Proposal mischaracterized

I read the article in Tuesday’s paper titled “Petition proposes big changes to charter.”

I want to correct and clarify a couple of points. The neighborhood amendment is about three things: (1) neighborhood plans; (2) early notification of development projects; (3) watchdog mechanisms.

What wasn’t correctly stated is that if 15 percent of registered voters (who voted in the last general municipal election) in a neighborhood petition their neighborhood council about a land development project, and if that council finds that the project may adversely affect the neighborhood, and that the project is incompatible with either the neighborhood’s plan, the city’s comprehensive plan, or the city’s charter, the neighborhood council may veto the project. It takes over 50 percent of those residents, through a petition, to mandate that their neighborhood council exercise veto power. If the development project complies at the beginning of the process, there will be no problems.

The other point that needs to be made clear is that access to affordable, preventive health care would be through the creation of a fee-for-service program geared toward those who don’t currently have access to health care coverage. It’s not free health care.

Kai Huschke

Campaign director, Envision Spokane

Spokane