Cache County sheriff apologizes for contract math error, outlines patrol hours and speeding response

Cache County Sheriff Chad Janssen told the Clarkston Town Council on March 18 that a county contractor miscalculated the town's policing contract and that he will send the council a corrected copy.

Janssen apologized for the confusion, saying the county's contractor (CAMI) "didn't understand my math and my notes because it's off a bit" and that he had intended to hold town hours steady while adjusting the hourly rate. He said he would provide a clean contract for the council to review.

Janssen reviewed recent activity levels and staffing pressures. He said Clarkston had about 122 calls for service last year and is on pace for roughly 140 this year. He told the council the county has sought to increase contracted hours gradually over three- and four-year contracts so towns more closely pay for the level of service they receive.

On community concerns about speeding, Janssen said traffic diverted through town after stop signs were removed and that patrols could target predictable congestion times such as morning and evening shift changes. "I'll have our patrol guys come out and look for sure hit it a lot, but get on those couple of time frames," he said.

Council members asked Janssen to monitor the problem and notify the town if the corrected contract changes billable hours. Janssen said he is focused on balancing hourly-rate increases with reasonable hours so the town is not "stiffed" for contracted service.

No formal council action was taken on the policing contract at the meeting; Janssen said he would follow up with a corrected contract document for the council.