Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Palmdale Approves 1-Year Pact With L.A. Sheriff’s Department : Law enforcement: Council OKs contract as city officials prepare to review the county-run agency’s performance.

The Palmdale City Council has approved without comment a one-year contract with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for general police services, but declined to sign a five-year deal sought by the law enforcement agency.

The one-year contract is worth about $8 million.

City officials are preparing to conduct a performance audit on its contract with the Sheriff’s Department, as well as several other city agencies. The audit will review the sheriff’s service calls, its 911 calls and the time used for patrols, City Manager Bob Toone said.

He said the audit is being conducted to increase the effectiveness of sheriff’s services.

One patrol car operating eight hours a day, seven days a week, costs the city about $226,000 a year, said Lt. Dave Collin of the Antelope Valley Sheriff’s Station, which patrols Lancaster and Palmdale. That amount includes all support services, from the “station captain’s salary to the pens and pencils,” he added.

Collin said he welcomes the upcoming audit because he believes the Sheriff’s Department services are worth the money.

Earlier this week, city officials said they wanted a one-year contract with the department because they were concerned they were not getting their money’s worth.

“I think we do a good job, and I think the city of Palmdale will find that out when they conduct their audit,” Collin said. “I welcome it.”

The Sheriff’s Department provides law enforcement services for 41 cities in the county.

In other action Wednesday night, the City Council approved a plan to construct a third park-and-ride lot on West Avenue S because current lots are constantly packed to overflowing.