City Council doles out funds

The Spokane Valley City Council parceled out $41,000 to social service agencies Tuesday night after a lengthy discussion on how much to give each organization. Nine agencies requested a total of $285,205, with the largest request of $150,000 coming from Hearth Homes, which provides housing to homeless women.

The Greater Spokane Substance Abuse Council originally requested $8,500, but withdrew it’s request. “They felt there were a lot of good requests,” said finance director Ken Thompson. The group did ask for a small donation so they could continue to list the city as a partner on its billboards.

The council was set to allocate $36,000 for social services, but voted to increase the amount by $5,000. “I really do feel that maintaining the amount we’ve spent in the past does not fit with reality,” said Councilman Dick Denenney.

The increased bequest still meant that no agency got exactly what it wanted. “We’re going to have to play Solomon here,” said Councilman Steve Taylor. “There’s a lot of need here.”

Mayor Rich Munson gave an impassioned plea for the council to donate at least $1,000 to Hearth Homes, but was voted down. “I personally think we should be giving them something,” he said.

The city gave $5,000 to the Spokane Valley Arts Council, $4,000 to Big Brothers, Big Sisters, $5,500 to Valley Meals on Wheels, $15,000 to Project Access, $11,000 to Spokane Valley Partners and $500 to the Greater Spokane Substance Abuse Council.

“I just wish we had more money, but we don’t,” Munson said. “I hope everybody realizes we’ve struggled to be as fair as we can.”

The city also allocated $115,000 in economic development money, the same amount given out last year. The allocations were $64,000 to Greater Spokane Inc., $26,000 to the International Trade Alliance, $3,000 to Spokane Neighborhood Economic Development, $16,500 to Spokane Site Selector and $5,000 to the Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce.

In other business, the council voted to award the bid for road work on the Sprague and Bowdish intersection to Acme Concrete Paving Inc., for $760,380. A bid to grind down a section of Broadway and put in new asphalt from Red Diamond Construction was accepted for $491,948.

An ordinance to amend the height requirements in commercial, office, mixed use and industrial zones was approved by the council. The ordinance will allow accessory structures such as chimneys, church steeples and parapet walls to exceed current height limits.

The Washington State Department of Transportation will do work on several Interstate 90 on- and off-ramps in Spokane Valley next year and the council voted to join the construction in some areas to fix rutted areas in the city’s right of way that adjoin the state right of way. The affected areas include Fourth Avenue between Havana and the eastbound Custer on-ramp, Broadway on the south side of I-90 and Argonne and Mullan north and south of I-90.