Spokane Valley City Council Highlights December 2022

Your Connection to the Spokane Valley City Council

December 20, 2022

Council discussed and voted unanimously on a one year adjustment to the employee compensation and amending the city pay matrix. With inflation ranging from 7-9% in 2022, the effect on the employee compensation in essence and reality had reduced. So to stay competitive and have the ability to retain and recruit quality people, the council directed the city manager to provide 3% compensation increases to city employees, and to increase pay grades by 2%, effective January 1, 2023.

We unanimously voted to pay a claim voucher to HUB Sports Center that included 2 expenses for Wick enterprises totaling $1,000. This was done with no knowledge by Ben Wick and was to eliminate any conflicts of interest.

Council discussed and moved to advance Alternative #2-Diamond Interchange with roundabout to final design. This is an interesting looking roundabout in the shape of a peanut. This is to take care of the deficient overpass at Sullivan and Trent (hwy 290). This overpass is insufficient in clearance height on Trent and dangerous on the turn movements to reach Trent in both directions.

We approved both our State and Federal Legislative Agendas with no changes. We did have some vigorous discussion on some of the word-smithing, but ultimately left them as last discussed and drafted.

We had a healthy discussion after staff updated us on the Neighborhood Restoration Program, and council gave some direction on information needed to restart the process to implement and in what areas to concentrate our efforts on for a pilot program, more to come.

Staff gave us some highlights on our code enforcement efforts for 2022. Bottom line, 8 abatements cost the City approx. $220,000 and are very time and energy intensive. But the neighborhoods and public are safer and more attractive because of these efforts. Many of these have been going on for many, many years.

Finally, we had a brief report from the fire Chief on end of the year stats. Like everything, calls for services are up, particularly EMS; house fires are down 5%
on a high note.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

December 13, 2022

As 2022 comes to an end, year-end details create very long City Council Meeting agendas. This evening was no exception.

The first item of business was approving a renewed franchise with the Coeur d’Alene Tribe of Indians for installation and maintenance of fiber optics telecommunications facilities within the City. That franchise has recently expired, and the Tribe has requested that it be granted a new franchise on the same or similar terms. Ordinance 22-025 accomplishes that objective with minor changes to conform with current City practices, granting a new 10-year franchise. The motion to waive the rules and adopt Ordinance 22-025 passed unanimously.

Newly revised fees have been included in the 2023 Budget, but a resolution adopting those changes has not been passed. The proposed changes include the recently adopted Stormwater Fund increases which will move from $1.9 million to $5.6 million. That substantial increase was the result of a directive from the state Department of Ecology significantly changing the capture and treatment of stormwater runoff. Resolution 22-023 will incorporate those fee changes into the City’s Master Fee Schedule, enabling the City to collect them. The motion to adopt Resolution 22-023 passed 6-1.

The City has been in discussions with Spokane County on a Master Plan to improve the Plante’s Ferry Sports Complex. The County has dedicated $5 million of its American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to the project. The cost of a consultant to construct a master is estimated to be $100,000. An interlocal agreement defining the City’s participation in sharing funding for the project, at an approximate cost of $50,000, has been agreed upon. A motion to approve the interlocal agreement to retain the services of a consultant was unanimously approved.

The City is exercising its third-year option under a four-year contact which addresses asphalt repair, roadway shoulder repair and grading, gravel road grading, crack sealing, sidewalk and path repair, guardrail repair, fencing repair, drainage structure repair and installation, curb, gutter and inlet repair plus installation and other related work. Poe Asphalt is the contractor working on a labor, equipment, and material rate. The 2023 option renewal is for $1,566,980.77. The motion to approve the contract renewal with Poe Asphalt Paving Inc. was approved unanimously.

In 2019, Council awarded AAA Sweeping, LLC a contract with options for up to four one-year renewals if mutually agreed by both parties. This is the third of four renewals. The 2023 option year contract amount will be $602,422.00. Contract specifications note that the parties may negotiate a rate increase for each option year, but it shall not be increased or decreased by more than the percent change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) or 3% whichever is less. The CPI-U increased 7.7% for the contract period. Prevailing wage rates increased from 7.99% to 11.78%, and increased fuel prices. Those rates are capped at the 3% CPI rate noted above. Motion to approve the 2023 contract renewal passed unanimously.

The City’s contract with LeCatering, the CenterPlace food and beverage supplier, expires at the end of this year. An additional one-year extension with minor modifications is recommended by staff. Motion to approve the extended agreement with Le Catering Company was unanimously approved.

The Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) met on October 20 to review and allocate lodging tax funds collected by hoteliers to benefit attracting tourists to visit and stay in Spokane Valley. That committee consists of five members: two from businesses required to collect the tax, two from businesses in activities authorized to be funded by the tax, and one City Councilmember who acts as the committee chair. There were 16 applicants for the $871,000 available 2023 funds. The distributions are as follows:

Applicant for 2% Tax Request Award

• All Wheels Swap Meet $6,000 $4,800

• CNC Productions $10,000 $7,500

• Cody Productions $10,000 $ 6,500

• Family Guide $16,000 $7,000

• Filipino-American NW Assn. $26,140 $9,000

• Hatch Advertising $50,010 $17,002

• HUB Sports Center $55,000 $55,000

• JAKT-Crave $60,000 $35,000

• JAKT-Farmers Market $26,000 $11,000

• N American Talk $40,000 $-0-

• NW Winterfest $55,000 $33,000

• Spokane County Fair & Expo Center $100,000 $73,000

• Speed & Custom Productions LLC $10,000 $8,000

• Spokane Valley Summer Theatre $25,000 $24,000

• Valleyfest $30,000 $14,800

• Valleyfest Cycle Celebration $5,000 $ 4,100

Total $524,150 $309,702

A transfer of the remainder of lodging tax collections in the amount of $515,198 will be moved into the Lodging Tax Fund #104.

The award of the LTAC funds was done in two motions: Motion #1 was to approve the above allocations. That motion passed unanimously.

Motion #2 accepts the LTAC recommendation to grant and pay $2,000,000 in 2023 from the lodging tax capital account (Fund 104) to Spokane County for the design, construction, and associated costs of the Avista Stadium Project. Because it alters the original suggestion from LTAC, that part of the transaction must be sent back to LTAC for their consideration and comment. That motion passed unanimously.

The City of Millwood does not have the in-house software to process its applications for building permit reviews. They have contracted with Spokane County for their past needs. However, an agreement has been reached for Millwood to contract with the City of Spokane Valley for those services. Motion to authorize the City Manager to execute the interlocal agreement with Millwood passed unanimously.

The Innovia Foundation has created an economic development workforce initiative, LaunchNW, intended to provide assistance to Valley youths for various levels of post-secondary education with the goal of increasing the numbers attending vocational/trade education or training. The City has pledged $1,000,000 of its Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery (CLRF) Funds to Innovia’s LaunchNW Initiative. The motion to approve and authorize the City Manager to execute the contract with the Innovia Foundation passed unanimously.

In May, Council pledged an allocation of $4,000,000 of CLFR funds to Spokane Valley Partners (SVP) to support its search for a new building from which to operate. This summer, SVP located property and a facility for purchase. The City has negotiated a grant agreement with SVP for distribution and use of the $4,000,000 to acquire the identified property. The motion for approval and execution of the grant agreement with Spokane Valley Partners passed unanimously.

The Sullivan Road/SR-290 (Trent) Interchange Project connects rural freight traffic with one of the region’s busiest urban corridors. Large employers move their goods and employees via Sullivan Road and Bigelow Gulch within Spokane County. Sullivan Road South of SR 290 is a designated Freight and Goods Transportation System freight corridor carrying over 10 million tons of freight annually. The area along Sullivan Road between I-90 and SR-290 is home to 9,000 jobs, 85% of which are related to freight movement.

The increase in traffic from Bigelow Gulch, without upgrading the infrastructure, will degrade the level of service to ‘F.’ A public meeting produced a preference for a diamond interchange with an ancillary roundabout. Preliminary engineering costs are $3,052,000. Federal funding augmented by City funds of $500,000 will cover that amount. Council reached consensus to place the design for the Diamond Interchange on the December 20th Council agenda.

City Hall is open for business during normal business hours. The Public is invited to participate in action items or public comment periods in person or via ZOOM. Call 509-720-5000 or www.spokanevalley.org prior to 4:00 p.m. for access instructions.

December 6, 2022

This meeting of the Spokane Valley City Council was preceded by a meeting with our state legislators. Senator Mike Padden is and has been a friend to the City for several years. The meeting was an introduction to our two newly elected representatives, Suzanne Schmidt, and Leonard Christian, as well as a presentation to them of the City’s 2023 legislative agenda.

The regular Council meeting, a Study Session, opened with action on Resolution 22-022 amending the process for handling the petty cash accounts at City Hall and CenterPlace. The resolution reduces the amount of cash on hand at the City Hall front desk to $50 while increasing the amounts available at CenterPlace. The motion to approve Resolution 22-022 was approved unanimously.

The City is represented on the Spokane Housing Authority (SHA). SHA is dedicated to providing opportunities to finding adequate housing. SHA is a six-member commission whose members are appointed by the various local jurisdictions. Mayor Haley selected Ms. Kristina Walker to fill a vacancy representing Spokane Valley. The appointment if for a five-year term. The motion to approve the Mayor’s appointment passed unanimously.

Council conducted a teleconference with Cardinal Infrastructure, the City’s Federal Lobbyist, to review its Federal Legislative Agenda. The 2023 agenda is similar to last year's but reflects changes such as removal of the now fully funded Pines Road/BNSF rail crossing. Added to the list is the I-90/Argonne bridge widening project.

The proposed 2023 Federal Legislative Agenda has requests for funding assistance on:

• South Barker Road Corridor Projects. The road south of I-90 provides access to 800 acres of industrial land and 220 acres of homes.

• Trent/Sullivan Interchange. The City must redesign and construct a new interchange to accommodate the significantly increased traffic flow from Bigelow Gulch.

• I-90 Bridge Widening at Argonne/Mullan Roads Project. That bridge is a choke point for ever-increasing southbound traffic.

• Policy Consideration #1-Reauthorization of the Economic Development Administration (EDA). The EDA promotes innovation and competitiveness in areas countrywide.

• Policy Consideration #2-Continue funding at authorized levels for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

• Policy Consideration #3-Implementation Reforms to the Infrastructure Permitting Process. As the City continues to experience unprecedented growth, it encourages federal agencies to move swiftly to implement reforms required by federal law.

Council reached consensus to move the Legislative Agenda for future action.

The City of Millwood does not have the in-house software to process its applications for building permit reviews. They have contracted with Spokane County for their past needs. However, an agreement has been reached, but not finalized, for Millwood to contract with the City of Spokane Valley for those services. By consensus, the agreement and details will be placed on the City’s December 13th, 2022, agenda.

On May 31st, 2022, the City’s Master Fee Schedule was amended. Newly revised fees since then are included in the 2023 Budget but a resolution adopting those changes has not been passed. The proposed changes include the recently adopted Stormwater Fund increases which will move from $1.9 million to $5.6 million. That substantial increase was the result of a directive from the state Department of Ecology significantly changing the capture and treatment of stormwater runoff. The resolution will be placed for discussion on the City’s December 13th agenda.

The Sprague Avenue Stormwater Project-University to Herald will install stormwater treatment facilities to reduce the volume of pollutants that enter the groundwater that eventually reaches the aquifer. Part of that project is a lane reduction to three lanes on Sprague from University to Herald to minimize the distance that pedestrians must walk in crossing Sprague to reach the new library and the bus stop near the library.

A survey to collect data on the lane reduction after the test conducted last month found that traffic volumes were not impeded by the three-lane configuration. The hoped-for speed reduction was not achieved but narrowing the distance for pedestrians to cross Sprague Avenue did make the time to cross considerably less. Funding for the project can come in part from the Federal CLFR (Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery) Fund. Consensus was reached to use CLFR money ($884,445) to fund the construction phase.

The contract with LeCatering, the CenterPlace food and beverage supplier, expires at the end of this year. An additional one-year extension with minor modifications was approved by consensus for future action.

In the past, Council has identified three primary types of nuisances and code violations related to use of private property. The first is general public nuisances including junk vehicles, garbage and other material accumulated on private property, noise, graffiti, and general development code violations. The second is unfit dwellings/structure violations. These often require legal action to identify and prove sufficient to warrant legal solutions. The third is chronic criminal nuisances. This is a condition where criminal activity reaches a level that creates a public nuisance in the neighborhood. The violation may not be a single or discrete action that can be abated but is likely to be an ongoing situation that is remedied by removing the occupant from the premises for a set period of time. Council will undertake further discussions to revise and improve existing code.

In a discussion of right-of-way maintenance, staff presented a review of the City’s 2022 roadside maintenance efforts. Normally, the non-irrigated dryland grass areas are maintained under contract with Spokane County Detention Services. Senske Lawn and Tree Care service the irrigated grass areas. The Clearwater Summit Group handles the weed control (spraying) citywide. In 2022, because of acute labor shortages, some of those areas went unattended. The City’s annual costs for these services was nearly $205,000. While no action was taken, discussion centered on solutions for involving more contractors in the maintenance program.

An unsolved problem confronting the City is how to adequately finance its Pavement Preservation Program (PPP). That program serves two main functions. 1) Preservation: extends the life and preserves the condition of existing paved streets, and 2) Maintenance: the cost of repairs and upkeep of snowplow operations, traffic signals and signs, streetlights, sidewalks, potholes, crack filling and roadside maintenance. The estimated annual aggregate cost of fully funding PPP is $16 million. The City, through its dedicated sources and grants, covers about half of that. The remaining $8 million will have to come from sources not currently used, likely through a combination of fees and taxes. Or, the program can go unfunded, which means that the level of street condition upon which the City prides itself will decline proportionately. Staff was tasked with putting together a plan with a combination of funding sources to meet the total need.

The City has been in discussions with Spokane County on a joint agreement to improve the Plante’s Ferry Sports Complex. The County has dedicated $5 million of its American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to the project. Tonight’s Council discussion addressed the City’s participation in sharing funding for a master plan for the project, approximate cost: $50,000. Consensus was reached to do so.

View Past Spokane Valley City Council Highlights

The City Council holds more formal meetings the second and fourth Tuesday of each month and holds Study Sessions on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Agendas, minutes and background materials can be found on the City’s website: www.SpokaneValley.org by 5pm the Friday before each meeting.

Contact City of Spokane Valley:

10210 E. Sprague Ave.
509-921-1000
www.SpokaneValley.org