal battles and political bickering, DeVoy in November settled with the village for six months pay and $30,000. He was suspended with pay in December 2008.

DeVoy was re-appointed to his position and will resign in May.

DARIEN HIKES SEWER RATES

The Darien Village Board on Monday approved a 7.5 percent increase in village sewer rates in 2010.

That was half of the increase recommended by the public works committee and a quarter of the increase recommended by the village’s financial advisor.

It is the first time the board has approved a sewer rate increase since 2004, said board member Bob Wenzel, who voted against the increase. Wenzel favored a larger increase.

Sewer rates have been an annual point of contention in the village, Wenzel said.

Darien is served by the Walworth County Metropolitan Sewerage District, which has annually increased the rate it charges the village. The village has not passed those increases on to residents, Wenzel said.

“Nobody wants (the sewer rate) raised,” Wenzel said. “Then you get criticized for not raising it (in small increments) every year.”

In the past, the board has covered the difference with money from a tax incremental financing district or from its general fund.

One problem is that the village’s sewer system is aging and letting in ground water in some places. That means WalCoMet is charging the village to treat ground water in addition to wastewater, Public Works Director Greg Epping has said.