The Daggett County Commission approved a motion on Tuesday to act in the role as Sheriff until the Republican Committee makes their recommendation. Sheriff Jerry R. Jorgensen submitted his resignation on Sunday, citing his desire to help the county move forward in the process with the Utah Department of Corrections. During the Commission meeting, a motion was made for the Commission to act in the role of Sheriff, delegating authority to Commissioner Jack Lytle, who has law enforcement credentials and certifications, to act as department head. The following statement was read: “The goal is to create stability within the Sheriff’s department and the Jail and to clarify the reporting structure during the hopefully short time we wait for the nomination. Mr. Lytle will begin immediately to meet with the department employees and the current administration to set expectations, to clarify needs and to plan for the immediate future. We as Commissioners would like to send the message that we value the men and women of the department and have confidence in our law enforcement personnel. We’d like to maintain everything that is positive within the department while looking toward the future and strengthening our relationship with the Department of Corrections.” On Monday, the Uintah County Commission discussed an interlocal agreement with Daggett County for contracting their jail employees. Sheriff Vance Norton explained that the Uintah County Jail is currently down 5 deputies and 3 controllers and bringing down Daggett County employees would be a win-win situation. “If we contract with them to bring their folks down, we can help keep them employed and it would help us out during the time period they are down here,” shared Sheriff Norton. Uintah County will continue the hiring process for the open positions they have but that process can take several months. Commissioner Bill Stringer offered his support of the idea emphasizing that it is a good fit considering the Daggett County employees are already trained and capable. The Uintah County Commission will consider the interlocal agreement for approval during next week’s Commission meeting.
