Spokane’s Parkade parking garage may make history

Welcome to CIVICS, where we break down the week’s municipal meetings throughout the Inland Northwest, so you can get involved and speak out about the issues you care about.  

It’s Election Week! Make sure you turn your ballot in! Some things that stick out to us this week include: 

• RANGE is holding our first training for Spokane Documenters on Wednesday. Join us so you can get paid to attend and cover local meetings!
• Can parking garages be historic landmarks? What about parking garages with cool architecture? Spokane City Council will vote on whether the Parkade should be on the Spokane Historic Landmarks Register. 
• $$$ going to gas masks for cops and it’s unclear if police will be able to enforce Prop 1 if it passes.
• MAKE SURE YOU VOTE

Important meetings this week:

• Spokane City Council (and Study Session)
• Public Safety & Community Health Committee
• Board of County Commissioners – Briefing Session and Regular Session
• Liberty Lake City Council
• Spokane Valley City Council Special Session
• Community, Housing, and Human Services Board
• Spokane Park Board
• Spokane Regional Transportation Council

Hey there! Have you voted?

Election Day is tomorrow and we just wanted to remind you: part of loving Spokane and wanting to make it better is voting in local elections! Ballots are due tomorrow and can be returned at any of the ballot box locations in the city, or sent via mail. More info on how to return your ballot here.

Read up on how private wealth is fueling Spokane politics, how to spot an ad paid for by special interest groups and what you need to know about Prop 1 and Measure 1.

Deadline to vote: Tuesday, November 7 at 8 pm

Spokane Documenters, coming soon to a public meeting near you

RANGE Media is putting as many eyes and ears in as many public meetings in Spokane County and the Inland Northwest as possible by training and paying engaged citizens to attend and report on public meetings across our region — and you can be part of it. Big things are constantly happening at public meetings, often buried deep in 350-page agendas or hinted at in one sentence line items with little additional context. These are consequential decisions that shape our institutions and impact our daily lives. We love the Inland Northwest and want to make it better. That means sharing vital information from these meetings with more of our community and holding decision-makers accountable.

By becoming a Documenter, you’ll be the eyes and ears in all the public rooms where decisions are made. And you’ll get paid to attend the meetings that interest you and take notes that get published online. We’re holding our very first training this Wednesday, which will introduce you to the Spokane Documenters program, starting with a walkthrough of Documenters.org and our assignment workflow. You’ll practice skills relevant to assignments, learn about public meetings law and meet fellow Documenters. Upon completion of this workshop, you’ll be eligible to apply for paid assignments with the Spokane Documenters program. And if you can’t make this one, don’t worry! We have an in-person training event coming up on Saturday, December 2nd at the Central Public Library.

Make a Documenters account and register here!
Wednesday, November 8 from 6 – 8 pm
Virtual
Please be sure to register for free prior to the event.

We interrupt this program with a message from our sponsor!
🍺 Golden Handle is an inclusive, worker-owned brewery. We donate $1 of every house pint to a local Spokane organization — all day, every day. November donations now support Odyssey Youth Movement to after recent bouts of vandalism, so bring some friends and support an important cause. 

Spokane City Council

Officially historic … parking lots?

Council members Jonathan Bingle and Michael Cathcart sponsored an agenda item for council to review the Parkade Parking Garage’s qualifications to be put on the Spokane Register of Historic Places. To qualify for the register, a property must be more than 50 years old and have “significant character, interest or value as part of the development heritage or cultural characteristics of the city, county, state or nation,” according to city code. 

The Spokane Historic Landmarks Commission reviewed the property, and found that it met the necessary criteria, stating in its recommendation to the council, “The Parkade was constructed in a period of change and challenge to Spokane and other downtowns in the United States. In the post-WWII boom, the central city was under siege as residents moved to the outlying suburbs and growth of the suburban shopping center and malls began. The Parkade and its related developments sought to reverse the trend of suburban flight and revitalize downtown.” The Parkade resides near what used to be called Trent Alley, and sits atop a former small theater district (see editor’s note below), until its destruction to facilitate construction as part of “urban renewal” preparation for Expo ‘74. You can find photos of the businesses that used to be located there here.

The Commission also listed the Parkade’s architectural significance as a second reason for nomination. The architect of the building was Warren Cummings Heylman, who received numerous awards for his “playful forms,” including an award for the Parkade from the Concrete Institute.

If city council votes to approve the contract item, the Parkade, which also houses Entropy, would become eligible to apply for property tax abatement, facade improvement grants, special code considerations and a Spokane Register historical plaque. This agenda item has already seen some debate on Twitter from folks concerned about what they see as a parking lot that already makes plenty of money from the people of Spokane receiving taxpayer dollars to fund its operations. The Landmarks Commission has also made RANGE news for the mayor’s veto and subsequent shifting of responsibility of efforts to remove the Monaghan statue from the Human Rights Commission to the Landmarks Commission, and the delicate balance between historical preservation and housing needs in the Cannon neighborhood.

New clinic in Hillyard

The Northeast Community Center (NECC) is making moves for the development of a new clinic on their property. The goal of the clinic is to increase accessibility to mental health care in the neighborhood, and it’s being developed through a partnership between the NECC, the Department of Commerce and Multicare Health Systems. It’s appearing on the agenda tonight because the NECC is seeking to extend its current lease of the former Hillyard Library Building from 2032 until the end of 2038 to meet the requirements to receive Department of Commerce loans. 

Interim extension Missing Middle housing ordinance

In July of 2022, the City Council passed an interim ordinance to expand middle housing options. The interim ordinance was expanded to expire December 18, 2023, but now certain sections could see a second extension, while other sections could be repealed. The sections of code on the table to be cut include low-intensity residential development standards, density requirements and low-intensity residential design standards. The center and corridor development standards portion of the ordinance is up for extension while city council awaits the results of the ongoing Center and Corridor Study.

Reappointment to the Spokane Human Rights Commission 

The council will first vote to suspend the rules and then, if that passes, vote to reappoint Livia Koh to another year long term as the youth representative on the Spokane Human Rights Commission. If reappointed, Koh, a poet who also sits on the Chase Youth Commission would serve until August 2024. 

Agenda here
Monday, November 6 at 6 pm
City Council Chambers – Lower Level of City Hall 
808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.
The meeting is also live streamed here. 

Spokane City Council Study Sessions

Agenda here when available.
Thursday, November 9 at 11 am
City Council Chambers – Lower Level of City Hall 
808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.
The meeting is also live streamed here.

Public Safety & Community Health Committee

More internet access coming soon

The city is in the process of refining its broadband master plan for 2024 through 2028, Lilac City Connect, which has been in the works since research began in February. In July, Spokane City Council adopted an ordinance laying out the goals of the master plan which include establishing equitable access to broadband and improving digital infrastructure. The Public Safety & Community Health Committee will vote to approve Lilac City Connect on November 13, but today will hold the first reading and discussion of the plan. 

Will Prop 1 even matter? 

Spokane Police Chief Craig Meidl is set to give an update on the police department at the committee meeting, and while there’s no additional information in the packet other than: “Craig Requested Topics: Update on Behavioral Health Unit, 2023 Crime Trends in Spokane, Prop 1 Enforcement (if successfully passed),” we’re going to take a guess on that last item that it has to do with this report from KXLY, where Miedl says that while officers would be able to enforce new anti-camping laws, there aren’t enough officers to do it. 

In the October 26 City Council Study Session, head of code enforcement, Luis Garcia said that there are more than 200 calls about homeless encampments in the queue on any given day and about 30 new complaints each day, but the homeless outreach team can only get to about 10 per day. The calls for service for an unhoused person will go into the same queue as any other crime, potentially driving up response times for both. 

Got gas masks for police

On the consent agenda of the public safety committee meeting, city council members are set to approve the purchase of new gas masks for all Spokane police personnel at the rank of sergeant and below. 

The masks have to be individually fit for each person and the total cost will be $250,000, coming from a combination of Department of Justice grant funds and SPD Capital funds, according to the agenda sheet. 

The agenda sheet also says the masks are needed for any time officers may encounter a chemical agent. In the past, officers have used the masks when they “encountered powdered fentanyl on search warrants and when we have deployed chemical agents while taking suspects into custody,” but specify that these masks are needed because of the coming election year that “has the potential be tense and tumultuous possibly requiring the use of the masks,” reinforcing activists’ fears of heavy-handed police response to any possible civil unrest. 

Agenda here 
Monday, November 6 at 1:15 pm
Council Chambers in the Lower Level of City Hall.
808 W Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201
The meeting is also live streamed here.

Board of Spokane County Commissioners Briefing Session

The BOCC squeeze a lot of important items into their 9 am briefing session, and thanks to a regular reader’s input (at our Office Hours that you should totally come to next time!), we’re going to start giving you a heads up on what’s going on at these too. Meeting topics on this week’s agenda sheet include, among other things: 

• Accepting the Center for Children & Youth Justice Safe Babies Court Team Award and WA Administrative Office of the Courts Lactation Pod Award
• An update on the 2023 Spokane Fair
• A briefing from the community services department on House Bill 1688
• Detention services public safety testing agreement for corrections officers applicants
• Spokane Regional Emergency Communications leasing a portion of property at the Small Arms Range
• A series of public works agreements and code amendments
• A discussion with the county’s lobbyist on 2024 legislative priorities

Agenda here 
Tuesday, November 7 at 9 am
Public Works Building Lower Level, Commissioners’ Hearing Room
1026 W. Broadway Ave, Spokane, WA 99260
The meeting is also live streamed here.

Board of Spokane County Commissioners Legislative Session

Relief assistance for Oregon and Gray Road fires

Even though the news cycle has moved on, disaster relief efforts for the Oregon and Gray Road fires this past August still continue. Commissioners will vote on using an award of $897,748.57 from the Washington Military Department in order to contract with The Salvation Army for disaster case management services. Case management services will help those displaced from their homes due to the Oregon and Gray Road fires. The contract would cover the period October of this year to June of 2025.

Plenty of public hearings

BOCC will be holding several public hearings over the next two months on a variety of topics. On November 28 at their 2 pm meeting, there will be public hearings about increasing tax revenue in 2024 and increasing service charges for stormwater management. A public hearing is scheduled for December 4 at 9 am regarding the 2024 Spokane County Budget and updates to Spokane County’s Comprehensive plan. The final public hearing listed in this week’s agenda will be about the Newman Lake Flood Control Zone District and will be held on December 12 at 2 pm.

Agenda here 
Tuesday, November 8 at 2 pm
Public Works Building Lower Level, Commissioners’ Hearing Room
1026 W. Broadway Ave, Spokane, WA 99260
The meeting is also live streamed here.

Liberty Lake City Council

What do Liberty Lakers value?

Liberty Lake’s strategic plan expires this year after first being implemented in 2019. The city council is looking to adopt a new strategic plan for the next five year period spanning 2024 to 2028. Based on a community survey and collaboration with various city staff, a draft for the new plan lays out broad goals and values for the city to uphold. Five priorities for the city stated in the plan are: quality of life and connectedness, public safety and well being, economic vitality and opportunity, planned growth and infrastructure and public service excellence. 

New street sweeper

Liberty Lake’s department of Streets & Public Works is asking city council to buy a street sweeper for periodic curb cleaning and cleanup after car accidents. Previously, Liberty Lake has relied on contractors for street cleaning. With the $218,970 purchase of a Tymco Street Sweeper, the city wouldn’t need to use contractors as often.  

Agenda here 
Wednesday, November 8 at 6 pm
Council Chambers in the Lower Level of City Hall.
22710 E Country Vista Dr, Liberty Lake, WA 99019
The meeting is also live streamed here.

Spokane Valley City Council Special Meeting

The regular meeting of the Spokane City Council on Tuesday is canceled, but they are having a special meeting Monday afternoon. The only item on the agenda is a non-action item regarding a law enforcement staffing study. 

The council asked for this report in 2022 when they renewed their 5-year contract with Spokane County for providing law enforcement services to make sure the staffing for law enforcement was appropriate for the population and number of calls. The contract has 91 dedicated Spokane Valley officers and 37 commissioned officers that are shared between Spokane Valley and Spokane County. Police department staff will be presenting the recommendations from the report at a later meeting, but you can read the recommendations and full report here. 

Agenda here
Monday, November 6 at 1 pm
CenterPlace Great Room
2426 N Discovery Place, Spokane Valley, WA 99216
Virtual attendance here.

Community, Housing, and Human Services Board

Agenda here when available
Wednesday, November 8 at 4 pm
City Council Briefing Chambers
808 W Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201
Virtual attendance link included on their agenda when available.

Park Board

Agenda here when available
Thursday, November 9 at 3:30 pm
Council Chambers in the Lower Level of City Hall.
808 W Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201
The meeting is also live streamed via WebEx, 
Call in: 408-418-9388 Access code: 2491 764 3350

Spokane Regional Transportation Council

Agenda here 
Thursday, November 9 at 1 pm
Spokane Regional Transportation Office
21 W Riverside Ave, Suite 504, Spokane, WA 99201
The meeting is also live streamed here.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the Parkade garage was built in place of paved over historical Asian businesses and Spokane’s former Chinatown. The Asian business district was actually across the street and replaced with other parking lots while the Parkade was built atop a theater district. We regret the error.