Lacey signs new jail agreement with Nisqually tribe

Lacey City Manager Scott Spence announced Thursday evening that the city has signed a new contract with the Nisqually Indian Tribe to provide jail services for the next three years.  The contract takes effect the beginning of next year.

The Tribe hopes to have its new jail facility operating by then.   The new jail will have 200 to 300 beds with the option of expanding to 600 beds.   The jail currently operates out of a smaller facility.

Lacey has contracted with the Nisqually Tribe for jail services for several years.   Only misdemeanor offenders are held by the city.  All felons  are still incarcerated at the Thurston County jail.

Under terms of the new contract, the city will pay $55 a bed per day which will rise gradually until 2016 when it will reach $65.   The present rate is $50.   The contract calls for the city to have 21 beds available daily.   The current usage is about 30 beds per day.

Of that total, about 30-40 percent are DUI offender and about 40 percent are domestic violence cases.

In other Lacey City Council action, Public Affairs Director Liz Gotelli reported that the city sent out 15,500 comment cards in the city’s water billing notices regarding the banning of plastic bags.  Some 891 cards were returned.

Of those, 53 percent favored a bag ban while 43 percent said no.  Another 4 percent were still undecided.   Those results echo a Thurston County survey taken a year ago.

A public gathering to thank outgoing council member Ron Lawson will be held prior to the December 26 council meeting.  Lawson was defeated for re-election.   His replacement Mike Steadman will be sworn into office at the first regular meeting in January.

And, Lacey City Attorney Ken Ahlf will retire at the end of the year.   Ahlf has been the city attorney since 1969.  A ceremony honoring him for his 44 years of service is set for January.