Hearing examiner rules changed
SPOKANE VALLEY – At the April 30 city council meeting, a new amendment to the Spokane Valley Municipal Code was passed with a vote of six to one.
Kelly Konkright, the city attorney, clarified that this amendment was crucial for enforcing chapter five of the municipal code, ensuring smoother proceedings in the future. The changes focus mostly on code of conduct violations, and gives council members who’ve been accused of violating that code the ability to to demand a hearing before the City Hearing Examiner to contest the findings of the investigation.
Councilman Al Merkel mentioned that the “standards of evidence should be higher” to prove code violations.
City authorizes RCO grant applications for Balfour Park
SPOKANE VALLEY – Exciting news emerged regarding the progress of Balfour Park. John Bottelli from Parks and Recreation announced plans for phase two of the park’s development, which received unanimous approval from the city council.
With an estimated cost of $4 million for the proposed enhancements, the city pledged $1.5 million in matching funds. Additional support will come from a $500,000 grant from the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP) and $2 million from Land Water Contribution Funds (LWCF). The application deadline for funding is May 1, followed by a technical review from June 3-7, with the project evaluation scheduled for August 19-23.
Bottelli also hinted at potential support from the Spokane County Kiwanis Club, which could contribute $40,000 to the project.
Johnson & Johnson settlement allocated for opioid abatement
SPOKANE VALLEY – A decision was reached regarding the use of settlement funds from the Johnson & Johnson “Janssen” case to address the opioid crisis. The city council unanimously accepted the settlement money for this purpose.
Senior Deputy City Attorney Tony Beattie explained that the one-time lump sum of $35,000 was allocated to local governments to combat the opioid epidemic. Beattie clarified that this amount was determined conservatively, considering factors like national studies on prescriptions and overdose deaths, adjusted for Spokane Valley’s population size.
Councilman Al Merkel raised questions about the calculation methodology, to which Beattie responded, citing deductions for attorney’s fees.
Councilman Ben Wick emphasized the importance of accepting the funds, stating, “We can either accept this money or get nothing.”
Merkel sought information about settlements other municipalities would receive, indicating a collective effort to address the issue regionally.
Reader Comments(0)