Ephrata city council plans special meeting for police chief discussion
Separation, consulting agreements listed on agenda for closed-door session.
Updated
EPHRATA — The Ephrata City Council has scheduled a special meeting this Friday, Oct. 23, to consider a separation agreement with police chief Erik Koch, appointment of an interim chief, and a consulting agreement with former police chief Kurt Adkinson.
The meeting is slated for 5 p.m. at city hall. Mayor Steve Oliver, council members, and selected staff are then expected to go into a closed-door executive session until 5:35 p.m. with possible extended private discussions if needed.
Friday’s meeting is separate from today's (Wednesday, Oct. 21) regular council meeting.
Oliver placed Koch on unpaid administrative leave on Sept. 16. The mayor, who took office in January, has not publicly disclosed reasons for doing so. Koch also declined to comment when contacted last month by GCJ.news.
Koch, 54, is a 22-year veteran of the local department. He was appointed interim police chief in early 2020 by then-Mayor Bruce Reim, succeeding Mike Warren, who moved into an interim role as city administrator before retiring. Warren currently serves on the city council.
Reim then appointed Adkinson, a retired Washington State Patrol lieutenant, as police chief later in 2020. Adkinson served in that capacity until he, too, moved into the role of interim city administrator and Koch took over as police chief in December 2022.
Adkinson, 58, departed city hall following the appointment of current city administrator Ray Towry in May 2023.
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Ephrata city council plans special meeting for police chief discussion
Separation, consulting agreements listed on agenda for closed-door session.
EPHRATA — The Ephrata City Council has scheduled a special meeting this Friday, Oct. 23, to consider a separation agreement with police chief Erik Koch, appointment of an interim chief, and a consulting agreement with former police chief Kurt Adkinson.
The meeting is slated for 5 p.m. at city hall. Mayor Steve Oliver, council members, and selected staff are then expected to go into a closed-door executive session until 5:35 p.m. with possible extended private discussions if needed.
Friday’s meeting is separate from today's (Wednesday, Oct. 21) regular council meeting.
Oliver placed Koch on unpaid administrative leave on Sept. 16. The mayor, who took office in January, has not publicly disclosed reasons for doing so. Koch also declined to comment when contacted last month by GCJ.news.
Koch, 54, is a 22-year veteran of the local department. He was appointed interim police chief in early 2020 by then-Mayor Bruce Reim, succeeding Mike Warren, who moved into an interim role as city administrator before retiring. Warren currently serves on the city council.
Reim then appointed Adkinson, a retired Washington State Patrol lieutenant, as police chief later in 2020. Adkinson served in that capacity until he, too, moved into the role of interim city administrator and Koch took over as police chief in December 2022.
Adkinson, 58, departed city hall following the appointment of current city administrator Ray Towry in May 2023.