This meeting of the Spokane Valley City Council addressed an aggressive agenda containing business items that finalizes the City schedule for year-end completion. The meeting commenced with a public hearing on the proposed 2024 Budget. This was the third such public hearing and the 7th discussion point enroute to adoption.
 

The 2024 Budget’s recurring revenue estimate is $62,316,100 which is 10.45% ($5,897,200) greater than the 2023 budget. The recurring expenditure estimate of $57,976,579 is 7.83% ($4,210,099) more than the 2023 budget of $53,766,480. Estimated budgeted recurring revenues currently exceed recurring expenditures by $4,339,521 or 6.96% of recurring revenues. 
 

The full-time employee count will rise to 116.25, an increase of four employees. Three of those employees will be utilized in administering the Stormwater commitments authorized by Council earlier this year. The fourth will assume additional duties in the accounting department and our recording fee administration program.
 

Following the public hearing on Ordinance #23-021, which adopts the 2024 Budget, Council considered the ordinance and voted 6-1 (Woodard/no) to approve it. That completed the eight discussion points enroute to final adoption of the 2024 City Budget.

Since the last amendment to the City’s 2023 budget on May 30, 2023, a number of events have transpired necessitating a second 2023 Budget Amendment. Those changes resulted in revenue increases of $19,776,029 and expenditure increases of $17,132,199. 

A motion to advance Ordinance 23-020 to a Second Reading passed unanimously.
 

On October 24th, Council adopted Ordinance 23-018 creating a new chapter, 3.85 of the Spokane Valley Municipal Code, forming a Transportation Benefit District (TBD). The new chapter:

a. Establishes a TBD with the same boundaries as the City.

b. The TBD governing board would be City Council.

c. The City is granted all authority allowed under state law (RCW 36.73) to:

d. Identifies allowable uses for TBD funds.

e. Identifies when the TBD is dissolved.
 

The newly created TBD is a separate legal entity. The law allows the City to assume the rights, powers, functions, and obligations of the TBD. However, in order to do so, Council must adopt a resolution declaring its intention to consider assumption of the powers of the TBD and conduct a public hearing on the assumption of powers of the TBD. Then it must adopt an ordinance assuming the rights, powers, functions, and obligations of the TBD.
 

A public hearing on November 14th was immediately followed by the first reading of Proposed Ordinance No. 23-022 which allows Council to assume the TBD powers. The motion to adopt Ordinance 23-022 passed 6-1 (Padden/no). A complete copy of the ordinance can be found on the City website: www.spokanevalleywa.gov.
 

Since 2005, the YMCA has operated the City’s three outdoor pools. The current contract with the ‘Y’ expires December 31st. The City will be updating its 6-year Parks & Recreation Master Plan in 2024 and 2025 and desires to extend the current contract for another 4-year term starting January 1, 2024, with two consecutive 3-year renewals. Motion to authorize the City Manager to finalize and execute the agreement for Operations and Maintenance of Vallely Pool Facilities passed unanimously.
 

Clearview triangles deal with the visibility a motorist has when emerging from a street onto another residential street or arterial. If a clear view triangle doesn’t provide adequate sight lines to ensure safe access, then the situation is usually dealt with through the City Municipal Code. The City Planning Commission has considered one such weakness; that is alleyways. Based on a Planning Commission recommendation, staff advises the City Code be changed to adopt the commission’s proposed changes. Consensus was reached to bring forward an ordinance to accomplish that.
 

Within Urban Growth Areas (UGAs), it has been agreed in inter-municipality discussions that “Within UGAs, it is most appropriate that urban government services be provided by cites and towns.” The City of Spokane Valley provides public safety, street related services such as plowing, stormwater, and sweeping. The City has retained the services of BERK Consulting to assess the areas adjacent to the City that might be suitable for annexation. BERK has provided a map in preparation for a report for presentation at a future Council meeting. A final report and analysis are expected before the end of the year.
 

The next meeting will be on December 5th.
 

City Council meetings are held in the Great Room at CenterPlace until further notice. City Hall, however, is open for business during normal business hours. The Public is invited to Council meetings 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. 

Last Tuesday’s elections have significantly changed the makeup of the Spokane Valley City Council beginning January 2, 2024. What the ramifications of the change mean will be tested at the very first meeting on January 2nd. In the meantime, in the remaining five Council meetings in 2023, the agenda to finalize action on a variety of issues will be rapidly moving forward.
 

On October 24th, Council adopted Ordinance 23-018 creating a new chapter, 3.85 of the Spokane Valley Municipal Code, forming a Transportation Benefit District (TBD). The new chapter:

• Identifies when the TBD is dissolved.
 

The newly created TBD is a separate legal entity. The law allows the City to assume the rights, powers, functions, and obligations of the TBD. However, in order to do so, Council must adopt a resolution declaring its intention to consider assumption of the powers of the TBD and conduct a public hearing on the assumption of powers of the TBD. Then it must adopt an ordinance assuming the rights, powers, functions, and obligations of the TBD.
 

Resolution 12-012 set this meeting for the public hearing. The public hearing was immediately followed by the first reading of Proposed Ordinance No. 23-022 allowing the Council to assume the TBD powers. The motion to advance Ordinance 23-022 to a second reading passed 6-1 (Padden/no).   A complete copy of the ordinance can be found on the City website: www.spokanevalleywa.gov.
 

Reduction of nuisance properties is an issue that has prompted Council to deal with “junk vehicles” and parking on private property. The  issue has been the basis for several discussions and is once again up for consideration. In prior Council discussions, Council voiced concerns about definitions used to determine actionable offenses. That question is clarified by Ordinance 23-019 which defines the terms applying to the offensive action. “Chronic nuisance property,” “junk vehicle,” “nuisance/nuisance activities,” and “ongoing criminal activity” are all defined. The ordinance goes into much greater detail and can be found in its entirety at www.spokanevalleywa.gov. The motion to adopt Ordinance 23-019 passed unanimously.
 

The ongoing saga of change orders for the Barker Road/BNSF interchange with the Max J. Kuney Company has moved to approval of payment for Change Order Number 69 for $72,134.00. That brings the total of change order payments thus far to $2,076,184.63. The motion to approve Change Order Number 69 in the amount of $72,134.00 passed unanimously.
 

Having created a Transportation Benefit District, it now is incumbent upon its governing board (Council) to produce an acceptable method of funding. Since 2018, the City has reliably provided an annual average allocation of $8 million to the local street wear fee from available funds. Those funds, such as the telephone tax, have been in decline since its inception causing the need to increase the transfer of general operating funds to cover the increasing shortfall in road maintenance and preservation. Currently that transfer is just short of $5 million. 
 

Those transfers result in a reduction of available general funds for other priority purposes such as public safety, economic development, parks, homeless, and affordable housing services. The 2019-2020 Street Sustainability Committee suggested a TBD to address the problem with two suggestions for adequately funding the problem: 1) A vehicle license fee. Such a fee at the $20 level could raise an estimated $2.8 million and/or 2) A TBD sales tax. A 0.1% sales tax (based on 2022 sales tax collections) could produce an estimated $3,800,000. An attractive feature of this option is that approximately 48% of sales tax collections come from non-Valley residents. Council reached consensus for staff to create a plan for ascertaining the effect of a $20 tab fee.

In discussing the City’s 2024 Federal Legislative Agenda, the following Capital Projects are:

Accompanying the Capital Projects are the following Policy Statements: 

 

At its August 29th meeting, Council collected information about a partnership with Spokane County Behavioral Health and East Vallely School District for a student wellness program. Subsequently, the County opted to fully fund that program, releasing the City funds that had been identified as available if needed. Tonight’s discussion centered on other uses for those funds using an RFP (Request for Proposal) system for applications. The available funds are approximately $1,000,000.
 

Since 2005, the YMCA has operated the City’s three outdoor pools. The current contract with the ‘Y’ expires December 31st. The City will be updating its 6-year Parks & Recreation Master Plan in 2024 and 2025 and wants to extend the current contract for another 4-year term starting January 1, 2024, with minor revisions. Consensus was reached to proceed.
 

On October 26th, the City’s Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) met to receive proposals from applicants and make suggestions for allocations of lodging tax revenues collected for the purpose of promoting conventions and tourist travel to the City. In addition to the usual applications, this year the City of Spokane Valley applied for $4.4 million to help fund a proposed cross-country track. The allocations made were:

APPLICANT; Amount Requested; Amount Granted

Cody Productions; $10,000; $8,250

CNC Productions; $10,000; $7,000

Family Guide; $15,000; $12,000

JAKT—CRAVE; $60,000; $48,750

JAKT—Farmer’s Market; $ 20,000; $12,250

Northwest Winterfest; $45,000; $36,250

Spokane Conservation District; $101,860; $20,750

Spokane Fair & Expo Center; $75,000; $55,250

Spokane Valley Heritage Museum; $37,500; $26,125

Spokane Valley HUB; $147,000; $147,000

Spokane Valley Summer Theatre; $25,000; $25,000

Victory Media; $50,000; $38,750

Washington State Quilters-Spokane Chapter; $25,000; $17,500

WinterGlow Spectacular; $20,000; $3,750

City of Spokane Valley/Spokane Sports; $4,400,000; $4,400,000

 

City Council meetings are held in the Great Room at CenterPlace until further notice. City Hall, however, is open for business during normal business hours. The Public is invited to Council meetings 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.