Your Connection to the Spokane Valley City Council

After the reading of a Proclamation honoring the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the U. S. Constitution granting women the right to vote, the Spokane Valley City Council commenced its formal meeting.

Council has initiated discussions on annexation of properties of interest to the City or that have interest in becoming part of the City. In the first step to moving on the idea, the first reading on amending Chapter 19.180 of the City Code (Ordinance 20-007) provides criteria and procedures for considering an annexation. The amendment provides the structure to address zoning of newly annexed areas and implementation of City Comprehensive Plan policies and strategies in those areas.

Annexed property becomes subject to City laws including land use and taxation and other City regulations. The City then becomes responsible for providing services to the annexed area, such as maintaining public its infrastructure or facilities. In the Valley, water, sewer, power, and gas in the Valley are provided by independent purveyors, but the City provides public safety and street related services such as plowing, maintenance, sweeping, and stormwater. Council voted unanimously to advance Ordinance 20-007 to a second reading.

Washington State’s Growth Management Act allows local jurisdictions to amend their individual Comprehensive Plans once each year. The 2020 Comprehensive Plan Amendments moved forward as Ordinances 20-008 and 20-009 to a First Reading. The Ordinances includes the following:

1. CPA-2020-0001; 1311 N. McDonald, change .47 acres from single family residence to Corridor Mixed Use and the zoning from R-3 to CMU

2. CPA-2020-0002; Fancher Rd/Sprague, change 2.98 acres from Industrial to Regional Commercial and zoning from I to RC

3. CPA-2020-0003; 1723 & 1724 N. Union, change 6.24 acres from Multifamily Residential to Corridor Mixed Use and the zoning from MFR to CMU

4. CPA-2020-0006; East Valley School District, change 8.8 acres from Industrial to Corridor Mixed Use and the zoning from I to CMU

5. CPA-2020-0007; Applies citywide, Policy and corresponding implementing changes to maps for alternative housing types and creating a new zoning district (R-4), Single Family Residential

The motion to approve moving Ordinance 20-009 to a Second Reading was approved unanimously.

Essential Public Facilities (EPF) house state and local services such as correctional facilities, solid waste handling facilities, in-patient facilities like substance abuse facilities, mental health, group homes, and secure community transition facilities. While the City may not preclude the siting of EPFs within its jurisdiction, it can control where such facilities are located.

Ordinance 20-010 is a code text amendment (CTA) to the City’s Municipal Code prohibiting EPFs in residential zones but allows them in Mixed Use Zones, Code Text Amendment-2020-0002. The motion to move Ordinance 20-010 to a Second Reading passed unanimously.

In January of this year, the Washington State Department of Commerce launched a new program called Regulatory Roadmap for Manufacturing Siting Feasibility (Manufacturing Roadmap) to assist prospective businesses in locating suitable places to locate. This Roadmap is similar to Commerce’s 2015 Restaurant Roadmap project in which the City very successfully participated. The motion to authorize the City Manager to execute a Memorandum of Understanding between Commerce and the City for its involvement passed unanimously.

During its 2021 Budget Workshop on August 4th, Council discussed several updates to its goals including, but not limited to:

1. Working with state and federal legislators to advance the rail crossings at Pines, Sullivan, and Park Roads.

2. Continue to pursue a Pavement Preservation Plan for a reliable, consistent, and equitable method of keeping City roads in good repair.

3. Continue City economic development efforts to retain and expand business recruitment.

4. Pursue Balfour Park and Appleway Trail amenities and parkland acquisition.

5. Address our law enforcement contract to maximize staffing levels and make law enforcement careers in Spokane Valley more appealing.

By order of the Governor, City Hall remains closed except by appointment. Should you need to make an appointment, please call 509-720-5000, or visit www.spokanevalley.org. In the meantime, hang in there and observe the mandated safety precautions while enjoying our thus far magnificent summer.

The City of Spokane Valley has been deemed eligible for part of a grant ($24,157) from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program (JAG). These funds are for support of all components of our criminal justice system. The motion to authorize the City Manager to apply for the JAG to purchase lighting and cameras to cover the Spokane Valley Police Precinct rear lot, immediately south of the existing precinct building, was unanimously approved.

Council’s agenda was amended late Tuesday to accommodate authorizing the City Manager to purchase property needed for right-of-way to further construction of the Barker Road/BNSF Rail Crossing Project. The purchase price of $405,000, was unanimously approved by Council.

Council also approved agreements for administering and distributing CARES Act money with Spokane Valley Partners ($236,640), and SNAP ($993,424). Central Valley School District, West Valley School District, and East Valley School District, ($135,281 divided 50%, 25%, and 25% respectively).

The Valley Partners and SNAP funds will be used for rent/mortgage, utilities, and food assistance.

The Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce will be taking small business applications for CARES grants on Monday, August 17th. Look to info@spokanevalleychamber.org for information.

Valleyfest, including the event at CenterPlace and the Valleyfest parade will be conducted on a ‘virtual’ basis, that is without spectators and participants. More definitive information can be found by googling Valleyfest 2020.

There have been intermittent discussions on annexation of properties of interest to the City or that have interest in becoming part of the City. A proposed amendment to Chapter 19.180 of the City Code would provide criteria and procedure for considering proposed annexations. The proposal provides the structure to address zoning of newly annexed areas and implementing the City Comprehensive Plan policies and strategies.

Annexed property becomes subject to City laws including land use and taxation as well as other City regulations. Conversely, the City becomes responsible for providing services to the annexed area including maintaining public infrastructure or facilities. Water, sewer, power, and gas are provided by independent purveyors, but the City provides public safety in addition to street related services such as plowing, maintenance, sweeping, and stormwater. Council reached consensus to place annexation on a future agenda.

Essential Public Facilities are state and local correctional facilities, solid waste handling facilities, in-patient facilities including substance abuse facilities, mental health, group homes, and secure community transition facilities. The City may not preclude the siting of EPFs within its jurisdiction, but it can control where such a facility is located.
A proposed code text amendment to its Municipal Code would prohibit EPFs in residential zones but would allow them in Mixed Use Zones, Amendment (CTA-2020-0002). Council reached unanimous consensus to move the proposed CTA to a first reading.

Washington State’s Growth Management Act allows local jurisdictions to amend their individual Comprehensive Plans once each year. The 2020 Comprehensive Plan Amendments as sent to the Planning Commission are:
1. CPA-2020-0001; 1311 N. McDonald, change .47 acres from single family residence to Corridor Mixed Use
2. CPA-2020-0002; Fancher Rd/Sprague, change 2.98 acres from Industrial to Regional Commercial
3. CPA-2020-0003; 1723 & 1724 N. Union, change 6.24 acres from Multifamily Residential to Corridor Mixed Use
4. CPA-2020-0006; East Valley School District, change 8.8 acres from Industrial to Corridor Mixed Use
5.CPA-2020-0007; Applies citywide, Policy and corresponding implementing changes to maps for alternative housing types

The Commission held a public hearing on June 25th, and voted on items 1, 2, and 4 to recommend approval. On items 3 and 5, their recommendation was to deny.
Council chose to follow Planning Commission’s recommendations on 1, 2, and 4, while also moving items 3 and 5 to a first reading.

There will not be a Council meeting next Tuesday, August 18.
You’re probably as tired of reading that City Hall remains closed except by appointment as this reporter is writing it. However, if you need to make an appointment, please call 509-720-5000, or visit www.spokanevalley.org. In the meantime, hang in there and observe the mandated safety precautions while enjoying our thus far magnificent summer.

Spokane Valley City Council met for its annual Budget Workshop at 8:30 am on Tuesday. The meeting which usually takes place in early June was delayed awaiting the full impact of the Coronavirus’s effect on revenues. Because of so many business closures affecting sales taxes, the major sources of income for the City, projecting 2021 revenues became virtually impossible. Thus, the nearly 90-day delay in meeting to address the 2021 Budget.

The City budget has two main parts: 1) Recurring revenues and expenditures, which are the normal sales and property tax collections paired against the regular expenses of conducting City business, i.e. Police; and 2) Non-recurring expenses, such as capital projects like the current improvements at CenterPlace.

There are significant changes in the City’s recurring income and expenses between the 2019 final, 2020 adopted, 2020 amended, and the 2021 proposed budgets. Below is a brief comparison.

Revenue ¹                     Final        2020 Adptd       2020 Amnd       2021 Prop
Property Tax      $12.054               $12.432               $12.432           $12.549
Sales Tax²               25.943                  27.848                  21.906              22.345
Other³                         7.500                     8.002                    7.372                  7.526    
Total    x                  $45.497               $48.282              $41.710            $42.420
Expenditures⁴
Total                             41.961                 43.223                  43.222              45.009
Surplus/deficit        $3.536                $5.059                $(1.512)           $(2.589)

¹The Revenue is presented as the final accounting for 2019, the 2020 budget as adopted, the 2020 budget as it currently stands, and the proposed 2021 budget.
 

²Sales tax is the aggregate of retail sales tax, public safety sales tax, and criminal justice sales tax.

³Other is the aggregated total of all other income sources for the City.

⁴Expenditures are presented as an aggregate. The City’s major expense is for Public Safety which will cost $26.6 million in 2020 and is budgeted at $28.087 million for 2021, an increase of $1.487 million or 5.59%.

Non-recurring revenues and expenses follow the same pattern of being sharply affected by the economic havoc wreaked by COVID-19. The amended 2020 budget projects revenue of $3.497 million vs. expenditures of $6.948 million generating a deficit of $3.452 million.

The proposed 2021 budget anticipates no grant funding assistance from any source, but does plan for capital expenditures of $2.111 million, generating a deficit of that same amount. That deficit will be covered from reserves which have been accumulated to address difficult economic circumstances such as we currently face.

The above table above highlights the abrupt drop in revenues between the 2020 adopted budget and the 2020 amended budget. That trend is reflected in the proposed 2021 budget, indicating an expectation that a recovery might not be rapid.

Fluctuating business conditions caused by the uncertainties of the COVID’s spread render trying to construct a meaningful budget a highly speculative exercise. The strong fiscal condition of the City, however, puts it in an enhanced position from which to weather this financial storm. The budget will be addressed by Council seven more times, including three public hearings, before its final adoption on November 24th.

City Hall remains closed except by appointment. To make an appointment, please call 509-720-5000, or visit www.spokanevalley.org. In the meantime, observe the mandated safety precautions while enjoying our thus far magnificent summer.

View Past Spokane Valley City Council Highlights