With a proclamation designating April 28th as Arbor Day and recognizing that Spokane Valley is now a Tree City, this Formal Meeting of the Spokane Valley City Council commenced.
There were no action items except the Consent Agenda, where the City’s bills are paid and other administrative items are addressed, the main agenda contained only Administrative Reports. The first of those was a report on local access street preservation projects scheduled for construction in 2023.
Earlier this year, Inland Asphalt was awarded a $1.5 million contract for maintenance and repair of local access streets. Among the projects was the Hillview Estates project which included replacement of pavement, stormwater improvements and ADA required additions.
Summerfield Estates is a project carried over from 2022. This project also replaces pavement and adds ADA improvements at an estimated cost of $1.8 million. The anticipated bid award date will be made in May.
Included in the plan is a forward-looking test of road surfacing methods ($250,000 budget) using three types of sealing techniques to ascertain the most cost-effective method.
On July 24th, 2015, the City received the Painted Hills Planned Residential Development (PRD) application. Since that time, staff has updated Council four times on the progress of that application. Currently, the project is in the final stages of completing the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process. Additional documentation for processing has been requested and within the next few months, a public hearing is expected to occur before the Hearing Examiner. However, that public hearing will not be scheduled until after the issuance of the final EIS and the close of the appeal period of the final EIS. It should be clearly understood that the City’s Hearing Examiner has the sole decision-making authority over this project.
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has its Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program to assist states, local governments, and tribes in planning and implementing programs and policies to reduce energy use, reduce fossil fuel emissions, and improve energy efficiency. There are three pathways for local governments to access funding: formula grants, applications through the state, or a competitive grant through the DOE.
A review of the program’s guidelines and funding uses has indicated several types of projects and programs that the City might use. These include streetlights, traffic signal interconnection and coordination, or building energy audits. After submission of its Pre- Award Information Sheet to DOE, staff will identify and develop likely projects for submittal in its Project Application. Consensus was unanimous to pursue the allocated funds from the EECBG program.
With the rise in homelessness and drug use, Council has been wrestling with the nuisances and criminal activity that accompany those activities. The City Code has proven to be inadequate to address the problem. Council has voiced a desire to beef up the City’s ability to address and deal with chronic nuisances. That desire has led to changes that if/when implemented offer solutions.
A tiered approach allows the City to focus not only on criminal activity but also on the overall character of the nuisance property and the effect it has on the community. To implement this approach, definitions of ‘nuisance activities’ and ‘chronic nuisance property’ would be added to include a broader set of circumstances. These changes would add a second shorter time period for violations and inclusion of general nuisances, not just criminal activity, abandoned properties where nuisance activities exist under the definition, and adding a provision exclusively for drug properties with a stricter violation time limit, i.e., two in twelve months.
Proposed definition changes would tighten the regulation of criminal activity on nuisance property and redefine criminal activity to allow for more speedy addressment of violations. Enforcement would be broadened to monitor agreements to abate so that abatement agreements are enforced.
A ‘receivership’ program is being considered which would allow the City, upon determination by the Superior Court that a property is a chronic nuisance, to close the property, board it up, and sell it through receivership so that it can be returned to productive use. This process eliminates the possibility of the property being inundated with squatters and/or eventually returned to the persons responsible for the nuisance situation in the first place. Consensus to bring the proposed code amendments forward for a first reading was unanimous.
City Hall is open for business during normal business hours. City Council meetings are held in the Great Room at CenterPlace until further notice. The Public is invited to participate in action items or public comment periods in person or via ZOOM. Call 509- 720-5000 or www.spokanevalley.org prior to 4:00 p.m. for access instructions. Council meetings are broadcast on Comcast channel 14.
The movement of City Council meetings to CenterPlace has created some minor administrative problems. Pursuant to state law, the City is required to identify and fix the date, time, and location of its regular meetings. Historically, that information has been included in the Council’s Governance Manual. The current situation necessitates that the Governance Manual be amended, at least temporarily, to reflect that Council meetings are held at CenterPlace on Tuesdays beginning at 6:00 PM. Unless that change in location is formally made, each meeting must be noticed as a ‘Special Meeting’ to comply with legal noticing regulations. A motion to adopt Resolution 23-006 to temporarily relocate regular Council meetings at CenterPlace Regional Event Center, 2426 N. Discovery Place, Spokane Valley Washington passed unanimously.
In November 2022, the City renewed its interlocal agreement (ILA) with Spokane County to continue providing law enforcement services through December 31, 2027. During those discussions, the City voiced a desire for a staffing assessment to assist the City Council in identifying appropriate levels of staffing and service.
Pursuant to the ILA, there are 91 dedicated Spokane Valley Officers and 37 investigative officers shared between Spokane Valley and Spokane County. In late 2022, Matrix Consulting Group Ltd (Matrix) was retained to evaluate the increase in police service calls in order to assess the need for service levels that best serve the City. That assessment includes evaluation of best practices and innovative service delivery strategies. The cost of that study is budgeted at $85,000.
The objectives of the study are:
• An analysis of police workloads and service levels.
• A comparison of police services in Spokane Valley to best practices and service of other agencies in Washington.
• An evaluation of staffing levels and operations.
• An evaluation of opportunities to improve the ef-ficiency and effectiveness of the City’s police services.
Matrix expects to complete that study by the end of May. This presentation is an update on the current status of the evaluation.
State law requires that massage therapists and reflexologists be licensed to perform their respective services. The City has experienced a steady increase in the number of massage parlors identified by law enforcement as employing unlicensed or uncertified service providers. Some of those businesses are known to have violated laws relating to prostitution and human trafficking.
The City proposes adding a new section to the City Code to adopt the State law provisions related to the unlicensed practice of professional services. The goal would be to provide law enforcement and the City another tool to ensure the massage businesses are following applicable licensing requirements. Violations are prosecuted by the Spokane County Prosecutor’s office; thus, the City has been working closely with that office. Other changes to clarify the procedure to revoke licenses will assist in addressing illegal activities. Consensus to proceed to a first reading was unanimous.
Additional City Code amendments to strengthen enforcement of its other licensing requirements also received unanimous consensus for Council action.
Each year the City prepares its annual budget beginning with the first of eight separate occasions on June 13th and ending with adoption of the finalized budget on November 7th. As part of that process, Council discusses the Potential and Pending Projects worksheet, prioritizing how money in its Capital Reserve Fund 312 is to be allocated.
The new source of revenue to Fund 312 is available from the excess above the 50% reserve kept in the general fund for year 2021. The two-year interval is to allow for all accounts from that year (2021) to clear, ensuring that the money is not encumbered by late arriving expenses.
The breakdown of funds is:
Transfer from the general fund of 2021 funds: $5,358,054
Less: 2023 Allocations and adjustments: ($1,000,000)
Add: Adjustments from other capital projects: $39,631
Total allocations and adjustments: $960,369
Remaining to be allocated: $4,397,685
Identified potential uses for the funds are $500,000 for matching funds applicable to a grant for Greenacres Park improvements, City Hall repairs, and Balfour Property Repairs and Equipment.
On March 28th and 29th, Mayor Pam Haley, Deputy Mayor Rod Higgins, Councilmember Laura Padden, City Manager John Hohman City Engineer Gloria Mantz, Engineering Manager Adam Jackson, and Legislative Policy coordinator Virginia Cough traveled to Washington, D.C. to solicit financial assistance for the Pines Grade Separation Project, Sullivan/Trent Interchange, South Barker Road Corridor Project, and Argonne Bridge Improvements at I-90.
That group, escorted by Sherry Little and Mike Pieper from Cardinal Infrastructure, the City’s federal lobbying firm, conferred with the Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In addition, they also met with Senator Patty Murray, representatives from Senator Maria Cantwell’s office, and Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers. Our federal officials were all invited to the April 18th ribbon cutting to open the Barker Grade Separation.
Overall, the trip was a success. Although success is often measured by subsequent events, this trip was especially educational in discovering avenues for dealing with homelessness that were not previously known.
City Hall is open for business during normal business hours. City Council meetings are held in the Great Room at CenterPlace until further notice. The Public is invited to participate in action items or public comment periods in person or via ZOOM. Call 509-720-5000 or www.spokanevalley.org prior to 4:00 p.m. for access instructions. Council meetings are broadcast on Comcast channel 14.
This Special Meeting* of the Spokane Valley City Council at CenterPlace began with the acceptance of the bid for the Sullivan Road Improvement project. That project, which extends from Sprague Avenue south to Eighth Avenue, is funded by grants from several federal and state agencies together with $3.2 million of City funds.
*Meetings not held at City Hall are designated ‘Special’ meetings.
The engineer’s estimate for the total project cost was $4,437,115. Two bids were received. The lowest bid was from North Fork Enterprises, LLC for $3,820,971.36, approximately 14% less than the engineer’s estimate.
The project calls for reconstruction of the asphalt pavement, improving the intersection at 4th Avenue and Sullivan, extending the concrete of the Sprague intersection, installing of new sidewalk on the west side of Sullivan, upgrading curb ramps to current ADA standards, providing stormwater treatment facilities, and installing intelligent transportation services (ITS) conduit and fiber optic cable for connectivity of the signal system to the city network. The motion to award and execute the contract with North Fork Enterprises, LLC, in the amount of $3,820,971.36 passed unanimously.
The City of Spokane Valley is a member of the Spokane County Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Consortium. Each year the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development provides CDBE funding through Spokane County. By interlocal agreement in 2020, the City increased its participation in the CDBG Consortium through more representative members, its funding set aside, and opportunities for project recommendations that benefit Valley citizens.
This evening’s presentations reviewed proposals for the use of CDBG funds for 2023. Council reviewed applications to provide guidance to the City’s representatives on the Spokane County Housing and Community Development Advisory Committee (HCDAC). Currently, those representatives are Councilman Arne Woodard, Housing and Homeless Coordinator Eric Robison, Tom Hormel, and Amanda Tainio.
The federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) provides for a wide variety of funding for a broad array of purposes to state and local governments. From that program, the City has received approximately $16 million from the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (CLFR). One of the uses of CLFR funds is to replace lost revenue from covid. The City has determined that amount to be $10.8 million.
After several discussions, Council has narrowed the remaining allocations of CLFR funds to retaining $2 million for potential land acquisition. The city has requested proposals from the various eligible entities around the city for allocation of the remaining $4 million. Each of the entities applying for CLFR funds made a presentation to Council. The applicants are: (see below chart)
After the presentations, each council member will be provided with a ranking sheet to complete. Results will be compiled for consideration of their awarding funding. The awards will be announced at a future Council meeting.
City Hall is open for business during normal business hours. City Council meetings are held in the Great Room at CenterPlace until further notice. The Public is invited to participate in action items or public comment periods in person or via ZOOM. Call 509-720-5000 or www.spokanevalley.org prior to 4:00 p.m. for access instructions. Council meetings are broadcast on Comcast channel 14
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Starting with the (April 4th) meeting, Spokane Valley City Council has relocated to CenterPlace Regional Event Center (2426 N. Discovery Place, Spokane Valley) to accommodate repair and construction work on Council Chambers at City Hall. Contractors anticipate that work and resultant impacts to Council Chambers may last through year end.
Options for citizens to attend and participate in public meetings will remain the same, only the venue will change. In-person meetings will take place in the Great Room at CenterPlace, located at 2426 North Discovery Place in Spokane Valley. Remote participation is available through Zoom, and council meetings will be livestreamed and archived on the City SVTV WebChannel and aired live on Xfinity cable channel 14. More information and links to Zoom and viewing options are available at www.SpokaneValley.org/SVTV.
This Study Session commenced with a motion to approve Resolution 23-005, business continuing from Council’s March 23rd meeting. The Oaks Education Association has requested the vacation of 6,970 square feet of public right-of-way in the alignment for Glenview Circle located south of and adjacent to 22nd Avenue. The proposed vacation is approximately 315 feet east of Sunview Circle. This leg of Glenview remains unbuilt and does not extend further south. No utilities are located within the vacated right-of-way. The right-of-way is adjacent to two properties, both of which are owned by the Oaks Education Association. The motion to approve Resolution 23-005 setting April 27th as the date for the public hearing before the Planning Commission was unanimous.
On September 20th, 2022, Spokane Valley City Council adopted Ordinance 22-016, establishing a Spokane Valley Tourism Promotion Area (TPA).
Prior to that, on October 26th, 2020, Council approved Resolution No. 21-008 which served as a formal notice of the City’s withdrawal from its participation in Spokane County’s Regional Tourism Promotion Area (TPA) effective December 31, 2022.
With the withdrawal from the County’s TPA, on September 20th, 2022, Council adopted Ordinance 22-016 establishing a citywide TPA which became effective January 1, 2023. The City received authorization for the TPA to collect lodging charges to be used exclusively for tourism promotion. On that same date, the Spokane Valley Hotel Commission (Commission) was established.
On January 30th, 2023, the Commission held its first meeting, electing Grant Guinn as its Chair. It proceeded to purchase the VisitSpokaneValley.com domain for $10,000 along with seven other “Valley” specific domains that Visit Spokane owned. Requests for proposals have been sent out to develop a spring digital marketing campaign that will begin later this month and continue for 6-8 weeks. The campaign will use video streaming in the Seattle region, western Montana, and north into Canada. The goal is to promote the City as a great location to come, stay for a weekend, and enjoy all the City’s attractions.
The City’s Parks and Recreation Department presented an update on its 2023 recreation program offerings. The spring and summer seasons offer numerous programs and events to create affordable activities for youth and adults. Here’s a brief list of those programs:
• Arbor Day Celebration, Friday, April 28th, 10am- 2pm, CenterPlace West Lawn Plaza.
• Healthy Kids Day, Friday, June 9th, 5:30-7:30pm, Valley YMCA.
• Summer Park & Meal Program, June 20-August 10, Edgecliff, 11;00-11:30; Terrace View, 11:15-11:45; Valley Mission, 11:30-12:00.
• Summer Day Camp, June 20-August 25, Ages 6-12, Weekly Field trips, Registration begins April 3rd.
• Outdoor Movies at Mirabeau Meadows, Friday July 28th, Friday, August 11th; movies begin at sunset.
• Youth Sports; soccer, basketball, tennis volleyball, baseball, flag football, track & field, cheering.
• Sand Volleyball at Brown’s Park
• Western Dance, at Sullivan Park, 66th Annual Summer Square Dance Festival & Salmon BBQ, August 25-28.
• Radio Controlled Car Club of Spokane (RCCS). Located at Sullivan Park. Open to the public.
This is only a partial list of activities and events. Aquatics listings and events will be presented in May. For complete information please call 509-720-5200 or visit www.spokanevalley.org.
City Hall is open for business during normal business hours. City Council meetings are held in the Great Room at CenterPlace until further notice. The Public is invited to participate in action items or public comment periods in person or via ZOOM. Call 509- 720-5000 or www.spokanevalley.org prior to 4:00 p.m. for access instructions. Council meeting are broadcast on Comcast channel 14.
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The City Council holds more formal meetings the second and fourth Tuesday of each month and holds Study Sessions on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Agendas, minutes and background materials can be found on the City’s website: www.SpokaneValley.org by 5pm the Friday before each meeting.
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