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Home My WebLink About17-104.07SpokaneCountySheriffILAPhaseILawEnforcementStaffingImplementationOFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER �� T .� 10210E Sprague Avenue I Spokane Valley WA a.gov \�ifAn. ' Phone: (509) 720-5000 I www.spokanevalleywa.gov January 14, 2025 Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels Spokane County Sheriff's Office 1100 W Mallon Ave Spokane County Public Safety Building, First Floor Spokane WA 99260-0300 RE: Updated Notice and Letter Agreement for Assignment of City Dedicated Officers Dear Sheriff Nowels, This letter is a follow-up to the document provided to you on March 4, 2024 which, pursuant to Section 5.1.1 of the Interlocal Agreement, provided written notice to you of the City's determination to move forward with recruitment and hiring of ten additional City dedicated officers recommended pursuant to a 2023 police staffing study. Pursuant to that notice, the City identified its understanding that recruitment would begin immediately and that positions for the Sheriffs Office and Spokane Valley Police would be filled generally on an alternating 1-to-1 basis. At that time the City had not yet identified the positions, but on January 7, 2025, City Council approved assigning the dedicated positions recommended by you and Chief Ellis. The dedicated positions to be added and assigned are four Patrol deputies, one homeless services deputy, one Traffic deputy, two Spokane Valley Investigative Unit (SVIU) detectives, one SVIU sergeant, and one Patrol lieutenant. Per your and Chief Ellis' recommendation, one existing City dedicated Patrol sergeant shall be converted to a Patrol lieutenant in addition to the one listed above. These additions, assignments, and modifications are shown in a new Exhibit "3" attached hereto. In conjunction with the letter sent March 4, 2024, this letter serves as notice pursuant to Section 5.1.1 of the City's unilateral addition and assignment of the 10 dedicated positions and conversion of one position as described above. We request your acknowledgement of receipt and concurrence of the additions, assignments, and modifications identified in this letter and the new Exhibit "3" by your signature below. The Parties further agree that the attached "Exhibit 3 — Dedicated CITY Officers" shall, as of the date this letter agreement is fully executed, replace the current Exhibit 3 to the "Interlocal Agreement for law Enforcement Services as Provided by the Spokane County Sheriffs Office to the City of Spokane Valley" that was fully executed on December 20, 2022. We understand that the Sheriff's Office has been actively recruiting for all Spokane Valley Police positions, including the additional ten officers, since the March 4 notice and greatly appreciate your efforts in hiring new officers. As identified in the notice provided on March 4, 2024, we understand that the Sheriff's Office and Spokane Valley Police dedicated positions will be filled generally on an alternating 1-to-1 basis. While all the specified new positions are vitally important, our Council has expressed its desire to not deplete patrol platoons by immediately filling higher -ranked positions through promotion that would subsequently create long-term vacancies in patrol due to the training time required for new recruits. We understand from Chief Ellis that he will not fill higher ranked positions until the officers are available to fill the vacancies that may be created through such promotion. We appreciate and concur with the efforts of Chief Ellis to fill the new positions in a manner that does not materially lower patrol staffing levels (for fully -trained officers) or materially impact the service provided by other units. We will work to incorporate an amendment to the agreement in the near future and will work with you and your office on finalizing these changes. Please provide a completed and signed copy of this letter agreement to the City upon your agreement and execution. Thank you for your collaboration with our efforts to right -size our police department to the needs of Spokane Valley and we look forward to our ongoing cooperation and continued success. Sincerely, City Manager John Hohman Acknowledged and Approved by cc: Spokane County CEO Scott Simmons Attachments: • Notification of Additional Ten Officers dated March 4, 2024 • Exhibit "3" from Interlocal Agreement — Dedicated City Officers Spokane OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER ,,;o011'Q.iley- 10210 E Sprague Avenue ♦ Spokane Valley WA 99206 Phone: (509) 720-5000 ♦ www.spokanevalleywa.gov March 4, 2024 Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels Spokane County Sheriff's Office 1100 West Mallon Spokane County Public Safety Building, First Floor Spokane, WA 99260-0300 RE: Notification to Spokane County Sheriff and Spokane County forAddition of City Dedicated Officers Dear Sheriff Nowels, A recently completed consultant study evaluating police staffing and service needs for Spokane Valley recommended an increase in staffing to accommodate population growth as Well as a significant increase in calls for service. Additionally, the study concluded that increasing patrol staffing would allow for more proactive policing which would also be beneficial to our community. At last Tuesday's Council meeting, the Spokane Valley City Council approved adding ten dedicated Spokane Valley Commissioned police officers to the number of dedicated officers provided by the Spokane County Sheriff's Office and Spokane County through the Interlocal Agreement for Law Enforcement Services executed in 2022. Pursuant to Section 5.1.1 of the Interlocal Agreement, "City may unilaterally adjust the number of Dedicated CITY officers set forth in Exhibit "3" only after meaningful prior consultation between the Sheriff and the City". City Manager John Hohman has discussed the addition of these officers with you, Sheriff Nowels, and Police Chief Dave Ellis, and understands that all agree to move forward with the recruitment of ten additional officers beginning immediately. Section 8.3 of the Interlocal Agreement states, "SHERIFF or his designee and the City Manager shall jointly discuss and work diligently to fill any vacancies in a manner that is reasonable and fair to each party". The Sheriff, Police Chief, and City Manager have agreed, in recognition of current recruitment for both Spokane Valley dedicated officers and County dedicated officers, that positions for both Spokane Valley and County openings will be filled generally in an alternating 1-to-1 basis. Please provide quarterly updates to the City indicating the number of officers hired and the location to which they will be assigned. City staff and Council will continue to receive public input and further deliberate on the exact positions, ranks, and units associated with the current ten officers as well as future implementations of the remaining staffing recommendations. We will keep you appraised as decisions are made and will continue to include Chief Ellis in these discussions. As the details are determined we will work with the Sheriffs Office and County on incorporating these changes into the agreement through an amendment process. Thank you for your collaboration with our efforts to right -size our police department to the needs of Spokane Valley and we look forward to our ongoing cooperation and continued success. Sincerely, City Manager John Hohman CC: Spokane County CEO Scott Simmons CC: Spokane Valley Police Chief Dave Ellis EXHIBIT 3 - DEDICATED CITY OFFICERS Arlminictr=tiva Police Chief / Undersheriff 1 Assistant Chief/ Inspector 1 Sergeant 1 Patrol Lieutenant Sergeant Deputies K-9 Deputies Traffic Sergeant Detectives/Corporal Deputies Community Services Deputy 4 8 51 3 1 1 6 1 Behavioral Health Deputy 1 Homeless Services Deputy 2 Domestic Violence Detective / Corporal 1 School Resource Officer Deputies 4 Property and Drug Crimes Sergeant 2 Detectives 12 Deputy 1 TOTAL DEDICATED OFFICERS 101 Smith Jill City of Spokane Valley Communications 509-720-5411 ismith@spokanevallevwa.¢ov 509-953-6695 Manager Vowels David Avista Corp. Communications 509.495.7956 David.Vowels@ayistacorp.com 509.981.2357 Manager 509-818-6795 Steiner Tim Cheney Fire Lt. Public Info/Ed. 509-498-9291 tsteiner@citvofchenev.or¢ 509-868-1109 Inland Northwest Health Services; Director of Marketing 509-768-6665 (cell) 509-624- Stewart Nicole 509-232-8131 stewarn@inhs.org MedStar; St. Lukes &Communications 3764 (home) Rehab Westby April Spokane Regional Clean Environmental 477-4727 x105 awestbv@spokanecleanair.orR 999-7615 Air Agency Engineer Public Information & Wheatley-eilleter Martha Lou Spokane County Communications 509-477-7195 Mwheatlevbilleter@spokanecountv.ora 263-9385 Manager Executive Director Witter Steve NEWESD101 789-3540 switter@esd101.net 509-999-7231 Communications Communication & Spokane Regional Clean Woodard Lisa Outreach Section 509-477-4727, ext. 115 Iwoodard@spokanecleanair.org 509-981-2458 (cell) Air Agency Manager Public Woodard Todd Spokane International Relations/Marketing 509-455-6470 509-624- twoodard@sookaneairports.net 509-998-7265 (cell) home 456- Airport 6633 (fax) 3542 Director Youmans Savannah Airway Hts. PIO syoumans@cawh.org Zimmer Kerry Century Link PR. Mgr. 509-622-2803 kerry.zimmer@centurvlink.com Cell: 509-720-4441 Zorica Mark Kalispell Tribe PIO 509.447.7436 MZorica@kalispeltribe.com 509.385.4645 Munoz Cathy 911 Cheney PD cmunoz@cityofcheney.org Kelly Erin Lib. Lk police ekelly@Iibertylakewa.gov