It’s the first edition of CIVICS in 2025! Yes, it’s a new year and we’ve definitely got some big changes in the works (like Aaron Hedge coming on full time and writing more of our CIVICS section!), but for the most part CIVICS is staying ‘ole reliable. You may notice a few minor changes though; due to reader feedback, we’re adding a few new boards to cover, and we’re trying to keep write-ups briefer so we can get this out quicker every Monday.
So, read on, and become the most civically informed + engaged version of yourself this year.
Some things that stick out to us this week include:
- Spokane City Council could seat former state senator Andy Billig as one of their representatives on the Spokane Airport Board. They will probably also spend another $50k fighting a lawsuit that alleges the city’s laws discriminate against unhoused people.
- At the Public Safety & Community Health Committee, the council will discuss two new ordinances that would put restrictions on the sale of alcohol and drug paraphernalia downtown.
- 2025’s first meeting of the Climate Resilience and Sustainability Board, where it will set its priorities to comply with new state rules for addressing and adapting to climate change, and receive informative presentations.
- Central Valley School District board is having a special meeting to vote on whether or not they should borrow money from their dedicated Capital Projects Fund to solve an urgent cashflow problem this month.
- It's a new year, but some things don't change: Liberty Lake Mayor Cris Kaminskas is trying one more time to appoint Kim Girard to the Liberty Lake Library board, which is just another installment in the power struggle over the library.
Important meetings this week:
- Spokane City Council (and Study Session)
- Public Safety & Community Health Committee
- Board of County Commissioners - Briefing Session and Legislative Session
- Central Valley School District Board of Directors - Special Meeting
- Spokane Valley City Council
- Liberty Lake City Council
- Plan Commission
- Spokane Climate Resilience & Sustainability Board
- Spokane Regional Transportation Council
- Spokane Park Board
Spokane City Council
🌶️🌶️/5 peppers
Airport Board Appointment
As we outlined in our county board appointments explainer from October, the city gets to appoint three members to the Spokane Airport Board. Two of the city-appointed members on the board, Jennifer West and Ezra Eckhardt, have terms that have already expired or will expire at the end of January, and Mayor Lisa Brown has chosen a successor to fill one of those seats: former Washington Senate Majority leader Andy Billig.
Billig decided not to run for reelection last year, after a 14 year career in the state legislature representing our region, and was replaced in the Senate by Marcus Riccelli. Looks like Billig — who also happens to be the CEO of the company that owns the Spokane Indians — is going to be staying busy and politically involved post retirement from state politics.
A $100,000 Suit
Spokane has already paid $50,000 to fight an ACLU lawsuit that alleges the city’s laws violate the constitutional rights of unhoused people. If the contract amendment in today’s consent agenda passes, they’re set to pay another $50,000, bringing the total contract up to $100,000.
While it’s possible that money would be paid from the city’s insurance policy, it’s worth noting that $100,000 could pay for 1,428 total emergency shelter beds for one night, a full year of shelter for four people or 33 beds per night for 43 nights (the number of days that triggered emergency shelter requirements in November and December 2023.)
Hot spotters
As covered in our last CIVICS edition of 2024, the city is set to pass a $375,000 contract with Consistent Care Services to do “community care coordination relating to opioid use,” for Mayor Brown’s Hot Spotters program, which identified “high utilizers” of the city’s emergency response system, who cycle between hospital beds and jail. Part two of the plan, beyond just identifying people, is to connect them with resources like case management and services, which is where this contract comes in, paid for with opioid settlement dollars.
This program was intended to run in conjunction with Brown’s CORE program (increased enforcement and police presence downtown) as part of her response to the opioid emergency. CORE has been operating for a while, and arrests for crimes intrinsically tied to homelessness — like sit-and-lie and pedestrian interference — have been way up. Hopefully these discussions will get the actual case management portion of Brown’s plan up and running.
Wrongful death settlement
Over the summer, resident Sarah McLaughlin filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city for the shooting of her fiancee, Robert Bradley, by Spokane Police officers. Spokane spent $400,000 fighting lawsuits from the family. Last year, they discussed a $500,000 settlement for McLaughlin; tonight, they’ll vote to approve that sum.
Next week sneak peak
Thanks to a concentrated push for process and accountability to the public from council members across the political spectrum, we’re getting more accurate advance agendas from Spokane city council as to what’s going to be up for a vote next week, so here’s your high-level preview on a few of the important items that will likely be coming up for a vote next Monday:
- $50,000 contract amendments with four homelessness service providers to pay for more emergency shelter beds.
- Contracts to fast track spending of $1.26 million remaining eviction prevention funds.
- Voting on an ordinance sponsored by Council Member Lili Navarrete late last year that would call for the City to establish policies and procedures to improve the recruitment of bilingual candidates.
Agenda here
Monday, January 6 at 6 pm
City Council Chambers – Lower Level of City Hall
808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.
The meeting is also live streamed here.
Public Safety & Community Health Committee
🌶️🌶️🫑/5 peppers
New year, new time! The Spokane City Council committees now meet at noon instead of 1 pm like they did last year, so if you’re a city government freak like us, you can spend your lunch break tuning in. And if you have something to say about one of the agenda items, you can now do that (including testifying virtually), instead of watching quietly — one of the rule changes council passed was to allow testimony at these committee meetings so the public can have a more active role in legislation earlier! Sign up to testify here.
Overtime, overspending
While the Spokane Police Department spent $1.5 million less that it expected to on overtime in 2024, the Spokane Fire Department overran their allocated overtime fund by $1.2 million. Not a great sign for some of the 2025 budget, which set overtime budget lower than some council members thought prudent. This was done as part of Brown’s push to make the budget more sustainable, but Council Member Michael Cathcart told us last year that he feared the budget would look sustainable but require them to come in later in the year and spend money not accounted for in the budget on overtime. He thought this would make the budget less balanced and create a deficit. The overtime totals are something we’ll definitely be keeping an eye on in 2025 👀
No more meth pipes downtown
While we were on break, Brown made a big move: proposing legislation that would prohibit businesses and individuals from selling single-serve alcohol (and all alcohol after midnight, though this shouldn’t limit bars), pipes and other drug paraphernalia like aluminum foil be downtown, unless the store is also willing to give out free Narcan. That will be done through the implementation of two ordinances, one that creates a “community health impact area,” and one that creates an “alcohol impact area,” downtown. We have some questions, like “will this stop dispensaries from selling pipes meant for consuming marijuana?” and “what are the carve-outs for bars?” but hopefully those will be answered in today’s committee meeting.
For those of you with a lot of time on your hands and an interest in the many ways the city is trying to tackle both crime and overdoses, the agenda this week has a ton of data on the efficacy and history of policies like this and how they’ve worked in other cities, starting on page 37.
HR Spending
In today’s agenda there’s a relatively nothingburger item — a $46,000 contract with Archbright, a Seattle-based company for supplementary HR services related to Spokane Fire Department (likely union negotiations) — with an interesting backstory.
After the city’s former Human Resources Director David Moss was fired, he was not satisfied with the $27,000 payout he was offered and instead threatened to sue for $50 million (as far as we can tell, no legal documents have actually been filed.) One of Moss’s complaints was that he was terminated for criticizing the administration’s spending on contracts with Archbright to provide supplementary HR services, which it’s been doing since 2017. Moss told the Spokesman this was a waste of money and that he was punished for questioning the spending. Others in administration claimed Moss was checked out of his job and didn’t actually live in Spokane, which meant he frequently ghosted his staff and didn’t show up to work.
It’s an interesting story that The Spokesman covered in detail, though despite all Moss’s claims to the media, at the time of his termination, Brown had only contracted with Archbright once, for $27,000 worth of services.
Free bus passes
One of the coolest benefits to working for the city is free Spokane Transit Authority bus passes. The city will discuss renewing the contract with STA for another year, spending up to $73,484 on bus passes. The item itself isn’t particularly controversial or interesting, but we’re hoping that maybe during the committee discussion there will be additional information presented, like how many times city employees used their passes or how much carbon they saved, sort of like an STA/City Spotify Wrapped situation. That might be overly optimistic but hey, a media outlet can dream.
Agenda here
Monday, January 6 at 12 pm
Council Chambers in the Lower Level of City Hall.
808 W Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201
The meeting is also live streamed here.
Spokane City Climate Resilience and Sustainability Board
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 peppers for global warming, 🌶️/5 peppers for the actual meeting content
Consultants to review city’s mandated climate planning
As the city of Spokane crafts its 2026 update to its comprehensive plan, new state requirements mandate that it take measures to “enhance resilience to and avoid the adverse impacts of climate change, and must include efforts to reduce localized emissions and avoid creating or worsening climate impacts to vulnerable populations and overburdened communities.” A consultant team will be convened to analyze and update progress toward those goals.
Spokane residents can participate in this process partly by taking the city’s climate planning survey, which can be accessed here.
Agenda here
Thursday, January 9 at 2 pm
Council Briefing Center in the Lower Level of City Hall.
808 W Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201
The meeting is also live streamed here.
Spokane City Council Study Sessions
Agenda here when available.
Thursday, January 9 at 11 am
City Council Chambers – Lower Level of City Hall
808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.
The meeting is also live streamed here.
Central Valley School District Board of Directors
🌶️🌶️🌶️🫑/5 peppers
CVSD is holding a special meeting to consider taking on a loan to establish a line of credit for “temporary cash flow needs.” Due to lower-than-projected tax collection revenue in and higher accounts payable expenditures, the district is in a cash flow crisis: they don’t have enough cash to run their first “accounts payable check run” in January (it’s unclear if that’s payroll or other expenses.)
To bridge that gap, the district’s executive finance officer Gina Bullis is asking the board to take on a $1.5 million interfund loan from the Capital Projects Fund — a protected fund that lives within the district but is funded through a levy and intended to be spent only on the district’s capital projects — to establish a line of credit so they can meet their financial obligations.
If you’re looking at this special meeting and wondering, “Why didn’t they see this coming? Why didn’t they act sooner?” we have the answer: Bullis did see it coming. In early November, she notified the board of a potential cash flow crisis and recommended securing a loan to give them a safety net. At the time, the board decided to refrain from action “until absolutely necessary.” Now, according to Bullis’ agenda notes, “we have reached the point of necessity.”
Check out the detailed financial projections and more info on the proposal here.
Agenda here
Monday, May 13 at 6 pm
Learning and Teaching Center (district office)
Board Room at 2218 N Molter Rd, Liberty Lake
Watch via Zoom here.
Board of Spokane County Commissioners Briefing Session
🌶️🫑/5 peppers
Steering Committee proposes housing be condensed in urban areas
As part of new requirements in the state Growth Management Act, the county must select one of several methodologies for planning where to locate affordable housing in the county. Planning Director Scott Chesney is recommending to the BOCC to choose the “A Prime” methodology, which “reserves housing for urban areas” and “avoids placing emergency housing in rural areas.”
$3.2M on table for affordable housing renovations
SNAP was awarded more than $3 million of federal funding to rehabilitate “a 50-unit affordable housing project called Pine Villa.” If approved, the project would be dedicated to rent-restricted housing for the following two decades.
Board appointments
The Public Works Department is requesting Doug Luther, Steph Kennedy and Steve Schleer be appointed to the Newman Lake Flood Control Zone District Advisory Board. Luther would be a non-voting member.
Agenda here
Tuesday, January 7 at 9 am
Public Works Building Lower Level, Commissioners’ Hearing Room
1026 W. Broadway Ave, Spokane, WA 99260
The meeting is also live streamed here.
Board of Spokane County Commissioners Legislative Session
🌶️/5 peppers
BOCC leadership elections
The BOCC will select its chair and vice chair for the coming year. The current chair is County Commissioner Mary Kuney and the vice chair is Josh Kerns, both of whom belong to the five-member board’s conservative majority.
Board appointment
The BOCC is set to appoint Melissa Spivey to the Spokane County Developmental Disabilities Advisory Board.
Nearly $200K grant for prosecutor of retail crime
The BOCC is set to vote on a grant to fund a dedicated prosecutor of organized retail crime. The full amount in question is $193,333.33 and is a grant from the Washington Organized Retail Crime Association, which was founded in 2021 to, you guessed it, combat retail crime.
Agenda here
Tuesday, January 7 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
Lodging tax allocations
Various Spokane Valley and Eastern Washington organizations and public bodies are asking for portions of a $5 million pot of revenue collected from lodging taxes. The city council will vote on which of the projects to allocate money to. Significant requests include constructing a $2.5-million cross-country running course, $153,000 to the Spokane Valley HUB and $80,000 to marketing for the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center. City staff recommended some slightly smaller amounts.
New cops
The council will hear a proposal from the city’s Public Safety Committee, Police Chief Dave Ellis and several city staff members on roles for 10 new dedicated police officers the city will hire in 2025. The proposed positions are:
- Four Patrol Deputies
- One Patrol Lieutenant
- One Traffic Deputy
- One Homeless Services Deputy
- Two Spokane Valley Investigative Unit Detectives
- One Spokane Valley Investigative Unit Sergeant
Committee appointments
Mayor Pam Haley has nominated the following people to serve on various volunteer committees and public bodies:
- Robert McKinley, Emily Meyer and Ann Winkler to the Planning Commission
- Kary Gibbs and Grant Guinn to Lodging Tax Advisory Committee
- Jean Kindem to the Aging & Long-Term Care of Eastern Washington Board
- Jenny McClenathen to the Spokane Housing Authority Board
- Jessica Glasson to the TPA Commission
All terms would be retroactive to January 1, 2025.
Council board appointments
Mayor Pam Haley has recommended the following city council members to serve on various boards.
- Aging & Long Term Care of Eastern Washington: Jessica Yaeger; Rod Higgins as alternate 2
- Chamber of Commerce Board: Laura Padden
- Continuum of Care for the Homeless, Spokane County: Gloria Mantz, Eric Robison as alternate
- Finance Committee, Spokane Valley: Laura Padden, Rod Higgins, Ben Wick
- Growth Management Steering Committee of Elected Officials: Rod Higgins, Tim Hattenburg
- City Governance Manual Committee: Pam Haley, Rod Higgins, Jessica Yaeger
- Greater Spokane, Inc.: Pam Haley
- Housing and Community Development Advisory Committee: Tim Hattenburg, Ben Wick
- Human Rights Task Force: Ben Wick, Jessica Yaeger as alternate
- Lodging Tax Advisory Committee: Rod Higgins
- Mayors Association of Northeast Washington: Pam Haley
- Opioid Abatement Council: Jessica Yaeger
- Public Safety Committee: Tim Hattenburg, Laura Padden, Ben Wick
- Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency: Rod Higgins, Tim Hattenburg as alternate
- Spokane Regional Transportation Council: Pam Haley, Rod Higgins; Tim Hattenburg as alternate
- Strategic Planning Committee: Pam Haley, Tim Hattenburg, Rod Higgins
- Spokane Transit Authority: Pam Haley, Tim Hattenburg
- Wastewater Policy Advisory Board: Rod Higgins, Jessica Yaeger
Note: while Council member Al Merkel’s name is all over The Spokesman county section, it’s nowhere to be found on this list of appointments. It’s not the first time Valley has stripped a council member of appointments, either as a punishment or for voting against the majority. Late last year, Merkel was stripped of committee assignments after Council Member Jessica Yaeger accused him of violating public information laws, which Merkel disputes.
Agenda here
Tuesday, January 7 at 6 pm
City Hall
10210 E Sprague Ave
Spokane Valley, Washington 99206
Virtual attendance here.
Liberty Lake City Council
🌶️🌶️/5 peppers
Board appointments
The City Council will vote on the following people for various board positions:
- Reappoint Arlene Fisher Maurer to Community Engagement Commission
- Reappoint Summer Darrow to the Community Engagement Commission
- Reappoint Bill Norman to the Community Engagement Commission
- Appoint Kim Girard to the Library Board of Trustees
It’s important to note that Girard is reapplying after having been ousted by the City Council last year from her position after several high-profile clashes with the city government, which wanted to seize sole policy-making power from the trustees.
Agenda here
Tuesday, January 7 at 7 pm
22710 E Country Vista Drive, Liberty Lake, WA 99019
The meeting is also live streamed here.
Spokane Plan Commission
??/5 peppers
Agenda here
Wednesday, January 8 at 2 pm
Council Briefing Center
808 W Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201
The meeting is also live streamed here.
Spokane Regional Transportation Council
🌶️🌶️/5 peppers
New Leadership
SRTC has a rotating board leadership structure, similar to the Spokane Transit Authority’s, which means that Spokane County Commissioner Al French will be rotating out of his chairship. The 2024 Vice Chair Rod Higgins, a representative from Spokane Valley, will likely become the chair (though it doesn’t have to be Higgins, just someone from SpoVal) and the Vice Chair will be a representative from the smaller surrounding towns and cities. The election for leadership will happen this Thursday.
Agenda here
Thursday, January 9 at 1 pm
Spokane Regional Transportation Office
21 W Riverside Ave, Suite 504, Spokane, WA 99201
Park Board
?/5 peppers
Agenda here when available
Thursday, January 9 at 3:30 pm
Council Chambers in the Lower Level of City Hall.
808 W Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201
The meeting is also live streamed via WebEx,
Call in: 408-418-9388 Access code: 2491 764 3350
