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Council signals support for continuing Newberg-Dundee police contract after review of county alternative
Summary
After staff presented an analysis of options to replace or supplement current police services, councilors expressed broad support for continuing the existing contract with the Newberg‑Dundee Police Department and declined to pursue a county‑provided patrol as a preference; the city chief and staff will continue coordination.
Dundee, Ore. — City staff presented a comparison of options for municipal police services on May 20, and the council gave clear informal support to retaining the current contract arrangement with the Newberg‑Dundee Police Department rather than moving policing services to a Yamhill County sheriff—s contract.
Staff—s report summarized that a county contract could be less expensive in staff models but would require about eight to ten months to hire and place deputies and would change dispatch arrangements; one staff memo estimated a county start‑up cost component of roughly $60,000–$65,000 in the first year for dispatch/service transition (staff asked the sheriff for firm numbers). City staff and several councilors emphasized reliability and local relationships in favor of the current contract.
"We have 24/7 service, and these are very well trained and fully accredited," said Jeff Kosmachin, chief of police for the Newberg‑Dundee Police Department. "If you guys went with someone else, we would have to lay off 3 police officers." Chief Kosmachin described the local force's ongoing response levels and said the department has covered code‑compliance and other local duties beyond the minimum contracted hours.
Councilors said proximity and a consistent local presence were important. Several members noted potential cost savings with a county option, but they also said those savings might come with tradeoffs in response time and local knowledge. One councilor observed the county base is farther from Dundee and that deputies would likely be assigned from larger, more distant beats.
Steve (city staff) said the city could ask the sheriff's office to provide a formal written proposal and clarified that switching dispatch services would require technical changes and could add delay in emergency handling unless carefully negotiated.
Councilors did not vote to change policing arrangements at the meeting. The council asked staff to solicit a formal written proposal from the sheriff for comparison and to return to the council if any firm contract terms differed materially from the discussion. For now, the council indicated a preference to continue building on the local Newberg‑Dundee police relationship.
