The city of Bellevue will save about $49,000 next year under a contract with the Hailey Police Department for law enforcement services.
The transition from services provided by the Blaine County Sheriff's Office will happen by the end of September. The money saved will likely go to Bellevue's Fire Department budget.
The Hailey Police Department successfully underbid the Sheriff's Office last week at a Bellevue City Council meeting to win a law enforcement contract with Bellevue for fiscal year 2012.
"We have to look at this just like we would a landscaping or trash removal contract," said City Council Chair David Hattula, following a 4-1 vote in favor of the new contract.
Hattula called for a review of the contract with the Sheriff's Office three weeks ago in an effort to find ways to save the city money.
The Sheriff's Office's bid of $361,549 for 2012 was beaten by a bid from Hailey of $312,186. On Monday, Hattula and Mayor Chris Koch attended a Hailey City Council meeting, where the plan for consolidating the two police departments was greeted with enthusiasm.
"Brilliant," said Hailey Councilwoman Carol Brown. "It's a really good fit."
The Sheriff's Office contracted with the city for four years, providing administrative support at the Bellevue Marshal's Office next door to Bellevue City Hall during business hours.
The Sheriff's Office currently provides the city with one marshal and three officers, with a 20-hours-per-day police presence. The new contract will provide identical officer patrols in the city, but calls for closing the Marshal's Office and moving law enforcement into the City Hall building next door.
The Bellevue City Council discussed Thursday the possibility of moving the Bellevue Public Library from City Hall to the Marshal's Office building after the transition takes place.
Only Councilwoman Sarah Burns expressed an interest, in absentia, in keeping a contract for law enforcement with the Sheriff's Office.
She wrote a memo stating that the call for bids for law enforcement was "improperly and unprofessionally rushed."
"A matter of this magnitude deserves more time and professionalism and should be done under the guidance of legal counsel," Burns said.
Hailey Police Chief Jeff Gunter said he would welcome existing sheriff's deputies working in Bellevue into the Hailey Police Department if they would like to continue working in the city.
Following the meeting, Bellevue Marshal Brad Gelskey said he was uncertain, after 20 years working in the Sheriff's Office, if he would be willing to transfer to the Hailey Police Department.
"I have to talk to my family about this," he said.
Sheriff Gene Ramsey said in an interview that absorbing the Bellevue Marshal's team into the Sheriff's Office would be problematic.
"We do not have spare openings in the county," he said. "All positions are filled."
Gunter said in an interview that he had backup officers in line for the four positions in Bellevue if Gelskey and his deputies did not want to stay on.
"We have a plethora of certified officer applications on hand," he said.
Gunter told the Hailey City Council on Monday that his department had a 60 percent rate of solving crimes in Hailey and that he hoped to extend that success to Bellevue.
"The same criminals are working in both cities," he said.
Tony Evans: tevans@mtexpress.com
Jeff Gunter
