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Gold Hill council votes to contract for police By MELISSA MARTIN GOLD HILL -- The City Council voted 3-0 Monday to contract with the Jackson County Sheriff's Department for police services and voted 2-1 to abolish the Gold Hill Police Department. "We have absolutely no law enforcement, yet we have the money on the books for it," said Betsy Hettum, the council member who made both motions. The police department has been a controversial issue in this river town of 1,240 people since the felony conviction of former police chief Dave Crawford. Gold Hill voters in November favored a contract with a sheriff's deputy over hiring a new police chief, Hettum said. Monday's motions reversed a 4-1 City Council vote last March to keep the police department rather than contract with the sheriff's department. The council early in the evening scheduled a Friday meeting to review the three police chief applications the city has received. "I guess we will cancel that meeting now," Mayor Tim Roddam said after the meeting. The two motions were made late in the evening and with three empty council seats: one council member moved to Ashland last week; another resigned last week; and a third left the meeting early because of an emergency. The mayor said he will call Steve Rich, the city's attorney, to find out if a quorum existed and if the motions were in order. "As far as I'm concerned, the police department is not disbanded," Roddam said. Hettum said she believes there was a quorum Monday because three of five remaining members were present. The mayor helps make up the quorum, but only votes in a tie. Gold Hill's police budget is $211,142, which includes a $114,180 federal COPS grant that the city has applied for but hasn't received. The remainder, $96,962 is dedicated for police services, City Recorder Tony Paxton said Monday in response to a question from the audience. "We have $96,962 dedicated for a non-existent police department," said Christine Alford, an audience member who is running for one of the vacant council seats. "It would be like having a hospital in Gold Hill but when you go there, it's closed, and when you go to the regional hospital, they won't take you," Alford said. Council member Bernadine Howard was the lone vote against the motion to abolish the police department. "I feel we need protection right now," Howard said about her split votes. "But all the people I talk to want our own police department." She is one of three council members targeted by a recall petition that is being circulated. The other is Lisa Alexander, who left the meeting early, and Hy Klaus, who resigned last week. The two police motions were made and approved 10 minutes before the mayor announced the meeting had to adjourn by 9 p.m. because Judge Bob King was scheduled to perform a wedding at city hall. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA