No decision taken November 2, will need to go before public, regular board meeting

The Boyd Committee of the Whoel has just been proposed to, not by one, but TWO potential suitors. The dueling competitive offers came in a meeting held Tuesday November 2 at the Boyd Village Hall, where Stanley’s Police Department vied with the Chippewa County Sheriff ’s Department to win Friendly Town favor for providing the village with police services going forward.

The Village of Boyd, meanwhile is not obliged to accept either, with the outcome still pending and unknown as of press time.Stanley Police Chief Lance Weiland first broached the question for 2021 in his report to the Stanley Common Council for October 28.

“As a reminder to council members, I will be making a presentation to the Boyd Village Board on Tuesday, November 2, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. regarding the potential of combining police services between Stanley and Boyd.

The set of proposals comes after Boyd Police—along with other law enforcement agencies—has been having trouble keeping its part-time roster filled. Chief Louie Eslinger, who also oversees Cadott, has called for a budget hearing to face the issue, set for December. Village Clerk Sandi Isaacs reported that there likely wouldn’t be a change if services stayed in the village.

“If the police department stays in Boyd, it probably wouldn’t be a change to the budget,” Isaacs said via telephone Monday night. The broader issue driving developments is that of both attracting and retaining police who would be working part-time without benefits. In just two years the Friendly Town has seen three part-timers—Hunter Imm, Tucker Tiege, and Kevin Hagmann come and go—Imm to Neillsville, Tiege to Mondovi, and Hagmann to Sawyer County. Prior to departure for Sawyer County, Hagmann split his time between Stanley, Boyd, and Cadott to help get the hours needed.

“It’s going to be me and one of my deputies, Andy Clark,” Sheriff Jim Kowalczyk shared when reached on the plan for Tuesday November 2. With Stanley scheduled to present at 6 p.m. and Chippewa County at 6:45 p.m., the question of just which department— if either—will be providing services going forward, is still out for next week, or beyond.

A prior toe dip into the idea of merging services with Stanley or Cadott, went nowhere, while changes have come on the village board in the meantime—along with the police roster.

Sheriff Jim KowalczykThe Boyd Village Hall at 705 East Murray Street was the scene of offers by the Stanley Police Department and the Chippewa County Sheriff, both seeking to end the common problem of recruitment and retention for small town departments. Photo by Joseph Back.