Medical Lake weighs options as municipal court interlocal with Cheney nears end

City staff told the Medical Lake City Council on June 3 that the city’s interlocal agreement with the City of Cheney for municipal court services, in place since February 2014, is set to expire at the end of the year and that the city must give 180 days’ notice to make changes.

Sunny (city staff) explained the existing contract is a flat-rate arrangement that covers judicial services and jail costs, while the city contracts separately for prosecutor and public defender services. Staff said total filings are small: “74 cases,” of which they reported 20 criminal charges and 54 infractions in the most recent reporting period presented to council.

The council discussed three main options: renegotiate the flat-rate contract with Cheney; seek court services from another municipal court or a multi-city consolidated court in the West Plains; or reestablish a Medical Lake municipal court. Staff and council noted reestablishing a standalone court would require hiring judicial and administrative personnel and would likely be expensive for the city’s caseload.

Council members asked about geographic convenience for residents, potential cost apportionment among neighboring jurisdictions, and judicial appointment cycles. Staff said Cheney, Airway Heights and other West Plains jurisdictions have been informally discussing consolidation and that the city’s next step is to request proposals and cost comparisons.

Council authorized staff to prepare a resolution for the next meeting to start the formal notice and comparison process. The resolution will include proposed contract options and cost estimates to compare staying with Cheney, contracting with another municipal court, or standing up the city’s own court.