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 city of Spokane is revisiting an ordinance that would ban Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from arresting people without a warrant, this time as a regular measure instead of an emergency one, meaning it has a better chance of becoming law.
- The city’s Finance and Administration Committee will discuss some financial bad-news-bears, like increased insurance costs and the empty fund intended to pay the city’s jail bills with the county. They also discuss new equity subcommittee members and the potential of moving the regular Monday council meetings to a different day.
- Spokane County has established a long-awaited task force to address ‘forever chemicals’ contamination on the West Plains, and it will host its first meeting Wednesday night.
Important meetings this week:
- Spokane City Council (and Study Session)
- Finance and Administration Committee
- Spokane Housing Authority Board
- Spokane Public Facilities District Board
- Mead School District Board of Directors
- Central Valley School District Board of Directors
- Spokane School District Board of Directors
- Board of County Commissioners – Briefing Session and Legislative Session
- Spokane Valley City Council
Inaugural PFAS task force meeting
Eight years after officials at Fairchild Air Force Base disclosed to local, state and federal governments that it had discovered potentially toxic chemicals in West Plains drinking water, Spokane County will convene a task force to advise those governments on clean-up and water provision efforts. The county has worked for more than a year to establish the task force, which represents the first concerted action at the county level to solve the crisis. Its members include representatives of local city and county governments and West Plains well owners who’ve been subject to the contaminated water for years. The first meeting will take place Wednesday and is scheduled to feature discussions with the taskforce’s co-chairs, Spokane Regional Health District Health Officer Frank Velazquez and County Commissioner Al French. No public comment will be taken at the first meeting.
Wednesday, August 27 at 6 pmSheriff Training Center 13033 W Medical Lake Road Spokane, WA 99224The meeting will be live streamed here.
Property tax Q&A with county treasurer
If there’s a truism about property taxes, it’s that they tend to increase. No one likes it, but the revenue they generate contributes meaningfully to our lives as the most important source of money for better public schools, fire prevention and public spaces like parks and libraries. Spokane County Treasurer Mike Volz will answer questions about these functions this week at the North Spokane Library. Find more information here…