Spokane mayor picks new spokesman

Spokane Mayor David Condon has chosen a new top spokesman for the city. Brian Coddington of Hill and Knowlton Strategies, a public relations firm with an office in Spokane, will replace Marlene Feist, who will remain at the city as the utilities communications manager, Feist said in a news release this morning. Feist announced earlier this year that the communications department was being reorganized and that she would oversee communications in the utility departments. Two public information coordinators, Robyn Dunlap of the Spokane Regional Solid Waste System, and Ann Deasy who worked for the streets and engineering departments, were laid off as part of the change. Coddington will oversee City Cable 5 and sit on the mayor’s cabinet as the communications and marketing director. Feist will continue earning $89,000 in her new job. She said Coddington’s starting salary will be $87,900. Dunlap and Deasy each earned about $55,000. Coddington has worked at Hill and Knowlton for 12 years. Prior to that he was a reporter at The Spokesman-Review. His appointment needs the approval of the Spokane City Council.