Fundraising ordinance in spotlight
The Spokane Valley City Council agreed Tuesday to move ahead rapidly on a plan to allow firefighters to continue filling their boots for charity.
First, though, the council took a backward glance at a bad week.
When members shared their activities in the previous week, Councilman Dick Denenny said he had “nothing much” to report: “I’ve been putting out a few fires.”
Denenny’s house burned Friday.
The council also looked back to last week’s acrimonious discussion of a proposed study of police services.
Citizens overwhelmingly objected at last week’s council meeting to spending up to $126,500 for a study they didn’t want, and the council agreed 4-3.
A written proposal said the “primary objective” was to measure the benefits of continuing to contract with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office “versus establishing an independent police department.”
Businessman Dick Behm angrily accused council members and City Manager Dave Mercier of “lying” about the intent of the study. He later acknowledged in a public apology, published in Saturday’s Valley Voice, that Mercier said nothing inaccurate.
Still, Mercier said Tuesday, “It is not appropriate to have my character slanderously defamed with reckless disregard for the truth, or frankly, any other city employee’s.
“While this incident is unsavory, I hope it will spark a recognition that it is time for community members to return to civil discourse on public policy matters,” Mercier said.
Deputy City Attorney Cary Driskell told the council Tuesday he had learned a Tacoma ordinance he was asked to study doesn’t specifically exempt firefighters from laws against entering streets to collect money.
Rather, the ordinance allows groups to obtain “special events” permits.
Mayor Rich Munson said he could find nothing in the Tacoma ordinance that allows anyone, even with a permit, to enter traffic.
Driskell said a Tacoma staff attorney told him firefighters are allowed to enter lanes next to sidewalks but not center lanes or traffic islands as part of their annual Fill the Boot drive for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
When council members first discussed the issue on May 20, some of them expressed interest in an ordinance that would limit such fundraisers to people who have special traffic safety training.
“I’d like to know what the training is,” Munson said. “I’ve been told there’s training for dodging traffic, but I haven’t seen it.”
Munson believes no one should be allowed to solicit money in city streets, but the rest of the council favors some accommodation for the Fill the Boot campaign.
Denenny said he thinks strict regulations would limit the number of fundraisers seeking permission to enter streets. Councilwomen Rose Dempsey and Diana Wilhite saw no problem with giving permits to any group that meets tight standards.
But the council has only until next week to develop those standards if it is to pass an ordinance in time for Spokane Valley firefighters to participate in this year’s regional Fill the Boot drive on Aug. 2.
At present, Mercier and his staff say they must enforce existing laws that don’t permit any on-street solicitation.
Council members suggested some criteria for a permit system and called for Driskell to present a draft ordinance next week.
They called for the ordinance to give city officials control over fundraising locations and to require solicitors to be 18 or older.