County agrees to longer contract with Mt. CB law enforcement

Five-year contract for town to cover north valley

By Mark Reaman

A new contract governing law enforcement duties in the north end of the valley has been given the okay by both the Gunnison County commissioners and the Mt. Crested Butte town council. The commissioners agreed two weeks ago to a new five-year law enforcement agreement with the Mt. Crested Butte police department to provide service in the north end of the valley. The county and the town of Mt. Crested Butte had struck a one-year deal last fall after the election of John Gallowich as sheriff.

“In the last year, working with the Mt. Crested Butte police department has gone very, very well,” Gallowich told the commissioners at the December 10 meeting. “Chief [Nate] Stepanek and I communicate probably twice a week and the service we receive is excellent.”

Gallowich said having Mt. Crested Butte police officers patrol and respond as sheriff’s deputies works because they know the area and the cost is substantially less than providing the service just through his department. The county will pay Mt. Crested Butte $144,560 for the first year of service, with increases expected each year after.

“I would like to see the agreement continue. My strong recommendation to the board is to enter into a five-year agreement,” Gallowich told the commissioners. “I want to establish a sheriff’s substation like we used to have in Crested Butte South. That worked well in the past. A five-year agreement would be good for the department and the citizens. It provides experience and reliability through Mt. Crested Butte officers.”

Gallowich noted that either side could get out of the agreement with 30 days notice. He hoped to start integrating sheriff’s deputies into the north end of the valley through either utilizing the substation or working shifts with the Mt. Crested Butte police.

Mt. Crested Butte town manager Joe Fitzpatrick said having the town officers act as county deputies enhanced the safety in the area. “It is also a good situation for officers in that it keeps them sharp. It is a good deal for the county financially and I’m part of the county.”

County commissioner John Messner said, based on reports from the sheriff’s department, it appears the collaboration is working well and he would agree to the five-year request.

Commissioner Roland Mason questioned the situation with dispatch services. Some conflict between the Gunnison Regional Communications Center and the north end of the valley has safety agencies, including the Mt. Crested Butte Police Department, looking at Montrose dispatch service WestCO to provide better and less expensive service. “How will that integration work if it happens?” he asked. “I want to make sure the community at large is not impacted. There shouldn’t be delays.”

Messner agreed that, given the life safety elements involved, dispatch needs to be smooth and coordinated.

Gallowich said he didn’t know the details of where Mt. Crested Butte was headed with dispatch services. He said he’d like for all agencies in the county to stay with Gunnison “but understand that the current system has some catching up to do. What we have today needs to be upgraded.” He said he was sure any issues could be worked out, no matter where the service was originating. The agreement states that the police department will use the Gunnison service unless authorized by the sheriff in consultation with the county.

Assistant county manager Marlene Crosby asked about past situations in which Mt. Crested Butte police didn’t respond in a timely manner, or at all, to some complaints in outlying areas such as Gothic or Irwin.

Gallowich said different calls receive different priorities. Crosby said there were times there was zero follow-up from complaints lodged. Gallowich said the two departments would work on that. Stepanek said while that was sometimes the case in the past, such situations are addressed and taken care of now as a matter of policy. He admitted that wasn’t always the case in the past.

Gunnison County commissioner Jonathan Houck wondered at the need of a five-year contract as opposed to a three-year agreement that would run through Gallowich’s term in office. Gallowich said it was easy for the county to get out of the agreement but he wanted the time and stability “to build the department. The goal is use Mt. Crested Butte and a substation and introduce deputies more into the north end of the valley.”

Houck appreciated the tenor and positive tone of the conversation being held and hoped that could continue. Gallowich said he would be happy to have such a discussion with the commissioners and Mt. Crested Butte representatives again in a year.

The Mt. Crested Butte Town Council discussed the contract during their December 17 meeting, and also approved the agreement.

“This has been a long time coming,” said Mt. Crested Butte council member Nicholas Kempin. “I think that’s great for us, it’s great for the taxpayers in Gunnison County. It’s a screaming deal. Thank you for the hard work on that, I know it was a big process.”

The contract is set to go into effect December 31.