CLARINDA, Iowa — The Page County Sheriff's Office will continue to provide law enforcement services to the City of Essex for another year.
Meeting in regular session Tuesday, the Page County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an extension of the 28E agreement between the county and Essex, ensuring the Sheriff's Office remains the community's state-required police provider. The contract extension comes after Essex initially turned to the county for police coverage in January 2024, following the end of a long-standing agreement with Shenandoah.
Sheriff Charles McCalla told the board that the renewed agreement would be largely unchanged from the previous version, except that the contract now spans a full year instead of six months.
The contract includes 15 hours of coverage per week, as well as investigative services for state and federal crimes. McCalla says the partnership has been running smoothly.
Before last year, the last time the county served as Essex’s law enforcement provider was 1992.
Sheriff’s Department Updates Vehicle Fleet
In related business, McCalla updated the board on his department’s vehicle fleet. He noted that a new Dodge Durango had just gone into service.
McCalla added that two more Durangos are on the way and expected to be delivered soon—also purchased from Shore.
Other Board Business
In additional action Tuesday, supervisors heard updates on three key projects:
- New Law Enforcement Center: Progress report provided by the Samuels Group.
- Shenandoah Hills Wind Project: Briefing from MidAmerican Energy.
- Courthouse Roof Replacement: Initial design review presented by Farnsworth Group.
The board will continue to review these infrastructure initiatives in the coming weeks.