The City of Elgin will soon have a new “sheriff” in town in the form of Deputy Dylan Hamilton of the Union County Sheriff’s Office, who made his first appearance before the city at Tuesday night’s Elgin City Council meeting.

“I’m looking forward to interacting with all of you,” Hamilton said to the crowd. He replaces Deputy Justin Hernandez in patrolling the Elgin area.

Tuesday night’s meeting also marked the first with Student Councilor Kaylee Smith joining the councilors’ ranks. Smith, a senior at Elgin High School, was sworn in as the city’s newest student councilor at September’s meeting. This go-around, she reported on the high school’s homecoming week and upcoming sporting events.

Municipal Court Judge Laura Eckstein told the council she anticipates the city will soon be able to access the Law Enforcement Data System (LEDS), a digital police information network storing a host of criminal background information and records, namely arrest warrants. Eckstein is currently working with Oregon State Police to implement LEDS next year or 2020 at the latest, free of charge to the city, and hopes the system will improve communication and efficiency among deputies and the court concerning access and retrieval of criminal information.

“We’re working actively with OSP to get that done,” Eckstein said. “We’re going to be able to upload information to that system and also (input information). It’s a two-way street that’s going to benefit not only the court but the deputies who service the court. It’ll be an all-around fantastic development for the city.”

An ordinance initially brought up at the council’s September meeting granting the use of recreational vehicles on city streets is still being drafted by the public safety committee. Mayor Allan Duffy said the committee has received valuable input concerning necessary guidelines and safety concerns and plans to present a rough draft to the council at next month’s meeting.

City Administrator Brock Eckstein reported the city will close Friday on a loan for the purchase of the W.C. Construction complex in Elgin, to be used as the new location for the city hall, public works shop and an animal shelter.

“We’re gonna pack up city hall all next week and hopefully move in by Oct. 22,” Eckstein said.

Tuesday’s meeting marked the final city council session in their current chambers, with next month’s meeting scheduled to occur in the new city hall building.

See more in Wednesday’s edition of The Observer.