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Council questions Lynnwood jail housing contract dates and cost figures; staff to follow up
Summary
Council Member Sonmore raised discrepancies between the budget book and staff report on jail housing costs and asked whether a contract dated Jan. 1, 2025 should be adjusted if signed in May; staff said the city pays only for actual incarcerations and will review dates and budget numbers with Lynnwood.
Council Member Sonmore raised questions on May 1 about costs and contract dates for jail housing after the council previously reviewed an agreement with the City of Lynnwood.
Sonmore said the budget book lists the jail housing cost as $646,078 while a report referenced roughly $625,000, a difference she calculated at about $78,500 for the two‑year figure shown in meeting materials. Sonmore also said the contract provided to the council is dated Jan. 1, 2025, but may not be signed until May and asked whether the contract period could be adjusted to reflect actual service dates. Sonmore noted a clause (section 10.6 in the contract materials) referencing cost increases on Dec. 31 and asked how that interacts with a contract start date different from the effective date listed in the agreement.
A city staff member responded that the city pays only when individuals are housed in the facility and that staff would review the contract wording and budget figures with Lynnwood and return to Sonmore with clarification. The staff member said, “I don't think the city of Lynwood would have any issue with us adjusting the dates, but I can reach out to them.”
No formal action was taken at the meeting; staff committed to follow up on the discrepancy between the budget book numbers and the report figures and to confirm the contract’s effective period with the City of Lynnwood.
