PORT ANGELES — Clallam County and the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe have inked a formal agreement to provide law enforcement on tribal lands.
The three commissioners on Tuesday approved an interlocal agreement with the tribe to have a sheriff’s deputy available at all hours to enforce Jamestown S’Klallam tribal law.
Sheriff’s deputies will have tribal officers’ authority and operate as first responders for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in cases involving major crimes that occur on tribal land.
The tribe, using federal funds, will compensate the county $133,962 for the service.
“It’s an incredibly good deal for them, because if they were to have their own law enforcement agency it would probably cost them a million, million and a half a year to have enough people for that coverage,” Clallam County Sheriff Bill Benedict said.
“For us, we almost always have people out there anyway.”
A public signing ceremony with tribal officials is planned for 10 a.m. Friday in the commissioners’ meeting room (160) at the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles.
For the most part, the tribe has the same laws as the rest of the state, Benedict said. However, the sheriff said there may need to be some deputy education on tribal fishing regulations.
The money the county receives from the tribe will be used to hire a new deputy to replace recently-retired Sheriff’s Sgt. Monty Martin.
Widening highway
In other action, the commissioners approved the $14,026 purchase of a tenth of an acre of right of way from the North Yearly Meeting of Friends Church to widen Old Olympic Highway near its the intersection with Barr Road.
Clallam County has acquired pieces of right of way along the east-west thoroughfare to widen the county road to 40 feet.
The right of way at the Peninsula Evangelical Friends Church in Agnew was the last piece that the county needed for construction, which is planned for later this summer.
No fee increase
The three county commissioners unanimously voted not to raise fees for building permits.
No public comment was taken in a public hearing on a Department of Community Development proposal to stop the automatic increase in the fees, which were slated to increase this month.
“The fees are set right now as they were in 2007, and they will remain there until you all change them,” Clallam County Building Official Leon Smith said.
The commissioners also passed a resolution in support of a proposed North Olympic Library System levy lid lift.
Clallam County voters will be asked to approve a levy lid lift for the public libraries on the Aug. 17 primary ballot.
Voters will be asked to restore the library system’s property tax levy rate from the current 33 cents to 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.
The North Olympic Library System oversees public libraries in Port Angeles, Sequim, Forks and Clallam Bay.
“Friends of Library will make their case, opponents will make arguments against, and the voters will decide,” Commissioner Mike Chapman said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
