Leaders approve revised CD police agreement

Leaders in Electric City Tuesday night approved a slightly revised contract for police services with Coulee Dam after clarifying some language in it.

The Electric City Council voted unanimously to approve the contract that will put the city’s law enforcement in the hands of Coulee Dam instead of Grand Coulee for the first time in many decades.

Coulee Dam’s council voted last Wednesday to approve the contract with clarifications that had been worked out the prior two days after its last special meeting to consider the contract.

Those included making future opt-out options clearer and adding language to allow the Coulee Dam Police chief some needed scheduling flexibility regarding a “mutually agreed upon replacement” for a “dedicated officer” normally assigned to Electric City.

Electric City will pay $275,000 a year for the service, with a discount of $25,000 for the first three months of 2023 as Coulee Dam works at doubling its police force, currently at two officers, including Chief Paul Bowden.

Coulee Dam currently has one applicant for its already open patrol officer position and will need another one to meet Electric City’s needs beginning Jan. 1, 2023.

Discussing the contract and changes in Coulee Dam’s council meeting Nov. 16, Chief Bowden said Electric City estimates they’ll be called out 240 times in a year. He said Coulee Dam has already had 420 calls in 2022.

The Coulee Dam council was discussing the possibility of buying another police car last week, which has been a challenge recently as supply chain issues stemming from pandemic disruptions have made vehicles and parts hard to find.