On Monday, the Morton City Council discussed a proposed contract under which the Morton Police Department would provide coverage to Pe Ell.
While the contract was discussed, no vote was held. Morton Mayor Dan Mortensen told those gathered in the meeting room there was more “leg work to do” with Pe Ell before the contract could be approved.
Morton Police Chief Roger Morningstar, who has been working with Pe Ell officials and Lewis County Sheriff Rob Snaza, was asked to explain the benefits of the contract to Morton. Morningstar told the council the contract would allow the police department to receive more funding.
“(Under the contract) we become a regional agency, we can get regional grants,” Morningstar said. “Locally, it gives us a bigger seat at the table (for negotiations).”
He also said the contract could help the Morton Police Department by boosting morale.
“It gives our guys a change of scenery, which could help with retention,” said Morningstar.
According to Morningstar, officers having to commute from Morton to Pe Ell shouldn’t be a problem.
He told the council all three of Morton’s reserve academy students recently graduated and Morton had brought on another reserve officer from a different department. Of those four new reserve officers, Morningstar said three of them live in the direction of Pe Ell, raising the possibility of having Morton officers more closely located to the town providing police coverage.
With its four new recruits, the Morton Police Department will have a total of seven reserve officers.
Officials with the Town of Pe Ell and the City of Morton have declined requests from The Chronicle for a copy of the proposed contract.
