Council Putting Together Legislative Wish List City May Ask To Create Street Utility, Revise Business Improvement District

The city of Spokane’s wish list for the next session of the state Legislature looks much like it has in years past.

The city once again is asking for relief from the fiscal damage caused by state Initiative 695. For the creation of tax-increment financing. For continued funding of the north Spokane freeway. For money to enhance higher education throughout the region.

But there are a few new additions to its legislative agenda, which the City Council is scheduled to discuss and vote on tonight.

One of them is legislation to allow the city to create a street utility. Like other utilities, it would charge city residents a fee for the use of city services - in this case, streets, to pay for their maintenance.

Another would modify the laws dealing with business improvement districts so boundaries could be altered without first having to dissolve the district.

Both new requests are a result of ordinances proposed by Councilman Steve Eugster.

Eugster believes creation of a street utility could help solve the city’s problem of broken streets, although a similar measure was struck down by the state Supreme Court.

Councilman Rob Higgins, who served on the state Blue Ribbon Commission for Transportation, wondered if the street utility concept is a good idea when it has gotten no attention from the commission.

“Why was a street utility never mentioned?” Higgins asked. “Is Steve Eugster the only one in the state who is trying to push that? Why wasn’t the street utility looked at by the blue ribbon commission?”

Eugster says the street utility makes sense but other politicians are afraid to embrace the idea.

“I am off by myself on this because the rest of them are chicken,” he said. “Seriously. If people started being frank with the electorate, we could get things done in this state.”

The business improvement district legislation would help resolve a major concern of supporters of Spokane’s downtown district, who don’t want to see the structure dismantled, as Eugster has urged, in order to expand the district.

Another difference between this legislative agenda and the last one is the timing. The council didn’t vote on the city’s agenda for the 2000 session until February, which was criticized by some council members.

Having an agenda in place in December could bolster its chances of success, said Dan Kirschner, public affairs director of the Spokane Area Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber has its own legislative agenda, which mirrors many of the city’s requests. The more united the chamber, city and county are, the better it looks in the eyes of the Legislature, Kirschner said.

“You bet it’s helpful” to finalize the city agenda in December, he said. “The difference is having everyone together at the same table. Having the city present is certainly a key component.”

But even with the city on board early, there’s no guarantee of success, Kirschner said.

It’s expected to be a difficult year to pry loose dollars, given that voters passed a pair of education spending initiatives without giving the Legislature additional taxing authority.

“It’s going to be uphill sledding for us,” Kirschner said.

Also tonight, the council is expected to consider a trio of Eugster proposals concerning the River Park Square parking garage.

Among them is a resolution that would put dissolution of the Spokane Parking Public Development Agency, which runs the garage, to a vote of the people. The others are a settlement offer to end the litigation and a tongue-in-cheek “Christmas ordinance” that would give the mall developers anything they want.