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.
Some things that stick out to us include, well, what happened last week. The wildfires that devastated parts of Spokane and the coming recovery efforts certainly overshadow the government meetings this week. So before we bullet out our (short) list of CIVICS happenings, we wanted to point you to our resource guide and encourage you to read our coverage alongside the crucial reporting Alexandra Duggan and her colleagues at The Spokesman are doing. That said, here just a couple of meeting highlights:
- The Spokane County Commissioners will get an update on the broader impacts of the Spokane Complex wildfires, including how property taxes will be assessed, limiting demolition fees and possible grant funding for repairs of homes damaged (but not destroyed) by the fires.
- Spokane County will distribute nearly $30 million to a number of contractors to provide mental health and disability care.
- The FLUM — that is, the Future Land Use Map for the city of Spokane — is ready for the public’s input, so check out how your neighborhood might look in the coming years and share your thoughts.
- The Spokane City Council isn’t meeting this week.
Spokane Housing Authority Board special meeting
🌶️🌶️/5 peppers
New executive director presentation
The board will host a presentation forum and Q&A session for candidates for the board’s executive director position. Pamela Parr, the current executive director, is set to retire in April 2027 after 13 years in the role.
Agenda here
Monday, August 10 at 2:30 pm
Meeting Room at 25 W. Nora Ave, Spokane
The meeting is also live streamed here.
Spokane Plan Commission
🌶️/5 peppers
City building capital improvement plans
As part of the long-term plan the city of Spokane will submit to the state of Washington at the end of the year, it must map out how it will develop infrastructure and plan land use, like if an area is designated for residential or industrial use, in increments of six years. City planners are saying part of that plan, the Future Land Use Map, was complicated by “current circumstances,” presumably the wildfires that consumed much of the city last week. You can see that map and leave your comments here.
Agenda here
Wednesday, August 12 at 2 pm
Council Briefing Center
808 W Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane
The meeting is also live streamed here.
Board of Spokane County Commissioners Strategic Planning Meeting
🌶️🌶️/5 peppers
Wildfire updates
Officials from across the county will provide information on several areas of wildfire response. The presentations will include information on tax assessments for lost property, reducing fees for people who need to destroy their homes and rebuild them, and Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners funding for repairs that cost up to $25,000, among other programs.
Agenda here
Monday, August 10 at 9 am
Commissioners’ Conference Room
1116 W. Broadway Ave, Spokane
The meeting is also live streamed here.
Board of Spokane County Commissioners Briefing Session
🫑/5 peppers
Agenda here
Tuesday, August 11 at 9 am
Commissioners’ Hearing Room
1026 W. Broadway Ave, Spokane
The meeting is also live streamed here.
Board of Spokane County Commissioners Legislative Session
🌶️🌶️/5 peppers
Nearly $30M for disability and mental health contractors
The county will likely approve a slate of contracts to about three dozen companies to provide mental health and disability care to clients in Spokane County. The money will come from both state and county coffers. See details about the disability service here and the mental health services here.
Agenda here
Tuesday, August 11 at 2 pm
Commissioners’ Hearing Room
1026 W. Broadway Ave, Spokane
The meeting is also live streamed here.
Spokane Airport Board
🌶️/5 peppers
Building, building, building
The board’s engineering committee is looking to approve contracts for a number of construction projects, including repaving Flightline Boulevard and new heating, cooling and ventilation of the first station. The agenda does include applicants or dollar figures for these projects, but the money would come from airport revenue rather than taxes.
Agenda here
Wednesday, August 12 at 9 am
9211 W. McFarlane Road, Spokane
The meeting is also live streamed here.
Mead School District Board of Directors
🫑/5 peppers
Agenda here
Monday, August 10 at 6 pm
12509 N. Market St. Bldg. D, Mead
Watch via Zoom here.
Central Valley School District Board of Directors
🫑/5 peppers
Agenda here
Monday, August 10 at 6 pm
Board Room at 2218 N Molter Rd
Liberty Lake
Watch via Zoom here.
Spokane Valley City Council
🌶️🌶️/5 peppers
Talking Spokane fires
Spokane Valley Police Chief Dave Ellis will update the council on the status of the disaster response to the Spokane Complex fires.
Reduced speed limits?
The city is eyeing speed limit reductions from 35 to 30 miles per hour on portions of Broadway Avenue and Pines and Park road. You can see details about the proposal here.
Agenda here
Tuesday, August 11 at 6 pm
10210 E Sprague Ave, Spokane Valley
Virtual attendance here.
