CHAFFEE COUNCIL TABLES PLAN TO DROP POLICE COMMISSION

CHAFFEE -- How many people does it take to run the Chaffee Police Department?

It sounds like the beginning of a joke, but the Chaffee City Council, which is dealing with that question now, found out at Monday's meeting that it isn't a funny matter.

The council members decided to table an ordinance that would do away with the existing four-member Police Commission and put the police department under the supervision of Chaffee's new city administrator, Ron Eskew. Mayor Bill Canon said a City Council committee would take the place of the commission as an advisory board to the council.

"There would still be checks and balances," Canon said. "It would just expedite the process."

The council voted unanimously at its last meeting to pursue the ordinance. But Monday night three of those council members changed their minds and the first reading of the ordinance barely passed by a 4-3 vote. Canon and Councilman Jerry Wolsey both said eliminating the Police Commission would alleviate a headache for the police chief.

"What we have now is four commissioners, eight councilmen, one mayor, one city administrator and the police chief all running a six-officer police department," Wolsey said. "Why does it take this many people? We don't need 15 people as back seat drivers for the police chief."

Chaffee hired its first full-time city administrator Aug. 1. Since then, Canon said, all the city's departments have been in the process of restructuring to fit under Eskew's direct supervision. The police department is just the latest in the line.

"It is a restructuring of the whole city," Canon said. "The city administrator is a full-time job, he will be readily available."

The problem the City Council encountered at Monday's meeting was what sometimes happens in small-town politics -- personal feelings got involved. About 12 members of the public were at the meeting in support of the people on the commission.

"I don't know why some people are turning this into a character issue," Wolsey said. "This is the best board that has been in place for many years. But I've always said the Chaffee Police Department would work much better without a four-member police board."

Chaffee has had 16 police chiefs since 1973, Canon said. He admits there are a number of reasons for such a high turnover, but said the added time and inconvenience of dealing with a police commission didn't help.

"It is one of the problem areas," Canon said. "There is no one issue. All communities of our size have a problem keeping police chiefs. We can't pay the big bucks to keep good people."

Chaffee's last police chief, Jim Haney, left his position suddenly in July without explanation. Wolsey said the city's best candidate for replacing Haney withdrew his application Sunday. When called at home, Haney's wife said the former police chief had no comment on the proposed ordinance. Wolsey said the applicant, who he did not name, withdrew in part because of this issue.

"This has become a political hot potato," Wolsey said. "Whatever the council decides, whether to keep the commission or not, the responsibility for the police department lies in the lap of the city council."

The City Council will take the issue up again at its regular September meeting.