Examiner will review code, land-use cases

Millwood City Council changed the city’s appellate review system during its April meeting.

“This has been a long time in the making,” City Attorney Brian Werst said.

Last year the city’s liability risk pool insurance, Washington Cities Insurance Authority, raised concerns about the city’s lack of use of a hearing examiner for variances and administrative appeals. Previously, Spokane’s hearing examiner reviewed code enforcement and land-use cases for Millwood.

“WCIA was very much in support of the city further implementing its hearing examiner system to sit as the appellate review (for) quasi-judicial decisions,” Werst said.

In the past, the city’s Planning Commission reviewed variances and administrative appeals. Following these reviews, the commission provided the City Council with findings and recommendations. The council then made the final decision.

The benefit of having a hearing examiner conduct these hearings is that it keeps the decisions away from political influences, Werst said.

“My feeling has always been to try and keep you from sitting in that quasi-judicial decision-making body because you are the policy setters,” Werst said. “As policy makers you’re not in a position to be the objective decision-maker.”

STA ballot plan presented

Also during the meeting, Spokane Transit Authority Director of Planning Karl Otterstrom spoke about Proposition 1.

“This is a measure to fund better transit service,” Otterstrom told the council about the issue on the April 28 special election ballot. “As well as maintaining service.”

STA is seeking a proposed three-tenths of 1 percent increase in local sales tax through December 2025. Otterstrom said STA projects a 30 percent increase in ridership by 2025 to more than 15 million rides. The proposed increase would provide STA with an estimated $270 million in local sales tax dollars over 10 years.

If approved, the sales tax in Spokane County would rise to 9 percent from 8.7. STA’s 0.9 percent portion would be designated for transportation use. STA anticipates the additional revenue would fund projects across the region.

Currently six-tenths of 1 percent is dedicated to STA, which is projected to maintain the current level of service through 2017. Otterstrom said the board could consider service reductions at that time.

STA is primarily funded through local sales tax. Fares and grants account for 30 percent of the annual operating budget.