Sumner city officials sent a letter to Bonney Lake officials today to inform them that after approximately 30 days, Sumner will no longer provide Bonney Lake’s police communication services, said Sumner Communications Director Carmen Palmer.

Sumner officials reached the decision after determining staff levels in the communications center are practical for one city, Palmer said. There are six full-time communications officers hired at the Sumner Communications Center. No layoffs are predicted, but shift configurations may be altered.
It also appeared that Bonney Lake was leaning toward a partnership with Puyallup, she said.

The formal contract that Bonney Lake had with Sumner for dispatching service expired last fall, but it was renewed on an informal basis until this July, Palmer said.

The total cost of the communications center is approximately $900,000 per year. With the contract, signed in 2003, Bonney Lake pays an estimated $304,000 and Sumner pays roughly $600,000. Before 2003, each city had its own dispatch center.