The Spokane Valley City Council voted Tuesday to increase property taxes next year as much as state law allows. The council unanimously set next year’s city property tax levy at $10,799,500, up $299,500 or 2.9 percent from this year’s levy.
Greater Spokane Inc. intends to earn its full $60,000 donation from Spokane Valley next year with a strategy to market the city’s Sprague-Appleway Revitalization plan to businesses around the country. The Spokane Valley City Council voted last week to withhold half of the grant if the regional economic-development organization doesn’t deliver a more aggressive plan to promote the city by Oct. 1.
Spokane Valley would save more than $1 million a year by operating its own police department, according to a newly released study. City officials commissioned the $126,500 study by the International City/County Management Association after a dispute over the amount Spokane County charges for police service and a county decision to cancel the city’s contract for snowplowing.
Spokane Valley now has its own fleet of snowplows to take over where Spokane County left off last winter. A half-dozen used trucks, purchased from the Washington Department of Transportation for $109,600, are being inspected and serviced by the city’s street-maintenance contractor, Poe Asphalt Paving in Post Falls.
A fire in a Denny’s restaurant men’s room was the biggest of eight structure fires reported to the Spokane Valley Fire Department in the past week. Assistant Fire Marshal Bill Clifford said customers arriving at the restaurant at 2022 N. Argonne Road shortly before noon Wednesday saw smoke coming out of the eaves. Denny’s employees evacuated the building and called the fire department.
Implementation of the Sprague-Appleway Revitalization Plan will be postponed two weeks, until Oct. 15, because of delays in publishing an easy-to-read copy of the plan. In other business Tuesday, the Spokane Valley City Council unanimously called for final action next week on an ordinance to reduce false burglar alarms by requiring licenses and hiring a company to handle enforcement.
Greater Spokane Inc. intends to earn its full $60,000 donation from Spokane Valley next year with a strategy to market the city’s Sprague-Appleway Revitalization plan to businesses around the country. The City Council voted last week to withhold half of the grant if the regional economic-development organization doesn’t deliver a more aggressive plan to promote the city by Oct. 1.
Rogers High School ran out of pirate swords long before enthusiastic alumni finished dedicating a multimillion-dollar renovation of their alma mater Saturday. “That seems to be the hot item today,” said student body adviser Karrie Docterman, who was selling plastic swords, pompoms and school sweatshirts.
Rogers High School ran out of pirate swords long before enthusiastic alumni finished dedicating a multimillion-dollar renovation of their alma mater Saturday.
A construction worker was critically injured Saturday morning when he came into contact with a high-voltage electrical line at the corner of East Meadowlane Road and U.S. Highway 195.
Spokane Valley’s spiffed-up swimming pools attracted more users and generated more revenue this summer than last despite a shorter season. Snow makeup days kept schools in session longer this summer and shaved about two weeks off the pool season. Even so, pool attendance increased by more than 9,000 visits, and revenue was up more than $10,000.
After several weeks, a strange odor finally became “unbearable” for a Liberty Lake apartment dweller who called the Spokane Valley Fire Department for help. Assistant Fire Marshal Bill Clifford said Liberty Lake police joined firefighters on the Sept. 1 call to the Big Trout Lodge Apartments at 22809 Country Vista Drive. When the emergency workers arrived shortly before midnight, they too smelled something odd.
“Half now, half on delivery,” the Spokane Valley City Council said Tuesday when it authorized a $60,000 grant to Greater Spokane Inc. for economic development. Unhappy with the regional booster organization’s past performance, the council gave Greater Spokane until Oct. 1 to deliver a plan that focuses more aggressively on Spokane Valley.
The Friends of Spokane Valley organization joined the Spokane Valley Business Association this week in vowing to correct failures to report political expenditures to the state Public Disclosure Commission. While the business association neglected to report spending on “Support Our City” signs, Friends didn’t disclose its spending to dissolve the city.
Eleven-year-old Trayton Larsen traded his walker for a shiny, new, red three-wheeler last Thursday and said he could “zoom” 100 mph. “Awesome,” he told the sheriff’s volunteers who joined his grandfather in giving him the custom-built tricycle. “You people rock.”
The Spokane Valley Business Association planned to register this week with the state Public Disclosure Commission because of its opposition to disincorporating the city. “I’ll get that done tomorrow,” association Treasurer Dick Behm said Monday after learning the commission staff considered registration necessary because of the “Support Our City” signs the association has distributed.
Spokane Valley City Council members endorsed a staff proposal Tuesday to offer a seven-year contract for park maintenance. The contract, to take effect in January, would be two years longer than the expiring five-year agreement with Kennewick-based Senske Lawn and Tree Care.
East Valley School District directors adopted a 2009-2010 budget Tuesday that preserves all teaching and classified jobs despite deep cuts. The budget follows a plan developed in May, in response to patron requests, to cancel proposed teacher layoffs and cut central-office administrative jobs and other spending instead.
If you’re planning an apartment balcony barbecue, it’s probably best to keep Spokane Valley firefighters off the guest list. Of course, the event was already ruined when firefighters arrived Sunday afternoon at the Pheasant Ridge Apartments, 601 S. Woodruff Road.
Four people filed this week for a Spokane Valley City Council seat that promises a referendum on the city’s hot-button issues. As expected, the candidates include incumbent Ian Robertson and council critic Dean Grafos. They were joined by Ed Foote, a twice unsuccessful Democratic candidate for state representative, and retired Lutheran minister and electronics worker Edward Pace.
The owner of a popular Spokane Valley restaurant that lost its lease in July would like to feed the poor. Pat Kroetch said she considered reopening Percy’s Cafe Americana in a new location, but now is leaning toward running a soup kitchen instead.
Newman Lake Fire Commissioner Eileen Weyrauch didn’t forfeit her position when she failed to submit her oath of office in time, the fire district’s attorney says. Des Moines, Wash., attorney Brian Snure stated in a written opinion, presented to the fire district board last week, that Weyrauch is protected by an 1892 state Supreme Court ruling.
Fire District 8 commissioners plan to review procedures Sept. 8 for replacing Commissioner Jonathan Ferraiuolo, who will step down Monday. Ferraiuolo announced his resignation at the district’s Aug. 4 meeting.
A night at a motel in Spokane Valley will cost 50 cents more under a tourism tax increase approved Tuesday by the City Council. The Spokane Valley council joined Spokane County commissioners and the Spokane City Council in granting the Spokane-area hotel industry’s request to boost the lodging tax from $1.50 to $2 a night. All of the money goes to promote tourism.
The Spokane Valley Fire Department rescued a cat from inside a wall and gave some horses a lift in the past week. Firefighters used Kevlar air bags to lift a horse trailer that had two flat tires on the same side while being towed by a semitractor on Interstate 90 shortly after 3 a.m. last Saturday.
