With only two items on its agenda for consideration, Council’s meeting promised to be brief.  That turned out not to be the case.  

On May 1, 2019 the owners of a property submitted a street vacation application to vacate the northwest corner of Broadway Avenue and Thierman Road. The situation is complicated by a transfer of unused right of way (ROW) from Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to Spokane County in 1985. The City of Spokane Valley acquired that ROW upon its incorporation in 2003. In April 2016 a utility easement was granted to the City and WSDOT to cover the traffic signal system equipment on the corner of Broadway and Thierman.

The property owners have requested the street vacation since the proposed vacated area is improved with pavement and maintained by businesses currently using the area. The City’s traffic signal is already protected by the 2016 utility easement, and the vacation will allow contiguous properties to continue parking vehicles associated with the resident businesses in the ROW, thus presenting no change to current conditions.

The Spokane Valley Planning Commission, after a public hearing on the issue, voted 5-1 in favor of approving the vacation application. Council reached unanimous consensus to move the ordinance allowing the vacation to a first reading.
A constant problem with living in the Pacific Northwest is dealing with snow and/or ice accumulations. In an effort to get ahead of this year’s winter weather, Council engaged in yet another discussion on how best to address this ongoing problem.

The City’s Municipal Code (SVMC 7.45) requires Tier 1 property owners to remove accumulations of snow and ice over 3 inches deep or to provide a pathway at least 36 inches wide, within 48 hours of the end of a snow event. Tier 1 properties are those zoned commercial, retail, and industrial as well as areas designated Safe Routes to School.

In order to enforce this code, a warning notice may be sent when a sidewalk with more than 3 inches of accumulated snow and ice is not cleared within 48 hours after the snow event ends If the property is then not cleared, after an additional 48 hours, a first citation is issued. That first citation as well as a second citation each carries a $52 fine. Any additional citations within a 12-month period increases to $103.  Valid defenses for issued citations are: Residence, 65 years or older or possesses a physical disability, or has made reasonable efforts to obtain snow removal service.

The number of Warning Notices issued by the City in the 2017-2018 winter season was 44. From those, one resulted in a citation. Because of the persistent pattern of last winter’s storms (i.e. one right after the other), there were no citations issued.
This evening’s discussion presented three possibilities:
1. Stay with the current plan; snow removal on sidewalks is the responsibility of the property owner, or
2. Authorize staff to remove snow from Safe Routes to School
a. Staff will prepare a bid package to solicit contractors for the 2019-2020 season
b. Bring back a 2019 budget amendment to include the purchase of snow removal equipment and hire seasonal employees or contract personnel to operate City equipment
c. Consider other options

After lengthy discussion, Council directed staff to continue with last year’s snow removal plan but reach out to the three school districts to ascertain if they might extend the reach of their own snow removal to assist the City with safe routes to school. Also, Council instructed staff to discover whether there might be a contractor available for snow removal on safe routes to school.

Next week Council will take up acquisition of park land from WSDOT and hear about City efforts on Code enforcement.

During Council’s Budget Workshop on June 11th, it was determined the City’s financial goals needed to be reviewed with an eye to updating them. As part of the process of arriving at a final budget, those suggested updates were presented.

1. Work with legislators to obtain funding for our rail crossing projects at Pines, Sullivan, and Park.

2. Continue pursuing a consistent and dependable source of funding for pavement preservation.

3. Continue to work for state and federal assistance for upgrading Barker Corridor.

4. Continue and expand economic development efforts to attract new businesses.

5. Maintain and expand where possible the City’s relationship with federal, state, county, and other local legislators.

6. Continue to seek funds to improve our existing parks and acquire new park land.

7. Look to find financing to connect our existing parks into a continuous loop.

8. Seek to improve law enforcement staffing levels through enhanced recruiting, increased retention, and increasing the appeal of law enforcement in Spokane Valley as a career.

9. Pursue opportunities for better communication within the community to enhance feedback, share information, and increase interaction.
Council also discussed its involvement in discussions on a new jail facility with an eye to its options.

Next, continuing with its review of projects in the 2020 budget, Council discussed allocation of funds available in its Capital Reserve Fund. Prior discussions had not produced a consensus, however Council settled on the following allocations:

1. Additional money to cover the shortfall in the Operation & Maintenance Fund for roads    $1.4 million

2. Pines Rail Crossing Project    $1.5 million

3. Park Land Acquisition    $500,000

4. Balfour Park    $500,000

5. Sullivan/Trent Interchange    $500,000

6. Contingency Reserve Funds    $281,000

Council will discuss or review the 2020 Budget eight times prior to its final adoption on November 12th. This evening marks the second of those eight occasions. State law requires the City to hold a public hearing on revenue sources for the coming year to consider public input. We will be holding the first of three public hearings on September 10th.  

This evening’s discussion is an administrative report leading up to that public hearing. Until Council officially adopts the budget, all figures included in the budget worksheets are preliminary and subject to change by the City Manager as circumstances require.

The City will spend an estimated $25,706,977 for all capital expenditures. $17,061,448 will be from grant revenues which means that 66.37% of the City’s capital outlays will be covered by State and Federal money.

The number of City full time employees (FTE) will increase by 1.5 from 93.75 in 2019 to 95.25 in 2020. The additions are a second full-time Code Enforcement Officer which then necessitates increasing our part-time Attorney position to full-time to accommodate the additional workload.

The City’s 2020 budgeted revenue is $48,181,800. Budgeted expenses are $43,121,986, representing a 2.77% increase over last year. Thus, expected revenues exceed projected expenses by $5,059,814 or 10.5% of revenues.

Council opened with a proclamation inviting citizens to join in observing “Goodguys 18th Great Northwest Nationals,” August 9-11, in honor of the annual Rod and Custom Show taking place at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center. The event, one of several around the country, annually attracts large crowds to our area.

Council addressed two motion considerations: 1) Awarding the successful bid for constructing the final section of Appleway Trail between Evergreen and Sullivan, and 2) Approving Council goals and priorities for the use of Lodging Tax revenues.

The Appleway Trail, when fully constructed, will provide a five-mile urban trail that will extend from City Hall on the west to the eastern City limit. Segments from the eastern City limit to Sullivan, University to Pines, and Pines to Evergreen have been completed. The contract for the last remaining segment from Evergreen to Sullivan was awarded to WM Winkler Company in the amount of $1,931,986.60 which was under the Engineer’s Estimate of $2,145,033.00 for the project. The bid includes the asphalt trail, landscaping, irrigation, lighting, parking lot, trash receptacles, benches, dog waste dispensers, and installation of restroom facilities. The vote was 7-0.
The City collects a lodging tax on hotel stays allowed under state law. That tax started in 2003 as a 2% tax which in 2020 will generate approximately $650,000. In 2015, the City imposed an additional 1.3% tax, bringing the total tax rate on hotel and motel occupancy to 12%.  The additional 1.3% will generate an estimated $420,000 in 2020.  

Use of the revenue from the first 2% is set by state law to be used for tourism marketing, marketing and operations of special events and festivals, operations and capital expenditures of tourism related facilities owned or operated by a municipality or public facilities district, and the operation of a tourism-related facility owned or operated by a non-profit organization.

The additional 1.3% revenue is used solely for capital expenditures for acquiring, constructing, or making other related capital expenditures for large sporting or tourism related venues.While City Council ultimately sets the goals and priorities for allocating and spending the lodging tax revenue, the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) makes the initial proposals for where those funds will be placed.

In 2013 Council adopted goals and priorities for how it would distribute lodging tax revenues, encouraging the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) to consider those goals when making suggested allocations to applicants for funding. The State Legislature has since refined the distribution rules to place initial responsibility for funding allocations on LTAC with review and revision authority held by City Council.

Council’s goals have remained constant in directing use of LTAC funds to tourism, marketing, operation and capital expenditures of tourism related facilities owned by a municipality, public facility district or non-profit organization. In tonight’s action, Council approved elimination of an outdated goal.  

The City has been systematically working to improve the facilities and surroundings at CenterPlace Regional Event Center. At the June 11, 2019 Budget Workshop, staff presented Council with an idea for the City to self-fund the completion of the West Lawn and North Meadow Project through a one-time general fund appropriation of $2,000,000 in the 2020 budget. With interest in finishing the improvements at CenterPlace to position it for attracting events in addition to ValleyFest, CRAVE, Octoberfest, the Farmers’ Market and assorted events such as weddings, Council voted to approve the appropriation unanimously. This will enable work to commence this year, with the property available for use early next summer.

August 6, the time for our next Council meeting is also the time for National Night Out, honoring our first responders. Thus, there will be no Council meeting that evening.

Don’t miss the GOODGUYS ROD and CUSTOM CAR SHOW, August 9-11 at the Spokane County Fairgrounds! It’s one of the best and biggest in the area.