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# Price fixing, parking tax and policy impacts
- URL: https://www.rangemedia.co/price-fixing-parking-tax-and-policy-impacts/
- Published: 2025-11-17T19:26:14.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-17T19:26:14.000Z
- Description: CIVICS: Plus, a stormwater impacts study paid for by the airport.
- Author: Erin Sellers
- Tags: CIVICS, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-02-19 03:03

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:

- The Spokane City Council could pass a tax on parking lots across the city, with revenue funding street repair.
- They are also considering an ordinance to ban landlords and property management companies from using algorithmic price fixing tools to set rental rates.
- The Airport Board will approve a contract to do a stormwater impacts study. The Spokane International Airport sits on ecologically sensitive wetlands that are impacted by airport development.
- There are so many board and commission vacancies across the city of Spokane! See below for more information on how you can sign up to shape policy.

**Important meetings this week:**

- [Spokane City Council ](https://www.rangemedia.co/price-fixing-parking-tax-and-policy-impacts/)(and Study Session)
- [Public Infrastructure, Environment, and Sustainability Committee](https://www.rangemedia.co/price-fixing-parking-tax-and-policy-impacts/)
- [Spokane Public Library Board of Trustees](https://www.rangemedia.co/price-fixing-parking-tax-and-policy-impacts/)
- [Spokane Ombuds Commission](https://www.rangemedia.co/price-fixing-parking-tax-and-policy-impacts/)
- [Bicycle Advisory Board](https://www.rangemedia.co/price-fixing-parking-tax-and-policy-impacts/)
- [Spokane Public Facilities District](https://www.rangemedia.co/price-fixing-parking-tax-and-policy-impacts/)
- Board of County Commissioners - [Briefing Session](https://www.rangemedia.co/price-fixing-parking-tax-and-policy-impacts/) and [Legislative Session](https://www.rangemedia.co/price-fixing-parking-tax-and-policy-impacts/)
- [Spokane Transit Authority Board of Directors](https://www.rangemedia.co/price-fixing-parking-tax-and-policy-impacts/)
- [Spokane Airport Board](https://www.rangemedia.co/price-fixing-parking-tax-and-policy-impacts/)
- [Spokane Valley City Council](https://www.rangemedia.co/price-fixing-parking-tax-and-policy-impacts/)
- [Liberty Lake City Council](https://www.rangemedia.co/price-fixing-parking-tax-and-policy-impacts/)
- [Spokane School District Board of Directors](https://www.rangemedia.co/price-fixing-parking-tax-and-policy-impacts/)
- [Mead School District Board of Directors](https://www.rangemedia.co/price-fixing-parking-tax-and-policy-impacts/)
- [West Valley School District Board of Directors](https://www.rangemedia.co/price-fixing-parking-tax-and-policy-impacts/)

# Get involved

Want to shape your city instead of just reading about it? You can apply to fill a vacant position on one of the city's boards and commissions. Currently, Spokane is looking for people to sit on the Arts, Plan, Design Review, Human Rights, Transportation and Police Ombuds Commissions. Details on necessary qualifications and how to apply can be found [here](https://my.spokanecity.org/bcc/vacancies/?ref=rangemedia.co).

# Spokane City

## Spokane City Council

**🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 peppers**

### Funding for co-response model

In the consent agenda, there are two contracts that support the co-response models in Spokane. The [CARES team](https://my.spokanecity.org/fire/operations/cares/?ref=rangemedia.co) of the Spokane Fire Department, which sends mental health professionals to respond to people’s needs if they don’t truly need an emergency response, is getting two new electric vehicles for a total of just over $94,000.

The city is also set to accept a $620,000 grant from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs to pay for Mental Health Field Response — the unit formerly called the Behavioral Health Unit, which pairs a mental health professional with a police officer to better address mental health issues in the field.

### No more rental price fixing

After a deferral last week, council will have a first read on an ordinance to ban landlords and property management companies from using algorithmic price-fixing software to price gouge tenants and manipulate the market.

A 2024 report from the federal government found that this kind of software can cost [renters an average of $70 per month](https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/cea/written-materials/2024/12/17/the-cost-of-anticompetitive-pricing-algorithms-in-rental-housing/?ref=rangemedia.co) in additional rent expenses. Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown recently [filed a lawsuit](https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/washington-ag-says-realpage-and-landlords-conspired-harm-tenants-violate?ref=rangemedia.co) against one of the software companies, called RealPage, alleging the company and the landlords who used it violated the Consumer Protection Act. If passed in Spokane, this could be the latest move in the council’s quest to [protect renters in the city](https://www.rangemedia.co/arlin-jordin-eviction-trial/).

### The pavement tax

Spokane City Council is set to vote on an ordinance that would start taxing commercial parking lots across the city. The TLDR is that, if passed, consumers would pay a 6% to 12% tax to park in surface parking lots or parking garages while city-managed street parking, student parking and residential parking would all be exempt from the tax. The tax would pay for street repair. For the longer explanation on the tax, how it works and what it could accomplish, check out [this piece](https://www.rangemedia.co/spokane-city-council-considers-taxing-commercial-parking-lots/) by RANGE Urbanism Columnist Lauren Pangborn.

One little development though: council is considering an amendment that, if passed at Agenda Review, could push the implementation date of the ordinance from January 1, 2026 to April 2026.

### Next week’s sneak peek:

- After back-and-forth about the future of Spokane Arts ([is it getting absorbed into the city](https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/may/30/spokane-mayors-plan-to-restart-city-arts-office-fa/?ref=rangemedia.co)? [Is it staying independent?](https://www.inlander.com/news/spokane-arts-extends-its-contract-for-two-years-as-the-city-creates-a-separate-office/article%5F1bd40738-75bf-591f-a7b9-d98b447a6118.html?ref=rangemedia.co)), the Spokane City Council could pass a stop-gap agreement running through December 31, 2027, which would keep Spokane Arts independent and continue paying them to run arts programming with the charter-mandated City Admissions tax.
- Next Monday is the night for budget nerds: not only is the council considering a bunch of edits to the current budget, like reallocating ARPA funds, they’re also potentially voting on the official 2026 biennium budget modifications — though it does seem likely this gets deferred.

> Agenda [here](https://my.spokanecity.org/citycouncil/documents/?ref=rangemedia.co)  
> *Monday, November 17 at 6 pm*  
> *City Council Chambers – Lower Level of City Hall*   
> *808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.*  
> *The meeting is also live streamed* [*here*](https://my.spokanecity.org/citycable5/live?ref=rangemedia.co)*.*

## Spokane City Council Study Sessions

> *Agenda* [*here*](https://my.spokanecity.org/citycouncil/documents/study-sessions/?ref=rangemedia.co) *when available.*  
> *Thursday, November 20 at 11 am*  
> *City Council Chambers – Lower Level of City Hall*   
> *808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.*  
> *The meeting is also live streamed* [*here*](https://my.spokanecity.org/citycable5/live?ref=rangemedia.co)*.*

## Public Infrastructure, Environment, and Sustainability Committee

**🌶️🌶️/5 peppers**

### Utility taxes + rates

There’s not a ton of information in the agenda, but it looks like the PIES Committee is slated to discuss “utility tax and utility rate ordinances,” which could be interesting.

### 2027 Safe Streets projects

While the resolution that will soon list the Safe Streets projects slated for completion in 2027 by council district is still blank (soon to be filled in after the Transportation Commission’s final review of potential projects), the council will discuss the resolution today.

### Maintenance Review

Want to know how arterial street, bike and pedestrian and winter maintenance is going in 2025? Council is getting a review, and potentially a preview of the city’s winter maintenance plans.

> *Agenda* [*here*](https://my.spokanecity.org/bcc/committees/public-infrastructure-environment-and-sustainability/?ref=rangemedia.co)  
> *Monday, November 17 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.*](https://my.spokanecity.org/citycable5/live/?ref=rangemedia.co)

## Spokane Public Library Board of Trustees

**🫑/5 peppers**

> *Agenda* [*here*](https://www.spokanelibrary.org/leadership?ref=rangemedia.co)  
> *Tuesday, November 18 at 4:30 pm*  
> *Shadle Park Library*  
> *2111 W. Wellesley Ave, Spokane, Washington, 99205*  
> *The meeting is also live streamed* [*here*](https://www.spokanelibrary.org/live-stream/?ref=rangemedia.co).

## Spokane Ombuds Commission

**?/5 peppers**

> *Agenda* [*here*](https://my.spokanecity.org/bcc/commissions/ombuds-commission/?ref=rangemedia.co) *when available*  
> *Tuesday, November 18 at 5:30 pm*  
> *City Council Chambers*  
> *808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. Spokane, WA 99201*   
> *The meeting is also live streamed here*.

## Bicycle Advisory Board

**🌶️/5 peppers**

### Outlook on bikes

For the readers out there saying “bikes for sure,” as much as the RANGE Slackbot programmed by our urbanism columnist, this week’s BAB meeting might be for you: they’re scheduled to do a review of all the 2025 bike projects, and lay out their outlook for 2026.

> *Agenda* [*here*](https://my.spokanecity.org/bcc/boards/bicycle-advisory-board/?ref=rangemedia.co)  
> *Tuesday, November 18 at 6 pm*  
> *City Council Briefing Center*  
> *808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. Spokane, WA 99201*   
> *The meeting is also live streamed* [*here*](https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting%5FNWNlYjdjMDktMGYwMy00NDExLWE1ZTItN2UwYzliMGY1NzI2%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2295fa1d6e-6a27-496e-9117-fc34d9076661%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22c8a149ab-0094-4c4e-b7e3-3633a0ca624f%22%7d&ref=rangemedia.co).

## Spokane Public Facilities District

**🫑/5 peppers**

> *Agenda* [*here*](https://www.spokanepfd.org/?ref=rangemedia.co)  
> *Wednesday, November 19 at 12:30 pm*  
> *Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena Board Room*  
> *720 W Mallon Ave, Spokane, WA 99201*  
> *Virtual attendance* [*here*](https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6730871979447016541?ref=rangemedia.co)*.*

# Spokane County

## Board of Spokane County Commissioners Briefing Session

**🫑/5 peppers**

> *Agenda* [*here* ](https://spokanecowa.portal.civicclerk.com/?ref=rangemedia.co)  
> *Monday, November 17 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.*](https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85674845677?ref=rangemedia.co)

## Board of Spokane County Commissioners Legislative Session

**🫑/5 peppers**

### Board appointments

The BOCC will vote to reappoint

- Clyde Haase to the Spokane County Planning Commission District 4 seat and
- Max Kuney, County Commissioner Mary Kuney’s husband, as a County representative on the Spokane Airport Board

> *Agenda* [*here* ](https://spokanecowa.portal.civicclerk.com/?ref=rangemedia.co)  
> *Monday, November 17 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.*](https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85674845677?ref=rangemedia.co)

## Spokane Transit Authority Board of Directors

**?/5 peppers**

> *Agenda* [*here*](https://www.spokanetransit.com/board-and-committee-meetings/?ref=rangemedia.co) *when available*  
> *Thursday, November 20 at 1:30 pm*  
> *STA Boardroom*   
> *1230 W Boone Avenue, Spokane, WA 99201*  
> *The meeting is also live streamed* [*here*](https://spokanetransit.webex.com/spokanetransit/j.php?MTID=m963c4ccfe49011c0b2337745fca1e480&ref=rangemedia.co).

## Spokane Airport Board

🌶️🌶️**/5 peppers**

### Agreement for stormwater capacity study

There’s not a lot of information on this, but the airport board will create an agreement with a contractor to conduct a stormwater capacity study. The Spokane International Airport campus sits on ecologically sensitive wetlands, and any infrastructure development on the campus has to consider how hard, flat surfaces, like parking lots, will affect flooding on the West Plains, a chronic issue that impacts local neighborhoods.

> *Agenda* [*here*](https://business.spokaneairports.net/airport-board/?ref=rangemedia.co)*.*  
> *Thursday, November 20 at 9 am*  
> *Airport Event Center*  
> *9211 W. McFarlane Road, Spokane, WA 99224*   
> *The meeting is also live streamed* [*here*](https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82300527060?pwd=fKRHtKcp31qnn8NhnPhzuu8OyyfhA2.1&ref=rangemedia.co).

## Spokane Valley City Council

**🫑/5 peppers**

> *Agenda* [*here*](https://www.spokanevalleywa.gov/129/Agendas-Minutes-Videos?ref=rangemedia.co)  
> *Tuesday, November 18 at 6 pm*  
> *City Hall*  
> *10210 E Sprague Ave*  
> *Spokane Valley, Washington 99206*  
> *Virtual attendance* [*here*](https://spokanevalley.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view%5Fid=3&event%5Fid=568&meta%5Fid=83544&ref=rangemedia.co)*.*

## Liberty Lake City Council

🌶️🌶️**/5 peppers**

### Mayor will present optimistic budget

Liberty Lake Mayor Cris Kaminskas will present her proposed budget for 2026, which projects a reduction in property taxes from .$0.8852 to $0.8571 per $1,000 of property value. Kaminskas notes this is possible because the city’s $8.1 million general fund is healthy.

> *Agenda* [*here*](https://www.libertylakewa.gov/AgendaCenter?ref=rangemedia.co)  
> *Tuesday, November 18 at 7 pm*  
> *22710 E Country Vista Drive, Liberty Lake, WA 99019*  
> *The meeting is also live streamed* [*here*](https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84556637756?pwd=UWEyRk0rcjIxUXNxbHlJbWZoSFpPZz09&ref=rangemedia.co)*.*

# School Boards

### Spokane School District Board of Directors

**🫑/5 peppers**

> *Agenda* [*here* ](https://go.boarddocs.com/wa/spokane/Board.nsf/Public?ref=rangemedia.co)  
> *Wednesday, November 19 at 4:30 pm (special meeting) and 6 pm (regular meeting)*  
> S*pokane Public Schools Administration Building*  
> *200 N. Bernard, Spokane, WA 99201*  
> *The meeting is also live streamed* [*here.*](https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN%5FlpbNVwX0S4GNNfxg8KhbeA?ref=rangemedia.co)

### Mead School District Board of Directors

**🌶️/5 peppers**

> *Agenda* [*here*](https://www.mead354.org/about-us/board-of-directors/board-meeting-agendas-minutes-and-briefs?ref=rangemedia.co)  
> *Monday, November 17 at 6 pm*  
> *Union Event Center*  
> *12509 N. Market St. Bldg. D, Mead, WA 99021*  
> *Watch via Zoom* [*here*](https://mead354-org.zoom.us/j/88591274801?ref=rangemedia.co)*.*

###   
West Valley School District Board of Directors

**🫑/5 peppers**

> *Agenda* [*here*](https://go.boarddocs.com/wa/wvsdwa/Board.nsf/Public?ref=rangemedia.co)  
> *Wednesday, November 19 at 6:30 pm*  
> *District Conference Center*   
> *8818 E. Grace, Spokane, WA 99212*  
> *Watch via Zoom* [*here*](https://zoom.us/j/92921829315?ref=rangemedia.co)*.*