Kenmore City Council to weigh Lynnwood jail services agreement

What the records say

At its October 26 meeting, the Kenmore City Council is scheduled to consider approving an interlocal agreement between the City of Kenmore and the City of Lynnwood for jail services, and to authorize the City Manager to execute the agreement ¹. The item appears on the meeting's consent agenda ¹.

Under the proposed agreement, Kenmore could use the Lynnwood Municipal Jail for misdemeanor bookings in addition to its existing contract with the SCORE Jail ¹. The Lynnwood Jail is about six miles from Kenmore, while SCORE is 29 miles away; the city says a trip to SCORE can take over two hours during peak travel times, time that could instead be spent on patrol in Kenmore ¹. The SCORE contract would remain in place for arrestees with more complex medical or mental health needs ¹.

The agreement sets a daily housing rate of $203.94 per inmate per day, a one-time booking fee of $103, and a $100 fee per video court appearance, with a term running from October 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027 ¹. The city's fiscal analysis says the Lynnwood nightly housing fee is slightly lower than SCORE's non-guaranteed rate but higher than SCORE's guaranteed bed rate, and that the main benefit is officer time savings ¹.

• The Kenmore City Council is scheduled to consider approving an interlocal agreement with the City of Lynnwood for jail services and authorizing the City Manager to execute it; the item is on the October 26 consent agenda ¹.
• The agreement would add the Lynnwood Municipal Jail for misdemeanor bookings alongside Kenmore's existing SCORE Jail contract, which would remain in place for medically fragile arrestees ¹.
• The city cites proximity as the main benefit: Lynnwood Jail is about six miles from Kenmore versus 29 miles to SCORE, and a SCORE transport can take over two hours during peak travel times ¹.
• The agreement lists a $203.94 daily housing rate, a $103 booking fee, and a $100 video court fee, with a term from October 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027 ¹.

Why it matters

Kenmore police transport people arrested in the city to jail, and the city pays for that housing. The city's analysis says using a jail six miles away instead of 29 miles away would cut officer travel time, letting patrol officers spend more time on Kenmore calls, and would ease the return-home logistics for people released from custody, most of whom the city says are Kenmore residents or live in the north Puget Sound area ¹. The agreement also carries direct costs — $203.94 per inmate per day, a $103 booking fee, and $100 per video court appearance — that would be paid from the city budget ¹.

What changed / what's next

• The council is scheduled to act at the October 26 meeting; the packet does not record a vote or an executed agreement. Watch for the outcome and any signed agreement ¹.