Talks continue over policing Hainesville
Hainesville Mayor Linda Soto says elected officials have a game plan they will use as they head toward a decision on whether to keep the village's 2-year-old police department or contract for patrol services.
Soto said at Tuesday night's village board meeting that a full discussion on the police future is planned for a committee meeting March 30. A final vote on the issue would occur April 13.
Hainesville residents and businesses expressed a preference in contracting with Grayslake police in a survey distributed in January. However, the story was different at a Feb. 23 town hall meeting attended by about 120 residents.
"We got quite a strong response at the town hall meeting on keeping the Hainesville Police Department," Soto said.
Hainesville officials are pondering whether to keep the police force, in part because of revised figures showing it would cost almost $1.5 million for construction of a station, funded with a 20-year loan.
Soto said police cannot continue operating from village hall. She said there are many deficiencies for the cops, such as a lack of proper evidence or locker rooms.
Grayslake, Round Lake Park and the Lake County sheriff's office have submitted proposals to patrol Hainesville around the clock daily, possibly for less cost. Hainesville has a chief, sergeant and three full-time officers augmented by eight part-time cops.
Complete police costs would be $711,782 with Grayslake and $791,566 through the sheriff in the 2010-11 budget year that starts May 1. Round Lake Park, which covered Hainesville from 1999 to 2008, is offering to police the village for $540,000 to $583,000.
Soto said Grayslake and the Lake County sheriff are expected to make presentations to Hainesville as part of the process to decide on how best to have police service.
Trustee Gerry Daley said at Tuesday's meeting he's exploring potential buildings to lease for the village police. Soto said the village also has contacted four manufacturers of lower-cost steel buildings in the event officials decide to seek a new facility for the police department.
Hainesville launched its own police department in 2008 after a dispute in service costs arose with Round Lake Park. Hainesville officials have publicly cast doubt about entertaining the proposal to rejoin Round Lake Park, citing the previously strained relationship.
State requirements revised in 1999 forced Hainesville to shut its part-time police department. Instead of paying for officers to undergo more training as mandated, Hainesville decided to link with Round Lake Park.