HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-18-2026 Police Chief Services_ILA_City of WenatcheeDocusign Envelope ID: 194FOB90-1053-86B4-812A-5FC94E79FF53
INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT FOR POLICE CHIEF SERVICES
This Agreement is entered into between City of Wenatchee ("Wenatchee") and the City of East
Wenatchee ("East Wenatchee"). Wenatchee and East Wenatchee are at times referred to
individually as "Party" or collectively as "Parties."
RECITALS
1. Wenatchee is a municipal corporation organized and existing under the Washington State
Constitution and the laws of the State of Washington, and particularly those set forth at
RCW Title 35A;
2. East Wenatchee is a municipal corporation organized and existing under the Washington
State Constitution and the laws of the State of Washington, and particularly those set forth
at RCW Title 35A;
3. Wenatchee and East Wenatchee each maintain and operate their own police departments
to provide law enforcement services within their respective jurisdictions;
4. East Wenatchee currently employs Richard Johnson as Chief of Police. Chief Johnson
serves as the executive and chief administrator of the EastWenatchee Police Department;
5. Wenatchee is expecting that its chief executive and administrative position, designated as
the Police Chief, will soon be vacant;
6. Wenatchee has determined executive and administrative law enforcement services can
be more efficiently and effectively provided by contracting with East Wenatchee to have
Chief Johnson serve as its Police Chief;
7. The purpose of this Agreement is to allow Chief Johnson to provide the executive and
administrative law enforcement services to Wenatchee as its Police Chief; and
8. The Parties have authority to enter into this Agreement pursuant to RCW 10.93.130, and
RCW Chapter 39.34.
TERMS OF AGREEMENT
1. Purpose. East Wenatchee shall provide executive level law enforcement and administrative
services consistent with the scope of work attached hereto as Exhibit "A" ("Services").
Wenatchee shall designate East Wenatchee's Chief of Police, Richard Johnson, as acting
Chief of the Wenatchee Police Department. Chief Johnson shall perform all duties and
exercise all powers granted to the current Police Chief in Wenatchee's governing documents,
the Wenatchee City Code, and the Wenatchee Civil Service Rules and Regulations, except
as stated in this Agreement. Chief Johnson shall hire, discipline, discharge, and supervise all
employees of Wenatchee Police Department, including all employees (commissioned and
non-commissioned) and volunteers who provide service within Wenatchee's service area.
Chief Johnson shall have the authority to act on behalf of Wenatchee on any board or
commission where the Wenatchee Police Chief holds a position.
2. Reporting. Chief Johnson shall work under the direction of and report to the Wenatchee City
Mayor. Chief Johnson will be exempt from the requirement to work under the direction of the
City Administrator as stated in Wenatchee City Code sections 1.08.200 and 1.11.020(2)(d);
Page 11
Docusign Envelope ID: 194FOB90-1053-86B4-812A-5FC94E79FF53
provided that in the Mayor's absence, Chief Johnson shall report to the City Administrator.
Chief Johnson shall attend all Wenatchee City Council meetings unless excused from
attendance by Wenatchee City's Mayor, and in the Mayor's absence the City Administrator,
or in the event of exigent circumstances.
3. Compensation. Wenatchee will make a monthly payment of $17,180.00 to East Wenatchee
for the Services. Any partial months of Services shall be prorated. The monthly payment will
be subject to an annual escalator, effective January 1, equal to the U.S. Consumer Price Index
for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Worker (CPI-W) (July to July) for the Pacific Region
(Series ID #CWUR0490SAO), with a cap of 4.5%. East Wenatchee shall invoice Wenatchee
monthly, and Wenatchee shall pay all invoice amounts within 30 days of receipt of such
invoice.
4. Term. This Agreement shall take effect on September 1, 2026 ("Commencement Date")
unless the Parties mutually agree in writing to delay implementation to a later date. This
Agreement shall remain in effect until December 31, 2027, unless one or both of the Parties
terminates this Agreement pursuant to Section 5 below. If neither Party terminates this
Agreement by December 31, 2027, the Agreement shall renew automatically for successive
one-year terms, subject to termination pursuant to Section 5 below.
5. Termination.
a. Voluntary Termination. Either Party shall be entitled to unilaterally terminate this
Agreement for any reason or no reason at all. Termination may be accomplished by
the Party seeking to terminate providing not fewer than 120 days' notice prior to
termination.
b. Termination for Cause. Either Party shall be entitled to terminate this Agreement for
cause based on a material breach of this Agreement upon 90 days' notice to the
breaching Party and opportunity to cure within 60 days' notice.
c. Automatic Termination. This Agreement shall automatically terminate, without any
required prior notice, in the event Chief Johnson dies, separates from employment as
the Police Chief for East Wenatchee, or is no longer in good standing with the
Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission.
d. Effect of Termination. Upon termination, East Wenatchee shall be relieved of any
further obligation to provide services hereunder, and Wenatchee shall be liable only
for payment attributable to the services rendered prior to the effective date of
termination.
e. Authority to Terminate. During any term of the Agreement, the Mayor of either Party
has the authority to issue a termination notice to the other Party.
6. Level of Service.
a. East Wenatchee's provision of Services to Wenatchee shall maintain or improve
operational service levels enjoyed by Wenatchee prior to the effective date of this
Agreement.
b. Services provided under this Agreement shall be administered in the interest of
Wenatchee and performed in a professional and competent manner pursuant to and
within the relevant timelines, applicable law enforcement service standards, and any
local, state, and federal laws applicable to the performance of the Services.
Page | 2
Docusign Envelope ID: 194FOB90-1053-86B4-812A-5FC94E79FF53
7. No Separate Entity Created. This Agreement does not establish a separate legal or
administrative entity; nor does this Agreement create any separate budget or financing
method.
8. Personnel, Equipment, and Office Space.
a. East Wenatchee shall be solely responsible for supplying all staffing and all equipment
necessary to provide the services needed to support Chief Johnson as Chief of the
East Wenatchee Police Department. East Wenatchee shall provide a vehicle for Chief
Johnson to use while performing duties and Services under this Agreement
b. Wenatchee shall be solely responsible for establishing and supplying all staffing and
all equipment necessary to provide the services needed to support Chief Johnson as
Chief of the Wenatchee Police Department.
c. Wenatchee shall provide Chief Johnson with access to files and other records
reasonably necessary for Chief Johnson to provide the Services. In compliance with
RCW 39.34.240, the Parties intend to enter into a separate agreement related to Chief
Johnson's access of category 3 or higher data, as defined by the Washington State
Office of Privacy and Data Protection.
d. The Parties do not anticipate acquiring jointly owned personal or real property under
this Agreement. Upon termination of this Agreement, any property used in conjunction
with this Agreement shall remain the property of the Party in whose name it was
acquired.
9. Bond. If a bond is required by RCW 35A. 12.080 or Wenatchee City Code section 1.08.230
for Chief Johnson to perform services as the acting Police Chief for the Wenatchee Police
Department, then Wenatchee shall be responsible for the payment of such bond.
10. Administration of Agreement. This Agreement shall be jointly administered by the following
persons:
For Wenatchee: Mayor Mike Poirier
For East Wenatchee: Mayor Crawford.
11. Records. All records received, used, or prepared in connection with the Services shall remain
in the custody of Wenatchee and shall be maintained in such manner as may be prescribed
by Wenatchee.
12. Indemnification.
a.
Page | 3
Each Party shall defend, indemnify, and hold the other Party, its officers, officials,
employees, and volunteers harmless from any and all claims, injuries, damages,
losses or suits including attorney fees, arising out of or resulting from the acts, errors
or omissions of the indemnifying Party in performance of this Agreement, except for
injuries and damages caused by the sole negligence of the indemnified Party. East
Wenatchee shall be responsible for the actions and conduct of Chief Johnson while
he is serving in his capacity of East Wenatchee Chief of Police. Wenatchee shall be
responsible for the actions and conduct of Chief Johnson while he is serving in his
capacity of Wenatchee Chief of Police.
Docusign Envelope ID: 194FOB90-1053-86B4-812A-5FC94E79FF53
b. For purposes of Wenatchee City Code chapter 1.64, Chief Johnson will not be
considered an "employee," "official," or "volunteer."
13. Insurance. The Parties shall procure and maintain without interruption during the term of this
Agreement, the insurance of the types and in the amounts specified below. Insurance may be
maintained through membership in a risk pool.
a. Minimum Scope of Insurance
i. Automobile Liability insurance covering all vehicles operated by Chief Johnson
in the performance of his duties. The amount of insurance shall be consistent
with the insurance coverage provided to other members of the respective
police departments. It is expected that Chief Johnson will continue to use an
East Wenatchee Police Department vehicle while performing services under
this Agreement, but in the event Chief Johnson is using a Wenatchee Police
Department vehicle, insurance coverage shall be through the Wenatchee
Police Department.
ii. Commercial General Liability insurance shall be at least as broad as ISO
occurrence form CG 00 01 and shall cover liability arising from premises,
operations, stop-gap independent contractors and personal injury and
advertising injury. East Wenatchee shall be named as an additional insured
under the Wenatchee Commercial General Liability insurance policy with
respect to the work performed for Wenatchee using an additional insured
endorsement.
iii. Workers' Compensation coverage as required by the Industrial Insurance laws
of the State of Washington.
iv. Professional Liability insurance appropriate to the position of Chief of Police.
b. Minimum Amounts of Insurance
i. Automobile Liability insurance with a minimum combined single limit for bodily
injury and property damage of $2,000,000 per accident.
ii. Commercial General Liability insurance shall be written with limits of no less
than $2,000,000 each occurrence, $2,000,000 general aggregate.
c. Failure on the part of either Party to maintain the insurance as required shall constitute
a material breach of this Agreement, upon which the non-breaching Party may, after
giving five business days' notice to the breaching Party to correct the breach,
immediately terminate the Agreement if the breach remains uncorrected or, at its
discretion, procure or renew such insurance and pay any and all premiums in
connection therewith, with any sums so expended to be repaid to the non-breaching
Party on demand.
14. Independent Contractors. Wenatchee and East Wenatchee are separate and independent
governmental entities in all respects. The Parties intend that an independent contractor-
client relationship will be created by this Agreement. Nothing in this Agreement shall be
interpreted as Wenatchee becoming the employer of Chief Johnson. None of the benefits
provided by Wenatchee to its employees, including, but not limited to, compensation,
insurance, and unemployment insurance are available from Wenatohee to Chief Johnson.
Except as expressly provided herein, no agent, employee, or other representative of the
Parties shall be deemed to be an employee of the other Party for any reason.
Page | 4
Docusign Envelope ID: 194FOB90-1053-86B4-812A-5FC94E79FF53
15. Compliance with Laws. The Parties, in performance of this Agreement, shall comply with
all applicable state, local, and federal laws, including standards for licensing, certification
and operation of facilities, programs, and accreditation, and licensing of individuals and
other standards or criteria.
16. Nondiscrimination. The Parties are equal opportunity employers, and shall not discriminate
against any employee or applicant on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, sexual
orientation, national origin, creed, marital status, age, veteran status, or the presence of any
disability; provided that the prohibition against discrimination in employment because of
disability shall not apply if the particular disability prevents the particular worker involved from
performing the occupational requirements of the job. The Parties shall not, on the grounds of
race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, creed, marital status, age, veteran
status or the presence of any disability deny any individual any services or other benefits
provided under this Agreement. Furthermore, during the term of this Agreement, a Party,
including any assignee, shall not discriminate on the bases enumerated at RCW 49.60.530(3).
Failure on the part of either Party to comply with this Section 16 shall constitute a material
breach of this Agreement, upon which the non-breaching Party may, after giving five business
days' notice to the breaching Party to correct the breach, immediately terminate the
Agreement if the breach remains uncorrected.
17. Assignment. Neither Party may assign this Agreement or any part thereof without the express
written consent of the other Party. Chief Johnson may not assign or delegate any of his duties
or Services under this Agreement to any other employee of East Wenatchee, or to any third-
party; provided that Chief Johnson may utilize employees of the Wenatchee Police
Department to assist him in carrying out the duties and Services herein.
18. No Benefit to Third Parties. This Agreement is entered into for the benefit of the Parties
hereto and shall confer no benefits, direct or implied, on any third persons. This Agreement
does not create any exception to the Public Duty Doctrine.
19. Entire Agreement. The recitals to this Agreement are incorporated by this reference and are
part of this Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire Agreement between the Parties
hereto and supersedes all previous understandings and agreements, written and/or oral, with
respect to the subject matter of this Agreement. This Agreement may be amended only by
written instrument executed by the Parties.
20. Dispute Resolution, Jurisdiction, and Venue. Prior to either Party filing suit as a result of
any disagreement arising out of this Agreement, the Parties shall first meet informally in an
attempt to resolve the disagreement. Venue for any action arising out of this Agreement shall
be Chelan County, Washington.
21. Neutral Authorship. Each of the provisions of this Agreement has been reviewed and
negotiated directly between the Parties and represents the combined work product of all
Parties hereto. No presumption or other rules of construction which would interpret the
provisions of this Agreement in favor of or against the Party preparing the same shall be
applicable in connection with the construction or interpretation of any of the provisions of this
Agreement.
Page | 5
Docusign Envelope ID: 194FOB90-1053-86B4-812A-5FC94E79FF53
22. Severability. If any section, subsection, clause, or phrase of this agreement is for any reason
found unconstitutional or otherwise invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, such decision
will not affect the validity of the remaining portions of the Agreement.
23. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, and each
such counterpart shall be deemed to be an original instrument, but all counterparts together
shall constitute one Agreement.
24. Written Notice. All notices required to be given by either Party to the other under this
Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given in person or by mail to the addresses set
forth below. Notice by mail shall be deemed given three (3) business days after the same is
deposited in the United States mail, postage prepaid, addressed as provided in this
paragraph.
To Wenatchee:
City of Wenatchee
Attn: Mayor
301 Yakima St.
P.O. Box 519
Wenatchee,WA 98807
With a copy to:
City ofWenatchee
Attn: City Administrator
301 Yakima St.
P.O. Box 519
Wenatchee,WA 98807
To East Wenatchee:
City of East Wenatchee
Attn: Mayor
271 9th Street NE
East Wenatchee, WA
98802
With a copy to:
City of East Wenatchee
City Clerk
271 9th Street NE
East Wenatchee, WA
98802
25. Effective Date and Filing of Agreement. The date upon which the last of both of the Parties
have executed a counterpart of this Agreement shall be the "date of mutual execution" hereof,
and shall be construed as the "effective date" of the Agreement; provided that in compliance
with RCW 39.34.040, prior to its entry into force, this Agreement shall be filed with the
respective county auditor of the Parties or, alternatively, listed by subject on the Party's
website.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been executed by each Party on the date set
forth below:
CITY OF EAST WENATCHEE:
By:iU
'Jerrilea Crawford, Mayo^/
Date: P'l^-207-^
CITY OF WENATCHEE:
Au'lit ^^"irBy:
Mike Poirier, Mayor
Date: 8/13/2026
Page | 6
Docusign Envelope ID: 194FOB90-1053-86B4-812A-5FC94E79FF53
EST/AUTHEJ^ICATED:
JL^U U^?/^<H^A^
aura Leon, City Glerk
ATTEST/AUTHENTICATED:
t(W^t( f^jbV^
Tammy McCord, City Clerk
AGREED TO:
By:-^€-7^
Richar^ohnson, Chief of Police
Page | 7
Docusign Envelope ID: 194FOB90-1053-86B4-812A-5FC94E79FF53
EXHIBIT A
Scope of Work
A. General Executive Management and Administration Requirements
1. Chief of Police. East Wenatchee will make Chief Johnson available as needed to
perform the duties as Wenatchee Chief of Police as described in this Scope of Work,
including attendance at Wenatchee City Council meeting, Wenatchee Director
meeting, and other meetings as requested by the Wenatchee City Administrator or the
Mayor.
2. Wenatchee Captains. Wenatchee has two Captain positions within its Police
Department: an Operations Captain and an Administrative Captain. The Captains shall
carry out the duties and responsibilities as assigned by Chief Johnson. The Captains
shall be substantially dedicated to Department operations and management of the
Department. Chief Johnson shall serve as the immediate supervisor of the Captains.
3. East Wenatchee Captain: East Wenatchee shall assign qualified leadership personnel
to serve as the on-site Captain for its police department. The Captain shall be
substantially dedicated to the East Wenatchee police department operations and
management, which allows Chief Johnson sufficient availability to dedicate time to
serve as the Chief of Police for Wenatchee.
4. Monthly Meetings. The Wenatchee Mayor and Chief Johnson shall meet at least
monthly to review performance of the Agreement and, as needed, to re-evaluate the
fee structure and hours of work.
4. LOS Standards. East Wenatchee and Wenatchee will continue to adhere to their own
adopted level-of service (LOS) standards.
5. Policies and Procedures. The Wenatchee policies and procedures will govern Chief
Johnson's conduct when Chief Johnson is performing duties for Wenatchee.
6. Expectations. Chief Johnson is expected to be proficient in and knowledgeable about
the following:
a. Organizational management of the Police Department
b. Delegation
c. Basic budgeting
d. Risk assessment/risk analysis
e. Each technological tool used to accomplish the Department's mission
f. Department response plans
g. Incident Command at all levels
h. Emergency Operation Center
i. RiverCom/Department Interface
j. Using appropriate resources to develop effective programs
k. Building effective and positive relationships
I. Resolving conflict
m. Preparing and delivering performance evaluations
n. Developing performance metrics
o. Personnel supervision
p. Applicable civil services rules and regulations
q. Collective bargaining agreements involving the Department personnel.
Page | 8
Docusign Envelope ID: 194FOB90-1053-86B4-812A-5FC94E79FF53
B. Chief Johnson Specific Duties and Responsibilities: Chief Johnson shall administer the
requirements of the Scope of Work and Agreement separately as between Wenatchee and
East Wenatchee, and consistent with the following understandings:
1. Chief Johnson will oversee and manage the administration and response operations of
the Wenatchee Police Department with the support of existing Wenatchee
administration and Police Department personnel to include the existing administrative
officers.
2. Wenatchee will continue to provide administrative support resources to conduct
Wenatchee Police Department business, including, but not limited to: finance, human
resources, fleet and facilities support, and legal services. Wenatchee and East
Wenatchee may choose to expand this Scope of Work to include additional
administrative support services.
3. Chief Johnson shall provide executive leadership and operational oversight services to
Wenatchee in the following areas:
a. Planning, organizing, and directing the operations of the Police Department.
b. Serving as the liaison between the Wenatchee Mayor or City Administrator, and
Police Department employees.
c. Working collaboratively with labor groups (Wenatchee Police Guild, AFSCME
and/or any others that may represent Police Department employees), including
with respect to the terms of collective bargaining agreements, and guiding and
directing a staff of professional, technical, and administrative support to the
Wenatchee community.
d. Working collaboratively with other Wenatchee department directors, and
maintaining positive and mutually supportive relationships.
e. Maintaining a working environment conducive to positive morale, appropriate
discipline, productivity, quality, initiative, and teamwork.
f. Meeting with Wenatchee City Council members as directed by Wenatchee
Mayor, attending public meetings, and preparing presentations to Wenatchee
City Council. When Chief Johnson is unavailable, a designee from the
Wenatchee Police Department may be assigned.
g. Working on special projects as directed by the Wenatchee Mayor, which may
include but are not limited to the following:
Assisting with the assessment of the Wenatchee Police Department's
LOS.
Assisting the Wenatchee City Administrator and Wenatchee's Director of
Human Resources with the collective bargaining process.
Page | 9
Docusign Envelope ID: 194FOB90-1053-86B4-812A-5FC94E79FF53
Providing recommendations to Wenatchee Mayor or City Administrator
on operational and/or service delivery efficiencies.
Representing Wenatchee (in addition to East Wenatchee) at regional
meetings.
Other duties that may be assigned by Wenatchee Mayor or City
Administrator and agreed to by East Wenatchee.
h. Recommend adoption of Policies and Procedures and best practices.
C. Standard of Care. Chief Johnson shall at all times comply with all federal, state and local
statutes, ordinances and rules applicable to a Chief of Police, and shall also employ such
methods, techniques standards and practices, which at the time they are employed, in light
of the circumstances known or reasonably believed to exist at such time, are generally
accepted as good and prudent practices for the management and operation of the
Wenatchee Police Department, including, but not limited to, maintaining efforts to reaccredit
the Wenatchee Police Department in 2027 at the Spring or Fall conference as determined to
be the soonest practicable timeframe; and to leverage Nancy Syria as the Wenatchee Police
Department's Accreditation and Administration Coordinator to timely accomplish
reaccreditation.
D. Department Culture. Chief Johnson shall establish and maintain within the Wenatchee
Police Department a culture that employees of the Department are expected to adhere to
including, but not limited to, sustaining a culture of availability of the Chief of Police to all
staff of the Department; being available via phone and by maintaining a presence in the
Department in accordance with the contractual split (68%) for the Wenatchee Police
Department Chief of Police position; having routine appearances at the 0700 shift change;
and having direct communication between Department staff at all levels; and being
reasonably available to Wenatchee Councilmembers and Wenatchee department heads.
E. Professionalism. Chief Johnson shall be highly visible to employees of Wenatchee and to
the citizens of Wenatchee. Chief Johnson shall set the example for the highest professional
standards by his actions and shall perform to the highest professional standards.
F. Conflict of Interest. Chief Johnson shall not engage in any activity that is, or may become
a conflict of interest, as defined by Washington law or Wenatchee's Personnel Policies, or
would otherwise be incompatible with the position of Chief of Police. Furthermore, Chief
Johnson shall not enter into a contract that is prohibited by federal or state law.
Page | 10