As a result of a new agreement between the city of Snoqualmie and the Snoqualmie Tribe to extend sewer services to the Snoqualmie Casino for the next four years, the tribe has dropped a discrimination lawsuit. The suit did not specify a damages amount when it was filed, last December.
The new sewer agreement came after meetings in early September between the city and the Tribe.
“We were afforded an opportunity to speak with the council members of the tribe and rekindle some trust and understanding between the tribe and the city,” Snoqualmie Mayor Matt Larson said.
At the Snoqualmie City Council meeting Sept. 28, Snoqualmie Tribe spokesman Jerry Lamb spoke very highly of the mediation and felt it had a positive effect on the relationship between the tribe and the city.
“I think very good things came out of that session that will be good for the tribe and the city,” Lamb said. “It’s our further hope that we can really use this process and this agreement to spring forward on other things that we can work on in a mutually beneficial fashion… I personally feel we are moving forward in the right direction and taking very positive steps.”
In an email message to the Record last week, Lamb further explained that the agreement came about with effort from both sides.
“After a very long mediation session, an agreement was reached that is good for the tribe and the city. This agreement came about with a good-faith effort from both sides, with a sincere commitment to try to move forward in a positive manner,” Lamb wrote. “We will not agree on everything, but the important thing to remember is that we keep an open, respectful and professional dialogue going.”
The city and tribe entered into the agreement, which also included police, fire and EMS services, in 2008. In 2013, the two parties negotiated a new agreement which expired Nov. 30, 2015.
“The casino originally opened up about eight years ago in November. The agreement started in that cycle, went for seven years and we extended it one more year,” Larson said “The new agreement is a four-year agreement and starts in December.”
The agreement comes after a discrimination lawsuit, filed by the Snoqualmie Tribe against the city in December of 2015, was dropped. The lawsuit originated from disputes regarding the Snoqualmie sewer service rates being raised 50 percent for locations outside the city limits, which included the casino.
The original agreement had some elements that were not implemented and that will not change with the new version. Larson said the police service was never implemented and instead was replaced with $100,000 in human services funding for the Snoqualmie Valley YMCA and Community Center.
The tribe no longer contracts for fire services with the city, either. Instead, the organization entered an agreement Jan. 1, 2016, with Eastside Fire and Rescue for fire services.
“We came to a satisfactory agreement on those fire issues. We never disputed they had the right to seek another supplier or vendor, they are going to continue with EFR,” Larson said. “Any other remaining issues have been resolved.”
Both parties met in July 2015 and negotiated an extension to Nov. 30, 2016 to have more time to work on a service solution.
The new agreement will pick up the day after the extension ends and will run for four years.
Mayor Larson said he is very encouraged by the work and discussion by both the city and the tribe. One of the ideas that came from their meetings was appointing liaisons to attend city council and tribal council meetings.
“One step that I’m very encouraged by is the Tribe seems to be committed to creating liaisons. It’s a very critical piece, the more each organization is coming to understand the overall aspirations and goals of the other, it does a great deal to tamp down speculation,” he said.
“With improved relations there will be more productive and respectful conversations.”
