CIVICS | Latah Valley development fees headline another slow week in local policy making.
Spokane City Plan Commission
New fees for 195 development: The main agenda item for the plan commission is developing a new fee structure for developers in the Latah Valley. Development in the 195 corridor has been a point of contention between neighborhoods, the city and state transportation planners for years as engineers and residents complain of unsafe and overcrowded roads. Last September, the city council imposed a moratorium on new development in the area for that very reason.
Meeting documents show the commission members have different visions on how to balance the need to invest in transportation improvements in the area with fair fee structures.
The rest of the meeting is a staff update on changes to the six year Comprehensive Street Program. In that plan, the city includes funding for some bridge updates and additional investments in biking infrastructure among other projects.
Agenda here
Wednesday, Feb. 8 at 2 p.m.
The meeting is hybrid with access link in the agenda
Council Chambers in the Lower Level of City Hall
808 W Spokane Falls Blvd.
Spokane Human Rights Commission
Community Forum: The Spokane Human Rights Commission will be holding a community forum and asking for people to share their thoughts on how the commission can make Spokane more equitable and inclusive. The chair of the group, police accountability activist Anwar Peace, said that this group hopes to play an active role in driving community conversations about policing. At a rally for Camp Hope earlier this winter, Peace also spoke about the commission’s interest in adopting a bill of rights for unhoused community members.
Link to event info here
Thursday, Feb. 9 at 5:30
Council Chambers in the Lower Level of City Hall
808 W Spokane Falls Blvd
Spokane City Council
A whole lot of no: There’s a continued lull in city council business this week with no emergency ordinances, no resolutions, no final reading ordinances, no first reading ordinances, no special considerations and no hearings on the agenda.
So, that leaves the city with some check signing to do. In the agenda packet, the council has some contracts to sign for IT services, insurance, a federal lobbying firm and abandoned RV removal.
The city is also awarding an American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Grant to Numerica Credit Union to administer a $1.5 million down payment assistance program. The city is also sending $2.3 million in ARPA funds to community nonprofits ranging from homeless and addiction service providers to churches and arts organizations.
Also on the docket is a plan to remove a potential barrier to employment for entry-level Firefighter/EMT classification. For a trial period, there will no longer be a prerequisite EMT certification before application. Instead, SFD intends to provide EMT certification training during the entry-level firefighter recruit school.
Agenda here
Monday, Feb. 6 at 6 p.m.
Council Chambers in the Lower Level of City Hall.
808 W Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201
The meeting is also live streamed here.
Board of County Commissioners
More business: Like the city council, the board of commissioners are all business this week. Among the contracts and awards up for consideration, here’s a few that stuck out:
- A $300,000 contract for mental health and substance abuse services for Riverside and Freeman school districts.
- A $44,000 agreement between the Spokane County Sheriff and East Valley School District No. 361 for school resource deputies.
- A $4.3 million contract for roof and HVAC repairs at the Fair and Expo Center.
Agenda here
Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 2 p.m.
Public Works Building
1026 W Broadway, Spokane, WA
Commissioner’s Hearing Room, Lower Level
Spokane Regional Transportation Council:
Board Operations Committee Meeting: This is a public meeting, but we’re not sure there’s much for people to engage with. Other than approving old minutes and the next agenda, there’s a vague agenda item titled “new business,” a CEO’s report and a report from planning and development committee chair and county commissioner Al French.
Past meeting notes show that these reports could be of public interest: at the last meeting French discussed zoning changes related to STA’s city line bus route, but the agenda packet is scant on details.
Agenda here
Thursday, Feb. 9 at 1:30 p.m.
This meeting is virtual. Link here
Spokane Park Board
Agenda here (once posted).
Thursday, Feb. 9 at 3:30 p.m.
Council Chambers in the Lower Level of City Hall.
808 W Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201
The meeting is also available virtually by calling in on the number provided in the agenda.
