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Twisp to pursue county contract for court services; Winthrop interlocal considered as interim option
Summary
Mayor Smith reported the town lacks a court clerk after a recent departure and recommended launching a six-month review to contract municipal court proceedings to the county while pursuing an interim interlocal agreement with Winthrop; the council asked staff to pursue both tracks.
Mayor Smith told the council that the recent departure of the police clerk left the town without a court clerk and that the Public Safety Committee recommends exploring contracting municipal court proceedings to the county. He said a county contract would require a six-month review period and advised the council to seek interim solutions while the review proceeds.
Smith said he had spoken with Judge Ebenger about a potential interim agreement with Winthrop’s court clerk and that the judge seemed open to the idea, though no finalized agreement has been negotiated. The council asked staff to pursue discussions with Winthrop about an interlocal agreement while beginning the county review process.
Why it matters: contracting court services would change how Twisp handles municipal citations and court proceedings and could affect staffing, scheduling and local control. Council directed staff to begin discussions and return with options; no binding interlocal or county contract was approved at the Jan. 14 meeting.
