CIVICS | Spokane City Council will talk renter protections, food delivery fee caps and more.
It’s the weekend after a holiday and we’re hoping you’re enjoying your 12th turkey sandwich. Because of the long weekend, we had to pre-write CIVICS in advance so our whole staff could enjoy their time off. Because of that, many of the agendas weren’t available when we were writing — but they may be by the time you read this. So, we’re giving you a little homework assignment: click the links and read through the agendas of the meetings we don’t have a rundown for and try your hand at parsing public meeting agendas.
We’re also keeping the items we do highlight short and sweet.
Spokane City Council
Housing incoming: In the consent agenda, there are Multiple Family Housing Property Tax Exemption Conditional Agreements for two incoming multi-unit properties. One is located in Hillyard on Lacey Street, adding 10 units, and the other is in the Logan neighborhood on E North Foothills Drive, adding 36 units. The exemption is meant to encourage building market-rate and affordable housing in different areas of Spokane.
Tenant & landlord protections: The council will have a first reading of an ordinance that would establish a program to provide some protections for tenants and landlords, including universal background and credit checks, proactive code enforcement, requiring business licenses for landlords, a residential rental property damage mitigation fund, legal services and relocation fund and anti-retaliation protections.
Food delivery fees: The council will also have the first reading of an ordinance that would cap fees for food delivery platforms, like DoorDash and UberEats, at 15% (with possible exemptions). According to the ordinance, these platforms can charge upwards of 30% of the price of an order, which impacts restaurant profits (and, uh, drivers too). Read more details on the ordinance in the agenda packet and see Daniel Walters’ rundown here.
The final budget countdown: The second-to-last budget hearing is Monday. The last opportunity to voice your thoughts on the city’s 2023 budget will be Dec. 5.
Agenda here.
Monday, Nov. 28 at 6 p.m.
Council Chambers in the Lower Level of City Hall.
808 W Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201
The meeting is also live streamed here.
Spokane Regional Health District Board
The big agenda: The board will discuss and vote on their draft 2023 legislative priorities that they want the state legislature to consider during next year’s session, which begins in January. See the draft here.
Emergency over: The county health officer is rescinding the emergency declarations made over the COVID-19 pandemic, aligning with the state department of health.
Agenda here
Thursday, Dec. 1 at 12:30 p.m.
Auditorium, First Floor
Spokane Regional Health District
1101 West College Avenue
Watch online here
Spokane County Board of Commissioners
Property taxes: The county commission is set to hold a public hearing on an ordinance that would increase county property tax revenue by 1%. The city of Spokane recently passed a 1% increase too. The county increase will give more money to the general fund, county road fund and Conservation Futures. The Conservation Futures program buys land from private holders in order to preserve (and in some cases, rehabilitate) natural spaces around the county. It’s responsible for some of Spokane’s best-loved natural areas, like Dishman Hills, Mica Peak & Beacon Hill.
ATV Ordinance: The commission will hold a public hearing on an ordinance that would allow all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) on public roads with a speed limit of 35 mph or less within unincorporated Spokane County. They will have to follow all licensing, permitting and safety regulations.
Agenda here
Tuesday, Nov. 29 at 2 p.m.
Public Works Building
1026 West Broadway Ave.
Watch it virtually here.
Spokane Housing Authority Board
SNAP & FSA: There’s not many details in the housing authority board’s agenda, but the two new business items are: a motion to support Spokane Neighborhood Action Partners (SNAP) to place 35 project-based vouchers at the Broadway Senior Housing Project. The second item is a resolution to approve and adopt an amended Flexible Spending Account Plan.
Agenda here
Monday, Nov. 28 at 3:30 p.m.
Offices of the SHA
25 W. Nora Ave., Spokane
In the large conference room
Public Infrastructure, Environment, and Sustainability Committee is scheduled to meet on Monday, Nov. 28 at 1:15 p.m. in the council chambers and is live streamed here. The agenda can be found here once posted.
Spokane Human Rights Commission meets at 5:30 on Thursday in the city council briefing room. The agenda has yet to be posted but when more details are available you can find them here.
