The Lynnwood City Council at its Monday, Nov. 20 work session received updates on the Community Justice and Community Recovery Centers (CJC).

Lynnwood Deputy Police Chief Chuck Steichen told the council the CJC’s completion is going to be pushed back by roughly three months. This is normal for a project this size, he said, and a three-month delay is nothing to worry about. The first phase of the facility’s jail portion should be completed in January 2024, while the second phase is expected to be done in June.

“It’s an extremely complicated project for the general contractor,” Steichen said.

Despite the time delay, the deputy chief said the project is still currently on budget, which is good news for the city. Police staff plan to begin moving things into the new facility toward the end of January and into February.

Regarding the Community Recovery Center, construction is expected to be complete by mid-April 2024. Funding acquisition for this center is also going well, he said.

“Just to remind council, we have seen all funding acquired for this project between the county and the three (Washington State) Department of Commerce grants,” Steichen said.

Currently, police staff are working on a contract with the new health providers expected to lease out the building upon completion. A minimum lease of 10 years is required by law, Steichen said, and staff hopes to have the contract finished in a few weeks.

Lynnwood Chief of Police Cole Langdon said that previously, the Community Health Center of Snohomish County (CHC) was set to lease the building and provide medical services in the recovery center. However, the suicide that occurred in the jail in 2021, a subsequent lawsuit and the challenge of finding adequate insurance have produced setbacks for the health center. Because of these factors, the CHC decided not to continue its partnership with the Lynnwood Police Department in the new building.

Despite this, Langdon said police still maintain a good relationship with the health center and both parties are looking for ways they can collaborate in the future. The change has caused some setbacks, though.

“As your chief, I am not willing to open a facility without proper medical care,” Langdon said.

Staff immediately began looking for new health care providers willing to partner with them, which Langdon said proved somewhat difficult due to the nature of the recovery center. Many workers were hesitant about working in a jail, although Langdon said it is possibly the safest place they could work since all patients are searched for weapons prior to entering the facility.

Staff eventually began serious discussions with a company called Wellpath, which the police chief said provides almost everything the new center is looking to offer — 24-hour coverage, initial medical screenings and full health assessments.

The contract, Langdon said, should be complete in the next two weeks. While working with the CHC would have cost almost nothing, working with Wellpath is expected to cost the city roughly $1.7 million. Staff are evaluating the contract to see what can be cut to make it more affordable.

The police chief is also working to figure out how much staff the facility will actually need, which he said will be a learning process. However, he isn’t expecting to overwhelm the facility immediately and hopes numbers will gradually increase as they figure out how to best run the facilities simultaneously.

“We’re not turning the faucet on completely when we open this facility,” he said. “It’s going to start off slow.”

In addition, the council received a presentation about fee schedules and met the new arts commission applicant Kalen Knowles. Knowles said he’s excited to see what creativity he can bring to Lynnwood.

“I’m just looking to get more involved in the community, especially in any kind of arts scene, which I can’t find,” he said. “So, I’d like to help create it.”

Knowles said he hopes to create events for adults to meet other creatives and make art together.

— By Lauren Reichenbach