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 this week include:
- At their last meeting before July 15, the Spokane City Council could pass an emergency one-year moratorium on data centers, approve additional body cameras for cops, add a new urban Native advisory committee and either hold a first reading or an emergency vote on an ordinance to guarantee renters’ right to cooling in their homes.
- During the Finance and Administration Committee meeting, the council will discuss a new proposed staffing plan that would remove three initiative manager positions, replacing them with two analysts and an executive assistant, and potentially force council members to share one legislative assistant per district — regardless of whether those district representatives share political beliefs or not.
- The Board of County Commissioners will discuss appointing members to a new committee that will likely review locations for a potential new jail.
- The Spokane Valley City Council could vote to spend about $250,000 on a new Public Safety Director position to oversee all things public safety.
- A new addition to CVSD’s staff expression policy could ban Pride flags and other classroom decor that isn’t considered “neutral.”
Spokane City Council
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🫑/5 peppers
New body cams
The council could approve an amendment to the city’s contract with Axon — the police technology company that provides the department with body cameras and other tech — that would increase the number of body cameras worn, provide Axon Records licenses to the City Prosecutor’s Office for free (no mention of the Public Defender’s office…) and buy more TASERs, among other things. This would cost the city about $250,000 this year, and about $500,000 per year in 2027, 2028 and 2029, which was previously budgeted for. Interesting note: Axon has made news for testing facial recognition technology on police body cameras in Canada late last year.
Emergency: data center moratorium
Last week, the council failed to muster the five votes necessary to add the emergency one-year data center moratorium to the agenda as Council President Betsy Wilkerson and council members Zack Zappone and Michael Cathcart voted against the addition. However, it was added to the agenda for tonight. The ordinance as originally penned would ban all new data centers within Spokane city limits for one year.
An amendment filed by Zappone is also up for consideration. The amendment would change the definition of data center and add workplan elements for the Plan Commission and the Climate Resilience and Sustainability Board to consider the long-term aspects of data center siting and regulating.
If adopted, the definition of data center would change from “facility used primarily for the housing, operation, or co-location of compute and networking equipment and the handling, storage, management, processing, and backing up of digital data” to “business or commercial activity devoted to the housing, operation, or co-location of computer and networking equipment and the handling, storage, management, processing, and backing up of digital data.” Currently, the moratorium would ban any data center that has capacity in excess of 25 Megavolt-Amperes (MVA), but the Zappone amendment would also change this, banning any data center that requires capacity in excess of 25 Megavolt-Amperes (MVA), not just has.
New Urban Native Advisory Council
The council will vote on an ordinance to formally establish the Spokane Urban Native Advisory Council (SUNAC), composed of up to 12 voting members. The new advisory council will advise the mayor, city council and city staff on “policies, programs, and initiatives affecting the urban Native population and grounding City decision-making in lived experience, cultural knowledge, and a commitment to equity and sovereignty-informed partnership,” according to the agenda.
First read: right to cooling
Renters in Spokane are already guaranteed the right to adequate heat in their homes; tonight, council will hold a first reading on an ordinance that could guarantee their right to adequate cooling too. The ordinance, sponsored by Council Members Paul Dillon, Kitty Klitzke and Sarah Dixit, points to the 2021 Northwest Heat Dome — which killed at least 19 people — and climate change as reasons making the legislation necessary. The ordinance as written would:
- Require landlords to provide adequate cooling in each bedroom “On any day during which the heat index is predicted by the National Weather Service to be 95 (ninety-five) degrees Fahrenheit or higher for two (2) consecutive days or more.”
- Give tenants the power to purchase and install their own cooling device and deduct up to $500 from their normal rent payment, if the landlord doesn’t remedy the issue within 72 hours of receiving written notice
- Go into effect July 15, 2026 (a change from the original date of 2031)
- Require landlords to give notice to tenants of their rights around cooling device installations for any leases signed or renewed after the effective date
There are two amendments to this ordinance on the table. The first, from Council Member Kate Telis, would convert the ordinance into an emergency ordinance, meaning it would go into effect immediately upon passage. However, the next scheduled council meeting is July 15, which means that unless the council elects to take this up tonight, even under an emergency, it wouldn’t go into effect until then.
The second amendment is from Zappone, and would change the ordinance from the right to cooling to “the Right to Request Cooling Devices.” Under the Zappone amendment, tenants would not be guaranteed the right to cooling unless they specifically request a cooling device. Also in the Zappone amendment:
- The definition of “adequate cooling,” is removed entirely
- Landlord would have a full 14 days from tenant request — rather than 72 hours — to provide cooling devices
- Sets the effective date of the ordinance as July 15, which means the earliest tenants could get cooling devices if they notified their landlords immediately upon passage would be July 29.
- Landlords would still be required to provide tenants notification of their rights regarding cooling devices for any leases signed or renewed after the effective date of the ordinance
The agenda review session at 3:30 will decide which, if any, amendments will be approved.
Agenda here
Monday, June 22 at 6 pm
Council Chambers
808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane
The meeting is also live streamed here.
Finance and Administration Committee
🌶️🌶️🌶️🫑/5 peppers
Yes for Buses
The council will discuss a resolution to formally declare their support for the Spokane Transit Authority sales tax renewal, which will appear before voters on the August primary ballot.
Council Operations
After a fight late last year about whether or not to cut city council staff positions, the council ended up hiring the Matrix Consulting Group for $64,500 to do an organizational analysis of the council staff to help the council decide which (if any) council staffers should have their positions cut and create an office handbook that formalizes roles, responsibilities and expectations. Today, the council will discuss an "operations guide" created by Matrix.
Interestingly, the guide also includes a proposed staffing plan that seems to cut the council’s initiative manager positions, replacing them with a “policy advisor,” “budget analyst,” and “senior executive assistant.” The staffing plan also lists legislative assistants as “3 to 7 positions,” stating that there could either be one legislative assistant per council member, or one per district — which means that council members who share a district but sit on different ideological poles, like District 1’s conservative Cathcart and progressive Dixit, could be forced to split one assistant. This is still up for discussion.
Agenda here
Monday, June 22 at 12 pm
Council Chambers
808 W Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane
The meeting is also live streamed here.
Spokane Housing Authority Board
🫑/5 peppers
Agenda here
Monday, June 22 at 3:30 pm
25 W. Nora Ave, Spokane
The meeting is also live streamed here.
Board of Spokane County Commissioners Briefing Session
🌶️🌶️🫑/5 peppers
Public facility committee
In a perfect example of important government business being buried beneath a layer of jargon, as part of their “Essential Public Facility siting process,” the county commissioners will discuss the “Essential Public Facility Committee makeup.” This might sound boring or unimportant, but what this actually means is that the county commissioners will discuss who to put on a committee that will likely be deciding where a new jail would go, if we build one.
This is the next step in the process being supported by the Safe and Healthy Task Force. They recommended spending priorities, and the county will have to decide whether to go out to the public for a sales tax to fund these things, and whether the funding will go to updating the jail at its current site, building a new facility entirely, or something else.
Agenda here
Tuesday, June 23 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
Agenda here
Tuesday, June 23 at 2 pm
Commissioners’ Hearing Room
1026 W. Broadway Ave, Spokane
The meeting is also live streamed here.
Spokane County Planning Commission
🌶️🫑/5 peppers
The Spokane County Planning Commission will hold workshops on the environmental impacts of growth, and preferred alternative parameters. There’s not much additional information available, but if you’re a land use or development wonk, this might be the meeting for you.
Agenda here
Thursday, June 25 at 9 am
Commissioners’ Hearing Room
1026 W. Broadway Ave, Spokane
The meeting is also live streamed here.
Spokane Regional Health District Board
🫑/5 peppers
Agenda here
Thursday, June 25 at 12:30 pm
Auditorium, First Floor
1101 West College Avenue, Spokane
Mead School District Board of Directors
🌶️🌶️/5 peppers
Annual election for legislative representative?
The board of directors will hold a first reading and potential vote on a policy revision to make changes to electing a legislative representative from the board and how long that person serves in that role.
If changes are adopted to Policy 1210, the representative would serve for a one-year term instead of the two-year term they currently do. The revision also has annual elections held in December, instead of the June elections currently held every other year.
Fees and budget
The board is also expected to take a vote on adopting a resolution regarding the district’s fees and budget policies as part of the budget adoption expected in August. The policies include: facility use, Union Stadium fee, mileage rate, ASB fees and other fees.
The ASB membership fee for middle schoolers would increase from $15 to $25, according to the agenda. And mileage rates would be adjusted to align with IRS standard rates. There would be no changes to other fees like use of facilities, renting the Union Stadium and parking.
Upcoming school year’s budget
The district’s chief financial officer is expected to talk about the upcoming fiscal year’s proposed budget, according to the agenda. No other details were available though.
Agenda here
Monday, June 22 at 6 pm
12509 N. Market St. Bldg. D, Mead
Watch via Zoom here.
Central Valley School District Board of Directors
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 peppers
Continued tax levy?
With the current levy for educational programs and operations set to expire at the end of 2027, the district will begin its planning process for a 2028-2030 levy to present to voters for approval.
The current levy supports about 16% of the district’s annual operating expenditures and helps support about 300 staff, educational opportunities and other essentials for students, families and staff, according to the agenda materials.
District staff are looking into possible scenarios, including maintaining the current levy rate. But even if the tax rate stays the same, levy collections would increase. This is mostly because of the growth in assessed property values and new construction, the agenda notes.
The projected levy revenue amounts based on the current $2.50 rate per $1,000 of assessed property value are as follows:
- $48.9 million for 2028
- $50.55 million for 2029
- $52.4 million for 2030
The average cost for a homeowner with a property assessed with a value of $410,000 could expect to pay about $85 a month or $1,025 a year.
Weighing in on the budget
The public will have the opportunity to voice their concerns or thoughts about the district’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The budget roughly totals $322.4 million.
The board will then take a vote to adopt the budget later in the meeting.
Reviewing policies and procedures
The board will review the district’s Student Fees, Fines and Charges procedure. The most notable changes reflect the increased prices for school breakfast and lunch as well as increased fines for replacing technology devices.
The board will then hold a first reading of its new Civility in the Workplace policy. The district reworked the Washington State School Directors' Association’s model policy to include a section for enforcement.
“The board of directors commits the district in its entirety to the core value of mutual respect for each person regardless of individual differences or characteristics,” the policy reads.
No action will be taken on these at this meeting.
Banning PRIDE flags?
A first reading will also be held for the district’s new Staff Expression policy and procedure (also derived from the Washington State School Directors' Association).
“Staff expression includes the performance of job responsibilities and how they represent the district in their use of district email accounts, school district buildings, district property, classrooms, and how they present themselves to students,” the policy reads.
The district’s version strikes out language stating that an employee whose use of social media “interferes with the district’s operations or prevents the district from functioning efficiently and effectively” could be disciplined or terminated.
The procedure has added language from the district that tells employees to make sure decor and displays in their classroom or school are kept “neutral” so that they are respectful to diverse personal beliefs throughout the school community.
So could PRIDE flags be banned? Yes. The district's procedure explicitly prohibits displays that promote personal political, social or religious beliefs.
The procedure’s list of allowed displays include:
- US flags
- WA state flags
- District or school flags, banners, posters
- Displays related to education
- Student artwork
- “Age-appropriate” displays that create a positive environment
The procedure also says that a violation may result in “appropriate disciplinary action consistent with applicable law, policy, and collective bargaining agreements.”
No action will be taken to approve this policy and procedure at the meeting.
Superintendent contract
The board will also take a vote on renewing Superintendent John Parker’s contract which lists an annual base salary of $257, 509. The term of the contract is from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2029.
Editor's Note: this section has been updated with additional information on the budget item.
Agenda here
Monday, June 22 at 6 pm
Board Room at 2218 N Molter Rd
Liberty Lake
Watch via Zoom here.
West Valley School District Board of Directors
🌶️/5 peppers
Agenda here
Wednesday, June 24 at 3:30 pm
District Conference Center
8818 E. Grace, Spokane
Watch via Zoom here.
Spokane Valley City Council
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 peppers
Note: there will be a special meeting at 5 pm. It will immediately go into an executive session on “potential land acquisition” with no public attendance or comment permitted. The regular meeting will begin at 6 pm.
New public safety director
In 2026, the city of Spokane Valley is set to spend about 65% of its annual budget — roughly $45.5 million — on public safety services costs, including contracting with Spokane County to provide all its policing services. And yet, the city currently does not have a public safety department, a director-level position or even dedicated staff overseeing these services. Instead, responsibilities fall to two administrative analysts, the Deputy City Manager and the City Manager, who all have other job duties. That could change tonight.
A public safety coordinator position was created in 2025, then not filled due to budget constraints, but the city managers and analysts are spending more and more of their time on public safety, according to the agenda sheet. Tonight, the council could vote to create a Public Safety Director position that would focus on the city’s top initiatives: renegotiating the city’s policing agreement with the county, analyzing law enforcement alternatives like other contracted services or in-house staffing, and looking at options for enhancing prosecution services.
While the 2027 draft budget includes funding for the position — a $226,436 annual salary plus an additional $100k in expenses for a vehicle and an office — the city is seeking to add this position early, which would cost an estimated $231,218. There’s no budgeted funds for this in 2026, however, because of timing with hiring new police officer positions, the city has found $156,007 in the existing public safety budget to support hiring the director position, and additional funding for the office and furniture from another existing fund balance.
Agenda here
Tuesday, June 23 at 6 pm (executive session at 5 pm)
10210 E Sprague Ave, Spokane Valley
Virtual attendance here.
