The Sammamish City Council unanimously approved a resolution April 15, authorizing the execution of an interlocal agreement with the city of Issaquah regarding the Klahanie potential annexation area.

City Manager Ben Yazici presented the agreement to the council and emphasized the progress both cities have made in working together, urging council members to approve the resolution.

“This is a good agreement,” Yazici said. “We completed this agreement in light speed.”

The agreement states that Sammamish and Issaquah will cooperate and not oppose efforts to transfer the Klahanie Potential Annexation Area from Issaquah to Sammamish. Sammamish will support Issaquah’s Urban Center and Regional Growth Center designation requests before all government entities as well as the Central Issaquah Plan. Sammamish will not impose or accept any retail sales tax from the Klahanie Annexation Area, Sammamish will promptly take steps to improve Issaquah-Fall City Road upon annexation, and Sammamish will pay Issaquah $30,000 for full use of its Klahanie annexation study.

Council member Ramiro Valderrama was displeased with parts of the agreement, referencing the annexation study.

“I wish this would have come to us sooner so we could have fixed the language,” Valderrama said. “Nonetheless, because it’s allowing us to have new levels of cooperation, I will be supportive. I just wish we would have had the chance to look at the language of this.”

Mayor Tom Vance said he wanted to acknowledge all of the hard work put into the agreement, specifically by Issaquah Mayor Fred Butler.

“This was all about changing our relationship with Issaquah and making it a better one for the region,” he said. “I’m very happy to support this. It was a long process, a lot of things came in, a lot of things went out…it was a two-way street.”

Kelly Montgomery: 425-391-0363; kmontgomery@issaquahreporter.com