Council delays vote on euthanizing cats

A vote to eliminate a mandatory 3-day waiting time before unlicensed cats can be euthanized by SpokAnimal C.A.R.E. was delayed Monday night by the Spokane City Council.

Council members agreed to wait after Cheryl Mitchell, an attorney active in animal welfare issues, criticized the city for categorizing the ordinance change as an “emergency.” The label allowed officials to consider the change with less public notice.

“I do not believe that this constitutes an emergency as permitted by law,” Mitchell testified at Monday’s council meeting.

City Council President Joe Shogan said he believed it was labeled an emergency because there is a discrepancy between the cat holding requirement in city law and in the city’s contract with animal control agency SpokAnimal. The difference could be a liability issue, he said.

Still, he said he didn’t think the discrepancy was enough to constitute an emergency and the council voted unanimously for the delay.

Before the decision, Councilman Richard Rush proposed amending the proposal to require holding cats at least five days if they have a microchip or other kind of identification, even if they are unlicensed.

City extends service contract with AMR

American Medical Response will continue to provide ambulance service within the city of Spokane.

The Spokane City Council on Monday unanimously approved a five-year contract extension for AMR.

The firm was heavily criticized in 2006 after it revealed it had overcharged patients. City and AMR officials say the billing system has been changed since the problem came to light.

Under the contract, AMR will pay the city $327,000 a year plus an amount for inflation to be determined later. Ambulance rides cost $527.02 if paramedic care is needed, $382.09 if it isn’t, plus $17.57 a mile. Those prices will increase annually by an inflation rate.

Next week, the City Council will decide if they want to participate in a countywide ambulance contract. If they do, the contract extension approved Monday can be voided if the council decides that bids received for a countywide contract are more favorable.

New city attorney appointed unanimously

Spokane has a new leader for it staff of lawyers.

The Spokane City Council on Monday voted unanimously to name City Prosecutor Howard Delaney as the new city attorney.

Delaney, 50, will take over for acting city attorney Pat Dalton and will earn $122,734 a year.

Former city attorney Jim Craven left the job in March and returned to his former law firm.

Delaney, a Spokane Valley resident, has a law degree from the University of Idaho.

Jonathan Brunt