Renewal urged on District Court contract

Spokane Valley City Council members enthusiastically received a consulting report Tuesday that recommended they maintain their contract with Spokane County District Court.

Based on the report, it “looks like we want to continue our partnership with the county,” Councilman Ian Robertson said.

The council also enthusiastically approved a $560,532 base bid for a new park maintenance contract with Senske Lawn and Tree Care. With annual renewals, the contract would last seven years – two years longer than the company’s expiring contract.

Parks Director Mike Stone said the bid for 2010 service is about $48,000 less than the company charged in 2005 and about $85,000 less than this year’s charge.

Two other companies, TruGreen and Four Seasons, respectively bid $640,597 and $629,373.

Stone said he thought the offer of a seven-year contract “was extremely enticing” to the bidders.

Councilman Bill Gothmann calculated a $595,000 saving over the seven years. The saving could be even greater if state law didn’t require city contractors to pay union-equivalent “prevailing” wages, Councilman Dick Denenny added.

Denenny and Mayor Rich Munson said Senske’s service has been exemplary.

“This is one area that we just receive rave reviews on,” Denenny said.

As in 2005, only the YMCA submitted a proposal for management of the city’s swimming pools, but pleased council members unanimously approved the offer.

As in Y’s current contract, the new deal calls for the nonprofit organization to receive a management fee to deliver workers and supplies while the city pays actual operating costs. With annual renewals, it would last five years.

Stone said the arrangement cost the city about $233,000 last year, and this year’s cost is expected to be about $315,000 when all the bills are tallied. He said the addition of new features at the city’s three pools increased operating costs this year.

Next year’s costs are estimated at $365,000.

Researcher Anne Pflug said the savings from offering a long-term contract for park maintenance should inspire a similar partnership with Spokane County District Court.

The state Department of Commerce research manager directed a $49,830 study of the city’s options for court services. She concluded that continuing to contract with District Court is the least expensive choice.

The city is expected to pay the court about $920,000 this year to process 13,300 cases.

City officials commissioned the study after county commissioners canceled the city’s contract for snow plowing.

The council issued a cancellation notice for the court contract so it wouldn’t have to wait six years under state law to form its own court if it wished. However, the city has until Dec. 31 to rescind the cancellation.

With stiffer fines, the city could break even and eventually wind up with a $306,769 gain during a new five-year contract, from 2011 through 2015, Pflug said.

She said the city also could break even on operating costs after five years if it created its own court for misdemeanors and infractions, but startup capital costs would result in a $437,021 deficit.

Capital costs would be lower if Spokane Valley contracted with Spokane’s new municipal court, but higher operating costs would create a $551,578 deficit over five years, Pflug said.

She noted that Spokane Municipal Court, which became independent of District Court in January, is still finding its footing. The new court may undergo changes that could affect service to Spokane Valley, Pflug said.

Also, she said Spokane Valley’s caseload has more in common with the county District Court.

Pflug said more than 70 percent of Spokane Valley and Spokane County caseloads are infractions, and more than 40 percent of their misdemeanor cases are for driving with a suspended license.

She said 78 percent of Spokane Valley’s cases are infractions.

“You have a striking number of cases in that arena,” the most she has seen in a Washington city, Pflug said.

She said Spokane has a more typically urban caseload with infractions constituting 66 percent; misdemeanors, 34 percent.

Further, Pflug said, Spokane County has a strong incentive to reduce criminal justice costs that account for 71 percent of its general fund budget.

Actually, District Court Administrator Virginia Rockwood told council members, the percentage now is approaching 74 percent. Judge Gregory Tripp said county commissioners have directed the District Court to cut 11.8 percent from its proposed 2010 budget.

City Manager Dave Mercier and Denenny worried that the cuts would affect service or charges to Spokane Valley, but Tripp said the court would fulfill its contractual obligations. There would be no reduction in the number of jurists, he said.

Still, Mercier said it would be “comforting to the community” if Tripp could provide more information Nov. 10 when the council makes its decision. Tripp said he would get answers to Mercier’s questions, including how the court might implement some of Pflug’s recommendations to improve efficiency.

Pflug said strained city-county relations might be improved if the county designated one person to oversee the county’s various criminal justice contracts with the city.

She said the city could be “a more attractive partner and probably get a better bang for the buck” by clarifying its goals and objectives.

Some “performance indicators” could help officials judge how well the contract is working, Pflug said. She suggested goals of reducing the number repeat defendants, increasing fine collections, reducing misdemeanor hearings and curtailing jail sentences.

According to Pflug’s report, fines on Spokane Valley misdemeanor cases average $26, compared with $116 for other misdemeanors in District Court.

The city could gain more control by creating its own court, but Pflug suggested the city hire its own prosecutor instead. Spokane Valley is the only city among the state’s 10 largest that doesn’t have its own prosecutor.

“It gives you a little balance,” Pflug said.