Sammamish City Council approves amendments to EF&R interlocal agreement

The Sammamish City Council unanimously approved several amendments to its interlocal agreement with Eastside Fire and Rescue on May 2.

The Eastside Fire and Rescue Board of Directors recommended these amendments “in order to create additional certainty for the agency and to better accommodate long-range planning horizons,” according to city documents.

The first of three amendments would extend the current contract term by five years or through 2026. The current expiration date is December 2021. It also extended the automatic renewal process to every 10 years verses seven years.

The second amendment changes the right to withdraw provision from one year prior to the end of the interlocal agreement to three years.

The final amendment would stipulate funding formula updates every two years beginning in 2022. The current model calls for a formula update every four years.

The amendments must also be approved by all parties of Eastside Fire and Rescue. Fire Districts 10 and 38 have already approved the amendments. The North Bend City Council also unanimously approved the amendments on May 2. The Issaquah City Council is scheduled to review the changes at its next regular meeting on May 15.