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.
Most public meetings we normally cover are cancelled for the Easter holiday, so CIVICS is SHORT this week. Some things that stick out to us include:
- The Spokane Valley City Council is considering a prohibition on ATMs that allow users to move digital currency.
- The Spokane County Planning Commission is weighing an unspecified amendment to the county’s policy that manages critical natural areas.
Important meetings this week:
Spokane City Council Study Sessions
Agenda here when available.
Thursday, April 9 at 11 am
Council Chambers
808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane
The meeting is also live streamed here.
Spokane County Planning Commission
🌶️/5 peppers
Critical areas amendment
Spokane County is home to vast areas set aside for the protection of wildlife habitat, wetlands, aquifer recharge and an array of other environmental concerns, and it’s required by the state’s Growth Management Act to have a plan for maintaining them. The commission will workshop an unspecified amendment to the county’s policy that contains this plan, called the Critical Areas Ordinance, which you can read here.
Agenda here
Thursday, April 9 at 9 am
Commissioners’ Hearing Room
1026 W. Broadway Ave, Spokane
The meeting is also live streamed here.
Spokane Airport Board
🌶️/5 peppers
Committees to talk expansion contracts, purchases
The Airport Board’s engineering and finance committees will consider construction contracts for various projects and whether to purchase two snow removal tractors. One of the most important construction projects is the expansion of parking facilities, which was a top priority for former Spokane Airports CEO Larry Krauter.
Agenda here
Wednesday, April 8 at 9 am
9211 W. McFarlane Road, Spokane
The meeting is also live streamed here.
Spokane Valley City Council
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 peppers
Crypto kiosk ban?
Cryptocurrency is a relatively unregulated form of money that allows users to bypass the traditional hoops associated with bank accounts. One of the drawbacks is that it provides opportunities for scammers, and one of the most vulnerable choke points of this system is the “virtual currency kiosk,” essentially an ATM where users can add money to their digital wallets. Last year, the city of Spokane banned the kiosks from the city limits because scamming had become a real problem.
It has in Spokane Valley, too. “The Spokane Valley Police Department has been tracking and investigating crimes involving cryptocurrency ATMs, and Spokane Valley residents have fallen victim to fraudulent schemes involving virtual currency kiosks,” according to a city memo on the problem. “This creates a significant public safety and welfare issue that is affecting citizens.” So the city council there may follow Spokane’s suit and prohibit the kiosks there.
Agenda here
Tuesday, April 7 at 6 pm
10210 E Sprague Ave, Spokane Valley
Virtual attendance here.
