HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/21/2021 07. Update on SWAT in regard to community wide cost sharing and utilization of our SWAT throughout the County •
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BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
AGENDA STATEMENT
Item No. 7.
For Meeting of: September 21, 2021
ITEM TITLE: Update on SWAT in regard to community wide cost sharing and
utilization of our SWAT throughout the County
SUBMITTED BY: Bob Harrison, City Manager
SUMMARY EXPLANATION:
City staff members met with County representatives on September 13, 2021 to discuss SWAT
costs. Everyone present agreed that the SWAT cost distribution needs to be reviewed county-
wide. It was group consensus that a letter be sent to YVCOG requesting that a SWAT
discussion occur at an upcoming meeting.
ITEM BUDGETED:
STRATEGIC PRIORITY:
APPROVED FOR SUBMITTAL BY THE CITY MANAGER
RECOMMENDATION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Upload Date Type
0 9/16/2021 Corer Memo
2
MEMORANDUM
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the Yakima City Council
From: Bob Harrison, City Manager
Date: September
RE: SWAT Costs
City representatives (Police Chief and staff; Finance Director; City Manager) met with Sheriff
Udell and staff along with Commissioner Anderson to discuss the cost distribution of SWAT and
the three tenths public safety levy the Commissioners have indicated they plan to place on the
ballot in November 2021. While the City of Yakima picks up the majority of the costs, the
Sheriff's office and select other departments also pick up costs as they contribute personnel to
the SWAT team. The current system however has many free riders who aren't contributing to
the costs and are receiving the benefit of the SWAT team existence/readiness for a call. The
City of Yakima is bearing a disproportional burden of the cost based on usage.
There are a variety of ways to devise a formula for the distribution of costs. That would be
decided down the road by the policy makers of the various entities. The County did not display
a willingness to bear the costs of the other municipalities directly, however would be willing to
entertain an ILA that would capture a portion of the three tenths sales tax before distribution to
the various cities and apply the SWAT allocation formula that would be agreed upon within the
ILA. The appropriate location for that conversation is the Yakima Valley Conference of
Governments. We could send a letter from the City of Yakima to the YVCOG, or a joint letter
from the City and County, or we could request the other entities currently contributing to SWAT
(e.g. Union Gap) to sign the letter as well. In whatever of the three options, the letter should
come from the City Council.
The County agreed that the current cost burden is inequitable and that it is time to work towards
a model to share costs in a fair manner.