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North Valley chief outlines $130,000 proposal to station a full‑time officer in Fountain Green
Summary
Chief Steve Gray told the Fountain Green City Council that North Valley Police is offering a contract that would fund one dedicated full‑time officer for the city plus supplemental patrols and services including animal control and ordinance enforcement; council members asked for a written contract and more details on escalation, dispatch and board membership before voting.
Chief Steve Gray, representing the North Valley Police District, presented a written proposal that would cost Fountain Green about $130,000 a year and would fund one full‑time officer assigned specifically to the city, supplemented by patrols from other North Valley officers.
Gray said the arrangement would include animal control, enforcement of city ordinances and a visible patrol presence intended to reduce crime by increasing on‑street hours. He described an operational plan that would place officers on 12‑hour shifts split between Fountain Green and neighboring towns and said departments would share administrative support such as a cooperative finance director and secretary.
Council members and residents pressed Gray on specifics: how many hours would be guaranteed in Fountain Green each day, whether the fee includes inflation or fuel escalation, how dispatch and evidence handling would work, and what role Fountain Green would have on North Valley’s governing board. Gray said the current draft anticipates 8–10 hours a day of local coverage, that the $130,000 figure is a starting point that may need adjustment if inflation or fuel costs rise, and that a five‑member board has been appointed by participating municipalities with future board seats available to full members.
Several council members said they welcomed the prospect of increased patrol hours but wanted the city attorney to review contract language before any vote. One councilor urged the public to weigh in and suggested the council would not decide until it had a draft contract and time for legal review. Gray said he could provide a contract draft quickly for review.
The council did not vote on the proposal at the meeting; members asked staff to circulate the written contract, post it for public review and place the item on the next meeting agenda for possible action.
