Eugster Would Shift Focus From Downtown

Spokane should build neighborhood recreation centers instead of expanding Riverfront Park, newly announced City Council candidate Steve Eugster said Tuesday.

Eugster said the city needs to quit dwelling on downtown improvements and called for more volunteer efforts to clean up the community and plant trees.

Eugster also gave a pitch for his proposed initiative to switch to a strong mayor form of government in Spokane.

A longtime critic of Spokane government and its leaders, Eugster said it’s time for a new philosophy and a return to basics.

He urged a fresh look at the role of government and how it uses its resources to benefit citizens.

Eugster said after 25 years of projects designed to save downtown, it is time for the City Council to focus on the entire community.

“Too much energy has been spent trying to create a carnival atmosphere downtown,” he said.

The 55-year-old attorney called on citizens to become more involved in their community and volunteer to make their neighborhoods better.

“I am asking volunteers to take care of cleanup instead of depending on (City Manager) Bill Pupo to send a crew out,” Eugster said.

“If we ask people to be involved, I bet we’d be surprised by the response, and all take more pride in our community.”

Eugster has a number of ideas to fix streets, including using money from parking meters and parking fines to repair potholes and looking at streets as if they were a utility.

“Think about streets as a utility. They produce an income,” he said.

According to Collette Greenwood, management and budget director, parking meter revenue already pays for street maintenance, including filling potholes and snow-plowing. Parking meters raised about $1.3 million in 1998.

Parking fines are used to help fund courts, she said.

Bruce Steele, the city transportation director, said there is a $96 million backlog in street work that needs to be done.

Eugster also proposes a city centers program, bringing together cities, including Spokane, Yakima, Tri-Cities and Everett, to work on urban renewal projects. Funding for road improvements would be one aspect, Eugster said.

The attorney also is proposing building four recreation centers in neighborhoods throughout the city. Each center would include ice and hockey rinks, swimming pools and basketball courts.

“Great!” said Ange Taylor, director of the city Parks and Recreation Department. “But where do you get the money?”

Taylor said the city is desperate for more swimming pools, basketball courts and skating rinks. He estimates a single recreation center would cost about $13 million to build.

Let the people vote on whether they want recreation centers, Eugster said.

“They might prefer spending $25 million for recreation centers rather than buying property from some rich guy in downtown for a science center,” he said.

He was referring to a $15 million Parks Department plan for a bond that would buy property to expand Riverfront Park, as well as improve parks, playgrounds and swimming pools in neighborhoods citywide. Eugster said there is economic benefit in improving neighborhoods.

“With all of these programs, if you do something good for the people, you do something good for the community. It is just a better place to live,” he said.

Here are some of Eugster’s other proposals:

Hire a new city manager. “Some of the other top staff should go, too,” Eugster said. “They’ve been there too long.”

Adopt a new economic development plan. Instead of stealing businesses from other cities, encourage the creation of programs and products here and export them.

Create a city-county port district for economic development on the West Plains.

Drop the Lincoln Street bridge proposal and the idea of a Monroe-Lincoln couplet, which has been proposed to ease north-south traffic congestion. Develop the Spokane River gorge downtown to take advantage of the river’s beauty. He suggested finishing the Centennial Trail, creating a public campground in High Bridge Park and improving Peaceful Valley.

Plant thousands of street trees using a sort of summer conservation corps of young adults.

Target two areas for urban high-density mixed-use development. Eugster suggests the Summit property northwest of downtown and the east downtown area between Washington Street and Spokane Falls Boulevard.

Encourage establishment of local improvement districts for improving neighborhood parks and business districts in, for example, Hillyard, along Monroe Street and downtown. In such districts, only those who directly benefit from the improvements are taxed.

Encourage redevelopment of the Davenport Hotel and the surrounding area as a residential, office, hotel and public-market project.

Annex urban areas contiguous to the city where it is providing services.

Elect City Council members by geographic district and hire an independent auditor.