Last month on April 15th, the Council voted to fund some of the Use of Force recommendations that the Mayor had put forward in an emergency budget proposal. During that meeting, Council President Stuckart brought forward a proposal that would have included funding for 10 police officers in addition to the funding for Use of Force recommendations. Council members Stuckart, Waldref and myself voted in favor of the proposal because we all recognize that our Police Department’s human resources are stretched thin. Council members Salvatori, Allen, McLaughlin and Fagan voted against the proposal. You can read a quick recap of the vote here.

During Council testimony, I shared a story that I believe highlights precisely why we need more police on the streets. I wanted to share that video with you today in case you missed it:

Come Downtown this Saturday May 18th for Spokane’s 75th Annual Lilac Festival. This event draws thousands of people from all across the region to enjoy the festivities and parade. The Car Show and Cruise start at 10am. The Armed Forces Torchlight Parade starts at 7:45pm and is free to the public. I will see you down there.

Monday May 20th 11:30am – Building Stronger Neighborhoods Committee – Fire Station 4; 1515 W. 1st (just outside of Browne’s Addition).
Monday May 20th 11am – Planning, Community and Economic Development Committee – Council Briefing Center in the Lower Level of City Hall, 808 W Spokane Falls Blvd.
Monday May 20th 1:30pm – Public Safety Committee – Council Briefing Center in the Lower Level of City Hall.
Monday May 20th 6pm – City Council Legislative Meeting – Council Chambers in the Lower Level of City Hall.
Tuesday May 21st 7pm – Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council meeting – South Hill Senior Center 3151 E. 27th.
Thursday May 23rd 3:30pm – Council Study Session – Council Briefing Center in the Lower Level of City Hall.

At last nights Council meeting Spokane Fire Department Assistant Chief Brian Schaeffer gave the Council a presentation on the Fire Departments response to the recent house fire that destroyed a century old home on Nora Ave. I encourage people to watch the  below to hear about the kind of courage and bravery our Fire Department displays any time it responds to situations like these:

The people who lived in that house have been moved to a temporary place to stay with help from the Red Cross but could still use help. Read this Inlander article to see how you can help them today.

Our major action last night was to financially merge the Water and Wastewater Utility funds. This will allow the Water fund, which is smaller and has less capital needs than Wastewater, to be in a better position to borrow money. While I have concerns about the additional borrowing for Water, and I am still not convinced that our utility rate-setting strategy doesn’t unduly impact low-income ratepayers, I supported this action because Utility Director Rick Romero has done a good job at looking for ways to cut costs and make the department more efficient. Council passed this action 7-0.

In another unanimous action the Council voted to make a change in Spokane River access. Council President Stuckart and myself brought forward a change that will allow rafts and kayaks to access the Spokane River for take-out or put-in underneath the Division St. Bridge. Currently water craft must be out of the water before the east side drip line of the bridge. (No watercraft are allowed west of the bridge.) This change will be an improvement for Spokane River access. I was happy to bring this measure forward as just another way we can improve our citizen’s relationship with the river. If people don’t experience the river how can we convince them to protect it?

At my request the Council deferred a measure to lower business fees on sole proprietor businesses in the city, because this change has now been incorporated into an ordinance amendment that we will consider next Monday.

As a Council member, I always enjoy finding new ways to reach out to my constituents. One of those ways is what we call a mobile office. It is a way for me to go straight to my constituents and talk with them where they live instead of having to come down to City Hall.

I just held my first mobile office of the year and KXLY did a great article on it. Click here to read more.

There will be more mobile offices in the coming months and I encourage anyone in District 2 who can attend to do so. I look forward to hearing from you.

At last night’s Council meeting, Councilman Snyder read this Salutation he drafted and presented to Lt. Colonel Mark Kraby with the 92nd Operation Group to honor the three brave service members from Fairchild AFB who lost their lives in a tanker crash while on duty in Kyrgyzstan: Read the rest of this entry »

To be honest, after all the investigating and assertions and counter assertions I don’t know exactly how we got to this point. This is a bad situation however you look at it. In the past the Council has voted down settlements involving police personnel, specifically the case involving Officer Thoma and his alleged hit-and-run incident. But the City Council is always left with one question; what’s the best way forward? Should the City enter a protracted and expensive legal battle, or should we end things now and move on? The best option for the police department, and therefore the City, is to settle and move on. That’s why I voted unanimously with the rest of the Council to approve the settlement with former Assistant Chief Scott Stephens.

All of the Council’s actions last night were unanimous. We voted in a change to a property legal description that will enable the Public Facilities District to complete the Convention Center project. And we also approved the vacation of portions of Boone Avenue and Desmet Avenue for the benefit of Gonzaga University, which intends to create a pedestrian-oriented design that will expand the campus. This decision came after a public hearing where nearby homeowners were able to express their concerns regarding the change. The Council was able to connect these citizens with the appropriate City and University staff to address their issues. Isn’t that how public meetings are supposed to work? Doesn’t always happen that way, but it’s nice when it does.

“Project Hope: Stop the Bullying” awareness project featuring skits performed by students in the Ferris Theatre Arts Dept., benefiting local nonprofit S.M.I.L.E.S., started by the parents of a former Ferris student who committed suicide in response to bullying. May 3 at 7 pm. $5. Ferris High School, 3020 E. 37th Ave. (354-6076).

Monday May 6th 11am – Planning, Community & Economic Development Committee – Council Briefing Center in the Lower Level of City Hall, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.
Monday May 6th 6pm – Council Legislative Meeting – Council Chambers in the Lower Level of City Hall.
Tuesday May 7th 7pm – Cliff Cannon Neighborhood Council – Women’s Club, Basement, 1428 W. 9th Ave.
Tuesday May7th 7pm – Rockwood Neighborhood Council – Hutton Elementary, Cafeteria, 908 E. 24th.
Wednesday May 8th 2pm – Plan Commission – Council Chambers in the Lower Level of City Hall.
Wednesday May 8th 3pm – Finance Committee – 5th Floor Conference Room in City Hall.
Wednesday May 8th 6:30pm – Peaceful Valley Neighborhood Council – Peaceful Valley Community Center, 214 N Cedar.
Wednesday May 8th 7pm – Southgate Neighborhood Council – Esd 101, 4202 South Regal.
Wednesday May 8th 7pm – Latah/Hangman Neighborhood Council – Trading Compnay Store, 2nd Floor Breakroom, 4235 S. Cheney/Spokane Road.
Thursday May 9th 3:30pm – Council Study Session – Council Briefing Center in the Lower Level of City Hall.

When your City code is over 1500 pages there are going to missing pieces and outdated sections, especially when state laws are constantly changing. Every time a state law is changed we search the City code and try to make the necessary amendments. But sometimes we miss things. When state law regarding smoking was changed a few years back to prohibit smoking within 25 feet of building entrances City code was never alter such that police could enforce this law. Last night we corrected that problem with a unanimous vote. That doesn’t mean we are all of the sudden going to assign a bunch of police officers to smoking patrol. It just means Spokane Police will have a new enforcement tool should they need it. Our goal is to create the proper balance between the rights of smokers and non-smokers, especially in the downtown area.

Also last night we approved three new members of the Planning Commission (John Deitzman, Brian McClatchey and David Burnett) and a legal settlement regarding the actions of one of K-9 Police dogs. In addition we extended the temporary hearing period for the new changes we recently made to the Adult Business ordinance. This is a stop-gap measure necessary to meet legal requirements. We expect to make the Adult Business ordinance changes permanent in a few weeks. All actions passed unanimously.

If you’re looking to lend a helping hand while enjoying the lovely weather this weekend, look no further than Project Hope’ Work Day on Saturday April 27th from 10am to 3pm. They will be planting, digging, composting and mulching to get the urban farm plots ready to grow some good food. Project Hope Spokane creates opportunities for youth enrichment in Spokane’ West Central and Emerson-Garfield neighborhoods through community engagement, job training and education.

Monday April 29th 6pm – Council Legislative Meeting – Council Chambers in the Lower Level of City Hall, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.
Tuesday April 30th Open House, 5th Ave. Grind and Overlay – Lewis and Clark High School Library, 521 West 4th Avenue.
Wednesday May 1st 4pm – Community Assembly – Council Briefing Center in the Lower Level of City Hall.
Thursday May 2nd 3:30pm – Council Study Session – Council Briefing Center in the Lower Level of City Hall.