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Dealer redirects plows after snow complaint
A Spokane Valley car dealership said Friday that it will end a longstanding practice of dumping parking lot snow on nearby county park land. A contract crew working for Appleway Chevrolet and Toyota was confronted by a sheriff’s deputy Thursday night after dumping more than 100 cubic yards of snow on the grounds of Camp Caro. The park, near the corner of Appleway Boulevard and Sargent Road, is the gateway to the Dishman Hills Natural Area.
City using contractors to help clear the streets
Spokane’s decision to call in private grader operators to help clear roads adds an extra financial burden in an already cash-strapped year. But officials say the need to maintain passable streets is one of the few good reasons to dip into reserves. The city put grader contracts out to bid this fall and is paying seven companies between $95 and $125 per hour for each of a dozen graders. That’s for use of the equipment and the staffing to operate them. The city also is using its plows and 10 of its own graders.
County considers using reserves to save public safety jobs
Spokane County commissioners may dip into reserves to save jobs and offset some of the most painful cuts in their 2011 general fund budget. Commissioners Mark Richard and Bonnie Mager called for preserving safety-related programs by reducing reserves from 10 percent of the $136.8 million general fund to perhaps 8 percent.
County raises fees, extends jail contract
A public relations contract to promote a Spokane County jail construction bond measure will be extended four months at a cost of $46,156. In other action Tuesday, county commissioners voted to increase golf fees and the charge for access to the county sewer system.
GPS to track county plows
A year from now, Spokane County residents may go online when snow falls to find out which roads have been plowed. Some road graders and plow trucks are being equipped this winter with global positioning system devices that show where road crews are and what they’re doing.
Per-hour formula proposed for building-permit charges
An overhaul of building-permit fees in unincorporated Spokane County could reduce costs for big projects and make small ones more expensive. County commissioners will take testimony Nov. 30 on a proposal to charge for building permits according to the time it takes to process them instead of the value of the project.
County considers new formula for building permit fees
An overhaul of building permit fees in unincorporated Spokane County could reduce costs for big projects and make small ones more expensive. County commissioners will take testimony Nov. 30 on a proposal to charge for building permits according to the time it takes to process them instead of the value of the project.