PRICE COUNTY — The Price County Law Enforcement Committee met September 3, 2026, approving equipment purchases funded through a federal rural schools grant, advancing a county-wide radio communications project, and scheduling a public hearing on a proposed ordinance amendment for its October meeting.
Title III Equipment Purchases
Last updated: September 2026
Chief Deputy Robert Hahn provided an update on Title III funding through the Secure Rural Schools program, which provides federal money to counties with national forest lands for law enforcement and emergency equipment. The funding is structured on a “use it or lose it” basis — unspent money must be returned.
The department has moved forward on three purchases using Title III funds:
- Side scan sonar for the patrol boat, used for underwater search and recovery of drowning victims. Hahn noted the county has had three or four drowning victims already this year.
- Ice kit adapters that allow the side scan equipment to be deployed on frozen lakes for winter recovery operations, when people fall through the ice.
- Patrol rifle replacements, updating aging service weapons. Hahn clarified that the department is replacing existing rifles, not expanding its inventory. The older rifles will be sold through a federal firearms licensee (FFL).
Hahn said he contacted two individuals with the U.S. Forest Service to confirm the purchases qualify under the law enforcement and search-and-rescue categories. The Forest Service raised no objections.
A public notice was posted for the purchases, and Hahn spoke with several residents who had questions, primarily about the ice sonar equipment. “There wasn’t any feedback that was concerning,” Hahn said. “It was more questions — why do you need the live sonar radar for ice?”
Additional Title III money remains available. Hahn said he plans to meet with fire chiefs in the four jurisdictions that contain national forest lands to discuss equipment needs, though he noted fire departments face more restrictions on eligible purchases than law enforcement does.
Note: The story tracker backlog referenced approximately $38,000 in Title III purchases, but no specific dollar figure was stated during the meeting. The exact total should be confirmed with the sheriff’s department or county finance office.
Radio System Overhaul Moves Forward
The committee received a detailed update on the county’s radio communications project, which entered Phase 1 after the County Board approved TUSA as the project consultant.
The sheriff reported that he and Chief Deputy Hahn held a kickoff meeting with TUSA on August 28. TUSA is expected on-site the week of September 28, conducting physical assessments of current radio infrastructure, meeting with stakeholders, and presenting initial findings to the committee.
TUSA has requested a stakeholder group be assembled, which the sheriff said will be broader than originally anticipated. Stakeholders include Park Falls and Phillips police departments, EMS, fire departments, the hospital, school districts, highway department, and forestry and parks. The sheriff’s office plans to send letters on department letterhead inviting participation.
The sheriff explained that the project could yield cost savings for participating agencies by consolidating separate radio systems onto a shared county infrastructure. Under one model, agencies like the school district could purchase radios and use designated channels on the county system rather than maintaining their own standalone infrastructure — potentially avoiding the replacement cost of a $400,000 independent system.
TUSA will present multiple plan options ranging from a practical minimum to a comprehensive system. “They understand that there’s a hundred different options out there,” the sheriff said. “They’ll do their best to say, okay, this is what we would recommend — your Goldilocks plan.”
The consultant will also evaluate tower infrastructure, including whether leasing space on existing towers (such as at the hospital) could be more cost-effective than building new ones. The sheriff cited an example where paying $2,000 per month for tower space could ultimately be cheaper than an $800,000 capital project.
An additional Law Enforcement Committee meeting is being planned for the week of September 28 to allow committee members to meet the TUSA consultants and share expectations. The regular October 1 meeting may be adjusted or combined with the public hearing on the ordinance amendment.
Ordinance Amendment Heads to Public Hearing
The committee voted unanimously to advance an ordinance amendment to a public hearing, scheduled for the October committee meeting. The amendment language was drafted by the corporation counsel’s office.
Under the procedural timeline, a Class 2 notice must be published before the public hearing. If passed, there is a 30-day waiting period before the ordinance can be enforced.
Note: The specific subject matter of the ordinance amendment was not clearly described in the meeting transcript. This should be confirmed with the corporation counsel’s office or committee minutes before publication.
Staffing and Personnel
The sheriff reported the department remains one deputy short, with interviews ongoing. Deputy Drew has returned from military leave and is completing abbreviated field training. Deputy Dawson is finishing Phase 4 of field training and is expected to go solo soon.
Two pending retirements will require action: Patrol Lieutenant Dixon and Rec Officer Joel are both planning to retire. The sheriff said the department will need to post for a patrol lieutenant position and, likely in November, post for the chief deputy position. The sheriff did not specify who currently holds the chief deputy title in the context of retirement, and the transcript was ambiguous on this point.
The jail remains adequately staffed, with the population holding steady at approximately 19 to 20 inmates. The county has not needed to house inmates outside Price County this year. A recent jail inspection report is expected to be shared with board members; the sheriff indicated the facility is running well under current leadership.
K-9 Unit Future
With the retirement of Patrol Lieutenant Dixon, the K-9 program faces a transition. The sheriff indicated he plans to reach out to past donors to gauge interest in funding a replacement dog to maintain the department’s two-unit K-9 capacity. Both K-9 units have been active recently, with arrests involving methamphetamine and operating while intoxicated offenses in recent weeks.
Humane Officer Activity
Humane Officer Mindy has been active in the Ogema area, conducting fence inspections and working with the town chair on an ongoing farm-related case. The committee discussed the value of having a dedicated humane officer, with one member noting it gives the public a clear point of contact for animal welfare concerns.
A suggestion was made to invite a representative from Katkins — an animal welfare partner organization — to provide an annual report to the county board. The sheriff said he had a call scheduled with Katkins representative Tanya that afternoon.
Clerk of Courts Vacancy
The Clerk of Circuit Court’s office has one vacancy following the resignation of a deputy clerk, whose last day was the Friday before the meeting. An upcoming three-day trial is expected to increase court costs temporarily, though officials characterized it as part of normal court operations.
Finance and Vouchers
The committee approved vouchers unanimously. Discussion touched on health insurance costs, which are currently in the black overall for the county, though some departments show variations due to personnel changes.
An accounting question was raised about a prior-year grant receivable tied to the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) grant. Finance staff explained the discrepancy stemmed from a communication issue about the actual grant amount at year-end, resulting in a receivable adjustment that will flag for the auditor. The issue was characterized as outside the control of county finance staff.
Next Meeting
The committee’s next regular meeting is scheduled for October 1, 2026, though that date may shift to accommodate the TUSA consultant visit the week of September 28. A public hearing on the ordinance amendment will be scheduled for either the October committee meeting or a full County Board meeting.
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