Welcome to CIVICS, where we break down the week’s municipal meetings throughout the Inland Northwest, so you can get involved and speak out about the issues you care about.
Everyone seemed to keep things light for the short Memorial Day week, but a few bodies are still meeting. Some things that stick out to us this week include:
- An opportunity to hang with RANGE at our newly-revived Office Hours this Wednesday!
- Asian American Heritage Month is ending but there are still a few events to check out.
- The Board of County Commissioners will vote on whether or not to accept more funds from the state Commerce department for homelessness services.
Important meetings this week:
- Board of County Commissioners - Legislative Session
- Spokane Valley City Council
- Central Valley School District
- Spokane City Council Study Session
- Spokane Regional Health District Board
Hang with RANGE – Office Hours
Office Hours are back, baby! We’re crawling out of our winter depression slump and are excited to restart RANGE Office Hours! For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure, Office Hours is an informal opportunity to come hang with the RANGE staff, pitch stories, ask questions about journalism, chat politics and government and overall just vibe in community. This Wednesday, we’ll be meeting at Lunarium — the very cool late night tea shop — to drink tea and talk shop. Don’t leave us hanging, come hang!
Wednesday, May 29 4 - 6 pm
Lunarium Tea Shop
1925 N Monroe St, Suite A
Documenters Dispatch
Have you checked our Documenters page lately? We’ve had Documenters regularly attending Spokane Valley City Council and Spokane Regional Health Board meetings (both of these bodies are meeting this week too!) so if you want to catch up on what’s been going on there, check out notes from local Documenters!
Asian American Heritage Month Reception
As their series of May events for Asian American Heritage month comes to an end, the organization Asians for Collective Liberation (ACL) Spokane is holding a free closing reception this Thursday. They’ll be screening award-winning films YAI NIN and LIQUOR STORE DREAMS at the Garland Theater, with a question and answer period with the filmmakers scheduled after the screenings. If you haven’t had a chance to check out any of ACL’s events yet this month, this is a great opportunity to be in community!
Reserve your free tickets here.
Thursday, May 30 from 5 - 7:30 pm
Garland Theater
924 W. Garland Ave
Board of Spokane County Commissioners Legislative Session
🌶️🫑/5 peppers
Insuring the dump insurance
Spokane County may retain the Portland law firm Paternoster Farnell & Grein, LLP, to represent it in making insurance claims against environmental problems in landfills that cost the county money, up to $10,000 in a year. According to the agreement, the BoCC will consider at its legislative meeting Tuesday, the county would owe the firm 25% of amounts collected before litigation, 33% in the first 60 days of litigation and 40% after 60 days of litigation. The agreement lists three companies that ensure county landfills: Pacific Indemnity Company, California Union Insurance Company, and United State Fire & Guaranty Company. Those insurers provide policies to the county for the Colbert, Mica and Greenacres landfills.
More Commerce money for homelessness solutions
The Washington Department of Commerce has increased a grant, originally accepted last August, to the Spokane County Housing and Community Development Department that provides funds for “homeless crisis response systems.” The original amount of nearly $8.7 million is being increased by almost $2.4 million to a total of about $11.1 million and is designed to make up for inflation. It is provided through Commerce’s Consolidated Homeless Grant program. The BoCC will vote whether to accept the new funds at its legislative session Tuesday.
Agenda here
Tuesday, May 28 at 2 pm
Public Works Building Lower Level, Commissioners’ Hearing Room
1026 W. Broadway Ave, Spokane, WA 99260
The meeting is also live streamed here.
Spokane Valley City Council
🌶️🌶️/5 peppers
School speed zone change
It’s a minor change, but the Spokane Valley City Council will be voting on whether or not to change the boundaries of the school zone by Opportunity Elementary School. Because the school wants to see the crosswalk moved from 11th to 12th Avenue, the school zone will have to shift a little bit. This change won’t cost taxpayers any additional money, as any costs to replace signage and move the crosswalk are being wrapped into the previously-approved Bowdish Sidewalk project. This isn’t necessarily the most controversial piece of government business we’ve ever written up but please consider it your reminder to drive the speed limit through school zones.
Agenda here
Tuesday, May 14 at 6 pm
City Hall
10210 E Sprague Ave
Spokane Valley, Washington 99206
Virtual attendance here.
Central Valley School District Board of Directors
🌶️🫑/5 peppers
Policy review
CVSD will review and discuss potential changes to a few policies during their meeting. Some of the policies up for review include the district’s policy on vaccinations, unexcused absences and medication at school. We didn’t notice any drastic changes in our quick skim of the proposed edits but some of these topics can be particularly controversial and with the current board make up and past policy decisions at CVSD, it could be worth paying attention to!
Agenda here
Tuesday, May 28 at 6 p.m.
Learning and Teaching Center (district office)
Board Room at 2218 N Molter Rd, Liberty Lake
Watch via Zoom here.
Spokane Regional Health District Board
🌶️/5 peppers
Agenda here
Thursday, November 30 at 12:30 p.m.
Auditorium, First Floor
Spokane Regional Health District
1101 West College Avenue
Spokane City Council Study Sessions
Agenda here when available.
Thursday, May 16 at 11 am
City Council Chambers – Lower Level of City Hall
808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.The meeting is also live streamed here.
