PARIS — It is unclear if any law enforcement personnel will attend the Monday, May 2, public forum on whether to keep the Police Department or contract with the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office.

The forum is set for 6:30 p.m. at the Paris Fire Station, 137 Western Ave.

At the April 25 selectmen meeting, it was reported neither Sheriff Wayne Gallant nor Chief Deputy Hart Daley could attend the forum. Paris interim Police Chief Jeff Lange said he would not present his proposed department budget, which is nearly 18 percent less than this year, and was unsure if he would attend the forum.

Lange handed in his resignation April 25, citing negativity in town and a lack of stability for the longevity of the department. His last day on the job is May 20. After that he will take over as police chief for Wiscasset.

Selectmen and town administration have looked to cut $500,000 in spending for 2016-17 after many residents called for tax relief. Part of that process is looking at contracting with the Sheriff’s Office.

Gallant’s most recent proposal for law enforcement coverage is roughly $363,064 for the first year and $324,500 for the second. It includes three full-time deputies, detective services and cruisers, but not 24/7 patrol coverage that Paris police would continue to provide.

Lange’s proposed budget is $498,350 and includes laying off the school resource officer and making the patrol sergeant and school resource officer one position. But no layoffs have to take place now because Detective Richard Belanger left the department last week, according to Lange. Other savings would come from reductions in health insurance and other benefits.

As selectmen looked to set the warrant article for June’s town meeting for contracting with the Sheriff’s Office, Selectman Vic Hodgkins, who has led research into the matter, wanted to know when the Sheriff’s Office could take over. October was doable, he said.

Interim Town Manager Sawin Millett noted there are “11 to 12 people whose livelihood is going to be in jeopardy right up until June.” If voters approve the contract with the Sheriff’s Office, the town would have to deal with severance pay and other issues in laying off employees. He didn’t recommend rushing the process, if it gets the green light.

“Three months is probably as short a time I think you would want to go with,” Millett said, adding he didn’t plan to continue to serve Paris during a potential transition for police coverage.

Hodgkins suggested including the wording for the article of “on or before Jan. 1, 2017.”

“No matter what date you put, I doubt the current staff is going to wait around,” Selectman Sam Elliot said.

“If for some chance … everybody found another job on June 15 and they all left, the sheriff’s department still has to cover us because we’re Oxford County,” Selectmen Chairman Mike Risica said.

“We (have) got to clear it with them,” Elliot replied.

Selectman Robert Wessels agreed with Elliot and said if he knew he might lose his job, he wouldn’t wait to begin his job search nor would he be inclined to stay for the transition.

Hodgkins said the sheriff promised if the contract with his department is approved and any Paris police personnel applied for a job there, they would be given first preference.

Selectmen set the wording of the warrant article to read: “To see if the town will vote to terminate the Paris Police Department and enter into an agreement (or contract) with the Oxford County Sheriff’s Department for law enforcement services, effective on or before Jan. 1, 2017.”

Millett reminded selectmen the format of the hearing, which will be moderated by Maine State Treasurer Terry Hayes, will be different than they originally envisioned because no one from the Sheriff’s Office will attend.

“The reason we set this forum up was to have the sheriff’s department and the Police Department there to answer questions from the people that we haven’t asked,” Risica said. “We’re not going to hear the sheriff’s side of the story.”

Selectman Janet Jamison said she assured Gallant the forum would not be a free-for-all and Hayes wouldn’t let that happen.

“If people are reluctant to work with Paris, there has to be a reason for it,” Jamison said.

eplace@sunmediagroup.net

Copy the Story Link