Wenatchee Close to Finalizing 2020 Jail Interlocal Agreement with Chelan County

The City of Wenatchee has updated their yearly interlocal agreement with Chelan County for the use of the Chelan County Regional Jail.

Mayor Frank Kuntz says the city will go from paying $96 per inmate to $120.50, an increase of 25%, or $350,000.

"Obviously (Chelan County is) having struggles there with getting enough revenue to cover the cost of the jail." Kuntz explained, "The council tonight gave me the authority to sign the contract. There may be a tweak or two at the end because we're still getting to the bottom of the some of the language issues but the price isn't really going to change."

To assist the county's cash-flow needs, Wenatchee has agreed to pay a flat monthly fee based on an average daily population of 39 inmates. At the end of the year, an adjustment will be made to reflect the actual number of inmates.