Posted: 10/20/04
By Cynthia Scott
Should Stacy have more police protection?
That was a key topic of discussion during the Oct. 12 Stacy City Council meeting. At the request of the council, Cpl. Kris Scott of the Chisago County Sheriffís Office was present to discuss policing issues. Scott is the officer assigned to Stacy. In June he replaced Officer Brandon Thyen, who was promoted to another position.
The City currently has a contract with Chisago County for 28 hours of police patrol per week. The County is increasing its rate $2 per hour, so the City would need to cut the number of contracted hours in order to continue paying the same amount.
Councilmembers Barb Otterson and Katie Davis expressed concern about what they believe is inadequate police visibility since Theyenís departure. Scott attributed that, in part, to the Sheriffís office being shorthanded following the sudden death of Sgt. Ron Butcher last July.
Councilman John Walz asked Scott if he believes the current contract is adequate, Scott replied, ìFrankly, I think you need more police coverage - eight hours a day. The city is growing and needs are growing.î A full time officer, Scott said, would guarantee the city police coverage even if the assigned officer was ill or on vacation. The council will discuss the budget implications of police coverage at its Oct. 26 meeting.
The council also discussed with Scott their concerns about meth labs, in particular what citizens should do if they have evidence of a meth lab in their neighborhood. Scott said anyone with tangible information should contact Russ Frank, the narcotics investigator with the Sheriffís office.
In other business, the council accepted the bid of Piper Jaffray & Co. for the issuance and sale of $680,000 general obligation and tax abatement bonds. Todd Hagen of Ehlers and Associates, the firm handling the sale, reported that six bids were received, a significantly higher number than the usual two.
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