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Previously:

• Curry County Sheriff Presents Service District Idea to Commissioners, Acknowledging Heavy Lift to Get Voters to Agree

• Proposed K9 Vehicle Sale to Josephine County Puts Curry County Sheriff At Odds With Commissioners

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David Barnes, a member of a citizens advisory committee researching whether a service district will shore up the Curry County Sheriff’s Office, said it’s unlikely an advisory measure will make it to the November ballot.

Speaking before the Curry County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday, Barnes, the county's former treasurer, said after discussing the issue in great detail with Sheriff John Ward and Lt. Jeremy Krohn, it might be better to wait and go before voters in May.

“Being as rushed as we are, we don’t think it’s in the best interest [to] put an advisory question on a November ballot,” Barnes said. “We think it would be better to wait and have things put together and go before voters in May.”

Barnes said the sheriff is at a Sheriff’s Association Meeting until Aug. 19. Commissioners have to approve language for an advisory measure and submit it to the county clerk by Aug. 15 for it to be on the Nov. 5 ballot.

Joe Wilson, another member of the citizens advisory committee Ward formed to explore options for the sheriff’s office, said despite the hard deadline, he felt the advisory vote still had potential “if we do it quickly.”

“I recommend a number of different items we could look at,” he told commissioners before Barnes spoke. “I have personally written ballot titles and legislation in the past… so I want to offer volunteer services to help write any potential advisory vote so we could put it on the ballot before that hard deadline.”

Later on in the meeting, during a discussion of offshore wind energy generation, Wilson, who opposes BOEM's exploration off the coast, said he was on the Board of Directors for Western States Petroleum Associates and was a lobbyist for the oil industry.

Barnes said that since the sheriff is out of the area until Aug. 19 discussion about the advisory question for the November ballot was moot.

In other matters related to the sheriff’s office, county Director of Operations Ted Fitzgerald said he and the Josephine County sheriff are working on an agreement to foster a K9 belonging to Curry County.

This came about after the Board of Commissioners at a special meeting last week rejected Ward’s proposal to sell a K9 vehicle to Josephine County for $16,000. Curry County commissioners wanted the county to go to one of the local law enforcement agencies so the asset would continue to serve residents.

On Wednesday, Fitzgerald said the dog is safe and is being fostered by someone with experience “while we consider alternatives for the animal.”

“We also worked out a hold harmless agreement while the dog is out of Curry County control so we won’t be exposing the county to the liability we were exposed to with no agreements in place,” Fitzgerald said. “I want to let everybody know that the dog is safe and I feel comfortable with where it’s being housed right now.”

Fitzgerald said he had also emailed the sheriff about giving an update to the Board of Commissioners on the status of public safety in the county. Fitzgerald had asked Ward to comment on the number of calls dispatch received during the week ending Aug. 4.

Commissioner Brad Alcorn said he also asked for that statistical information, pointing out that members of the public were complaining about calls to dispatch going unanswered.

In a statement to the community on July 9, roughly four days after he had to cut most of his patrol deputies, Ward said most calls would be handled through a self-report form available online or at the sheriff’s office.

At a meeting July 18, Ward told commissioners that the patrol deputies he has left would only be available to respond to crimes-in-progress from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., five days a week.

On Wednesday, Alcorn said he wanted the public to understand the limitations the county is currently dealing with.

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