North Bend City Council voted unanimously in favor of contracting with King County Sheriff’s Office for future policing services at its meeting May 6.

The council has been discussing the issue of policing services for a couple of years and put out a request in March seeking proposals from qualified entities. The city received proposals from the King County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) and from the Snoqualmie Police Department (SPD), which it had been contracting with since 2012.

In January, North Bend and Snoqualmie entered into a temporary agreement for policing services that expires May 31, but North Bend will continue contracting with Snoqualmie while it negotiates and approves a contract with KCSO. North Bend will give Snoqualmie an 18-month notice of termination.

North Bend Councilmember Alan Gothelf introduced the motion to vote in favor of contracting with KCSO. He is the only council member who was part of the decision to initially contract with SPD in 2012, and said he is saddened that the relationship will not continue.

He said he’s going with KCSO, not because of the performance of SPD officers, but because of the actions of the Snoqualmie administration.

“I’m sorry we have come to this point because I believe a contract with Snoqualmie would have been better for this valley, and it’s very disappointing that we’re at this point,” he said.

Before the vote, North Bend Councilmember Suzan Torguson spoke, saying that she had been told Snoqualmie officials had requested North Bend council members not provide public comment about how they came to their decision.

“We have a duty to our community to be transparent about our reasoning and to advocate for what we believe is in the best interest of our city,” she said. “Open discussion is a cornerstone of good governance, and I will not forgo my obligation to speak on behalf of the residents.”

She went on to say that this decision was about which contract best supported North Bend’s “long-term sustainability and fiduciary responsibilities to our residents.”

Cost-wise, SPD services would have been $3.98 million for the year, whereas KSCO will be $4.1 million. But, factoring in inflation, Torguson noted that, over the course of the next 18 months, KCSO is actually the more affordable option, and it continues to be through 2029.

A large conversation surrounding the decision was which organization would allow North Bend to have a say in its policing services. Members of the North Bend City Council have stated that there is not clear communication between the two cities and that they’ve had to file public records requests to receive information from Snoqualmie on important topics.

“Nearly every piece of information that we’ve received about the police services contract has been provided via public records request,” said Councilmember Errol Tremolada. “In the private sector, no one would sign a contract if they didn’t have some level of foundational trust with the other party. Maybe these two cities did at one point, but over the last 18 months, it’s been clear it does not exist.”

Offerings from KCSO include 10 patrol cars, its own speciality units and body cameras. KCSO allows North Bend to pick its own chief and have North Bend-labeled patrol cars.

“I feel much more confident that we can see and have control of the cost of their service,” said North Bend Councilmember Christina Rustik.

Public comment from Snoqualmie

Several members of the Snoqualmie City Council attended the meeting May 6, and a few spoke during public comment prior to the vote. They mentioned a “broken” relationship between Snoqualmie and North Bend due to tense negotiations, but asked that members of the North Bend City Council allow them to repair that relationship.

“We’re sister cities,” said Snoqualmie Councilmember Ethan Benson. “I don’t always get along with my sister. But I love her, and I want what’s best for her. The same is true for our cities.”

Part of Snoqualmie’s proposal was the Snoqualmie Police Advisory Committee (SNOPAC), which would include a quarterly meeting with an equal number of Snoqualmie and North Bend City Council members that allows North Bend to provide comment on the direction of SPD.

Snoqualmie also proposed the creation of the Snoqualmie Police Technical Working Group (SNOTEC), which would allow staffers from both cities to review and discuss SPD operational matters such as staffing and budgeting.

During his public comment, Benson noted that he’s listened to North Bend City Council members talk down on the two programs in recent discussions, but he disagrees.

“We want the relationship. The whole council’s here telling you that,” he went on. “And SNOPAC and SNOTEC are opportunities for us to change the way our cities communicate.”

North Bend City Council members stated during their comments that they hope to continue a strong relationship with Snoqualmie outside of a policing services contract.