Plan Commissioner Kolva To Run For City Council

A member of the panel that decides growth issues in Spokane is looking to expand his authority.

Jim Kolva, a seven-year member of the city plan commission, announced Tuesday he plans to run for the City Council.

In a four-page statement that is more philosophical than specific, Kolva promised “a commitment to hard work, balance, diligence, equity, open decision-making, teamwork and civility.”

“I fully believe that Spokane’s citizens can contribute ideas that will make us a better place,” wrote Kolva, 49. “We must adopt change as an opportunity, not a threat.”

A North Dakota native, Kolva was raised on a Newman Lake farm. He graduated from East Valley High School and Washington State University and served in the Air Force from 1968 until 1974, including a tour in Vietnam. He rose to the rank of captain.

He earned a masters degree in urban planning from Eastern Washington University in 1980.

Kolva is a partner in Anderson-Kolva Associates, a firm that provides consulting services in historic preservation, environmental assessment and other land-use issues.

He has served on boards for the Eastern State Historical Society, Cheney Cowles Museum and the Davenport Arts and Entertainment District.

As a member of the plan commission - Kolva currently is board president - he helps decide which land can be developed and under what circumstances.

The board also considers any proposed expansions of the city’s boundaries, although the final decision rests with the City Council. One such proposal, the controversial annexation of 5,000 acres on Moran Prairie, will be decided by the commission within the next few weeks.

Kolva said he wants to run for an open seat, most likely the position Councilman Joel Crosby will give up when his term expires this year.

Council elections are non-partisan.