This meeting of the Spokane Valley City Council opened its business with a first reading of Proposed Ordinance 22-005 which provides for adoption of the South Barker Corridor, Mirabeau, and North Pines Road Subareas Transportation Impact Fee (TIF) Rate Studies as reported to Council on March 22nd. City regulations require that TIFs be applied in accordance with the most current edition of the Institute of Transportation Engineers Trip Generation Manual. The latest (11th Edition) rate changes:

TIFs allow assessment and collection of impact fees consistent with the City’s Street Standards which address changes brought about by development. Motion to move Proposed Ordinance 22-005 to a Second Reading passed unanimously. The Sullivan Road/SR-290 Interchange Project is rapidly gaining importance because it connects rural freight traffic with one of the region’s busiest urban corridors. As such, it appears to qualify for possible grant assistance from the Federal Highway Bridge Program (FHBP).

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. 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 100 million tons of freight annually. 

Traffic is projected to increase in peak hours from 1,400 trips to 2,400 trips once Bigelow Gulch is completed. The current rated level of service on that route is ‘B.’ However, with the increase in traffic, that level without upgrading the infrastructure, will degrade the level of service to ‘F.’ The current estimate to reconstruct the interchange is $26.6 million. The grant, if awarded in full, would only cover about half of the cost, leaving the City to find the rest. Council, by consensus, opted not to pursue a FHBP grant for the project until they have more information.

Support for housing is often divided into two broad categories: Homelessness and ‘affordable’ housing. County Recording Fees are the two main document recording fee sources for direct homeless and afforable housing funding. Generally, those fees may be used to address both homelessness and affordable housing. In 2020, Council approved an interlocal agreement authorizing the County to manage and apply those recording fees as well as its share of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds. 

The City of Spokane Valley participates in the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG). In 2005, the City qualified to become an ‘entitlement community.’ As such, it is authorized to receive federal funds for capital projects in the City. The interlocal agreement with the County continues the City’s acceptance of its entitlement status under federal guidelines and cedes administration of the program to the County.

Council members have requested information on the recording fees available for homelessness and affordable housing related purposes. If the City chose to directly accept CDBG funds, it would have to assume responsibility for homeless housing within its border to receive those recording fees. This gives rise to the question of whether the City wishes to take on that responsibility. Council discussions in the past on assuming administrative control of those funds have not been fruitful because of the added costs of staffing and reporting.
City Hall is open for business during normal business hours. Masks are no longer required in the building. Council meetings begin at 6:00pm. 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.

 

 

 

 

 

‘Formal’ meetings of the Spokane Valley City Council are normally comprised of action items that require a vote, this meeting was a departure from that norm.

The agenda this evening included only two non-action items:
1. A discussion of Council’s previous action on Resolution 21-008 terminating the City’s participation in the TPA (Tourism Promotion Area) interlocal agreement between the City of Spokane and Spokane County, and
2. A Public Safety Update discussing the public safety services including Law Enforcement, Prosecution, Public Defense, Detention Services, and District Court are all conducted through interlocal agreements covering the contractual relationship between each of those entities and the City of Spokane Valley.

TPA: On May 11, 2021, a request from Council to place on a future agenda a discussion for staff to speak with City hoteliers to determine if they would support creation of the City’s own Spokane Valley TPA.

On October 5th, an administrative report regarding discussions with City hoteliers and their willingness to support withdrawal from the regional TPA and creation of a Valley TPA. Council was told that most hoteliers had been contacted and were in support.

Based on that information, Council adopted Resolution 21-008 on October 26th terminating the regional TPA interlocal agreement with Spokane and Spokane County.

Subsequent information received by Council since adoption of Resolution 21-008 raises questions about whether Council had received all the information necessary to make that decision. Thus, Council requested a review of the matter to gather more information and review the withdrawal from the TPA interlocal agreement.

If the City’s withdrawal from the regional TPA moves forward, then it is possible under state law to form its own TPA provided the City hoteliers agree to participate. If that agreement isn’t reached, then it is possible that the City would not have a TPA, and the fee levied on hotel night stays would not be collected.

In the past, the regional TPA collected about $3 million annually at $2 per room night. Later the rate was raised to $4 per room night. The assessment collected for Spokane Valley in 2021 was $731,569.05 at the new rate of $4 per room night. The revenue from the regional TPA was split between Visit Spokane (72%) and the Spokane Sports Commission (28%). Council will take under advisement the information from tonight’s presentation for further action if necessary.

Public Safety: The category of Public Safety in the City of Spokane Valley’s 2022 Budget is the largest single line item at $29.8 million, taking up 62% of total recurring expenditures of $48.4 million plus $1.562 million in nonrecurring costs.

Spokane Valley, being a ‘contract’ city, hires its Public Safety requirements under contract. A review of those contracts, with an eye to events impacting them, was the focus of this evening’s presentation. A summary of the sections and costs to the City are as follow:
• Judicial System: The Spokane County District court provides municipal court services comprised of a judge, court commissioner, and support staff. ($2,337,800)
• Law Enforcement: The Sheriff’s office is responsible for providing police services for the City of Spokane Valley. ($25,392,127)
• Jail System: Spokane County provides jail and probation services for persons sentenced by the City Municipal Court Judge for violating laws of the city or state. ($1,714,507)
• Animal Control: Spokane County provides animal control services including licensing, care and treatment of lost or stray animals, and response to potentially dangerous animal confrontations. ($330,000) Additional discussions on future needs such as expansion of precinct area, disposition of the former White Elephant building, dispatch costs, addressment of gangs and violent crime will be conducted in negotiations with the County.

City Hall is open for business during normal business hours. Masks must be worn in the building. Council meetings begin at 6:00pm. 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.