Sheriff presents year-end report

 Sheriff Paul Lies delivered the 2017 year-end sheriff's department report to the Eddy County Commission on Tuesday, January 2.

 Vehicular accidents reported in Eddy County are up over 50 percent compared to 2016, and the department is investigating why several accidents have taken place at the intersection of Second Avenue South and Fifth Street in New Rockford.

 Lies explained the electronic citation process. All officers have computers and internet access in their squad cars, so the entire citation issuance is done within the vehicle and sent to the Clerk of Court electronically. This replaces the old process of preparing written citations, but is still a work in process. Some citations can only be handwritten at this time, including DUI offenses and driving under suspension.

 As shown in the graphs above, the deputies started out slow but had issued nearly twice as many more electronic citations than written ones in the fourth quarter. Lies wants that trend to continue as they get more comfortable with the process.

 There was a discussion of the 24/7 sobriety program, a statewide program that provides an alternative to jail time for those charged with or convicted of drunk driving or other alcohol related offenses.

 Lies explained that the process used in Eddy County is either drug patch testing or electronic monitoring, with the defendant paying fees for the program that go directly to the state. The benefit to the county is the savings in jail costs.

 The Community Service program is going well since the county took back the responsibility of overseeing it, saying no one has come to court saying that they haven't been able to contact anyone regarding their community service and added that, "a little local control is a good thing."

 Lies said the department still has some equipment needs but they have budgeted for them so they will add them throughout the year.

 The department also has a new deputy. Ward Hilger started working part-time recently and has worked a few weekends.

 The commissioners and Lies also discussed the sheriff's department vehicles, knowing that there is one new vehicle budgeted.

 The heated garage has come in handy on several occasions. They have used it to inventory some items from a vehicle that was stopped and impounded. It has also been helpful to keep deputies vehicles inside when the weather is so cold and the deputy isn't scheduled to work. The computer equipment in the vehicles is always drawing on the batteries and the cold weather makes them hard to start.

 Eddy County Road Superintendent Irvin Loe also reported to the county commission, and stated that things are going pretty well for the road department; there hasn't been much snow and the equipment is, for the most part, working well.

 There was discussion about the purchase of a packer/roller that workers could pull behind a blade. This item had previously been discussed after some of the county commissioners and road crew members had seen Griggs County's setup. Griggs County had started with one but had added more when they were pleased with the results.

 It is the belief that it will especially help Eddy County roads, especially at the corners. Loe asked if it could be changed out between the three blades they have or if it would only be mounted on one of them.

 Commissioner Glenda Collier will find out more information and get prices before the next meeting.

North Dakota Game and Fish Department game warden James Myhre will also attend the next Eddy County commission meeting regarding signage to be placed at Warsing Dam.

 Eddy County Auditor Patty Williams received advance notice from the North Dakota Association of Counties that the federal GSA mileage rate for travel after December 31, 2017 will be $0.545. The notice said they anticipate that the OMB will issue an update to their policy shortly and while a county board can establish a higher mileage reimbursement rate, the state rate is the minimum amount that counties may reimburse.

The heated garage has come in handy on several occasions. They have used it to inventory some items from a vehicle that was stopped and impounded. It has also been helpful to keep deputies vehicles inside when the weather is so cold and the deputy isn't scheduled to work. The computer equipment in the vehicles is always drawing on the batteries and the cold weather makes them hard to start.

 The next meeting of the Eddy County Commission will be held on January 16 at 9:00 a.m.