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.
Here are highlights of what’s coming up:
- The Human Rights Commission may get more say in changes to the city’s Title 18 code, which is designed to prevent discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations.
- The Mead School District has written a letter to the private high school sports rule-making body saying it may not renew its membership in the future because the board is not assertive enough in protecting districts that implement anti-trans policies.
- Treatment services provided by the regional health district — which only a year ago was at risk of being privatized — may instead be expanded, pending a vote by the Board of Directors this week.
- The city of Spokane Valley is pushing into the next phase of a police-hiring spree city council members say are required to bring the city’s public safety infrastructure up to par with its growing population.
- Mayor Lisa Brown has asked the Spokane City Council to table discussions of providing more robust language access to city services.
Important meetings this week:
- Spokane City Council
- Finance and Administration Committee
- Spokane Housing Authority Board
- Spokane Public Facilities District
- Spokane Plan Commission
- Mead School District Board of Directors
- Central Valley School District Board of Directors
- Spokane Regional Health District
- Spokane Valley City Council
- Board of Spokane County Commissioners Briefing & Legislative Session
Spokane City Council
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Human Rights Commission could get more say
Up for a first read today is an ordinance from Council Members Jonathan Bingle and Lili Navarrete, which would expand the duties of the Spokane Human Rights Commission “to include automatic review of proposed changes to Title 18 of the Spokane Municipal Code and related provisions.”
If passed, it would require the commission to review and comment on any legislation that would regulate discriminatory practices and claims before council could discuss legislation in committee, and before they take final action on the proposed ordinances…