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Class of 2013: Coupeville honors Top 10 seniors Thursday, JUNE 6, 2013
Council looks at options for police force
VOL. 18, NO. 44
Stranded
By Megan Hansen Editor
Coupeville Town Council is continuing its exploration into what to do with the town’s marshal’s office. A workshop was held last week and council members revisited options for further review. There are three ways to look at staffing a police force, said Mayor Nancy Conard. It can be staffed based on how it’s always staffed, on a per capita basis or need basis. The two options the town is currently looking at include reducing the force from four to three deputies and keeping its own department or contracting with the Island County Sheriff’s Office. What’s important, Conard said, is with either option, Coupeville’s police presence will still have its own identity. If the option is to contract, Coupeville will have two set officers, wearing Coupeville uniforms. It’s important for the town to see the same faces, she said. The town started looking at law enforcement options last September after several officers left the department. There is no set timeframe on making a decision and the town wants to explore all the options. “We’re just working our way through it,” Conard said. “We don’t know all the pros and cons.” Right now Coupeville has a marshal, and one deputy as well as contracted staff from area departments filling in. The town receives 24-hour coverage with either one officer on patrol or on-call. If council decides to contract for services, all of the administrative process is lifted from the town and is taken over by the sheriff’s office. If the town opts to keep its own department, it will reduce one officer position and use that funding to increase the salaries of the other three positions. Conard said she found is that it was hard to retain deputies because Coupeville pays less than other departments. Council members will be attending a conference through Association of Washington Cities at the end of the month where Conard said they hope to gain more knowledge on the issue through workshops and networking with other municipalities. The next public discussion about the issue will be presenting and comparing the two options with residents. Even if a decision is made, Conard said changes probably wouldn’t go into effect until the start of the new year.
Nathan Whalen photo
Two men walk near the Neakahnie, a 97-foot commercial fishing vessel that ran aground Tuesday morning near Lagoon Point in the Greenbank area. The United States Coast Guard received reports at approximately 4 a.m. about the fishing vessel ran aground. An MH-65 Dophin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Station Port Angeles, the Coast Guard Cutter Swordfish and personnel from Sector Puget Sound’s Incident Management Division responded to the incident, according to the United States Coast Guard. The vessel’s master is working with a commercial tug company, the Coast Guard was enforcing a 500-yard safety zone and the cause of the grounding is under investigation.
Town’s hand slapped over bonuses By Megan Hansen Editor
Town of Coupeville got a slap on the wrists by the Washington State Auditor for how it distributed bonuses in 2011 and 2012. In an audit report released March 29, the auditor’s office noted the town paid its employees extra compensation which is not allowable per Washington State Constitution. It wasn’t that the money was paid, said Mayor Nancy Conard, but in how it was paid. “I’m so disappointed we had a finding,” said Mayor Nancy Conard. “We hadn’t had one in years.” Conard said she was surprised to get the finding because the town went to great lengths to ensure the funds were properly distributed. In 2011 the council decided to give cash payouts in the amount of $1,200 to each employee as a way to compensate for not having a cost of living increase since 2008. Conard said she wanted to give one big payment as opposed to monthly smaller pay-
ments because it would make more of an impact. Paying a bonus was also a way to give a one-time pay increase without an ongoing revenue commitment, Conard said. The total amounts paid were $20,451 in 2011 and $16,373 in 2012. Prior to paying the bonuses, Conard said the town consulted its attorney as well as state offices. “I thought I’d had it all perfectly handled,” she said. “So we did it again the next year.” What the auditor’s office noted in its finding was that increases in compensation should
be prospective and not after services are rendered. The bonuses were seen as additional pay for services already rendered. “It wasn’t wrong to pay them, just the schedule,” Conard said. The auditor’s office recommended the town implement new policies and procedures as a way to ensure future compliance. Conard said she doesn’t know if council will approve future payments. “I don’t know if we’re going to do it again, but if we do, we won’t do it the same way,” she said.