Fluoride, fishes and bike parking wishes

Dec 24, 2023

Welcome to CIVICS, where we break down what's happening at municipal meetings in and around Spokane this week.

The study of what it would cost to fluoridate Spokane's water system is now complete, and was released Monday for a 14-day comment period. Read the study here.

The PIES committee will discuss a draft resolution for the Spokane City Council to pass that would declare the study complete and promise to use it for upcoming public discussions. That resolution is set to be presented to the council on June 12 and voted on June 26. During the June 15 council study session, the study consultant will be answering questions from the council.

Spokane voters have rejected the fluoridation of Spokane's water three times in the past, so this process has triggered some backlash. Read more about the controversy here.

Each year, the city council adopts a work program to steer the Plan Commission in policy and planning issues and sometimes they need to make revisions to that program as new things come up. The city is planning to add two new items to the program for 2023: the review and feedback on General Facilities Charges (GFCs) and a code revision to allow fish hatcheries within the city.

We’ve already talked a lot about GFCs and the various changes to them, but the more interesting item here is the fish hatcheries. According to the resolution that would make these changes to the work program, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe wants to establish a fish hatchery to support the reintroduction of native anadromous (migrating) fish in the Spokane River and Latah Creek. The city council already adopted a resolution in February to support this project, but the city's Shoreline Master Program does not specifically allow fish hatcheries. So, the tribe is asking for the Shoreline Master Program to be clarified for this purpose. The resolution the PIES Committee will be discussing would instruct the Plan Commission to make an amendment to the shoreline program to support the fish work. Read more about local tribal efforts to reintroduce fish to the river here.

Spokane was awarded $6.7 million in the settlement of a nationwide class action lawsuit against Monsanto for Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the city's stormwater system. PCBs were often used as coolants and lubricants in electrical equipment because they don't burn easily and are good insulators. The US stopped manufacturing PCBs in 1977 because they build up in the environment and cause harm to people's health.

The funds will go to removing PCBs from the Spokane River, with specific emphasis on the Cochran Basin Treatment Facility, which cleans stormwater runoff before dumping it back into the river. This is about one-quarter of the total cost of the project, which currently sits at more than $25 million.

Agenda here.Monday, May 22 at 1:15 p.m.Council Chambers in the Lower Level of City Hall.808 W Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201The meeting is also live streamed.

The Spokane City Council will have the first reading of an ordinance that would require minimum short and long-term bicycle parking spaces for businesses. These minimums would change based on the area's zoning and a building's square footage. The ordinance would set design standards for bike racks, require racks to be within 50 feet of the business main entrance and more. It also lays out which businesses do not have to have bicycle parking, such as drive-thru espresso huts. See the whole ordinance starting on page 175 here.

The ordinance follows what Spokane's 2017 Bicycle Master Plan and Comprehensive Plan lays out. City officials have been working on this change for months and held public hearings in March and April.

The city council will consider an amendment that would give developers of Beacon Hill an additional three years to complete the work of building 2,000 housing units. The project was originally approved in 2011 and this is the second extension. In 2018, the council approved an extension until September 2023. Back in 2021, the Spokane Journal of Business reported that the COVID-19 pandemic and delays in infrastructure construction slowed the massive project.

(We just wanted to make a pun.) The city council is set to confirm the appointment of Jon "Scott" Jordan as the city's Risk Manager. This position is responsible for basically minimizing the city's chances of getting sued.

Agenda hereMonday, May 22 at 6 p.m.Council Chambers in the Lower Level of City Hall.808 W Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201The meeting is also live streamed here

🐝 Bee honest: would you know about even a quarter of this stuff going on in our community had you not read it here? If you want to support this work, become a member starting at $10/month, up your membership, or send us a one-time tip.

The Spokane Housing Authority has a bunch of draft plans they want public input on. The first is the Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Action Plan, which is required by the federal government. The program started as two pilot projects in the 80s known as "Project Self-Sufficiency" and "Operation Bootstrap" (yes, seriously) to help people getting housing assistance move toward self-sufficiency. Read the draft plan here.

The SHA is also looking for public input on the revised 2023 Public Housing Authority (PHA) Annual Plan, which is a basic overview of what the SHA is supposed to be doing and what it's trying to do. Read it here.

The last plan to review is revisions to the Housing Choice Voucher Administrative Plan, which is basically a big overview of the entire program. Read it here.

Agenda hereMonday, May 22 at 3:30 p.m.Offices of the SHA25 W. Nora Ave., SpokaneIn the large conference room

The county commissioners are set to approve an agreement for the Spokane County Sheriff's Office to provide law enforcement services to the city of Deer Park through the end of 2026. Deer Park will be paying $300,000 per full-time officer provided and the contract is set to automatically renew every five years, unless they terminate.

According to KHQ, back in April, Deer Park was considering creating its own police department over the next three to five years because they want more law enforcement coverage. They were paying about $700,000 per year for two deputies. The new contract says the city will get four dedicated full-time patrol officers: two in the day and two at night, but will start with three until staffing levels improve.

The county commissioners are also set to approve the 2023 Annual Action Plan, which is the plan that lays out how the county will be spending funding from three federal grants: Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partners Program (HOME), Emergency Solution Grant Program (ESG).

You can see the full breakdown here, but some highlights include funding for local food banks, money to help housing non-profits get property and funding for housing projects.

Agenda hereTuesday, May 23 at 2 p.m.Public Works Building1116 W Broadway, Spokane, WACommissioner's Conference Room, First Floor

The Plan Commission is set to review the city's six-year Comprehensive Street Program, a plan the city has to maintain in order to qualify for grants and low-interest loans. This program lays out the city's next six years of transportation projects. New projects include the Latah Bridge Rehabilitation, Maxwell Avenue Pedestrian-Bike Safety and streetlights for pedestrian crossings on arterials. The Plan Commission is supposed to make sure the program is consistent with the city's big Comprehensive Plan and makes recommendations to the city council.

Agenda hereWednesday, May 24 at 2 p.m.Public Works Building1026 W Broadway, Spokane, WACommissioner's Hearing Room, Lower Level

The Spokane School District board is going to get an update on the district's mental health and substance abuse services. District Health Director Rebecca Doughty will be giving an overview of the program and recommendations for what the district can do to make it better. Some of the recommendations include increasing staffing for behavioral health, therapists and substance use disorder professionals, forming a workforce mental health committee and increasing education earlier around substance use.

The school board is also getting a first reading of proposed policy changes related to students in special education. It appears most of the changes were made to align with the Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA) model policy. An example of the changes is adding language saying that isolation is prohibited for students in special education. See more here.

Agenda hereWednesday, May 24 at 7 p.m.Boardroom, SPS Administration Building200 N. BernardWatch virtually here.

Agenda hereMonday, May 22 at 6 p.m.Union Event Center12509 N. Market St. Bldg. D, Mead, WA 99021Watch via Zoom here.

Agenda hereMonday, May 22 at 6:30 p.m.Learning and Teaching Center (district office)Board Room at 2218 N Molter Rd, Liberty LakeWatch via Zoom here.

Agenda hereThursday, May 25 at 12:30 p.m.Auditorium, First FloorSpokane Regional Health District1101 West College Avenue