Council To Weigh Petition Group Seeks To Force Public Vote On River Park Square Parking

The Spokane City Council is expected to decide tonight what to do with a petition from a citizens group that wants voters to decide whether the city should be involved in the downtown River Park Square redevelopment project.

Priorities First gathered 3,200 signatures in its second effort to force the matter to a public vote.

On Jan. 27, the City Council pledged parking meter money to help pay expenses of River Park Square’s parking garage if parking revenues fall short of projections.

The initiative would require that any pledge of parking meter money be approved by the public. Priorities First members say that because the initiative was turned in Jan. 10 - prior to the council’s vote - the council’s decision on the garage must be put before voters.

But city attorneys have written an eight-page memo to the council questioning the initiative’s legality.

The measure would take away powers given to the council by state law, according to the attorneys.

The council could decide to adopt the initiative, send it to voters or declare it legally invalid.

Last month, the citizens group turned in another set of signatures aimed at deciding the publicprivate project’s fate at the polls.

That time, Priorities First turned in a referendum petition seeking to put the council’s Jan. 27 decision to a vote.

The city is fighting that petition in court.

Also tonight, the council is expected to consider a $30,200 contract to study four possible locations for a Centennial Trail bridge north of People’s Park.

A briefing for the council will begin at 3:30 p.m. in the lowerlevel conference room of City Hall, 808 W. Spokane Falls Blvd. The council meeting will start at 6 p.m.

, DataTimes