Neighborhood Services Faces Uncertainty Amid Departures

The city department that oversees Spokane’s 26 neighborhood councils faces an uncertain future that is further clouded by the recent departure of two key staff members.

The neighborhood councils helped develop the city’s street tree ordinance and a proposed new comprehensive plan. They also helped find a new location for the operations complex and launched a Community Emergency Response Training program in Spokane.

And City Manager Hank Miggins said representatives of the neighborhood councils will meet with the City Council in about a month to offer suggestions on funding to repave streets in Spokane.

The councils are overseen by the Department of Neighborhood Services, which usually has three full-time employees and one shared employee. That has been reduced to one full-time staffer and one part-time staffer.

“We have 26 neighborhood councils, and we are involved in a litany of programs,” said Al French, chairman of the Nevada/Lidgerwood neighborhood group and co-chairman of the councils’ Community Assembly. “To do these things with 1-1/2 employees is unrealistic.”

The Community Assembly, made up of representatives from neighborhood councils, meets with Neighborhood Services and members of the City Council.

Miggins said the roles of Neighborhood Services and the Community Assembly need to be better defined. He sees the assembly advising the City Council and Neighborhood Services as a coordinating function that answers to the mayor.

“The two are not mutually exclusive. They will still work together,” Miggins said.

But City Councilwoman Phyllis Holmes questions whether the Community Assembly would receive adequate support if it’s reporting to the City Council.

“I’m not sure that is something we want to take on,” Holmes said.

Holmes and Miggins are adamant that Neighborhood Services should not be lost in the transition to a strong mayor form of government this fall, as members of some neighborhood councils fear.

“We are not near getting rid of (Neighborhood Services),” Miggins said.

Holmes helped former Mayor Jack Geraghty formalize the neighborhood council system almost five years ago.

“Losing (the Community Assembly) would be the biggest doublecross to this community that ever would have occurred,” Holmes said. “Leadership is involving the folks closest to the community. To tell them their involvement is not wanted would be criminal and not bright.”

Mayor John Talbott concurred.

“The function is there to stay. It is a major ingredient of what should make this city work. It’s been missing in the past but it is there now, whether it is going to be reporting to City Council or the mayor,” he said.

Neighborhood Services Depart ment director Molly Myers retired less then a month ago. Then Janet Davis, projects director, resigned two weeks ago. Davis said she and Myers had worked in tandem.

Myers retired because of burnout, she said. Davis had been working without benefits for 3 years as a project employee, which means her job could have been terminated at any time.

“I saw the handwriting on the wall that (the city) wasn’t ready to make it a permanent position,” Davis said.

Davis tried to get permanent status at her job by requesting a new civil service classification in December.

The request was denied on the grounds that there was a position as public information coordinator that fit Davis’ job description.

Davis would have had to apply for that job, but she opted not to because she felt it wouldn’t use her talents.

Jay Cousins, chairman of the Emerson Garfield Neighborhood Council, said Davis’ position was backed by the Community Assembly.

Representatives from the Community Assembly said they asked Mike Adolfae, interim director of Neighborhood Services and community development director, to add a position that combines elements from both Davis’ and Myers’ job description. They then asked that Davis be hired as a contract employee until permanent positions are assigned, Cousins said.

Adolfae declined to comment about the request.

Miggins said he would meet with the Community Assembly and City Council to set a well-defined job description for the director of Neighborhood Services before the position will reopen.

This sidebar appeared with the story: WHAT’S NEXT Job descriptions

Hank Miggins said he’ll meet with the Community Assembly and City Council to set a well-defined job description for the next Neighborhood Services director.