Law Enforcement Center faces $70,000 shortfall: Towner County's exit prompts LEC to request new agreement with counties

If there was one thing that the attendees of the joint commission meeting at Lake Region Law Enforcement Center could agree upon, it was the need for a joint powers agreement. The sentiment came after Towner County withdrew from the current agreement, leaving the Law Enforcement Center (LEC) and the other counties at a $70,000 loss for this year's budget.

Others at the meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 19 called for a joint powers agreement that has "teeth" so the LEC Board can better gauge county commitment and plan accordingly. The board of directors designated a committee to work with Johnson in drafting the document. The review of the joint powers agreement is set for the June 17 board meeting.

In regards to the impacted budget, LEC Director Rob Johnson stated, "It's not catastrophic, but we will be in the red at the beginning of 2021."

There was little talk of Towner County, but one commissioner from the county who was present at the meeting confirmed that Towner County had in fact made a commitment to partner with Cavalier County for 911 call services and Pierce County for correctional services.

Eddy County Commission President Dave Gehrtz, who serves on the LEC board, also expressed his thoughts regarding the issue, citing the difficult position it has created for the LEC as well as the remaining four counties it serves.

While the LEC is most often associated with the Lake Region Correctional Facility, it also comprises the Lake Region Re-entry Center and the Lake Region 911 Dispatch Center.

Johnson, who has been in the directorposition for three years, described the re-entry center as an entity with very little administrative demands, making it easy to overlook. For the most part, the re-entry center generates its own funds through the fees generated by its average daily population that ranges from 19-24 individuals. Johnson recognizes that the facility could fill another 16 beds, but can't expand the space without additional revenue. Space is something that admin and staff at the re-entry center would certainly like more of, as the office space is painfully small. Johnson conveyed that the staff office is nothing more than a modified closet.

Working conditions at the 911 dispatch center are perhaps a little more comfortable for staff. One notable change to the budget was allocating the dispatch salaries from the general fund to the dispatch fund. "This is the most static of the budgets," Johnson says of 911 dispatch, but not without adding that 911 salaries come out of the phone line fees, leaving very little for new technology. Staffing at 911 dispatch would benefit from the addition of a full time employee, especially considering a total of 32 overtime hours are scheduled each week.

Also relevant to the 911 dispatch center is the demand to upgrade to the Statewide Interoperability Radio Network (SIRN) program. The goal of the SIRN program includes statewide strategic planning and implementation among all emergency responders and designated public organizations that serve the residents of the state and providing interoperability for public safety and support providers–law enforcement, firefighters, EMS, emergency management, public utilities, transportation and others – to communicate with other responding agencies, to exchange voice and/or data communications on demand and in real time. It is a an expensive process expected to cost more than $364,000.

It is a challenge, according to Johnson who reported that several larger cities such as Grand Forks and Bismarck have already covered the costs and are on the network. LEC has struggled to find the funds to integrate into the SIRN system, but the board made it clear that they don't want to be disconnected from the network. Their hesitancy to connect into SIRN is one of the reasons why Towner County officials are opting to work with Cavalier County instead.

Johnson said that the LEC hopes to be integrated into the SIRN program by the first quarter of 2021.

At the LEC correctional facility, staff saw no increase in their pay this past year- not for performance or for cost-of-living. The facility has historically operated with a three-person crew, which helps ensure the safety and security of the inmates. Johnson pointed out that a four-person crew would be ideal, as it will allow for flexibility in scheduling, decreased overtime, and improved monitoring for inmates struggling with mental health issues.

The LEC would rely on cost-sharing with the counties to fulfill these needs. According to Johnson, one option for cost-sharing would bill Ramsey County and the City of Devils Lake 50%, while the rest of the amount due would be split based on the number of 911 calls from each county.

County commissioners began to get restless hearing a list of all the things needed to bring the LEC facilities up to standard. "Why not just build a new jail after all the money it would take to fix this one?" one commissioner asked.

Another, with a tad more frustration pointed out, "The five-year plan from five years ago isn't even in place."

A third chimed in, "If we're going to have to come up with more money for more projects when counties are limited, then I see a problem."

It seemed like knee-jerk reaction after knee-jerk reaction, a trend that seems all too common among a group striving to meet the constant demands of unfunded mandates enforced by the U.S. Department of Corrections. The result is a laundry list of emergent needs. The most recent items to the list include the installation of LED lighting in cells, a project that will cost $60,000. Another mandates that for every 12 inmates, there must be one shower. The installation of another shower would require installing new plumbing. The alternative is to remove six beds, which would reduce potential revenue.

In an effort to explore a different avenue of discussion, Devils Lake Mayor Dick Johnson added his thoughts to the discussion, "We're operating a facility that dates back to 1973 when regional correctional centers were a buzzword." He went on to suggest that the LEC Board hire an expert who can assess the efficiency of the center's operations.

"Questions have to be answered before counties can make the decision to be part of the joint powers agreement. One of those questions might be 'Is a regional correctional center still a good thing here?" Mayor Johnson posited.

The board agreed that gaining expert input regarding the situation would help them further strategize for the future.