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 the highlights:
- Equity’s on the brain for the Spokane City Council as they consider a resolution asking the mayor’s office to move the city towards more inclusive procurement and contracting practices and vote on an ordinance that could give the Human Rights Commission a say on all ordinances addressing human rights issues.
- The Spokane Transit Authority Board will consider a contract for the newly anointed CEO, Karl Otterstrom, and a plan to implement discounted fare for low-income riders.
- Avista will present the BOCC with its decade-long plan — initiated in 2020 — to mitigate wildfire risk in an age of climate change and expanding development in fire-prone areas.
- Liberty Lake City Council will host an “advisory vote” on a “Library/Community Center Project” at a special council meeting.
Important meetings this week:
- Spokane City Council
- Public Infrastructure, Environment & Sustainability Committee
- Spokane Transit Authority Board
- Spokane Plan Commission
- Spokane County Board of Commissioners Briefing and Legislative Sessions
- Spokane Valley City Council
- Liberty Lake City Council (special meeting)
Spokane City Council
/5 peppers
Consent agenda contracts
There are two interesting contracts on the consent agenda this week. The first is a grant from the Washington Traffic Safety Commission for $158,861.06, which would cover 75% of the salary and benefits for one full-time police officer “dedicated to enforcement of DUI laws.” The second is an agreement between the Washington State Administrative Office of the Courts and Spokane Municipal Court, with the state giving Spokane $430,330 to continue funding our Therapeutic Courts through June 30, 2026. Therapeutic courts are an opportunity for people to get connected with resources and accountability measures, as opposed to incarceration and other punishments.
Intentional and inclusive procurement
(This one got deferred from last week, so we’re reusing our own work.)
The city of Spokane is constantly running procurement processes, asking local businesses, companies and nonprofits to submit bids for labor contracts with the city. A new resolution from Wilkerson and Council Member Paul Dillon that’s up for a vote tonight would ask Brown’s administration to “direct the department of purchasing and contracts to collect and track data, coordinate with community partners, develop assistance to women, minority, veteran-owned businesses and other underutilized firms, and provide council a yearly report on progress.” It also asks the administration to identify and work to address any barriers in the procurement process that might specifically be impacting these businesses…