FORKS — An agreement between Jefferson County and the Hoh tribe will soon put an additional deputy on duty in the west end of the county.
The three Jefferson County Commissioners unanimously approved an agreement with the Hoh tribe on Monday morning.
Under terms of the agreement, the Hoh will pay the costs to hire and retain a deputy until June 31, 2012. The agreement has a ceiling of $200,000 per year.
Specifically, the agreement identifies the new officer as a “deputy to the tribe” and says the deputy will patrol the reservation as the primary duty but will respond to calls outside of the reservation’s boundaries.
County Administrator Philip Morley said the agreement works well for the county.
“The tribe is paying for the deputy, and that’s great,” he said.
“There is no cost to the county, and it allows us to hire a contract deputy,” said Morley.
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Sgt. Mike Stringer said the agreement makes both sides stronger.
“It will benefit both the Hoh and our office,” Stringer said.
“They will get the assistance they need, and we will get another deputy.”
Currently, only one deputy patrols the west end of the county. Stringer said there was no current time line for when the new deputy would be hired.
“Hopefully soon,” he said.
According to the Hoh tribe’s Web site, the reservation is 443 acres 28 miles south of Forks and 80 miles north of Aberdeen. The reservation has approximately 1 mile of beach front running east from the mouth of the Hoh River and south to Ruby Beach.
The Hoh have acquired approximately 460 acres of new land over the past year. The land is planned as a future site for development of new housing, administration and public safety buildings, economic development and natural resources.
Reporter Erik Hidle can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at erik.hidle@peninsuladailynews.com.
