Snoqualmie approves interim police-services agreement with North Bend; mayor authorized to sign

The Snoqualmie City Council on a unanimous vote approved an interim police services agreement with the City of North Bend and authorized the mayor to sign, ensuring North Bend will continue to receive policing from the Snoqualmie Police Department while remaining disputes are resolved.

The interim agreement keeps identified police-service provisions from a February 2019 renewal in effect while deleting or excluding other sections of that renewal; the document also allows either party to reserve rights to enforce provisions of the 2019 agreement in the future. Council members said the agreement preserves officer authority and indemnification while leaving compensation disputes open to negotiation or litigation.

Council member Benson asked a pointed operational question before the vote: “If we sign this, will our police have the authority and be protected and indemnified if they're being police officers in North Bend? And do we maintain our rights to take North Bend to court for proper compensation.” Mayor Pro Tem Tim Holloway responded in the affirmative…