PORT TOWNSEND — Clallam County, in an effort to save taxpayers money, has proposed a new contract that would allow Jefferson County to use Clallam’s juvenile-holding-cell beds.
Jefferson County has not contracted with Clallam County for such services since the early 2000s, when Kitsap County underbid Clallam, said Clallam County Commissioner Mike Chapman, independent from Port Angeles.
“Counties are all running around saying, ‘We’re running out of money,’ and we thought this would be a way to save money and work together,” Chapman said.
“Plus, it’s a lot easier to drive from Port Townsend to Port Angeles rather than Port Townsend to Port Orchard.”
Pete Peterson, Clallam County director of juvenile services, said he figures such an agreement would save Jefferson County about $39,500.
Awaiting word
He said he is waiting to hear from Jefferson County in time for contract agreement before the Hood Canal Bridge closes May 1 for up to six weeks while the state Department of Transportation replaces the floating structure’s east half, which connects Jefferson County with Kitsap County.
Chapman said a Jefferson-Clallam contract before the bridge closure would save Jefferson County the cost of transporting juveniles around the Hood Canal to Port Orchard, a nearly 100-mile trip each way, compared with about 50 miles between Port Townsend and Port Angeles.
The Port Angeles juvenile detention facility has 32 beds, including one unit with six beds for segregated non-offenders such as runaway youths.
Non-offender unit
Jefferson County already contracts with Clallam’s non-offender unit, Peterson said.
County Commissioner David Sullivan, D-Cape George, said he is aware of the difficulty of moving juveniles in custody around the bridge project and found Clallam County’s proposal worth examination.
Year left on contract
Barbara Carr, Jefferson County director of juvenile services, said there is still more than a year on the Kitsap County contract.
“I have no reason to change it.”
Peterson said he confirmed that Jefferson County is contracting with Kitsap County for three guaranteed beds at $100 per day.
The base contract is $109,500, and if Jefferson County uses more than three Kitsap juvenile detention beds, it is $100 per bed per day.
Kitsap guarantees up to five open beds to be available.
Peterson said if Clallam proposes a contract base rate of $70,000 for one to five beds at $80 per day, Jefferson would be purchasing 875 bed days, or about 2.4 beds.
No additional charge
He proposes that if Jefferson County goes over the 875 bed days, there would be no additional charge.
In essence, he said, Jefferson County would begin a year with 875 bed days, and staff would track the use.
The initial savings to Jefferson would be $80 per day instead of $100, another 20 percent savings, according to Peterson.
Chapman said Clallam County Administrator Jim Jones is trying to contact Jefferson County Administrator Philip Morley to discuss the matter.
“If we can keep the money on the Peninsula, we can save both counties money,” Chapman said.
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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
