Your Connection to the Spokane Valley City Council

The meeting for the 23rd had been cancelled last week, until Thursday when very short notice for grants and a list of priority infrastructure projects were requested. The staff saw no way other than a Special Council meeting to deal with the requests.

An administration report had originally been scheduled, so it was heard and lively discussion followed. The council agreed that the Spokane River Trail Concept was a really nice amenity to the North side of the river. It would connect the new Flora Rd Park with Sullivan Park and continue West and connect to Plantes Ferry Sports Complex. There would eventually be two suspension bridges across the river to connect to the Centennial Trail, one toward the west, the other on the East end of the new trail by Flora Rd. This would make for a 10 mile loop that pedestrian and cyclists could enjoy.

Next, the reasons for the special meeting were discussed. First, a motion consideration for Infrastructure priority solicitation by the Federal Government through Sen. Patty Murray’s office. They wanted to have a list of projects that might be included in the new Federal transportation revenue bill. All or some could end up being funded to help employment and to improve mobility in all model forms. So, council agreed to include: Number 1, Pines Rd/BNSF grade separation; 2, Bigelow-Sullivan Corridor Project (including the bridge over Trent and BNSF RR); 3, Spokane River Trail Project; 4, Spokane County Fair & Expo exhibit hall project; and 5, South Barker corridor projects (excluding the I-90 bridge). We did change the priority with number 2 & 3 being interchanged. Our lobbyist from Washington DC joined in the discussion to clarify and answer council questions. This list needed to be submitted by Friday of this week.
Bennett Resnick (Cardinal Lobbyist) also gave a report on the bills going through Congress for COVID relief. More soon to come on this. The 2nd reason for the Special Meeting, a motion consideration –potential grant opportunity: Infrastructure For Rebuilding America (INFRA) FY21 grants. This application is due March 19, 2021, this doesn’t give us much time to prepare the grant and associated docs. Staff will redo our application and try again to get help for the Bigelow- Sullivan project. We submitted last year for this project and didn’t make the cut.
 
City Hall remains closed by Governor’s edict. Appointments for service can be made by calling 509-720-5000 or visiting www.spokanevalley.org.

In a continuation of annual Mayoral appointments of Council members to various regional boards and committees in which the City participates, Mayor Wick has re-appointed Councilmember Arne Woodard and appointed Councilmember Linda Thompson for terms on the Spokane County Housing & Community Development Advisory Committee (HCDAC). He has also appointed Councilmember Tim Hattenberg to the Regional Health District Board.
The partial terms: Woodard to expire on June 1, 2021 and Thompson to expire on December 31, 2021, will require new appointments or re-appointments to fill the expiring terms. Councilmember Hattenberg is appointed to fill the vacancy on the Health District Board created by Councilmember Thompson’s resignation from that Board. That position expires on December 31, 2021.

Motion to confirm the Mayoral appointments of Councilmembers to the committees and boards as listed passed unanimously.
To the motorist who has ever driven through a school zone, the sign “Speed Limit 20 MPH While Children Are Present” is confusing, to say the least. Questions such as: “Does that mean one child? Or does that mean only during school hours? Clearly those are reasonable questions that the conventional sign does not address.

School zone flashing beacon signs to the rescue. While approaching or actually in a school zone, a driver has a certain measure of assurance that he or she is within the law if a flashing beacon is present. If flashing, the beacons provide up to a 31% speed reduction, especially when the sign provides speed feedback.

There are currently 40 School Zone Flashing Beacons (SZFB) installations across 18 school locations. All but one are funded by state grants. Plans are to install more SZFBs as funding becomes available. Beacons at every school is the end goal.

Pursuant to several citizen inquiries and complaints, Council has requested a review of the City’s municipal code regarding ‘junk’ vehicles and the information on the criteria used for determining how such a vehicle is treated when in a public right of way. A junk vehicle is defined by state law as a vehicle that meets at least three of the following requirements:
a)    Is three years or older;
b)    Is extensively damaged, such damage including but not limited to any of the following: A broken window or windshield, missing wheels, tires, motor, or transmission;
c)    Is apparently inoperable;
d)    Has an approximate fair market value equal only to the value of the scrap in it.

The question has arisen as to whether the City might make its definitions more strict. Since the City of Spokane Valley, City of Spokane, City of Liberty Lake, and Spokane County all closely copy or reference state law, and the City cannot adopt an ordinance in conflict with state law, the question appears moot.
How the City deals with junk vehicles depends on whether the vehicle is on public or private property. If on private property, the vehicle can be declared a nuisance that is prohibited within the City. As such the City may utilize its enforcement procedures to abate the junk vehicle(s). That process begins with the City seeking voluntary compliance but may escalate to proceeding to Superior Court to obtain a court order for removal.

If the junk vehicle is on public property or in a public right of way, it is dealt with by police. Law enforcement is authorized to impound any unauthorized vehicle that is parked in a right of way and has not been removed within 24 hours from the time a notification sticker has been attached to the vehicle.
City code includes other areas dealing with nuisances that may be employed in dealing with junk vehicles. And, if a vehicle qualifying as a junker is ‘sight screened’ or is completely enclosed within a lawful structure avoiding visibility, it is permitted. There is no prohibition in City code on the number of working vehicles an individual may have on their property.

For further information on the subject, contact the City Attorney at 509-720-5000.

There will be no City Council meeting next week, February 23rd. The next Council meeting will be at 6:00pm, Tuesday, March 2nd.
City Hall remains closed by Governor’s edict. Appointments for service can be made by calling 509-720-5000 or visiting www.spokanevalley.org.

Council’s first item of business was to amend its code on individuals or groups soliciting on City rights-of-way, formerly referred to as its ‘panhandling’ ordinance.
For several years, the City has been successful in using its code to keep panhandling in check. But recent court decisions have put sections of the code into question requiring modifications to avoid challenges from outside “freedom of speech” advocates. The focus of this legislation has always been public safety in the interactions between pedestrians and moving traffic. Discouraging panhandlers was considered as an ancillary outcome, but criminalization was never a goal.

Thus, the changes include the following:
1. Any reference to the prohibition of solicitation is replaced with a prohibition in interfering with vehicular traffic,
2. Adding a prohibition on prompting someone to interfere with vehicular traffic,
3. Remove the definition of solicit from the Code.

Those changes remove references to panhandling, focusing on traffic safety, and limiting incursions onto public rights-of-way. Offenders, either the driver stopping traffic or the person responsible for the stoppage, are subject to citation.
Ordinance 21-003 accomplishes that while maintaining the overall integrity and intent of the Code. Motion to suspend the rules and adopt Ordinance 21-003 passed unanimously.

In 2012, the City acquired 8.4 acres of land in anticipation of the Spokane County Library District (SCLD) constructing a new central library on a portion of that land. An interlocal agreement was finalized that year to sell 2.82 acres to SCLD on which to site the proposed library. The sales price was $839,285.
As the end of the five-year term of the interlocal agreement approached in 2017, SCLD and the City reached agreement to extend the interlocal for another five years to 2022 with possible extensions to 2024. At that time, the City agreed to contribute the purchase price of the property, $839,285, plus an additional $460,715 for a total of $1.3 million toward improving the library’s peripheral grounds.

SCLD’s proposal for its new library is a 30,000 square foot facility with an estimated total cost of $14-15 million. Rather than attempt to fund construction of the facility through a voted bond issue, SCLD has identified other funding options such as a state program set up to make loans to libraries under very favorable terms.

Pursuant to the changed situation, amendments to the existing interlocal are needed to accommodate the City’s participation. A significant change will include adding two years to the agreement. Construction is planned to begin in 2022. The amended agreement will expire in 2024.
Motion to approve the 2021 amendments to the interlocal agreement for the sale of property at Balfour Park to the Spokane County Library District, authorizing the City Manager to finalize and execute the document passed unanimously.

Annually, Council undergoes training on Washington State’s Open Public Meetings Act (Act). The training which covers legal compliance aspects of the Act by Council members is conducted by the City’s legal staff.

City Hall remains closed by Governor’s edict. Appointments for service can be made by calling 509-720-5000 or visiting www.spokanevalley.org.

On January 12th, Spokane Valley City Council was briefed on a Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)/National Highway (NHS) Performance Program for preserving roadways. Council reached consensus to pursue a grant for Sullivan Road between Sprague and 8th Avenues for $1,029,553 to offset construction costs. Total project cost including stormwater and ITS improvements is estimated at $3,293,058, to be funded by money from NHS, Department of Ecology, and the City. Motion to approve the grant application was unanimous.

City street operations and maintenance, and pavement preservation have been the topic of discussion over 50 times since incorporation. Council, at its January 19th meeting reached consensus to create a Streets Sustainability Committee to examine the various aspects of maintaining City streets, the cost, the desired level of maintenance, and the source(s) of funding.

The proposed 18-member ad-hoc committee would be tasked with the following mission:
1. Evaluate citizens’ interest and support for  maintaining
    city streets and suggesting pavement condition goals.
2. Identify preference for maintaining city streets, types of treatments used, and long-term levels of service.
3. Investigate current revenues and potential future funding sources for maintaining city streets at the recommended
    level of service.

Suggested committee composition would include members from 10 different groups covering businesses, schools, utilities, transportation, social services, and, of course, Valley citizens. Applications will be open from February 3rd to 3 pm on February 26th; Committee selection by Council, March 23rd. Call 509-720-5000.

On June 30, 2020, Council approved execution of an interlocal agreement giving management of the Barker Road/BNSF Grade Separation Project to WSDOT. On November 23rd, the project was advertised for bids. The engineer’s estimate for the construction phase of the project was $13,885,811. Five bids were received ranging from $15,946,317 to the successful low bid of $11,637,134 submitted by the Max J. Kuney Company.

In 2012, the City acquired 8.4 acres of land intending for the Spokane County Library District (SCLD) to construct a new central library on a portion of that land. An interlocal agreement was finalized that year to sell 2.82 acres to SCLD on which to site the anticipated library. The sales price was $839,285.
As the end of the five-year term of the interlocal agreement approached in 2017, SCLD and the City reached agreement to extend the interlocal for another five years to 2022 with possible extensions to 2024. At that time, the City agreed to contribute the purchase price of the property, $832,285, plus an additional $460,715 for a total of $1.3 million toward the library peripheral grounds. SCLD’s proposal for its new library is a 30,000 square foot facility with an estimated cost of $14-15 million in total outlay. Construction is planned to begin in 2022.

Amendments to the existing interlocal needed to accommodate the City’s participation include adding two years to the agreement, to expire in 2024.
For several years, the City has been successful by use of its code in keeping panhandling in check. But recent court decisions require modifications.
Those changes will remove references to panhandling, focusing on traffic safety, and limiting incursions onto public rights-of-way. Offenders, either the driver or the person responsible for the stoppage, are subject to citation.

Construction of Spokane Valley’s City Hall has been a focal point of controversy since its completion. Shortly after the City moved into its new home in September 2017, issues arose. The contractor, Meridian Construction, was made aware of corrections that needed to be made including subsidence of the curved front wall of the building. Failing to resolve those concerns, the City filed a bonding claim.

Meridian asserted that blame for the problems was, in fact, the fault of various other firms involved in the construction. As a result, the City filed suit in Spokane County Superior Court against Meridian, Architects West, All- West Testing, and Eight-31-Consulting on May 5th, 2020 to achieve full resolution of the issue.

The City continues to work with legal counsel for the various defendants to reach restoration of what it purchased, i.e., a fully functioning City Hall. An analysis of the extent of the defects is being performed by a structural engineering firm and a forensic architectural firm specializing in defect analysis. The City is prepared to continue to trial if a satisfactory full scope of repair resolution including full cost of repair is not achieved. Costs incurred to date total $411,103.47.

City Hall remains closed by Governor’s edict. Appointments for service can be made by calling 509-720-5000 or visiting www.spokanevalley.org.

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