City-County Meeting Called Good ‘Icebreaker’ Council, Commission Share More Ideas Than Solutions To Common Problems

Spokane City Council members and county commissioners sat down Wednesday to chat about shared concerns.

“It wasn’t so good for the issues, but it was good as an icebreaker,” said Commissioner Steve Hasson.

“Things are always easier to accomplish when we talk to each other rather than about each other,” said councilwoman Phyllis Holmes of the two-hour session that featured more brainstorming than problem-solving.

In the first such meeting since voters rejected city-county consolidation last fall, the two governing bodies touched briefly on topics ranging from sewers to landfill closures.

They discussed the possibility of consolidating their efforts in planning and permitting. They talked about getting compatible computer programs capable of sharing information.

They even mentioned trading top managers for short stints, so that each government could grow familiar with how the other works.

“There’s a prospect for mischief there, but there’s also a prospect for a learning curve,” Hasson said.

At times, they lightly jabbed each other.

Commissioner Phil Harris talked about making the rules for a city development equal those for a county development.

“You look over here and there are shrubs and trees. It must be the county,” Harris said. “You look over here and there’s nothing. Must be the city.”

“Those trees on the county side are in the cemetery,” Mayor Jack Geraghty shot back.

Both the city and the county face dollar shortages when it comes to mending regional problems.

The county needs about $34.5 million to finish closing its four landfills: Colbert, Mica, Green Acres and Marshall. County officials would like the city to help, but the city says it gave $20 million toward closures about seven years ago and doesn’t plan to give anymore.

The city needs about $100 million to upgrade and expand the regional sewage treatment plant. The county needs about that same amount to build more sewers in the Valley and on the North Side.

The two are planning to make a united plea for more money to the state Department of Ecology. The state already jointly awarded them $100 million over the next 20 years toward sewer projects.

The two sides vowed to meet again June 6, if most members can attend.

Council members Orville Barnes, Roberta Greene and Mike Brewer missed Wednesday’s session because they were out of town.

Councilman Chris Anderson was also a no-show, saying his council position forced him to go to “a lot of meetings. I have to prioritize them so that I attend those meetings that are the most productive.”

After the cordial session, Hasson said he hadn’t missed Anderson.

“If whiners like Anderson don’t want to show up, that’s all right,” Hasson said. “We wouldn’t want him here.”

, DataTimes