New traffic policing agreement filed

Whitman County commissioners approved Monday, Aug. 20, a traffic policing agreement with the county Sheriff's department to cover the cost of a sheriff's deputy who performs commercial vehicle inspection and enforcement.

“This is basically tidying up paperwork from the '90s,” said Mark Storey, Public Works director, referring to a rule change in the Washington Administrative Code which required an updated filing for the agreement which goes back to before the county's last document on the matter in 1997.

The deal states that the county use road funds to pay for Deputy Sheriff Vince Waltz – now $115,000 total per year for salary, benefits, vehicle, training and some equipment.

Waltz trains other county road department members such as flaggers and pilot car-drivers. He also does construction zone enforcement.

“We are very happy to have Vince in the county,” said Dean Kinzer, County commissioner.

The county prosecutor's office and sheriff had previously approved the agreement.

“The road department gets great value for its money on this,” Storey said.