2018-09-13 Prelim Budget mtg -- Sheriff2019 Preliminary Budget Meeting – Sheriff’s Office
September 13, 2018
10:30 a.m.
Present: Commissioner Fund; Commissioner Jackson; Commissioner Stamper; County Manager Erik
Martin; Budget Services Manager Becky Butler; Central Services Director Steve Walton; Sheriff Rob
Snaza; Captain Chris Tawes; Chief Bruce Kimsey; Chief Dusty Breen; Chief Chris Sweet; Undersheriff Wes
Rethwill; and Citizens Budget Committee members Judy Pectol, Kyle Markstrom, Peggy Hammer, Bill
Marshall, Tory Graf and Robert Berg
Guests: Olga Miller, Lindsey Pollock, Brian Green (11:21 a.m.)
Recorder: Rieva Lester
Unfunded mandates discussed: Jail medical care, staffing to cover staffing to transport and guard the
inmate as they receive care
Revenue: $1,872,707 (traffic policing funds from Roads totals
$1.4 million)
Expenditures: $7,948,000
Request: Additional $601,378
Full-time equivalent employees: 54
Sheriff Snaza said Lewis County has 33 deputies, who work in
teams of four or five deputies per shift to cover the county’s
1,300 square miles. He said the county is at the same staffing
level as it was in 1985. He said the Sheriff’s Office lost nine
deputy positions in 2007-08. He said he is asking for four
deputies to replace those positions.
Sheriff Snaza said he also is requesting funding for a records
supervisor position, a position that moved to the Department of Emergency Management in 2005. He
said he is asking for funding for GPS Trackit, which he said would streamline preventive maintenance as
well as track vehicle location, speed, etc.
Sheriff Snaza said economics and other issues have forced other entities to downsize, meaning those
outside entities do not help with law enforcement coverage like they did in years past.
Sheriff Snaza said opioid epidemic and mental health crisis has had an impact on staffing needs. He said
the deputies logged more than a million miles driven the previous year.
TO-DO LIST / RECAP
Questions
Could Motorpool absorb costs of
Trackit? ER and R could be
discussed as an option
Collaborative process available
for coverage on the east end?
Net profit for “contract” inmates
What is the “fluctuating” cost
per inmate?
Sheriff Snaza said the smallest increase he could live with would be $168,189, which would pay for one
additional deputy and one code enforcement officer.
Sheriff Snaza said Trackit could help save 5 percent (roughly $10,000) on fuel costs.
Sheriff Snaza said pay is higher in Thurston County. He said he currently has two vacancies.
Sheriff Snaza discussed the Cops Grant.
Sheriff Snaza said the Sheriff’s Office provides active-shooter training for any school, business, etc. that
requests the service.
Sheriff Snaza said the Sheriff’s Office has a tracking program, but that the GPS tracking doesn’t offer
information regarding maintenance, etc. He said the cost would be $24 per month per vehicle.
Sheriff Snaza said the county has humane officer, who deals with puppy mills, etc. He said a code
enforcement officer would cost $84,000, which is far less than the $160,000 cost for a deputy.
Sheriff Snaza discussed the closure of the substation in Packwood, which totaled $23,000 annually to
operate. He said the resources that used to be needed at the substation – such as a computer, etc. – are
now available within the deputy’s patrol car. He said it would be better to house a deputy and a clerk at
the county’s Kiona shop in Randle. He said he was told it would cost $300,000 to $400,000 to outfit the
Kiona shop. He said another option is to partner with the Morton Police Department.
County Manager Erik Martin said the Kiona shop’s small size would require the construction of an
addition to house the clerk and deputy office space. He said the county is looking at prioritizing its
capital facilities project list.
Commissioner Fund said Morton plans to move its City Hall to the recently vacated Umpqua Bank and
that the Morton mayor mentioned a potential co-location.
Sheriff Snaza said the closure of the substation will not have an impact on staffing, coverage, etc.
Commissioner Stamper said the original plan was to house the substation in the Kiona shop. He said two
deputies live on the east end, and he noted that additional coverage is needed, especially when taking
into account the number of berry pickers and mushroom pickers that visit the area.
LEWIS COUNTY JAIL
Revenue: $1,260,566
Expenditures: $8,041,000
Request: Additional $452,014
Full-time equivalent employees: 55
Sheriff Snaza said updated national standards require the hiring of two additional corrections deputies.
He said Corrections is his highest liability. He said the jail has seen increases in drug problems and
mental health issues.
Brian Green joined the meeting at 11:21 a.m.
Sheriff Snaza said he is asking for two additional Corrections deputies and two additional nurses.
He said he sent out letters earlier in the week indicating Lewis County Jail will not provide service to its
three outside contracts if the county doesn’t provide funding for an additional nurse.
He said the current medical staff can handle up to 210 inmates. He said the jail has housed as many as
267 inmates and was built to house a maximum of 356 inmates. Sheriff Snaza said the jail lost 10
corrections deputies positions in 2008.
Sheriff Snaza said the county will continue to work with the Department of Corrections.
Sheriff Snaza discussed jail restrictions.
Chief Chris Sweet said some contract agencies reserve a number of beds per month while others pay for
them a la cart.
Sheriff Snaza said the nurse would be hired by Naphcare.
Undersheriff Rethwill said the Sheriff’s Office felt it was backed into a corner and therefore sent its
letter to partner agencies.
Sheriff Snaza said the letter basically said, “Start looking elsewhere because we can’t guaranty you next
year.”
Sheriff Snaza said Naphcare entered a contract with the county but that it could cancel that contract at
any time.
Chief Sweet said Naphcare’s contract was based on an average daily population of 250. He said the jail
has provided revenue to the county every year. He discussed health-care compliance requirements.
Chief Sweet said the request for additional Corrections deputies is due to the requirement to man
another control tower 24-7.
Chief Sweet said the “23-in-and-1-out” needs to be changed to “22 and 2.”
Sheriff Snaza said he is trying to do preventive maintenance to meet the national standards so the
county is ahead of the game.
He said the revenue from “contract” inmates totals $580,000 year to date.
Is it profitable to run the contract beds? I think there is money in the county pockets. Getting rid of the
outside contracts wouldn’t decrease staffing, etc.
Becky said the bottom line is $8 million and that the county brings in $1.2 million.
Chief Sweet said 30-40 inmates are contract inmates out of the total inmate population of 250.
Chief Sweet said the county releases contract inmates to make room for Lewis County inmates.
The group discussed cost recovery. Tori Graf asked if the increase in local inmates would negate the cost
recoveries realized if the county were to spend money on additional nursing.
Sheriff Snaza said the jail population would be roughly 200 without contract inmates. He said restrictive
booking would take place at 210 if the jail didn’t have contract inmates.
Sheriff Snaza said the county charges outside entities $65 per day per inmate. He said the daily per-
inmate cost is roughly $130. The group asked what the fluctuating cost per inmate would be.
Becky Butler said the jail kitchen contract is $379,285.
Commissioner Fund said Medicaid coverage for an inmate stops as soon as the inmate is booked and
that the county is then on the hook for medical costs.
Commissioner Fund said the county used to receive money for individuals but that a change in state law
has ended that revenue source.
Meeting ended at 12:09 p.m.