By MaryHelen Swanson

The Chisago County commissioners last week, gave Sheriff Todd Rivard authority to create a sergeant position from the current roster. The sergeant will supervise such things as the chaplain dividision, educational classes that are taught by the department such as ATV, snowmobile, watercraft and firearms safety classes.

Another group that this position will supervise is the proposed Sheriff's Reserve Unit.

Sheriff Rivard noted that large events require "massive manpower to control crowds and traffic," events such as the county fair, the triathlon, Threshing Show and possibly Hay Days in 2008.

The Reserve Unit, which is in the planning stages, will be able to respond to these events.

Rivard expects to start recruitment this month and hold an academy in January. The group will initially have 12 members who will volunteer their time, (they will not be paid) but who will be trained and equipped through the Sheriff's office.

The new sergeant position will also actively do patrol functions in the areas of water and snowmobile patrol and fill in regular patrol shifts as needed.

Sheriff Rivard told the commissioners the new position would come with no added costs. He will accomplish this by the reorganization of office support staff which he started last April and by doubling up on duties with personnel in specific areas and by hiring a position at substantially less money.

The reorganization involved not replacing the officer manager who resigned, hiring a window receptionist/records clerk/transcriptionist. He assigned the Civil Process Clerk to civil process and Sheriff's confidential secretary duties.

He placed one of the records clerk/transcriptionists into the investigation division as an investigative assistant.

The bottom line, after the reorganization, is a total savings of $7,054.

And this, even with the cost of the sergeant being $8,674 over the top deputy wage.

In a related Sheriff's department item, the commissioners agreed to cover the cost of startup for the Mobile Data Computer system for the North Branch and Wyoming police departments.

In the agreement, Chisago County will cover the cost of the initial equipment for 10 North Branch squads, and six Wyoming squads, the software and license fees. After that, the individual police departments will pay for equipment installation in the squad cars and all yearly maintenance and licensing costs.

The totals are $140,000 for North Branch, and $84,000 for Wyoming.

The county money for this expenditure will come from an account that was carried over from the savings in the jail preplanning.

This is a matter of connectivity, said the sheriff.

The Lakes Area Police Department was not included in this project.

Rivard noted that LAPD has a system that gives them connectivity to the state as well as their own records. Jon Eckel, county MIS director, believes it would cost over $500,000 to bring LAPD onto the county system at this time. The sheriff said he did not have any more funds at this time to include LAPD.

In other business, the board:

• Approved the county's snow plowing policy and the mail box policy.

• Approved a tax abatement for Chisago City for a period of three years based on the findings that it benefits the county, and the abatement will finance improvements that serve all businesses in the Chisago City Business Park.

In addition, one of the benefits is the development of a 50,000 sq. ft. manufacturing business (Kendall Howard) and increased employment.

• Agreed not to hold a public hearing for a new off-sale liquor license for Ray's Guide Service on Rush Lake as the county ordinance does not allow this type of business and there is no conditional use permit to allow it.

The county truth in taxation public hearing is 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6.