Spokane City Hall reopens to public after powder found

The Spokane City Hall has been reopened after firefighters deteremined that a white powder discovered when opening a package was “corn starch-based packaging product that came in with product that we had ordered,” city Spokeswoman Marlene Feist said in a news release. The buidling was closed to the public Monday after 3 p.m. after a city worker found the powder while opening mail, Feist said. Feist said the powder was found on the third floor in an area used by the planning and business and development services departments. Although no one is being allowed in the building, workers are being asked to stay and the City Council has went ahead with its afternoon meeting even though the public can’t go inside. Feist said the meeting went forward because no public testimony was scheduled and it’s being covered on the city’s cable station. A Spokane hazardous materials team set up outside the buildling.