David Wasson

More than 10,000 new trees will be planted across Spokane over the next two years as part of an initiative unveiled Friday by Mayor David Condon to beautify neighborhoods and help soak up troublesome stormwater. “Trees add beauty and character, and play a major role in our plans to be smarter about how we use vegetation to help keep stormwater from entering our river,” Condon said during an Arbor Day celebration that included recognition for those who have long helped promote development of healthy urban forests throughout the city.

Despite being sympathetic to concerns that cross-dressing men are using women’s public restrooms, Spokane Valley city leaders say state and federal anti-discrimination laws prohibit them from doing anything about it. “This is not a comfortable topic for any of us,” Deputy Mayor Arne Woodard said during a legal briefing Tuesday night. “I hope our citizens understand there is nothing the city can do about this.”

Despite being sympathetic to concerns that cross-dressing men are using women’s public restrooms, Spokane Valley city leaders say state and federal anti-discrimination laws prohibit them from doing anything about it.

The ponderosa pine is now Spokane’s official tree. The designation came Monday night from the City Council just in time for Earth Day, which was celebrated Tuesday across Spokane by school kids and city leaders planting the region’s native saplings in parks and elsewhere.

City eases its own pot restrictions

A proposed advisory vote on whether Spokane should have a full-time City Council won’t be on the November ballot. A divided City Council blocked the idea Monday and put the measure on hold for at least a year with a 4-3 vote.

Moody's upgrades Spokane Valley bond rating

Responding to community uproar over a planned McDonald’s drive-thru restaurant near Gonzaga University, the Spokane City Council this week imposed an emergency six-month moratorium on similar projects along Hamilton Street in the Logan neighborhood. It’s a largely symbolic effort since the moratorium won’t stop construction of the drive-thru at Augusta Avenue and North Hamilton Street, nor are there any other similar projects in the pre-planning stages at this point.

The company that has operated Spokane’s electricity-producing trash incinerator on the West Plains for more than two decades is getting a pink slip. Wheelabrator Technologies Inc. was advised Wednesday by Mayor David Condon that the city won’t be renewing the estimated $21 million-a-year contract when it expires in November. The city intends to take over all plant operations, which officials say will provide greater flexibility to address coming changes as Spokane turns over control of the regional trash system to Spokane County.

Spokane voters could be asked this fall whether the state’s second-largest city is ready for a full-time City Council. With the city charter providing only an implied part-time status, and annual pay set to bump 4 percent in January, Councilmen Mike Allen and Steve Salvatori are proposing two advisory measures for the November ballot that they hope will promote a robust community debate over what residents expect from their elected municipal leaders.

Spokane City Council members may be in for a pay raise. A tentative plan by the city’s Salary Review Commission calls for a 4 percent bump, which would be the first increase since 2008.

The new Goat Standard

Motorists speeding through school zones could be the next target of Spokane’s push into automated traffic enforcement cameras. With statistics suggesting red-light cameras have helped improve safety at intersections, while also hauling in millions of dollars in fines, Spokane now wants to know more about automated speed cameras that state lawmakers have authorized for use in school and road construction zones. Seattle and Tacoma already are using them.

The Spokane City Council’s anti-sprawl measure appears dead. For now, anyway. Council President Ben Stuckart, rather than trying to muster support for an unlikely override of Mayor David Condon’s veto, is starting over.

After losing a 2011 bond measure, Newman Lake Fire and Rescue promised to get its finances in order. The fire district serving the northeastern portion of rural Spokane County restructured the volunteer department, paid off long-term debt and now is back with another ballot request this month that’s only about half the size of the earlier one.

Kris Stanford is trying to fix a quirk in state law that she considers an automatic death sentence for any dog declared “dangerous” by authorities. The Spokane woman’s puppy, Salon, was destroyed in 2012 after she was unable to obtain state-mandated liability insurance following an investigation that concluded the young pit bull terrier had attacked another dog. Stanford said she couldn’t find any insurance companies offering the $250,000 in coverage that state and local laws require for dogs with a history of biting.

Ballots arrive this week in Spokane Valley

Spokane’s crackdown on unlicensed lodging is being put on hold. The city announced Friday it’s imposing a 120-day moratorium on investigating complaints against those who rent out rooms and other short-term accommodations in Spokane, often using online services such as Airbnb.com and VRBO.com to market and book them. Exceptions include any egregious risks to health and safety brought to the city’s attention.