ML seeks money for EHS policing services

By AL STOVER

Staff Reporter

Medical Lake’s quest to receive state funding for police services provided to Eastern State Hospital continues.

At the Feb. 7 City Council meeting, Mayor John Higgins announced he testified, via Skype, in front of the Legislature’s Ways and Means committee regarding Senate Bill 5159.

The bill, introduced in the current legislative session by senators Michael Baumgartner, Steve O’Ban and Steve Conway, would add chapters to the Revised Code of Washington requiring Western and Eastern state hospitals to contract with the cities where they are located to compensate those municipalities for providing public safety services. In this case, Eastern State Hospital contracts with Medical Lake.

If the bill is approved, the cities would receive 9 cents per square foot of the total respective state hospital’s square footage beginning in the 2017-19 biennium. In each subsequent biennium, facilities can adjustment the amount for any changes in square footage.

Higgins, who had been invited to testify by the city of Lakewood, asked that Medical Lake receive an additional $500,000 per biennium. This is in response to language in the bill that the city of Lakewood, which provides public safety services to Western State Hospital, be allocated no less than $621,279 per biennium in addition to the 9 cents per square foot.

“It still has to go before the committee,” Higgins said. “If it passes, the money would carry over.”

City Administrator Doug Ross explained that the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office provides the same services at Eastern State Hospital as the Lakewood Police Department does for Western, at the city’s expense.

If Medical Lake’s request for an additional $500,000 is not approved, but the bill passes, Ross said the city would receive at least $100,000 per biennium.

“It’s not the compensation we should receive, but it’s more than we’ve gotten before,” Ross said.

Councilwoman Jessica Roberts asked what the recourse would be if the bill is passed, but the city does not receive money. City attorney Cynthia McMullen explained the document would add chapters to the RCW, making it a law.

“It’s not the same as a contract with a business, and I’ve never seen an RCW (like this) where the state says they’ll pay the money and it doesn’t happen,” she added.

During public comment, Bobbie Wilson said a large berm was left in her driveway after the snow plows went past her street on Feb. 4, something that had not happened in the 46 years she had lived in the city.

“There’s no excuse for it, it’s never happened (before),” she said.

Councilman John Paikuli said that while he recognizes the hard work the maintenance crews are doing in plowing the city, he too noticed there were large berms left on his street.

Ross said he received similar complaints from residents about berms being left behind.

“If we miss a driveway, it does not happen on purpose,” Ross said. “If you call the maintenance shop, they’ll come out and fix it.”

In other business: The Fire Department responded to 62 calls in January — 48 were emergency medical service-related.

Al Stover can be reached at [email protected].