David Wasson

Spokane City Councilman Steve Salvatori, a fiscal conservative and political ally of Mayor David Condon, is resigning his seat and moving to Texas.

A regional trash hauler that got its start a century ago collecting garbage with horse-drawn wagons is positioning itself for a potentially big expansion. With the countywide solid waste system in flux, Sunshine Disposal & Recycling is hoping to persuade Spokane Valley city leaders to let it take over what amounts to a major piece of the region’s garbage market. The move could shave at least a quarter of a million dollars per year off the estimated cost that Valley residents would shoulder under the regional system envisioned by Spokane County.

Score one for neighborhood activism. Widespread opposition to a proposed land-use change that would have allowed large apartment buildings in a mostly rural Spokane Valley neighborhood helped spotlight enough concerns that the Spokane Valley City Council on Tuesday blocked the request from advancing to formal consideration. The 6-1 vote marked a rare developer rejection for a council that prides itself on being “business friendly.”

Valley Council dumps controversial land-use plan

Spokane’s new integrated medical services manager was in charge of the local American Medical Response operation during at least some of the years that the ambulance company systematically overbilled city residents, documents show. But city officials say the problems began after billing duties were moved out of the Spokane office to AMR’s regional headquarters in Seattle between late 2002 and early 2003 as part of a corporate restructuring. The company agreed to a nearly $1 million settlement in 2010 over years of lucrative billing flaws involving Spokane residents.

Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake property owners were improperly taxed more than $1 million over the past decade for noxious weed enforcement and now a lawsuit has been filed against Spokane County seeking full refunds. The civil suit, which could become a class-action on behalf of the more than 50,000 property owners in the two cities, was filed this week in Spokane County Superior Court by Liberty Lake Mayor Steve Peterson and three others.

Two Spokane Valley City Council members say they will oppose a controversial land-use proposal that would enable multilevel apartment buildings to be constructed in a largely rural neighborhood, while several others say they’re leaning against it. Whether that’s enough to kill the proposal, which has sparked massive neighborhood opposition, remains to be seen. After months of preliminary consideration by city staff and the Planning Commission, the change sought by Whipple Consulting Engineers to a 5-acre parcel at Barker Road and the old Sprague Avenue will be formally introduced next week and could either be dumped or moved forward to a final council vote later this month.

The Logan neighborhood’s vision of fostering a walkable, South Perry-style commercial district in the future got a nonbinding endorsement from city leaders this week despite concern among some that it could be unrealistic given the heavy traffic loads on Hamilton Street. “These are long-term vision documents,” said Councilwoman Amber Waldref, whose district includes the Logan neighborhood. “Some elements may or may not be implemented.”

Two of the Spokane Valley Fire Department’s oldest stations will be upgraded and remodeled under a $1.37 million contract. They are the University Fire Station, which was built in 1976 and used to serve as the department’s headquarters, and the Otis Orchards Station, which was built in 1984. Among the major improvements will be addition of separate sleeping quarters and other facilities to accommodate fire crew consisting of both genders.

Spokane looking for Police Ombudsman Commission volunteers

It was time for Spokane Valley to take a victory lap. Despite the economic turmoil of the past several years, the fledgling city has held steady without tax increases or public safety cutbacks. It’s launched street maintenance programs and bridge repairs with existing revenue. Parks have been expanded and new recreational trails are being developed on a “pay-as-you-go” basis.

Ethics complaints against Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart and Councilman Steve Salvatori were thrown out Wednesday. The panel deadlocked 3-3, however, on whether Salvatori’s membership on boards that received thousands of dollars originally allocated for a council staff assistant violated conflict-of-interest rules. One committee member was absent and complaints receiving anything less than a majority vote of the panel are dismissed.

Opposition to a proposed land-use change that would enable large apartment buildings in a Spokane Valley neighborhood that primarily consists of single-family homes, appears to be growing. Dozens urged the City Council on Tuesday to follow the Planning Commission’s recommendation and dump the proposal, which would redesignate a 5-acre parcel at Barker and the old Sprague Avenue from low-density to high-density residential.

"A country run by idiots"

A $310 million plan to cut the amount of pollution flowing into the Spokane River won unanimous endorsement Monday night from the Spokane City Council. The Integrated Clean Water Plan relies on a combination of improved sewage and wastewater treatment, greater use of strategically located swales and vegetation to naturally soak up more rainfall and installation of gigantic underground tanks to hold millions of gallons of stormwater until it can be processed through the city’s treatment plant.

A pair of ethics complaints have been filed against Spokane City Council President Ben Stuckart and Councilman Steve Salvatori over sending taxpayer money initally allocated for a council assistant to hand-picked community groups instead. The first, filed by former Council President Joe Shogan, accuses Salvatori of violating conflict of interest prohibitions by failing to disclose personal ties to one of the groups, a business startup booster called Spokane Angel Alliance. The second was filed by former Councilman Steve Eugster, who contends all of Salvatori’s redirected spending was improper and constitutes illegal gifts of public funds.

Spokane voters likely will see two big tax measures on the November ballot, but city leaders say they will be part of a refinancing package to fix streets and renovate Riverfront Park and won’t cost them anything more than they’re already paying. “We can use the same money the city of Spokane has already invested,” said Mayor David Condon, who along with Council President Ben Stuckart on Monday kicked off the city’s effort to explain the complex package that they hope will be on the Nov. 4 general election ballot.