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Snoqualmie committee advances Sunnyside jail rate increase addendum after questions on costs and services
Summary
The committee advanced AB 26‑001, a Sunnyside interlocal addendum proposing an 11% per‑inmate rate increase (from $68.99 to about $76.59 per day) to cover rising insurance, food and new monitoring/mental‑health services; staff said the city expects overall jail spending to remain manageable for 2026.
The Public Safety Committee voted to move AB 26‑001, a Sunnyside interlocal agreement addendum, to the council consent agenda after Police Chief Haresi told members Sunnyside is requesting an 11% rate increase tied to higher operational costs and new in‑facility monitoring and mental‑health services.
Chief Haresi said Sunnyside’s requested increase reflects higher insurance and food costs and added precautions after two in‑custody deaths attributed to drug use. "They have asked for this addendum to increase the rates. It is an 11% rate increase," Haresi said, adding Sunnyside plans to install vitals monitors at booking and expand mental‑health services so fewer inmates would require hospital transfers.
The proposed change would raise the city’s current per‑inmate daily rate reportedly from $68.99 to about $76.59, according to Haresi’s presentation. Haresi said Sunnyside accepts only male long‑term commitments (sentences of 30 days or more) and that using Sunnyside is a large cost savings compared with other contractors: he contrasted the Sunnyside figure with Issaquah ($150 per day) and Yakima ($125 per day) and described King County as a high‑cost last resort due to booking fees.
Council members asked for specifics about how many Sunnyside inmates Snoqualmie had used in 2025 and how the 11% increase would affect the department budget. Haresi said he would provide exact inmate counts and other numbers after the meeting; he told the committee his current budgeting anticipates staying within the 2026 jail budget despite the increases.
What happens next: Committee members agreed to move AB 26‑001 to the council on the consent agenda. The administration will provide follow‑up figures on inmate counts and the precise fiscal impact ahead of council action.
