Bothell approves interlocal agreement with Kirkland for jail services through 2029 to reduce transport time and costs
Summary
Council voted 6-0 to authorize an interlocal agreement with the City of Kirkland for misdemeanor jail housing and virtual arraignment services through Dec. 31, 2029; staff said the agreement will reduce officer transport time and per-bed costs compared with alternative jails.
The Bothell City Council on March 18 authorized an interlocal agreement with the City of Kirkland for jail services through Dec. 31, 2029, a move staff said will reduce transport time for officers and lower housing costs for misdemeanor detainees.
"The simplicity of it for us" comes from Kirkland’s virtual-arraignment capability and proximity, Police Support Services Manager Grace Myers told the council. Under the proposed agreement Kirkland would host booked misdemeanor inmates and conduct virtual arraignments with Bothell Municipal Court, reducing the need for multiple transports between jail and court, Myers said.
Staff presented comparative nightly housing rates for 2025: Snohomish County $204.85 per bed per night (plus $243.81 for video court), King County $273.39 per bed per night (no video court option listed), Linwood $198 plus $100 for video court, and Kirkland $143 per bed per night with no additional video-court fee. Council members said they viewed the Kirkland option as a cost-efficient choice that would bring officers back to town sooner than more distant county jails.
Chief Ken Silverlich and Myers explained operational benefits: Kirkland is about five miles from Bothell (a roughly 10-minute drive), offers video-court oversight so officers need not transport defendants for arraignment, and is accredited by the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, which staff cited as evidence of professional standards. Myers also noted Bothell’s limited in-city cell capacity (seven cells) and that the city will retain contracts with county jails as needed in some cases.
The council motion instructing the city manager to sign the interlocal agreement was moved by Councilmember Dodd and seconded by Councilmember Zorn; the motion passed 6-0.
Why it matters: the ILA is intended to reduce officer overtime and transport time, lower per-bed costs for misdemeanor housing, and streamline court logistics through virtual arraignment services. Staff said legal and prosecuting authorities reviewed the agreement and the jail’s medical-acceptability standards appear in the agenda packet.
