Action On Sloane Delayed Parking Garage Hearing Also Pushed Back During Busy Night

The Spokane City Council meeting was more notable for what didn’t happen than what did.

A slew of agenda items were deferred, delayed or withdrawn Monday, including a much-discussed vote of no-confidence on City Attorney Jim Sloane.

The vote on Sloane was withdrawn by Councilman Steve Eugster late in the meeting when it appeared the council wouldn’t reach the matter until after 10 p.m. It was deferred “out of fairness to Jim,” Eugster said.

The discussions on Sloane and several other items were pushed back by more than two hours of debate on changing the Latah Valley neighborhood-specific plan to accommodate a developer. The council denied the request.

The delay means Sloane must wait at least a week before the vote, which City Manager Hank Miggins said could force him to make a decision about Sloane’s future with the city.

There is a chance, however, that Sloane, the city attorney for 22 years, will reach a deal with Miggins that removes him from office without the need for a vote. Such a deal was in the works Friday but was apparently scuttled Monday.

The Sloane resolution was one of five proposals submitted last week by Eugster, many of which met a similar fate Monday.

Eugster voluntarily withdrew a resolution that would have set a hearing on terminating the Downtown Spokane Parking and Business Improvement District.

Another resolution that would have begun the process of creating a local improvement district for First Avenue and Bernard Street was also withdrawn, but not by Eugster.

Confused by the resolution’s purpose, the council asked him to defer it. When he refused, they voted to withdraw it 5-2, with Eugster and Steve Corker opposed.

“It deserves our full attention, not some helter-skelter process,” said Councilman Rob Higgins at the afternoon briefing session. “Just because one council member thinks it’s a good idea doesn’t mean we have to consider it tonight.”

Eugster protested.

“All I can say is `Gosh,’ Eugster said. “All I’m trying to do is get the ball rolling. I didn’t realize people were so afraid.”

Eugster did prevail in his effort to put a $40 million street bond on next week’s agenda.

The proposed ordinance is controversial because the Citizens Committee on Street Repair, commissioned last year by the council, has yet to delivers its report on how to deal with the nearly $100 million in broken city streets.

Eugster said the committee’s report, due in July, will be too late to begin discussion for a November vote.

“We need to move the debate along so we can get this on the ballot at the earliest opportunity,” he said. “I don’t want to try and run this past the electorate in February or March.”

The ordinance could later be revised, based on information from the citizens’ committee, Eugster said.

Councilwoman Roberta Greene said the ordinance should wait until a final version is ready.

The council also allowed on the agenda a Eugster proposal that would increase the salary of the council president, a new office that takes effect next year as part of the strong mayor form of government. The resolution won’t be voted on until after it is discussed by the council’s transition team, which is managing the switch to strong mayor.

Also deferred until next week was a vote that would declare 26.6 acres at Albion Heights in west Spokane surplus property, but the council did declare as surplus 4.3 acres at Trent and Cincinnati. The sale of the land could earn $700,000 for the city’s general fund.