Welcome to CIVICS, where we break down the week’s municipal meetings throughout the Inland Northwest, so you can keep track of and fight for the issues you care about.
Everyone came back from their break with a vengeance, ready to tackle some important and controversial legislative items, so it’s a much more involved week of CIVICS. Here’s some highlights of what’s happening:
- Spokane City Council may decide to ask voters in the city to decide in November if they’re down to pay $15 a year to protect the region’s aquifer. They’re also holding a first read on a policy to ban employment discrimination against people with no permanent address.
- The Urban Experience Committee will discuss an ordinance that would add new requirements for any homeless shelter or “comprehensive support service” facility that’s hoping to open or move to a new location within the city.
- The Spokane Library Board of Trustees is scheduled to talk about their partnership project with Thrive International, to create 45 units of affordable housing for refugees and the general population, paired with library resources.
- The Spokane Transit Authority is deciding on the sequence of projects for their big Connect 2035 plan. One of the first on the docket: a pilot of a reduced fare program for low-income residents.
- Spokane County wants to raise Sheriff John Nowels’ pay from $205,434.90 per year to $236,339.85.
- Spokane Valley City Council is hosting a second discussion and may vote on its potential August ballot measure that would create a .1% sales tax to hire more police and public safety officers.
Important meetings this week:
- Spokane City Council
- Urban Experience Committee
- Spokane Library Board of Trustees
- Bicycle Advisory Board
- Spokane Airport Board
- Spokane Transit Authority Board of Directors
- Spokane School District Board of Directors (special and regular meeting)
- Board of Spokane County Commissioners ( Briefing and Legislative Session )
- Spokane County Planning Commission
- Spokane Valley City Council
- Liberty Lake City Council
Spokane City Council
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Money to fight Matt Shea
Alleged domestic terrorist Matt Shea is suing the city for $24 million , claiming that the city council’s vote in 2023 to censure then-Mayor Nadine Woodward for her appearance onstage with Shea and right-wing, anti-queer worship leader Sean Feucht violated Shea’s rights. The city is fighting the lawsuit, and tonight, the council is set to vote on approving an additional $100,000 in legal costs, bringing the total to $150,000.
Protecting the region’s aquifer
The council will vote on a resolution that would ask voters to decide in November if Spokane should rejoin the county aquifer protection area . If passed by voters, this would cost homeowners $15 a year , with the funds going to protect the region’s drinking water.
Pleas for Medicaid
According to data from the Census Bureau, a quarter of Spokane residents are insured through Medicaid. This is one of the “whereas” clauses — which state the reasons action is necessary — listed in a resolution up for a vote this week that, if passed, would state that the city formally opposes any cuts to Medicaid funding from both the federal government and the state.
Of course, the city can’t really tell the state or the federal government what to do, so this functions mostly as a public values statement, and includes data on just how critical Medicaid is to our region. It’s also very much a topic that’s been weighing heavily on the people in our district, which has a high rate of Medicaid usage : see public comment at Congressman Michael Baumgartner’s Town Hall and the recent Hands Off rally .
Ban the address
The ordinance that would ban employers from discriminating against potential hires because of their lack of a permanent address — designed to remove barriers for people who are unhoused to get employment — will be up for a first read. Check out our more in-depth CIVICS breakdown of the legislation here .
Next week’s sneak peek:
- After the first read of the “ Ban the Address ” ordinance tonight, we’ll likely get a final vote on it next week.
- A first read of the LGBTQIA2S+ protection ordinance , which was originally scheduled for tonight, but will likely be deferred.
- A first read of an ordinance sponsored by the two council conservatives that would expand sit-and-lie laws citywide (they currently only impact downtown). Check our earlier CIVICS write-up of this here .
- A consent agenda contract to spend $1,681,000 purchasing 22 new vehicles for the Spokane Police Department.
- A couple of weeks ago in the finance committee, the council discussed spending opioid settlement funds earlier than originally anticipated. That’s coming before council next week as a special budget ordinance.
Agenda here Monday, April 7, at 6 pm 808 W. Spokane Falls Boulevard, Spokane, WA 99201 The meeting is also live streamed here .
Urban Experience Committee
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The plan to end homelessness
City staff from the Spokane Community, Housing and Human Services are presenting a nearly 50-page document: the 5-year plan to end homelessness, which starts on page 240 of the agenda. The plan includes key objectives, performance indicators and actionable strategies the city plans to take to end homelessness. The plan is worth reading. We were particularly struck by objective four: “Seek to house everyone in a stable setting that meets their needs.”
What it takes to open a shelter
Up for discussion is an ordinance proposed by Council Member Michael Cathcart that would add new requirements for where the city could site new homeless shelters or facilities providing comprehensive support services — things like addiction recovery services, resource distribution centers, congregate shelters, transitional or non-permanent housing and behavioral health services providers — that receive any funding at all from the city. The ordinance states the council’s general support for the scattered site model, but states that there can be “detrimental impacts” from facilities that will need to be mitigated…