Grant County Judge Scott Myers

CANYON CITY — The county approved a request from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office to apply for a $50,000 ATV grant from the state on Wednesday, Oct. 27.

Sheriff Todd McKinley told Grant County Court members that a representative from the Oregon ATV grant program contacted him and encouraged him to apply.

The grant, which the county has never applied for before, would be for $50,000 from June of 2022 to June of 2024 to help offset the cost of ATV patrols.

McKinley said the money would be used for enforcement in egregious cases such as driving under the influence on trails and county roads. He said the ATV patrol would primarily educate people and assist people in accidents.

McKinley said the best way to use the grant would be to apply to offset costs for an existing patrol position. In the second year, he said, representatives with the program suggest applying to fund a full-time patrol person.

He said the county’s match would be 20%. Essentially, he said, the county’s patrol person would bill hours to the program and offset costs for the vehicle, which the county already owns.

John Day Police

As of Wednesday, Oct. 27, the John Day Police Department was still on track to shutter by Nov. 1. According to McKinley, while city patrol officers stopped taking calls in mid-October, the department continued to have a uniformed resource officer at Grant Union High School.

McKinley said the county was in talks with Grant School District No. 3 about entering an agreement to provide a uniformed resource officer at Grant Union at a cost of $45,000 per year.

He said the Sheriff’s Office could potentially approach other schools about additional positions.

However, McKinley also said his patrol deputies are spread thin without John Day police officers patrolling the city.