County Commissioner District 3
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French cleared on ethics
The Spokane Ethics Committee has cleared City Councilman Al French in accusations that he violated ethics rules when he supported maintaining bus bench advertising. French asked the committee in August to take up the case after he was criticized for leading an effort to maintain bus bench ads. Late last year, the committee received two complaints alleging that French’s successful effort to change city law to allow bench ads was aimed at helping a business client who is a part-owner in an advertising company.
County OKs rural cluster changes, kid-free development
Spokane County commissioners on Tuesday completed a two-year overhaul of controversial “rural cluster development” standards. The action rounds out a package of reforms designed to make the relatively dense subdivisions less intrusive in rural areas.
Spokane City Council OKs 2010 budget
Spokane leaders last week climbed out of a $7 million budget hole and approved the city’s 2010 budget with no layoffs and no dramatic loss of city services. The approval allows officials to concentrate on a bigger financial challenge: a predicted deficit of more than $10 million in 2011.
Ethics panel delays review of French
A review of city Councilman Al French’s work on bus bench advertising rules was delayed again Wednesday. For the second meeting in a row, the Spokane Ethics Committee did not reach a quorum.
County gives city time on YMCA debt
Spokane County leaders Tuesday expressed frustration with Spokane City Council’s vague response to their offer to pay off the city’s debt on its purchase of the downtown YMCA. After two rounds of debate, commissioners voted 2-1 to wait four months before revoking their offer to give the city money to pay the $4.3 million the city owes on the YMCA building, which it bought over the summer.