North Bend council authorizes mayor to sign police-services interlocal agreement with Snoqualmie, allows litigation if Snoqualmie declines

The North Bend City Council voted unanimously to authorize the mayor to execute a new interlocal agreement with Snoqualmie for police services and to initiate litigation or assert counterclaims if Snoqualmie fails to sign the agreement, the council said.

Councilmember Rustic, who moved the motion, said the draft is a counterproposal intended to meet the needs of both North Bend and Snoqualmie. “Well, after, obviously, a significant amount of discussion, we've come back with a counterproposal that I think meets the needs of both the North Bend and the city of Snoqualmie. And so we are in the interest of, public safety wanting to move forward with, agreement that gets us, gets us positive police services.”

The motion authorizes the mayor “to execute and administer a new interlocal agreement with Snoqualmie for police services in a form substantially similar to the red line version presented in the council meeting tonight,” and states that “should Snoqualmie fail to execute the new interlocal agreement, the mayor shall be authorized to initiate litigation and or assert counterclaims against Snoqualmie to determine contractual rights, obligations, and costs related to the provisions of police services.”

Councilmember Gautel, who seconded the motion, said he had concerns about the negotiation timeline and portions of the agreement but would support the motion as a practical step forward. “I'd like to clarify that being put under the gun and getting a certain amount of time to do this is is is not a proper way to negotiate. I have concerns with what we've negotiated and what we've got here. I continue, and I think we continue to assert that we had original agreements when we terminated agreement to deny, you know, the original agreement. And Snoqualmie should be abiding by that.” He added: “But if this is gonna move us forward in the right direction, I'm supportive of it. But I hope, we don't continue to be pulled into this and understand that as a city, we need at least 2 weeks notice to be able to negotiate this and be able to, you know, educate our counsel and the rest of the administration on what they're asking.”

Other council members urged cooperation while flagging operational challenges. “We are transitioning to the King County Sheriff's Office, and we need them to help us, with that, quite frankly,” Councilmember Mark said, adding that public safety remains the top priority. Councilmember Errol described the situation as “an abnormal place to be” and warned that police departments are not designed to “vamp up and then wind down.” Councilmember Susan said North Bend has historically negotiated in good faith and said she preferred not to litigate: “I would prefer us not to go to court. I really like them to come to the table and work with us on this, and I hope that they do.”

The council emphasized that the cities are operationally linked and that a safe Snoqualmie is a safe North Bend. Several members criticized short-response demands from Snoqualmie's mayor and asked that future negotiation timelines allow at least two weeks for North Bend to prepare and consult counsel.

The motion, made by Councilmember Rustic and seconded by Mr. Gautel, passed unanimously. The transcript records the presiding official asking for a voice vote, members answering “Aye,” and the presiding official saying, “Motion passes unanimously.” The transcript does not provide an exact numerical roll-call tally.

No details on Snoqualmie's response, the red-line text of the draft interlocal agreement beyond the council's description, or a timetable for implementation were provided in the meeting record. Councilmembers noted reliance on the King County Sheriff's Office during the transition and flagged operational tasks needed to wind down or wind up local policing arrangements.

The meeting adjourned after the vote.