Public Periscope

Not likely to snag an Oscar nomination

The Spokane City Council got a private screening last week of a short infomercial aimed at explaining to taxpayers the need for a $37.3 million street bond. The spot, which runs on City Cable 5, starred Phil Williams, the city’s director of planning and engineering and Ken Stone, budget director … Rather than offer a thumbs review a la Siskel and Ebert, we’ll let the stars speak for themselves: “Now you know why none of us got jobs on ‘Dante’s Peak,”’ dead-panned Williams as the credits rolled.

Just ducky

When the city replaced a leaky water main beneath 29th Avenue, a duck pond at the Lincoln Heights Garden and Terrace Apartments dried up. The leaky pipe created the pond that now has to be filled with hoses, causing the retirement community’s managers “serious concern,” Williams told the council … “Are we going to get in trouble for messing with a wetland?” asked Councilwoman Phyllis Holmes. “We created it,” said Mayor Jack Geraghty. “I guess we can take it away” … After the horror stories told by property rights advocates during last year’s Referendum 48 campaign, we’re not so sure hizzoner’s logic is sound. City taxpayers better hope the Environmental Protection Agency doesn’t come calling.

Something old

Terry Lynch, newly elected chairman of the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce, had no idea his words had such staying power. The letter he wrote to the Valley Herald in 1991 endorsing County Commissioner Steve Hasson lasted longer than the recently defunct newspaper … Friends of Steve Hasson, an independent group trying to get the commissioner re-elected, resurrected the letter and circulated it at a chamber meeting. Lynch did not appreciate the blast from the past. As the new chairman, he isn’t endorsing anyone, he said.

Something new

Taking an uncharacteristically hard line, Geraghty called a press conference Friday urging voters to pass the street bond and turn down the strong mayor proposal. He denounced the bond-opposition group known as the “Nay sayers,” and criticized the proposed charter change as having had too little public review. “I hope, due to the importance of these issues, people turn out to vote,” he said.

Something strange … but true

Seems odd to some readers that it takes just over 50 percent of the voters tomorrow to completely change Spokane city government, but 60 percent of voters to pass the street bond … Scholars of political history explain it this way: Everybody in the city would have to live with the change in government, so a simple majority rules. Only property owners pay the tax on the bonds, and they are only part of the electorate. The founding parents - who tended to be landowners - required a super majority to keep the non-property owners from placing an undue burden on them.

Less politics next week

If it seems like there’s more politics and less government news in Periscope this week, that’s only because it seemed there was more politicking and less governing going on last week. We’ll try to get back to the more important stuff next week. Honest.

, DataTimes MEMO: Public Periscope, published Mondays, is compiled by Jim Camden from staff reports. If you’ve got a question about local government, growth or development, we’d like to help you find an answer. You can write us c/o The Spokesman-Review, Box 2160, Spokane, Wash., 99210. Or e-mail to jimc@spokesman.com. Or fax to (509) 459-5482. Or call Cityline at 458-8800 on a Touch-Tone phone, then press 9120 to leave a message.

This sidebar appeared with the story: HOT TOPICs Friday: The survivors from Tuesday’s primary for two Spokane County commission seats will debate at a Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce breakfast, which will be carried live on KXLY-Extra. Tickets are $7 in advance, $10 at the door. 7:30 a.m., The Met.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Compiled by Jim Camden from staff reports