July 19, 2023 |
Photo – Carbon County Sheriff Logo – Bigfoot99 file photo
Hanna officials are one step closer to signing an agreement with the sheriff’s office.
Following the departure of former marshal Ted Kranenburg in March, the town of Hanna has been left without an in-town law enforcement officer.
Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken has been working on a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, to present to the Hanna town council. The agreement would set aside a sheriff’s deputy to patrol the town for 60 hours a month. In exchange for the dedicated police coverage, the town would be required to pay $55,000 a year to the sheriff’s office.
Sheriff Bakken said he has been working with Carbon County Attorney Ashley Davis on the language of the MOU. The sheriff said he and Hanna Mayor Jon Ostling agreed to have the town’s attorney, Patrick Brady, review the agreement. Sheriff Bakken said the Hanna town council will vote on the MOU during their next meeting on August 8th.
Sheriff Bakken said the completed agreement is similar to his original MOU. He said Hanna would pay for the sheriff’s department to cover the town.
During the July 11th Hanna town council meeting, the council agreed that the MOU was a good option for the town. However, council members questioned some of the elements of the MOU. For one, the council asked if the clock would stop on the promised 60 hours of patrol time if the patrolling deputy were called to an out-of-town emergency. Sheriff Bakken said it would. The sheriff said he and Mayor Ostling sorted out all the details.
Sheriff Bakken said he was confident the Hanna town council would accept the memorandum of understanding when it is presented at their August 8th meeting.
