By Richard Crawford, Correspondent 

Beginning in January, townships in Carver County that don’t pay for contract police services can expect to see a decline in selected services from the Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Bud Olson has put township officials on notice.

“We’ve been talking about it for years,” Olson said Tuesday, regarding the plan to cut non-emergency services in eight townships that have chosen not to pay for them in 2010.

Sheriff’s deputies will continue to respond to emergency calls in the townships. However, lower level service, including such things as routine traffic enforcement and responding to dog complaints, illegal dumping and ordinance violations, will not be provided. (See complete list below.)

Of the 10 townships in Carver County, only Laketown and Watertown townships have budgeted for contract police service next year.

Cities in the county, with the exception of Chaska, which has its own police department, pay for certain services through a contract arrangement.

Since 2004, Olson said the Sheriff’s Office has implementing the contracting policing model. However, only three townships have paid for contracts. This year, Hollywood Township paid for contract services but the township board didn’t budget for the services in 2010.

In recent years, some lower-level misdemeanors have already been referred to township boards in non-contract communities.

Olson, who will be retiring at the end of 2010, said it was time to “close the loop” on the contract police discussion and provide equitable service to all county residents.

Olson met with township officials in October to explain that service would be reduced in 2010 for those who don’t pay for the contracts. He said three townships didn’t send representatives to the meeting.

“In 1999, when I first was elected, we have been working on defining what calls and services needed to be covered by the local unit of government and the county,” Olson said. “We defined these calls and services in 2004 and have been working diligently with cities and townships to decide what level of police service they wish to provide their citizens. We have reached the point in our conversations where townships and cities have decided on their level of service.”

In addition to not responding to nuisance complaints, the Sheriff’s Office also will not investigate property damage and thefts that have a price tag under $1,000.

Olson said it will be left up to township boards to determine how to handle such calls. One option would be to hire a town officer, which many rural communities did in the past.

Townships also could opt back in to a police contract with the county. Townships, however, generally deal with budget matters at annual meetings in March.

Commander Jeff Enevold said the Sheriff’s Office has considered a variety of formulas for determining how to pay for contract services.

He said it has worked out to be about $62 per household in some townships.

Olson stressed that deputies will continue to respond to all emergency calls in the county. It will be up to township officials in non-contract communities to determine how to handle other matters.

Richard Crawford can be reached at editor@chanvillager.com.