Spokane Valley City Council Highlights June 2022

Your Connection to the Spokane Valley City Council

June 28, 2022

 
 
After a break in which several council members travelled to Vancouver, WA for the Association of Washington Cities summer convention, regular council sessions resumed with tonight’s formal session.
 
Ordinance 22-010 is a supplement to Ordinance 22-009 addressing unwanted parking on private property which has been a long-standing concern of Council. The ordinance presents language to amend the city code to focus on junk vehicles, vehicle parking/storage on private property, camping (homeless) on private property, and multifamily development parking. Council agreed on June 14th to advance Ordinance 22-010 to a Second Reading with the modifications listed below. 

Items covered are:
Junk/inoperable vehicle storage. Keep definition of junk vehicles, add definition of unlicensed vehicles, prohibit unlicensed vehicles. One junk/unlicensed vehicle may be kept behind a fence (out of sight).
Vehicle (including RV) parking and storage on private property. Limit parking/storage to permitted use, number of parked vehicles on private property (5 operable), one vessel (boat) on a licensed trailer, and no more than 1 RV. Exceptions are made for additional licensed drivers living at the property.
RV and tent camping on private property. (Allow RV for living purposes for up to 30 days with a valid temporary use permit, allow short term use of tents/similar set-ups for limited social purposes not to exceed 48 hours, four times per year.)
Multifamily residential parking issues will be addressed in future Council action.
 
After public comments and reservations from Council members, the motion to adopt Ordinance No. 22-010 in its present form was withdrawn to be revised and brought forward at a later date.
 
In a City initiated Code Text Amendment, CTA-2022-0001, the City will adopt permanent regulations to address transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, emergency housing, emergency shelters, and transitional parking. All of this is in conformance with legislation passed by the legislature last year that became fully effective at the end of September 2021. On July 20, 2021, the City adopted temporary Ordinance No. 21-009 establishing interim regulations to comply with state law. That Ordinance expires on July 20th, 2022.
 
The City’s Planning Commission held a public hearing followed with a recommendation to adopt CTA-22-0001 with modifications. Council, at its June 14th meeting modified the Planning Commission’s recommendations to: 
Allow recreational vehicles in Transitional Parking
Require lighting and security cameras in all parking areas
Require a minimum of five parking spaces, plus enough for all on duty facility staff in the residential zones, and require ten parking spaces plus enough for all facility staff on duty in non-residential zones 
Change the spacing requirement by 1) removing transitional housing from the spacing requirement, and 2) changing the spacing requirement for all other uses from ½ mile to up to one mile
Authorize the City Manager to approve emergency shelters for up to 30 days when public health and safety conditions exist with an extension allowed by Council Resolution. (changes italicized)
Motion to waive the rules and adopt Ordinance No. 22-011 passed unanimously.
 
The City employs a Hearing Examiner (HEX) to provide a hearing construct for permit applications that by code come before its Hearing Examiner. The new system also provides a means for appeal hearings for Code Enforcement decisions and permit decisions. There has been confusion about the duties, responsibilities, and authority of the City’s HEX which has prompted a staff review of its Hearing Examiner Rules of Procedure. 
A recommended change is to split the rules into two distinct types of hearings—
 
Project permit review, such as subdivision approval, and
Appeal hearings for permit appeals and Code Enforcement appeals. Other changes cover reporting, briefing, deadlines, clarification of Code and HEX rules, and rules for contact with HEX. 
The intent of these modifications is to make the system more ‘user friendly’ by:
Identifying how and when staff reports are provided and who may speak during appeal hearings
Clarifying deadlines
Clarifying HEX authority to take certain actions
Identifying and correcting inappropriate contact with HEX by parties involved.
Motion to suspend the rules and adopt Ordinance 22-012 passed unanimously.
 
Cameo Lofts, LLC, has requested vacation of a 20’ wide irregularly shaped alley that intersects the northside of Appleway Avenue. The property is approximately 800 feet west of the Appleway/Barker intersection. The 1610 square foot area to be vacated is unimproved. City code requires a public hearing before the Planning Commission. Resolution 22-013 sets July 28th as the date for that hearing. Motion to approve Resolution 22-013, setting July 28th as the public hearing date passed unanimously.
 
In a pedestrian improvement project planned for 2022, Council awarded the construction contract for the Wilbur Sidewalk Project between Boone and Mission to Northfork Enterprises, LLC. Their bid for actual construction was $715,813.50, 5% over the engineer’s estimate, but within acceptable budget limits. The total project cost, including design, right of way acquisition, and contingency is budgeted at $1,007,351. Funding is from a USDOT grant of more than $700,000 with the remainder from City funds. The motion to award the contract passed unanimously.
 
Lynn Kimball, Executive Director of Aging & Long-Term Care of Eastern Washington (ALTCEW), presented a summary of services provided by that organization as they pertain to Spokane Valley. ALTCEW’s vision is to provide home care services to support healthy living and aging at home. The organization serves Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille, Spokane, and Whitman Counties.
 
For complete information on senior services, caregivers, and medical services, call 509-960-7281 or visit ALTCEW’s website: www.altcew.org.
In a separate discussion, the limit for expenditures without approval by higher authority (department heads) is currently $1,000. With inflation running rampant, the limit for necessary goods, equipment and supplies is requested to be raised to $2,500. Council reached consensus to place the issue on a future agenda.
 
A Department of Commerce (Commerce) Request for Proposals for relocating the residents of “Camp Hope” on Washington State Department of Transportation land at 2nd Avenue and Ray Street in Spokane was handed to Council just before it convened. Commerce has made $24.3 million available for proposals, preferably by a consolidation of jurisdictions with a coordinated long-term plan for moving the Camp residents into housing of various types. The deadline for submission of proposals is July 21st. City staff continues to work with surrounding jurisdictions to fashion a County-wide plan.
 
City Hall is open for business during normal business hours. Masks are no longer required in the building. Council meetings begin at 6:00pm. 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.

June 21, 2022

 
 
 
Spokane Valley City Council met for its annual Budget Workshop at 8:30 am on Tuesday, June 14th. The by-word of this year’s workshop is CAUTION.
The City budget has two salient parts. Like any business, financial wellbeing depends on cash flow. In City parlance that is demonstrated by: 1) Recurring revenues and expenditures which are the normal sales and property tax collections, paired against the regular expenses of conducting City business, i.e., Public Safety, and 2) Non-recurring expenses such as capital projects like the acquisition of police vehicles or permanent park facilities. 
There are of course changes in the City’s recurring income and expenses from 2022 to 2023. Below is a brief comparison ($mm).

Revenue1 / 2022 Amended / 2023 Proposed
Property Tax   /   $13.200 / $13.601
Sales Tax2    /   $27.720    /   $30.555
Other3    /   $11.330    /   $12.247
Total    /   $52.250    /   $56.403  +7.95%
Expenditures4
Total    /   $49.103   /   $52.458
Surplus (deficit)    /   $3.147    /   $3.945  +6.83%

1. The Revenue is presented for the amended 2022 budget.
2. Sales tax is the aggregate of retail sales tax, public safety sales tax, and criminal justice sales tax.
3. Other is the aggregated total of all other City income sources.
4. Expenditures are presented as an aggregate. The City’s major expense is for Public Safety which will cost $29.626 million in 2022 (60% of expenditures) and is budgeted at $32.254 million for 2023 (61.5% of expenditures), an increase of $2.628 million.
 
Non-recurring revenues and expenses have recovered from the initial impact of COVID-19. However, the City’s finances face a new challenge: INFLATION. 
The City’s longstanding policy is to maintain a reserve balance of at least 50% of recurring expenses to avoid having to borrow money to fund cash flow needs. The City relies on outside grants for much of its capital project financing. Those grants usually do not pay the money up front. Instead, the City pays for the project and is then reimbursed by the granting agency. Reimbursement can take months to occur. Thus, the need for our own funds to forestall having to borrow to cover the time lapse in reimbursement. 
 
The proposed 2023 budget anticipates no grant funding assistance from any source, but it does plan for capital expenditures of $3.773 million generating a deficit of that same amount. That deficit will be covered from reserves accumulated to address such economic circumstances as they occur.
The stable financial condition highlights the consistency by City management of its revenues and the continuing commitment to fiscal responsibility. That commitment is reflected in the proposed 2023 budget. Moody’s bond rating service has awarded the City an Aa1 rating, an improvement over last year’s Aa2 rating, which was then the highest rating a city of our size could achieve.
 
These goals have been set by the City Manager for 2023:
• Maintain basic service levels with minimal resources to achieve success.
• Minimize personnel costs and overhead by continuing to contract for services when it makes financial sense to do so.
• Leverage City funds with grant opportunities.
• Minimize City debt with a pay as you go philosophy.
• Strive to prioritize spending in the annual budget process and minimize the mid-year addition of projects and appropriations.
 
The City’s strong fiscal condition has placed it in a solid position to deal with worsening national economic conditions. With the City now passing the 100,000-population figure, it is significant to note that the number of employees remains stable, and recur-ring expenditures increase by less than 7% (6.83%) in the face of rapidly increasing inflation rates.
 
The budget will be visited seven more times by Council, including three public hearings, before its final adoption on November 8th. 
The budget in its entirety can be seen at www.spokanevalley.org. 
 
Regular City Council meetings resume on Tuesday, June 28th. 
 
City Hall is open for business during normal business hours. Masks are no longer required in the building. Council meetings begin at 6:00pm. 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.

June 14, 2022

 
 
 
The first item of business on Spokane Valley City Council’s agenda was to hold a public hearing on the City’s Six-Year Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The TIP is a prioritized list of transportation projects intended to be implemented in the next six years addressing the City’s transportation needs. 
The City is required by state law to prepare and, after holding a public hearing, adopt a comprehensive transportation program for the ensuing six calendar years. This plan must be submitted to the Washington State Department of Transportation by June 30th of each year.
 
Federal and State funded projects often require matches of between 10% and 20%. Staff regularly reviews the projected Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) fund balances compared to the timing and execution of planned projects to ensure that sufficient funds are available to satisfy the City’s fiscal requirements for the planned projects.
 
Immediately following the public hearing, Council unanimously approved Resolution 22-010 adopting the 2023-2028 Six-Year TIP as presented.
With expanding population, the City is experiencing problems with parking. As a remedy, Council, after several discussions has settled upon Ordinance 22-009 to define and remedy those parking issues. Ordinance 22-009’s various sections cover:
• Establishment of City authority from the state to enact parking prohibitions
• Identifies Council authority to establish parking prohibitions
• Identifies parking areas and time violations subject to fines or impoundment; that period of time is 24 hours
• Establishes definition of ‘junk’ vehicle and prohibitions for parking ‘junk’ vehicles on public rights-of-way and prohibits any vehicle with an expired registration (over 45 days) from parking on public right-of-way. And prohibits vehicle parking within 15 feet of a US Postal Service mailbox
• Establishes a daily $50 fine for violation of the City Code established under Ordinance 22-009 Council intends SCOPE to be the enforcing agent under this ordinance.
 
Ordinance 22-010, is a supplement to Ordinance 22-009, addressing unwanted parking on private property, which has been a long-standing concern of Council. The ordinance presents language to amend the city code to focus on junk vehicles, vehicle parking/storage on private property, camping (homeless) on private property, and multifamily development parking. Items covered are:
 
• Junk/inoperable vehicle storage. Keep definition   of junk vehicles, add definition of unlicensed  vehicle, prohibit unlicensed vehicles
•Vehicle (including RV) parking and storage on private property. Limit parking/storage to permitted use, number of parked vehicles on private property 
(5, but no more than 1 RV)
• RV and tent camping on private property. (Allow RV for living purposes with valid temporary use permit, allow short term use of tents/similar set-ups 
for limited social purposes)
• Multifamily parking issues. (Addressed in future Council action)

The motion to adopt Ordinance No. 22-010 passed 5-2.
 
The past discussions on flashing beacons at school zones has produced additions to the existing list of beacons which Council wishes to install:
• Tschirley from Sprague to Main
• Main from 300 feet west of Tschirley to Tschirley
• Corbin from Appleway to 200 feet north of Cowley
• Ella from Broadway to Desmet
• 4th Ave. from 300 feet west of Long Road to 100 feet east of Moen

Five other school zones were identified for removal from the list to comply with existing state law. A further review of the City speed limit schedule resulted in the following additions:
• Progress Rd. from Wellesley to Crown; reduce from 35mph to 25 mph
• Barker Rd. from Euclid to Trent; reduce from 40 mph to 35mph
• Indiana Ave. from I-90 ramp to Indiana Parkway; reduce from 35 to 30 mph

The motion to approve Resolution #22-011, repealing and replacing Resolution #18-006, passed unanimously.
On March 29th, 2022, Ordinance 22-005 adopted the South Barker Corridor Transportation Impact Fee (TIF). City regulations require that TIFs be applied in accordance with the most current edition of the Institute of Transportation Engineers Trip Generation Manual. 
 
TIFs allow assessment and collection of impact fees consistent with the City’s Street Standards which address changes brought about by new development. However, the South Barker Corridor provides a significant part of the transportation system that routes traffic from Liberty Lake and sections of Spokane County south of Spokane Valley to I-90 and points north as well as east and west. The table below defines the per trip impact of participation by the jurisdictions.
 
TIF Impact Fee   / Area Cost per Trip
City of Spokane Valley / $1,153 per trip
City of Liberty Lake / $657 per trip
Spokane County / $3,859 per trip
 
Resolution #22-012 adopts the Transportation Impact Fee Rate Study for Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, and Spokane County. It sets forth the Cost Per Trip by Segment Analysis to provide a reference to identify traffic impacts and resultant mitigation for added traffic impacts related to developments in adjacent jurisdictions. Motion to approve Resolution 22-012 passed unanimously.
 
The City has had a series of lease agreements with Splashdown since 2009. Lately, with the effect of COVID and vandalism problems, the owners have asked for a modification of the existing lease to allow them time to possibly sell the business. Council agreed to amend the existing agreement allowing Splashdown to not open for 2022, waiving the lease payments, and would also waive the requirement for premises liability insurance for 2022. Motion to approve the lease amendment passed unanimously.
 
In a City initiated Code Text Amendment, CTA-2022-0001, the City would adopt permanent regulations to address transitional housing, permanent supportive housing, emergency housing, emergency shelters, and transitional parking. All of this is in conformance with legislation passed by the legislature last year that became fully effective at the end of September 2021. 
 
The City’s Planning Commission has deliberated and held a public hearing with recommending adoption of CTA-22-0001 with the following modifications:
1. Allow recreational vehicles in Transitional Parking
2. Require lighting and security cameras in all parking areas
3. Require a minimum of five parking spaces, plus enough for all on duty facility staff in the residential zones, and require ten parking spaces plus enough 
for all facility staff on duty in non-residential zones 
4. Reduce the minimum distance between facilities from one mile to ½ mile

Council reached consensus to place CTA-22-0001 on a future agenda for a first reading.

The schedule for Council meetings over the next two weeks is: 
• June 21st: Regular Council Meeting Cancelled
• June 28th: Regular Council Meetings resume

City Hall is open for business during normal business hours. Masks are no longer required in the building. Council meetings begin at 6:00pm. 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.
 

June 7, 2022

 
 
The June 7th Spokane Valley City Council Study Session led off with Council’s unanimous approval of the Mayoral re-appointment of Tom Hormel to the Spokane county Housing and Community Development Advisory Committee for a three-year term pending official appointment by the Board of County Commissioners. 
 
In the quest to find equitable allocation of ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds by the City, Habitat for Humanity’s CEO, Michelle Giradot and COO Eric Lyons, presented Habitat’s business plan. That plan includes construction of new single family, duplex, triplex, and multi-family housing. They also rehabilitate single family homes and duplexes. Habitat has served over 400 families, 25 of those over the last 7 months. Volunteers build the homes which can be built and sold for between $190K-$290K.
 
The City’s Six-Year Transportation Plan (TIP) draft is composed of transportation projects intended to be implemented in the next six years to address Spokane Valley’s anticipated transportation needs. State law requires the City to prepare the TIP, then hold a public hearing prior to its adoption. That public hearing is scheduled for June 14th.
 
A briefing on the outlook for the City parks aquatic program highlighted the problems confronting the summer program slated to launch on June 18th. While the health department’s restrictions have been removed, the lack of lifeguards and swim instructors will be an impairment to the program’s running beyond a 30% of pre-pandemic level. That translates into each facility being limited and only one of the City’s pools being available for the daily open public swim. This will apply to the Park Road, Terrace View, and Valley Mission pools. 
 
On March 29th, 2022, Ordinance 22-005 adopted the South Barker Corridor, Mirabeau, and North Pines Road Sub-Areas Transportation Impact Fee (TIF) Rate Studies as reported to Council on March 22nd. City regulations require that TIFs be applied in accordance with the most current edition of the Institute of Transportation Engineers Trip Generation Manual. The latest (11th Edition) rate changes:

TIF Impact Fee Area / 10th Edition Schedule   /  11th Edition Schedule
South Barker Corridor / $1,272 per trip  /   $1,153 per trip
Mirabeau Subarea / $716 per trip / $698 per trip
North Pines Rd. Subarea / $2,816 per trip  /   $2,195 per trip
TIFs allow assessment and collection of impact fees consistent with the City’s Street Standards which address changes brought about by development. However, the South Barker Corridor provides a significant part of the transportation system that routes traffic from Liberty Lake and the County south of Spokane Valley to I-90 and points north as well as east and west. Thus, the table below defines the percentage participation of the jurisdictions. 

Segment of Barker Road / Spokane Valley  /   Liberty Lake / Spokane County  /   Other / Total
North of I-90 / 26% / 18%  /   4% / 52% / 100%
I-90 to Appleway Avenue  /   19% / 16% / 17% / 48%  /   100%
South of Appleway Avenue / 18% / 2% / 35% / 45% / 100% 
*Percentages in the ‘Other’ column are from area impact fees.
The study upon which the above table was compiled was conducted by Fehr & Peers in 2018 and was presented to both Liberty Lake and Spokane County. It is the basis for ongoing discussions.
 
The past discussions on flashing beacons at school zones has produced additions to the existing list of beacons:
• Tschirley from Sprague to Main
• Main from 300 feet west of Tschirley to Tschirley
• Corbin from Appleway to 200 feet north of  Cowley
• Ella from Broadway to Desmet
• 4th Ave. from 300 feet west of Long Road to 100 feet east of Moen Five other school zones were identified for removal from the list to comply with existing state law. A further review of the speed limit schedule resulted in the following additions:
• Progress Rd. from Wellesley to Crown; reduce from  35mph to 25 mph
• Barker Rd. from Euclid to Trent; reduce from 40mph to 35mph
• Indiana Ave. from I-90 ramp to Indiana Parkway; reduce from 35 to 30 mph
 
Council reached consensus for staff to return with a resolution to amend the Master Speed Limit Schedule with the proposed changes.
Council, at a recent meeting, heard a complaint regarding compression brakes (jake brakes) in residential areas. In checking with adjacent jurisdictions, only Spokane County has prohibitions on compression brakes in certain circumstances. No action was taken.
 
The interlocal agreement under which the Sheriff’s Department provides Law Enforcement Services for the City of Spokane Valley is impacted by a recent collective bargaining agreement with the County’s deputies, captains, and lieutenants. The City’s budgeted amount for Law Enforcement in 2023 is $26,918,661. The estimated impact of the new collective bargaining agreement on the City’s Budget is--Year 1, (2022) $524,280; Year 2, (2023) $1,046,136; Year 3, (2024) $1,419,525.
 
The City has had a series of lease agreements with Splashdown City 2009. Lately, with the effect of COVID and other problems such as vandalism, the owners have asked for a modification of the existing lease to allow them time to possibly sell the business. Council reached consensus to place the issue on a future agenda for consideration.
 
The City employs a Hearing Examiner (HEX) to provide a hearing construct for permit applications that by code come before the HEX. The system also provides a means for appeal hearings for Code Enforcement decisions and permit appeals.
 
There is confusion about the duties, responsibilities, and authority of the City’s HEX which has prompted a staff review of the Hearing Examiner Rules of Procedure. A primary recommended change is to split the rules into two distinct types of hearings--1) Project permit review, such as subdivision approval, and 2) Appeal hearings for permit appeals and Code Enforcement appeals. Other changes cover reporting, briefing, deadlines, clarification of Code and HEX rules, and rules for contact with HEX. Council reached consensus on placing a draft of the amendments on a future agenda.

The schedule for Council meetings over the next three weeks is rather convoluted due to budget meetings and conventions. 
• June 14th: Budget Workshop, starting at 8:30am, ending 2:30pm
• June 14th: Council Meeting, starting at 4:00pm (not the usual 6:00pm)
• June 21st: Regular Council Meeting Cancelled
• June 28th: Regular Council Meetings resume

City Hall is open for business during normal business hours. Masks are no longer required in the building. Council meetings begin at 6:00pm. 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.
 

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.

Contact City of Spokane Valley:

10210 E. Sprague Ave.
509-921-1000
www.SpokaneValley.org