Chehalis council rejects renewal of Green Hill fire and EMS interlocal after debate over compensation

The Chehalis City Council on May 27 considered a proposed two‑year interlocal agreement with the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families to provide fire and emergency medical services to Green Hill School, but members ultimately rejected the measure after debate about whether the state’s payment adequately covered city costs.

Council members, the fire chief and staff discussed the contract’s standard 2% annual increase and whether that figure reflected current operating costs. Fire Chief provided the contract background, saying, “this is a 2 year contact with Green Hill for fire and EMS protection services … just our standard 2% increase, for the fiscal year 2026 and, through 2027, June thirtieth of 2027. No major changes, just a 2% increase.”

The council pressed staff for more data on calls and local fiscal impact. Council members said they have seen increased simultaneous calls for overdoses recently; one councilmember asked whether the department responded multiple times in a single day for fentanyl overdoses. The chief acknowledged increased simultaneous calls and said staff would begin tracking volumes more closely.

Council members and staff also discussed charges for police investigations at Green Hill. City staff member Stacy said the current investigative pay from the state is $25 per hour and noted that a legislative effort to raise that rate had not advanced: “They actually pay us, $25 an hour for investigations out of Green Hill. That was supposed to go through legislation this year. I have not heard back.”

Members debated whether to approve the contract now, negotiate a higher rate with the state, or gather a detailed audit of local costs before renewing. One councilmember said the city could seek a higher increase later, noting rising personnel costs: “Every other contract out there that we have would love to only receive a 2% increase … Everything costs way more. So I feel we could push back.”

A motion to approve the resolution authorizing renewal of the interlocal agreement was moved and seconded during the meeting, but the council vote did not carry; the mayor announced that the motion was rejected. Council members instructed staff to gather additional data on call volumes and cost impacts for future negotiations.

The discussion made clear the council’s limits in negotiating state contracts but signaled interest in documenting local costs before agreeing to future increases or term lengths. Staff said they could pull call-volume reports and return with an analysis for the council to use in future bargaining with DCYF.