Residents in the Comstock, Benham and Davenport Streets neighborhood need to pay particular attention to Item 7. The city is bending over backwards to help a Spokane developer build storage units on Wellsian Way next to Goethal Park. Actions on that site could affect storm water drainage in your neighborhood. The city has washed its hands of any responsibility for flooding.
Page numbers beside the items correspond with the page numbers in the agenda Packet.
1.Proclamation Declaring April 18-24, 2021 to be National Infertility Awareness Week. Pg. 3-4
No public hearings are scheduled.
Next up is public comment. Go to the agenda (link above) and read the rules at the top.
All of the following is on the consent calendar where it receives no discussion and one vote.
2. Approving April 6, 2021 minutes. If you really want to know what’s going on, skip the minutes which describe a long discussion in a few words. Go to City View and watch the tape. Pg. 5-11
3. The cyberstalking law must be amended to eliminate “embarrassing” due to constitutional issues. Pg. 12-14
4. The city must amend its ordinances to reflect a new court decision, Washington vs. Blake, that prohibits prosecution of anyone unless they “knowingly” have possession of illegal drugs. This ruling invalidated current drug laws. Pg. 15-18
5. Money will be moved around in the budget for concrete crushing, for a leaky roof at Fire Station 71, for police forensics and hardware preventing crimes against children, and for hiring seasonal park rangers. Pg. 19-22
6. This contract will enable reimbursement from the Washington State Department of Health to the city fire department for assistance provided at the fairground vaccination site. Pg. 23-31
Stormwater conveyance in the Comstock and Davenport Streets area will be altered by new development on Wellsian Way
7. THIS ITEM DOES NOT BELONG ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. IT NEEDS DISCUSSION. The city is bending over backwards to accommodate a Spokane developer’s plan to build a storage unit facility on his two acres on Wellsian Way. The city will GIVE the developer its street right-of-way for extending Davenport Road to Wellsian. The city will PAY the developer $20,000 to re-route a stormwater pipe that serves the area around Davenport and Comstock Streets and goes through the middle of the developer’s property. AND, the city is washing its hands of any responsibility for flooding that might occur from the stormwater re-routing (Pg 41, Section D, Mutual Indemnification). No drawings and building plans are provided in the agenda packet for any of this. The property where the storage units will be built abuts Goethal Park and includes a low area that might require fill, further complicating the storm water issue.
Brown area will become a storage unit facility. Land at the top intended for the extension of Davenport Road to Wellsian Way will be given to the developer.
8. The City Council tried to find a consultant to evaluate former City Manager Cindy Reents but ended up firing her instead. Bob Thompson said, “Cindy forgot who her friends were.” So now they plan to pay consultant Marsha Fraser, who has unknown qualifications, $200 an hour for 66-104 hours not to exceed $20,800 to evaluate the new interim city manager’s performance. Performance goals have no definition. Her expenses will be paid if she comes over from Edmund, Washington where she is located. The contract could be amended to pay her for more work. The Observer reached out to Fraser and asked for her resume. There has been no response. Pg. 52-65.
9. March checks Pg. 66-143
Blah, blah, blah from council
Meeting adjourned.
Thank you for this.
You’re welcome!