RIVER CROSSING
Blegen Joins Spokane Valley as Public Works Director
By Nina Culver Splash contributor
Spokane County native Robert Blegen took over as the Public Works Director for the City of Spokane Valley in January after spending most of his career as a civil engineer with the Washington State Department of Transportation.
Blegen grew up in north Spokane County and graduated from Mead High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Washington and then joined the U.S. Army, inspired by his grandfather, an Army veteran. Similarly, it was his father, the longtime public works director of the City of Spokane, who inspired him to study civil engineering.
“I was fascinated with my dad’s line of work,” he said. “He had fascinating projects and problems to solve.”
During his time in the Army, Blegen was stationed at Fort Lewis and in Colorado, Missouri and Italy. He also spent time at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, building facilities for the migrants sent there in the 1990’s for processing and treatment of tuberculosis.
Even during his time in college, Blegen was no stranger to the Department of Transportation. He spent his summers working on DOT’s survey and inspections crew. Given that history, it was only natural that he looked to the department for a job after serving four years in the Army.
He worked his way up in the department, staying on the east side of the state. Over the years he did a little bit of everything, working on different teams in different divisions, Blegen said. He was the Eastern Region assistant regional
administrator before coming to Spokane Valley, overseeing the WSDOT construction program.
One of the larger projects Blegen worked on was the North Spokane Corridor project, also known as the North-South Freeway, a decadeslong effort to connect northern Spokane County to Interstate 90. Blegen first began working on the project in 1999 and said he always knew it would eventually be finished, even when funding and construction lagged.
“We just never quit working on it,” he said. “There was always optimism that it would get finished.”
The project is now within a few years of being completed and Blegen said he plans to go to the ribbon cutting even though he’s no longer working on the project. “It will be a wonderful mobility benefit for everybody,” he said.
He became interested in the public works director position because it was a chance to focus on more than just road construction. He said he now gets to handle everything from snow plowing to flooding in addition to road construction projects.
“It’s a smaller operation and you get to do all of those things every
day,” he said. “It was all the things I was doing in bits with the DOT. Now I get to do them all day. It’s fun to get up and go to work.”
Blegen said he’s enjoying his new job. “It’s fast paced and challenging, a lot of new things but a lot of things are the same,” he said. “The staff is very sharp. It’s a small staff. That’s a big change for me.”
Q: Why did you pick civil engineering as a career?
A: From a young age I was interested in construction and the US Army. My father is a Civil Engineer and was the City of Spokane Engineer/Public Works Director for a decade plus with roles starting with the construction of Expo 74. Through his 37-year career I was constantly “around” or talking about public works projects (roads, bridges, dams, etc). My grandfather was an Army Infantry Lieutenant Colonel who influenced my interest in utilizing civil engineering serving as an Engineer Army Officer.
Q: You spent a decade in the U.S. Army and Army Reserves. What led to your decision to serve in the military?
A: As previously mentioned, my grandfather was an Army LTC who influenced my interest in serving as an Army Officer. First, I admired him as a person, his strength, dedication, and discipline were great examples to me, and he attributed those characteristics to his experiences in the military. He also told me stories from time to time and possessed a number of history books that he shared with me documenting the exploits of many that served our country. Most intriguing to me were the challenges presented to Army Engineers and the creative solutions and problem solving that occurred in these difficult environments. The Army Engineer motto “Essayons” which means “Let us try” is a statement of confidence to say where others have failed, we will succeed. Providing technical solutions in a tactical environment was an attractive challenge, so I applied and was selected to attend Engineering School on a ROTC Scholarship at the University of Washington. My time
Contributed photo
Robert Blegen former Washington State Department of Transportation assistant regional administrator recently joined the City of Spokane Valley as the Public Works Director.
Building
lasting
communities for everyone to be a part of.
New homes in Spokane, Liberty Lake, Post Falls & Coeur d’Alene.
in the military was very rewarding and provided me exposure to many different states and a few countries outside of the US.
Q: What are some of the most impactful projects you worked on during your time with WSDOT and why do you see them as important?
A: Over 25 years there have been many projects I have been involved with, all with important benefits to the communities in the Eastern Region where they are located and for interstate travel. It is really these bridge/highway preservation projects that should be prioritized the most but often go unnoticed. Preserving the investments that have already been made is very important so I will lead with one of those. The downtown Spokane Viaduct deck replacement project in 2007 and 2008 was a challenging project. Our WSDOT team worked closely with the Downtown Spokane Partnership and the City of Spokane to close half the viaduct to rehabilitate the deck while placing two lanes of traffic each direction on the other half, alternating the sequence the next summer. This was a very challenging feat and required closures of downtown ramps, retiming of over fifty signals
in the City of Spokane and months long community engagement and planning to keep traffic flowing in and out of the City of Spokane and to businesses. The next project of course is the North Spokane Corridor which I have been involved in since 1999. This 10.5-mile limited access facility now has seven miles open to traffic and another 1.5 miles that is completed and will be opened when the final projects connect into Trent and I90. The previously mentioned “Essayons” has been my mindset working through the many design, construction, political, environmental, railroad, and funding challenges associated with this long term project. With just two projects remaining to reach the I90, and four projects remaining to rebuild I90 to tie into the NSC, the end is in sight!
Q: You spent much of your career working for WSDOT. Why did the Public Works Director position in Spokane Valley appeal to you?
A: I could not have asked for a better career at WSDOT. It is truly an amazing organization where I was able to experience design, heavy civil construction, maintenance and operations, program management,
and work with hundreds of incredible coworkers. WSDOT is a large organization, and I “rotated” through these individual disciplines (design, construction, etc.) over my career. The Public Works position provides an opportunity to do all these individual things (design, construction etc.) at the same time, also with the addition of new responsibilities in solid waste and land use. My first month has been fast paced and challenging. Overall, I am excited to contribute to the delivery of essential services and public infrastructure in the community that I have lived in and am a part of.
Q: Has living in Spokane Valley since 1999 helped inform you on the public works issues in Spokane Valley before you began working for the city?
A: It is always beneficial to have familiarity and context when dealing with Public Works Issues. My wife is a lifelong valley resident (when we were not traveling with the military) and is a teacher in the East Valley School District. I learn many things from her impressions of “what works” and is valued in the community. I also have other sources of feedback close to home.
Not only is my father a civil engineer, but my wife’s father and uncle are civil engineers and lifelong valley residents. As a result, we have been talking “valley public works” at the dinner table for many years.
Q: What are you looking forward to as Spokane Valley’s newest Public Works Director?
A: First off, I really enjoy the people I am working with daily. I am amazed and impressed with the City leadership and staff carrying out the day-to-day efforts of running the City and preparing for its future. The Community Vision for the City of Spokane Valley is “A City of opportunities where people thrive and businesses prosper.” I am looking forward to continuing implementation of this vision with the public works services the city provides.
Q: What are your favorite hobbies you enjoy when you are not working?
A: My wife and I have five children and two grandchildren. All are located nearby and as a family we enjoy snow skiing, skating on the lake, and a variety of watersports in the summer.
ENRICHED LIVING. LASTING VALUE.
Spokane Valley sues Councilman Al Merkel over public records access
By John McCallum
Current contributor
The ongoing battle over access to public records contained on a local elected official’s private social media accounts entered the legal phase as the city of Spokane Valley filed a lawsuit against Councilman Al Merkel in Spokane County Superior Court.
The city filed the case after the City Council voted 6-0 at its Feb. 4 meeting to take legal action against Merkel for using his personal social media accounts such as Nextdoor to conduct city business. The city has attempted to get Merkel to hand over social media posts, emails, phone messages and other communications he has created on personal accounts in order to comply with the city’s governance manual and the Washington State Public Records Act (PRA).
Failure to comply with the latter can have serious consequences, including financial penalties and erosion of public trust.
“We do believe council member Merkel’s actions over this past year have created nothing but risk for the city,” City Manager John Hohman told the council.
Merkel was at the Feb. 4 meeting, and while not allowed to vote due to conflicts of interest, declined to recuse himself not only from the meeting but also from an executive session held prior to the vote to discuss the issue. In comments at the end of the meeting, the first-year councilman looked forward to the legal action and his potential day in court.
“We’ll have an actual judgement, not from some paid person, not from some lawyer but from a judge,” Merkel said. “We’ll see what happens.”
For their part, all six council members, along with Hohman and City Attorney Kelly Konkright, expressed frustration and disappointment the issue had degenerated to the point of legal action. Councilwoman Laura Padden referred to it as the last tool in the council’s toolbox “and we have an obligation to use it.”
The issue stemmed from a complaint filed by Councilwoman Jessica Yaeger with the city on June 11, 2024 alleging Merkel was using his personal social media accounts to conduct city business in violation of state law and council policy. Merkel denied the accusation, maintaining, as he does to this day, the posts were not conducting city business but personal interactions with constituents.
Copies of Merkel’s posts obtained as part of an investigation into the complaint showed he used his Nextdoor account to deliver his analysis of council meetings, opinions on city matters such as capital projects and conducted polls to gauge constituents’ feelings on city matters and other similar input. Merkel shared this information during council meetings.
Hohman told the council one of Merkel’s latest posts was asking constituents to provide their feelings about how other council members were performing their jobs.
Investigations into Yaeger’s complaint by Konkright and a third-party investigator, Seattlebased employment attorney Rebecca Dean, determined Merkel’s social media posts “more likely than not” constituted public records. Failure to archive them with the city for possible public records requests likely violated the PRA.
Hohman said the city has so far received 61 public records requests regarding Merkel, requests the city is not fully able to currently comply with.
“That’s unheard of,” Hohman said. “If I could request public information on the rest of the council members, one, maybe two. Sixty-one? Unbelievable.”
In September, Merkel appealed Dean’s report to the Spokane
County Hearing Examiner, as per council policy. Hearing Examiner Andrew Kottkamp took testimony from both sides on Oct. 24, and on Dec. 13, issued a decision affirming the city’s position and rejecting all of Merkel’s defenses as “meritless.”
Council held a special meeting on Dec. 19 reviewing Kottkamp’s findings and unanimously voted to censure Merkel and remove him from all committee assignments. That included serving on the Spokane Regional Health District’s Opioid Abatement Committee so as to “not expose other public entities to the same legal and financial risks” faced by the city.
Merkel subsequently said he would provide the city access to his social media accounts. In January he closed his personal account and opened a new Nextdoor account using his official city email and registered it with the city’s archiving software, Pagefreezer.
The account, however, does not comply with Governance Manual requirements to include the council member’s title or a disclaimer. The account was closed by Nextdoor in late January and his personal account reinstated, which is not linked to Pagefreezer and which Merkel is now again using for council business.
Merkel also provided the city Excel spreadsheets from Nextdoor identifying his posts on his personal page and other users pages along with information enabling the city to link his account with Pagefreezer. The city maintains this is still not in compliance because the spreadsheets “do not include context surrounding his posts and therefore do not include all information sought by third parties,” nor does it provide the ability to archive Merkel’s posts on other pages.
Merkel has also continued to either not provide, or provide with alterations, declarations regarding whether or not his posts are public records. Konkright said the provided declarations don’t provide any factual basis for not supplying some records Merkel views as not public records.
All of this constitutes a significant legal and financial
liability to the city, Konkright said, something that can result in “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in attorney fees and fines.
“That is revenue that could otherwise be put to programs that benefit city residents,” Konkright said.
When Yaeger asked him how much that financial liability might be, Konkright said he didn’t know, but it would depend on the length of the litigation.
According to a May 10, 2016 article in the Tri-City Herald, the town of Mesa — population 385 — north of the Tri-Cities off State Route 395 was hit with a $353,000 penalty stemming from 33 separate violations of the PRA. In March 2018, Pierce County was fined $349,000 for withholding from public records requests nine text messages from employees discussing work-related issues.
Spokane Valley has spent $235,047.75 so far on issues related to Merkel, including $96,391 on measures to protect employees from allegations the councilman’s behavior at times has created a hostile workplace environment.
“This needs to stop, has to stop,” Spokane Valley resident Ben Lund said during public comments. “It takes courage to do this. It takes courage to move forward.”
In explaining their votes, the most upset was Yaeger, who was visibly holding back anger. The councilwoman — sworn into office in January 2024 along with Merkel and undergoing the same council training — recounted the number of hours of time the council and city staff had spent on the issue, time that could have been spent in service of residents.
“The numbers are staggering,” Yaeger said. “This man is a criminal. If we could have filed criminal charges, I would have absolutely advocated for that. The reason is because he has stolen from all of you.”
In a related decision, the council voted 5-0 — Yaeger was absent and Merkel could not vote — at its Feb. 18 meeting to deny Merkel any city-funded legal representation in connection with the lawsuit, as would be allowed under the Governance Manual.
Student of the Month
West Valley senior Kenzie Bushnell is all about serving others and trying new things. Bushnell maintains a 3.9 GPA while taking on advanced placement classes such as AP African American Studies as well as AP Literature. She has also been serving as the National Honor Society Secretary for the last two years, logging a minimum of 30 hours of volunteer work each year, was selected to serve on the Superintendents Advisory Council, as well as the Link crew (which is the schools mentorship program that welcomes new students each year).
Bushnell has been admitted to Gonzaga University where she plans to major in business with concentrations in Law and Social Justice and minor in Social Justic, Leadership, and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies. “I want to help people by being a social justice lawyer” says Bushnell.
In addition to her studies, Bushnell joined the West Valley Basketball team this year as well as Track, Cross Country, and looks forward to joining the Tennis team later this year.
Athlete of the Month
West Valley High School Nathan Zettle stands out as a sophomore on the West Valley Football team as quarterback taking the team to victory in the Greater Spokane League with an 11 to 0 streak and achieving more than 2,000 yards passing and rushing combined. However football isn’t Zettle’s primary sport, Zettle is also on the West Valley basketball team which is having a 20 to 3 winning season and heads to the state tournament in early March.
Zettle’s love for sports is evident as he plays basketball year round with the Eastern Washington Elite’s Under Armour Rise National travel team. He has traveled the country playing basketball for the last three years with tournaments in Cincinnati, Atlanta, and Chicago.
Zettle hopes to go on to play college basketball with dreams of attending Eastern Washington University, University of Idaho, or any of the Big Sky Conference schools.
Citizen of the Month
Dr Dale Schnibbe, now retired Optometrist was the owner and physician at the Broadway Eyecare Center on Pines and Broadway for over 30 years before his retirement in early 2020’s.
Often referred to as Dr Dale, Schnibbe has also been a long time member of the Spokane Valley Kiwanis Club joining in October of 1986 and spent many years helping the club with its annual fundraising efforts at the Spokane Valley Kiwanis Sea Galley Food Booth at the Interstate Fair. He also helped spearhead the clubs eye glasses recycling program which helped provide glasses for kids who couldn’t afford them.
In 2023, Dr Dale was recognized as the Kiwanian of the Year for all of his efforts and involvement in serving the children of the world. Recently Dr Dale was the lead fundraiser securing donations for the clubs annual Paw Patrol Stuffed Animal Drive for first responders which provided nearly 1,700 stuffed animals for kids in need.
The maps provided depict where citizens have reported Vehicle Thefts, Burglaries, Malicious Mischief and Thefts. The Spokane Valley Police Department and the Spokane County Sheriff’s office analyze this data to determine high crime areas and where to allocate resources. Citizens who have been a victim of crime are encouraged to call 911, if the crime is in progress, or Crime Check at 4562233, if not in progress, to report a crime.
2025 January Theft Hotspots
SAFETY TIP OF THE MONTH
The IRS warns taxpayers to avoid charitable donation scams
The Internal Revenue Service warns taxpayers to avoid promoters of fraudulent tax schemes involving donations of ownership interests in closely held businesses, sometimes marketed as “Charitable LLCs.”
Taxpayers should remember they are always responsible for the accuracy of information reported on their tax return. Participating in an abusive scheme to reduce their tax liability can result in assessment of the correct tax owed, penalties, interest, and potentially fines and imprisonment. Charities also need to be careful they do not knowingly enable these schemes.
While taxpayers can properly deduct donations of closely held business interests, unscrupulous promoters sometimes lure taxpayers into schemes involving false charitable deductions. These schemes typically encourage higher-income taxpayers to create limited liability companies (LLCs), put cash or other assets into the LLCs, then donate a majority percentage of nonvoting, nonmanaging, membership units to a charity while the taxpayer maintains control of the voting units and reclaims the cash or asset(s) directly or indirectly for personal use. The promoter sometimes has control over the charity that receives the donation.
IRS
investigating abusive transactions
The IRS is currently using a variety of compliance tools to combat abusive donations, including thorough audits of tax returns and civil penalty investigations. The IRS has seen hundreds of tax returns filed using this abusive charitable contribution scheme. IRS active promoter investigations and taxpayer audits in this area have resulted in a promoter pleading guilty and others being criminally convicted of this scheme, including a donor who pled guilty to obstruction.
To avoid penalties, interest, and potential fines or imprisonment, the IRS encourages taxpayers to watch out for abusive transactions marketed by
unscrupulous promoters.
Abusive scheme design
In the “Charitable LLCs” scheme, promoters create documents establishing the LLC for a fee. They then assist in the transfer of the taxpayer’s assets to the LLC and create documents that purport to transfer membership units in the LLC to a charity. The promoter might supply an appraisal supporting the valuation for the claimed gift and might even provide a list of charities willing to accept the membership units or identify a single charity that will accept the donation.
Promoters might incorrectly advise clients that they can retain control and legally access the cash or other assets transferred to the LLC for their own personal use after the donation. Promoters might also execute an “exit strategy” for taxpayers to buy back their contributions at a significantly discounted price after a period of time.
Generally, taxpayers cannot deduct a charitable contribution of less than their entire interest in property, and retaining rights to control the donated interests or buy back assets will disqualify the transaction as a deductible charitable contribution.
Watch for red flags
Taxpayers should be wary of any scheme that involves transferring assets to an LLC, followed by the “donation” of a majority percentage of nonvoting, nonmanaging, membership units to a charity as a “charitable contribution” while the taxpayer retains control over and access to the assets.
Taxpayers should scrutinize transactions that include potential red flags. A few examples are described below:
Promoters marketing a transaction as a way to grow wealth in a “tax-free environment” and claim charitable contribution deductions.
Promoters marketing a plan that requires the creation of one or more entities in order to make a charitable donation.
Creating entities that do not engage in any business activity to facilitate a charitable donation.
Donating an interest in an LLC that loans cash or other assets back to the taxpayer or a related party.
The promoter assists the taxpayer in the creation of intellectual property to fund the LLC prior to the donation.
The taxpayer uses the LLC funds to purchase life insurance policies benefitting their heirs or a related party after the donation.
The taxpayer retains the ability to reclaim the donated LLC interests from the charity for less than fair market value.
2025 January Burglary Hotspots
Spokane Valley Districts
2025 Road Construction
By Ben Wick Current Publisher
As the snow melts and the proverbial pot hole season begins, we will quickly find ourselves traveling through a web of road construction detours. The following projects have been identified as going to construction in 2025.
Rowan Ave ADA Ramp Replacement Project
A Spokane County project where approximately 27 ADA ramps will be constructed to current standards making the sidewalks accessible to people of all abilities. All street signs are planned to be replaced, the crosswalk in front of East Farms Elementary School will be re-striped to increase visibility and re-emphasize this crossing as a designated space for pedestrians. This hopes to reduce people vs. vehicle conflicts especially during school pick up and drop off.
This project is estimated to cost $550,000 with $425,360 coming from a grant from the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) and $126,640 coming from County Funds.
Appleway / Wellesley Roundabout
While still in the right-of-way acquisition phase Spokane County is expecting to go to construction this summer to build a single lane roundabout at the intersection of Wellesley Ave and Appleway Ave at the Washington / Idaho State line.
According to the Spokane Regional Transportation Councils Transportation Improvement Program for 2025 – 2028, the project is estimated to cost $1,398,000
Argonne Road Improvement Project
The City of Millwood is slated to begin construction of the Argonne Road Improvement Project. This project will add left turn lanes at the signalized intersections of Argonne/Empire(Euclid) and Argonne/Liberty and the unsignalized intersection at Argonne/Dalton. The project will extend pedestrian and bicycle facilities to the north, add decorative lighting to the downtown core, widening Argonne to support turn lanes on minor streets, and add median islands at the turn lanes for safety.
The total anticipated cost of this project is $4,444,791 and comes from a variety of sources and the City of Millwood hopes to complete the project all within 2025 construction season.
Greenacres Park – Phase 2
While not a street construction project, the City of Spokane Valley has already awarded a construction contract to Cameron Reilly LLC for the construction of phase 2 of the Greenacres Park. The project improvements consist of construction of a new tennis court, six new pickleball courts, new basketball courts, new community garden area, 17 additional parking spaces and hardscape; playground expansion; spray pad expansion; site furnishings including added shade structures; paved pathways; modification of utilities, and expansion to the site lighting system. It is also anticipated that the City will receive a grant from the RAVE Foundation which would also install a soccer mini-pitch court similar to the one installed at Balfour Park.
Total estimated costs for this project is $2 million, with $1.5 million coming from the
Washington State Parks Grants, and $500,000 from the cities Capital Project Fund. The contract to Cameron Reilly LLC was in the amount of $1,177,500.
Barker Road Improvements – Appleway to Sprague
Widens Barker Road from two lanes to three lanes throughout corridor, widens Barker further to five lanes as it approaches the signal at Appleway Ave, adds bike lanes and sidewalks on both side of the road, and improves stormwater treatment facilities.
Construction cost estimate: $3.5M utilizing state and federal grant funds.
Estimated construction timing: May/June 2025
Wellesley Avenue Preservation
This project will grind and overlay the asphalt on Wellesley Road between Sullivan Road to Isenhart Road, improve the sidewalks handicap accessibility (ADA), and improve pedestrian crossings with refuge islands.
This is a city funded project that is estimated to cost $1 million and is estimated to go to construction after school gets out for the summer.
Sprague Pedestrian Crossings
The City is proposing to construct two pedestrian crossings with refuge islands and rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs) along the Sprague Corridor, one near Sprague and Chronicle and the other at Sprague and McKinnon.
The Construction cost estimate for this project is $405,000 and is a mix of state and city funds. Depending on how the bids come back there is a chance that these funds could also make pedestrian improvements on the Appleway Trail (at Adams and at Conklin) but that is subject to funding but would also be built in 2025.
This project would replace the short span bridge’s concrete girders with precast concrete slabs as well as minor upgrades to the guardrail and asphalt along the bridge approaches.
The estimated construction cost is $400,000 and is funded by city funds.
Sprague Avenue Preservation – Bowdish to McDonald
This project is to grind and inlay the asphalt on Sprague Avenue between Bowdish and McDonald as well as improving the curb ramps and stormwater systems within the same corridor. Spokane Valley staff mentioned at the February 18th City Council meeting that this project
Thorpe Bridge Replacement
COVER STORY
will be primarily completed at night to minimize the impact on the local businesses.
The estimated construction cost is $2.7 million and is a mix of Federal and city funding sources.
Pines Road / BNSF Grade Separation
Bowdish and 16th
Realign Pines Road (SR-27) to the east, construct an underpass beneath the BNSF railroad, build a two lane roundabout at the new intersection of Pines and Trent Ave, make stormwater improvements, ITS, lighting, and construct a trailhead for the centennial trail.
BNSF bridge construction began in February 2025 and the proposed construction will continue through 2026.
The estimated construction cost is $25M for the road and trailhead and is funded from a mix of federal, state, and city funds.
Continuing the Bowdish Road Improvement Project that began in October of 2024. The City of Spokane Valley is continuing to improve upon the intersection of Bowdish and 16th. In February the city added Motionactivated roundabout ahead signs with flashing LED lights, yield signs with flashing LED lights, and curbs with vertical tubular markers, in an effort to slow traffic speeds and increase safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers.
Sullivan Park Waterline
Construct 1,500 feet of waterline from the Sullivan Park to north of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks to connect with the existing water lines served by the Trentwood Irrigation District. This would add municipal water service to the Sullivan Park and replace an undersized well that is currently serving the park and Dance Hall. Included in this project is a requirement to bore 24” underneath the railroad tracks.
The estimated construction cost is $900,000 and is proposed for construction in May / June of 2025.
Citywide Reflective Backplates
This project is to install reflective backplates at an additional 16 intersections across the city.
The estimated construction cost is $133,000 and is funded by a federal grant.
Welcome New Readers of The Current
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We thought so. Perhaps you have a favorite order at a Valley eatery? Before you clean your plate, get your picture taken with your order and send it to us. Include the place, order, cost and why you love it. It’s just one more way we can point one another to all the best the Valley offers.
You are The Current. E-mail editor@ valleycurrent.com so we can share the things that are important to you.
Wick
Brought
Make a Tabletop Miniature Golf Hole
For kids in grades K–5
Create a tiny tabletop golf hole with supplies provided by the library. Then, try to get a hole-in-one!
ARGONNE LIBRARY
4322 N Argonne Rd
Saturday, March 22, 10:30–11:30am
SPOKANE VALLEY LIBRARY 22 N Herald Rd
Thursday, March 27, 3:30–4:30pm
OTIS ORCHARDS LIBRARY 22324 E Wellesley Ave Tuesday, April 22, 3:30–4:30pm
East Valley High School’s Annual
Rabbit Run
Sunday, March 23rd, 2025, at 10:00 am East Valley High School, 15711 E Wellesley, Spokane, WA
The Rapid Rabbit Run is a yearly fund raiser for East Valley High School’s Senior All Knighter.
USATF certified. Run a 5-mile road race (second seed Bloomsday qualifier) or 3-mile (places only) run.
5 mile Road Race: Second seed Bloomsday qualifier
3 mile Run: Places only
TIME: 10:00 a.m.; packet pick up starts at 8:45 on race day
ENTRY FEE: $25 with shirt
$20.00 without shirt. Shirt Only: $15
Visit Us On Facebook: facebook.com/EVHSRapidRabbitRun Register Online: http://eastvalleyhs.wix.com/rapidrabbitrun
March 28th at 6 pm or March 29th at 2 pm
Audiences are invited to join in the fun of Festival Time and help Clara guess a mischievous little gnome’s name scan here to Purchase tickets
Trent Elementary School Auditorium 3303 N Pines Rd Spokane Valley, WA 99216
For more information, call Jacqueline Barnard at 509-339-3355 or email at jacqueline@rivercitypizza.com
The Crest
About and for Spokane Valley area seniors
Council approves camping ordinance changes, street maintenance contracts
By John McCallum
Current correspondent
After almost three years of work, the city of Spokane Valley finally has an ordinance that deals with camping on private property — particularly undeveloped property where the owners are both known and unknow.
At its Feb. 4 meeting, the City Council passed the second reading of Ordinance 24-018, regulating private property camping. Specifically, it would prohibit camping on private property with four exceptions: camping in legally established campgrounds and RV parks, temporary use of an RV on private property during construction with valid permit, on private property without an established structure where the owner is present but not residing on the property and not longer than 14 days in a calendar year; and short-term camping on private property with an established structure, a residing owner and that owner’s permission.
The latter exception — property with an established structure and residing owner — was amended from the first reading passed 5-2 on Jan. 14. That reading contained a 48-hour time limit, which was subsequently removed due to concerns expressed by council and residents that property owners wishing to camp in their backyards could be in violation.
The adopted ordinance contains no time limit for camping on private property with an established structure, residing owner and having the owner’s permission.
Councilman Al Merkel expressed continuing reservations about the ordinance, stating he believes it is addressing two separate issues: camping on undeveloped property and camping in people’s backyards.
“I think it would be best to separate those two issues,” Merkel said. He submitted a proposed amendment to sever the two issues and replace the current language.
Merkel proposed creating a voluntary registration program for
owners with undeveloped property that gives them incentive to protect their property through proper fencing. It also created abatement fees charged to these owners if they refused to install fencing and people were found to be camping on their property.
Merkel’s motion received no second and failed.
Spokane Valley resident Ben Lund told the council during public comment that it was time to do something, as there were problems with camping on private property right now.
“I think this solves it,” Lund said. “I like the language in here because I think it does protect myself as a homeowner.”
The ordinance passed 6-1, with Merkel voting no.
Council authorizes streets, waterline and comp plan contracts
At meetings in February the City Council authorized almost $4.49 million in contracts that include street and stormwater maintenance and repair work, street sweeping, helping with the Comprehensive Plan update process and installation of a new waterline to Sullivan Park.
Three of the authorizations occurred at the Feb. 18 meeting, beginning with a not to exceed $1.5 million contract with Inland Asphalt, Inc. for street and stormwater maintenance and repair services. According to the staff report, the contract is for work on “asphalt repair, roadway shoulder repair and grading, gravel road grading, crack sealing, sidewalk and path repair, guardrail repair, fencing repair, drainage structure repair and installation, curb, gutter and inlet repair and installation, and other related work.”
Inland was the lowest of two bidders, the other being the previous holder of the contract, Poe Asphalt Paving, Inc. Inland’s contract will run through Dec. 31, 2025, and includes three potential one-year extensions. Funding for the contract comes from the Street and Storm Management
funds.
Council approved a contract with AAA Sweeping for sweeping city streets. AAA Sweeping’s $748,744 bid was the only bid for the work, and includes the potential for up to four, one-year contract extensions.
With a June 30, 2026 deadline, the council also approved a consultant contract with Community Attributes, Inc. (CAI) for services to help it complete updates to the city’s Comprehensive Plan. The contract is covered by $1.025 million in grants allocated to Spokane Valley by the Washington State Department of Commerce.
All three contracts passed council by 5-1 votes, with Councilman Merkel voting no on each. Councilwoman Jessica Yaeger was not present due to an excused absence.
At the Feb. 11 meeting, council voted 5-0 — council members Ben Wick and Tim Hattenburg were not present and excused — to proceed with installation of a waterline west of Sullivan Road that would bring water from a Trentwood Irrigation District water main north of the Union Pacific Rail Road (UPRR) line to Sullivan Park next to the Spokane River. The project has been in development since 2016 as the city would like to improve the 16acre park at some point but cannot due to lack of adequate fire flow from its well, which is at maximum capacity.
In 2019 the city purchased an 11acre property between the UPRR line and the park needed for the project, but due to a Department of Ecology requirement to do an environmental cleanup of the parcel, could not finalize the purchase until this year. With the purchase, which City Manager John Hohman said cost $840,000 for a property valued between $2 million and $4 million, the city is ready to proceed with the $1.175 million project.
The city has already allocated $412,000 to the project and received a $130,000 grant, of which $126,100 is available for use, from the Department of Commerce. Council authorized spending an additional $636,000 from the city’s Capital Reserve Fund earmarked by council for “Future Surprises or Challenges.”
Senior engineer Kristen Armstrong told the council the city has been in conversation with one of the businesses
along the waterline’s route, Kemira Water Solutions. Kemira has expressed strong interest in tapping into the line to help with its fire flow requirements, and would help pay for part of the project.
“They would share in their portion of the cost to get the line to them,” Armstrong said. “The city pays from there to the park.”
Ordinance would limit signs in public right of ways
The council voted unanimously at its Feb. 11 meeting to set a public hearing on proposed amendments to the city’s municipal codes governing signs placed in city right of ways. The changes are a result of United States Supreme Court decisions over the past decade modifying how the Constitution’s First Amendment applies to sign regulation.
Changes to the sign codes were first presented to council at their Jan. 21 meeting, with council input being added to those changes already proposed by city staff. City codes currently prohibit 11 different types of signs including those that resembling traffic control signs, flashing signs, signs attached to vehicles or trailers parked on public or private property and signs placed in the public right of way.
The proposed changes to the latter include exempting signs “Official traffic signs and official government signs serving a legitimate public interest, such as those notifying the public of laws and/or traffic hazards, government services, or the location of public facilities” and “Signs that (a) either identify the location of and parking for a community event open to the general public for which the City has issued a special event permit to a non-profit organization and are located next to the event/parking location.”
The ordinance also contains sign size changes, requires removal within a specific timeframe after receiving a valid special event permit from the city and contain contact information for the owner of the sign.
Council will hold a public hearing on the ordinance 15 days after publication of the hearing notice. Council’s vote also advanced the ordinance to a second reading.
By John McCallum
Current contributor
CENTRAL VALLEY
Boys basketball
U-Hi’s Roberts, Quintanilla win wrestling titles, CV girls advance
The No. 4-seeded Bears made a solid run through the District 6 playoffs, knocking off Mid-Columbia Conference No. 5 seed Southridge 7461 and GSL No.9 seed North Central 61-59 to secure a spot in the upcoming 3A state tournament. Needing a win to secure the district’s top seed, CV came up short, falling 79-56 to GSL second-seed Mt. Spokane.
The Bears, 5-4 in the GSL and 1211 overall, received a No. 16 seed into the field of 20 teams and faced 17th-seeded Prairie (14-8) at home on Feb. 25 in the tournament’s opening round. After leading 68-63 with just over three minutes remaining, Prairie eventually tied the game at 72 and skated out of town with a 76-72 win, ending the Bears season.
Girls basketball
The Bears keep rolling. Undefeated, top-ranked CV opened a 13-0 lead and cruised to a 56-40 win over Ridgeline on Feb. 7 to win the GSL regular-season title.
A pre-season agreement with the Mid-Columbia Conference gave Kennewick the top seed into the District 6 tournament, but that didn’t matter much. Seeded second, the Bears blitzed Mt. Spokane 67-33 in the opener and similarly hammered Southridge, 60-24, to advance to a title game win over Kennewick, 58-47, to claim the district’s top seed to 3A state.
Central Valley, 23-0, was to host No. 9 seed and eighth-ranked Meadowdale, 16-6, in a secondround game Feb. 28, with the winner
Gymnastics
advancing to the quarterfinals at the Tacoma Dome March 6. The loser would need to win a round of 12 game March 5 to keep their title hopes alive.
The Bears sent two gymnasts to state: seniors Makenzie Moll and Kylie Morais. Moll qualified on the beam while Morais qualified on the vault, bars, beam and floor.
Morais reached the finals on the floor where she scored a 9.075 to place second in state, 0.225 points behind state champion Mari Puckett of Ballard.
“They did amazing,” head coach ArReal Blakesley said of her athletes, adding the Bears also placed third at regionals as a team.
Wrestling
www.hubsportscenter.org
The Bears sent six boys and two girls to the Mat Classic XXXVI state tournament Feb. 20-21 at the Tacoma Dome. Two wrestlers – the brothers Beard – placed in their respective weight classes with sophomore Braxton taking fifth at 138 and senior Bayden competing for a state title at 190, falling to Bellevue’s Ivan Salaverry in an 8-3 decision.
“Bayden Beard concluded his CV career as a three-time state placer and finalist,” head coach Jacob Fry said. “Though he came up just short in his last match, we’re proud of and thankful for his incredible contributions to Central Valley High School wrestling.”
Also competing but not placing at
Mary Healy and Davina Kostecka competed for the Central Valley girls. Kostecka lost her first match but managed a 10-0 major decision over Sabrina Malcolm of Walla Walla in the consolation bracket before ending her meet with a pin by Peninsula’s Paige Powers.
“Their performances showcased the strength and pride of our team,” Fry said of all the wrestlers.
EAST VALLEY
Boys basketball
The Knights wrapped up their season on Feb. 17 with a 76-26 loss to
by John McCallum
Mat Classic were Emry Smith (150), Cooper Brown (165), Eli Yackel (175), Leo Perez (190) and Wally Palmer (285).
Photo
Central Valley senior guard Keana Gosney drives the basket against Ridgeline’s Emma Myers (left) and Gracie Munro (right) during the Bears 56-40 GSL title-clinching win over the Falcons.
Rogers in the loser-out round of 2A District 6 play. East Valley finished the season 3-18 overall, but improved over their winless league season in 2024 to 2-10 in the GSL, both wins coming over Deer Park.
Girls basketball
East Valley concluded its season with a 65-24 loss to Pullman in the loser-out round of the district playoffs. The Knights were 1-11 in GSL play, 3-18 overall, an improvement over its 1-20 record in 2024.
Wrestling
The Knights sent four boys and one girl to Mat Classic in Tacoma, none of whom placed. Wrestling for the boys were Brenton Reiha (106), Connor Nicholson (144), Talan Hughes (157) and Hunter Nicholson (165).
Wrestling for the girls was Chloe Bennett (155).
UNIVERSITY
Boys basketball
University fell two wins short of advancing to state, ending its season with a 77-70 loss in the 3A district playoffs to North Central where the winner advanced for a shot at the district’s No. 3 seed to state. Earlier, the Titans — seeded No. 6 — opened post season play with a 79-68 loss to third-seeded Walla Walla, but advanced in the consolation bracket with a 68-66 win over No. 7 Cheney.
University finished the season fifth in the GSL at 5-4, 8-14 overall.
Girls basketball
The Titans finished fifth in the overall GSL standings at the end of the season, earning a No. 6 seed into the district tournament. University lost its opening round matchup to No. 3 seed Southridge from the MidColumbia Conference, 53-46, but rebounded with a tight, 58-56 win over No. 7 seed Mt. Spokane in the consolation bracket.
U-Hi need two wins to secure the district’s No. 3 seed to state, but that meant knocking off fifth-ranked GSL foe Ridgeline, a team that handed the Titans a 71-36 shellacking on Jan. 31. This time, the result was closer but the same, with the Falcons – who were without the services of leading scorer Emma Myers, downing University 54-48.
University finished the season 5-4 in the GSL, 11-12 overall.
“We dealt with the injury bug at key spots throughout the season, which forced players to take on different roles,” head coach Angel
Rivera said. “The girls battled through it and found ways to adjust and overcome.”
Gymnastics
Two gymnasts place for the Titans: junior Kyla Roberts and freshman Kennedi Downie. Roberts scored an 8.950 for ninth overall on the beam and an 8.800 to tie Bainbridge’s Grace Reeb for ninth on the floor.
Downie placed 15th in both her events, the floor with an 8.375 and the bars with a 7.500.
Wrestling
The Titans came up a bit short in taking a 3A title, with the boys placing fourth overall and the girls eighth, but each managed to produce one state champion.
Senior Libby Roberts became one of those wrestling rarities by winning her fourth state title, pinning Shorewood’s Finley Houck to win at 110 pounds. Sophomore Czar Quintanilla continued a family tradition of excellence by notching a 7-1 decision over William Ross of Lincoln (Tacoma) to capture a state title at 126.
University also had two wrestlers place second in their weight classes. Samuel Thomas lost a 16-6 major decision to Kent-Meridian’s Jessie Neff in the boys 165-pound class while Samara Wienstock lost a 13-2 major decision to Enumclaw’s Taydem Bylin to finish second in the girls 140-pound class.
For the boys, seventh-place finishes went to Calister Crosby (126) and Paxon Beem-Cunanan (150) while eighth-place finishes went to Amadis Sang (113) and Ryan Sulpizio (285). For the girls, Lily Cunningham was fifth at 100, Mariah Denney seventh at 130 and Olivia Vignere eighth at 120.
Also competing for the Titans in Tacoma were Quinton O’Bannon (132), Caleb Burbank (138), Isaiah Ramirez (150), Bo Thompson (157), Jaxon Leflter (175) and Shane Swan (285). Making the trip for the girls were Camryn Daines and Maci Hoadley (105), Korie Giese (120), Kendra Kane (135) and Helora Agrippa (155).
University also placed second as a team in the GSL.
“We had a great group of senior captains leading the team this year and they will be dearly missed next year,” head coach Ryan Montang said.
WEST VALLEY
New things to check out: tabletop roleplaying games for kids, teens, adults
By Gwendolyn Haley, librarian Spokane County Library District
Spokane County Library District (SCLD) has exciting news for game enthusiasts, indoor adventurers, and storytellers across Spokane County!
SCLD was awarded a grant to bring tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) to our community. You can now explore new worlds, embark on grand adventures, and solve cozy mysteries—made possible with your library card!
These games are available to borrow from our Library of Things collection, and you can place a
Winter Reading Challenge encourages you to “Be a Reading Machine”
By Erin Dodge Current Guest Correspondent
The library invites you to participate in the Winter Reading Challenge: “Be a Reading Machine” during January. Each person is challenged to read a total of 300 minutes (or more), beginning January 1 and continuing through January 31.
Discover compelling stories, new information, and a gratifying sense of accomplishment. All reading counts toward your total— reading with a child or pet, listening to audiobooks, reading magazines or graphic novels—so read what you love!
hold to reserve them through our catalog (catalog.scld.org).
Unlike traditional board games, TTRPGs are all about collaborative storytelling and imagination. With the help of a Game Master (sometimes called a Guide or Facilitator), players work together to tackle challenges and create an epic narrative.
Whether you’re venturing into the magical realms of “Dungeons & Dragons” with our starter set, exploring a magical school in “Kids on Brooms”, or solving mysteries with matronly sleuths in “Brindlewood Bay,” there’s a game for everyone!
For families, there’s “Magical Kitties Save the Day” and “No Thank You, Evil,” perfect for younger adventurers and siblings of different ages. Each player gets to pick their character and special abilities or attributes and then work together to win the day!
For those craving a unique experience, try “Alice is Missing,” a game where players
You can power up your reading with just 20 minutes each day. Claim victory by tracking your progress to earn badges with Beanstack. You can also complete activities to reflect on your reading journey and goals, earning even more badges.
The activities provide you with questions to think about your reading. Reflect on your past reading habits, and set reading goals for the month or the whole year. Identify a support person to help you stay on track. Describe what you think makes a person a reading machine. Imagine how you can make sure your daily routine includes logging your reading. Plan how you will celebrate your achievement of completing the reading challenge.
One way to stay motivated with your reading is to play Beanstack’s virtual bingo with the badges you earn. Each badge you collect gets you closer to bingo! Can you get it in different directions—vertically, horizontally, and diagonally? Aim for the ultimate bingo
communicate entirely through text messages. Or check out “Inspirisles,” where you use American Sign Language to bring peace to a kingdom.
Whether you’re a seasoned gamer or new to the world of TTRPGs, these games foster creativity, teamwork, and social connection. So, gather your friends and family, and get ready to embark on your next adventure!
You can learn more about each game, including short videos sharing how to play, and get the links to borrow them at scld.org/ ttrpg-news.
The addition of tabletop roleplaying games to our collection is made possible by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, with funding administered by Washington State Library. Break From Reality Games in Seattle donated the GripMat, and Wizards of the Coast/Hasbro donated the D & D Starter Kit.
by gathering all badges to complete the whole card!
The Beanstack website can be accessed at scld.beanstack. org. And you can find the link for the Beanstack mobile app at scld.org/beanstack-app. The mobile app even has a timer you can activate with just the tap of your finger, making tracking that much easier.
Get personalized book recommendations from Beanstack based on your reading interests, helping you discover new titles and authors in SCLD’s collection. You can also add your book review to Beanstack to help other readers find their next read. And check out others’ reviews to find yours.
The whole family can be added to Beanstack with one login—making for easy access and tracking.
SCLD encourages readers of all ages to challenge themselves to become reading machines this winter. Learn more, including special hashtags to share on social media, at scld. org/winter-reading-2025.
More than 6,400 property deeds in Spokane County have a racially restrictive covenant.
Learn how to check your property deed and file a Racial Covenant Amendment to remove it.
SPOKANE VALLEY LIBRARY 22 N Herald Rd Saturday, April 5, 2:30–3:30pm
Registration is required.
Learn more at scld.org/covenants-workshop
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Continued from page 15
Boys basketball
The Eagles, 20-3, 11-1 GSL, captured the league’s 2A title and downed No. 2 seeded Pullman 5540 on Feb. 20 to capture the District 6 title and top-seed in the District 5/6 crossover bracket. There, they defeated No. 3 seed Grandview, 75-70 to advance to the state tournament.
Ranked seventh in the state 2A classification by the WIAA’s RPI index, the No. 4-seeded Eagles opened tournament play at home against No. 5 seed and sixth-ranked Selah, 19-4, on March 1. A win would advance them to the quarterfinals at the Yakima SunDome on March 6 while a loss would send them to a round of 12 matchup on March 5 against the winner of the Feb. 28 game between 12th-seeded Franklin Pierce (19-4) and 13th-seeded Bainbridge (17-5).
Girls basketball
The Eagles advanced to the second round of the district playoffs with a 60-34 win over Rogers. Needing a win over top-seeded Deer Park, West Valley was no match for the 2A classification’s fifth-ranked team, falling 66-26 to the unbeaten Stags.
West Valley wrapped up their season fourth in the GSL’s 2A division, going 5-7 in league play and 10-12 overall.
Wrestling
Ten boys and three girls qualified for the 2A Mat Classic tournament. Of those, only one found their way to the medal stand.
Jaiden Peak battled to an eighthplace finish at 126. After losing his second-round match to Orting’s Ty Satiacum, Peak won three straight consolation bracket matches before losing in a fall to Fife’s Trayvon Braziel-lee and then a 3-0 decision to Toppenish’s Fransisco Valencia in the match for seventh and eighth places.
Also competing for the Eagles boys were Ryder Markezic and Scott Bollinger (113), Derrick Bollinger (120), Simeon Mattingly and Cohen Clark (138), Stuart Courchaine (144), Gavin Czifro (157), Champ Bailey and Kainen Jaklitsch (165), Mason Matteson (175), Josh Moreau and Matthew Duthie (190), Andrew Royston (215) and Logan Riley (285).
Competing for the girls were Aviana Marek (130), Sabryna Pasamonte (140) and Iraina Swift (155).
EDITOR/PUBLISHER Ben Wick
ben@libertylakesplash.com
CO OWNER Danica Wick
danica@libertylakesplash.com
CONTRIBUTORS
Nina Culver, John McCallum
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ON THAT NOTE
State legislative session is underway
By Ben Wick Current Publisher
While the state legislature is considering over 1,800 different bills currently we wanted to help you engage with the state process and highlight a couple of bills that rise to the top that you might want to weigh in on. Note: the legislative session is active and these proposals are subject to change so please check the legislative websites or your legislators for the most recent updates on them.
Engaging the State Legislative Process
There are multiple ways to engage in the Legislative Process in Washington State. The primary way is to engage with your elected officials directly. This way you can share your thoughts and beliefs with your legislators to help influence their position or vote on the issue. Another way is to comment or testify on the proposals / bills directly.
The Identifying your Legislators
Following a districting or redistricting process that occurs every ten years, after each census, that breaks the state into 49, approximately equal by population, legislative districts. Each district has two state representatives and one senator. These representatives are the districts voice in the state legislature.
4th Legislative District includes everyone within the Cities of Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, and Millwood and north. Those living south of the cities of Spokane Valley or Liberty Lake and into the south part of Spokane County are in the 9th Legislative District. The 9th Legislative District is a larger district that also wraps around the south side of Spokane County and includes areas such as Cheney. As well as everything west of Spokane County from the river down to Oregon picking up the Cities of Pullman, Pomeroy, Ritzville, Lind, and Odessa.
Once you have identified the legislative district you are in, connect with your legislators to get help with state issues, stay up-to-date with happenings in Olympia by subscribing to their newsletters, or reach out and share your opinions on the pending legislative actions / bills.
The 4th Legislative District
legislators are:
Representative Suzanne Schmidt, Republican, suzanne.schmidt@leg. wa.gov 360-786-7820
Representative Rob Chase, Republican, rob.chase@leg.wa.gov 360786-7984
Senator Leonard Christian, Republican, leonard.christian@leg. wa.gov 360-786-7606
The 9th Legislative District legislators are:
Representative Mary Dye, Republican, mary.dye@leg.wa.gov 360786-7942
Representative Joe Schmick, Republican, joe.schmick@leg.wa.gov 360-786-7844
Senator Mark Schoesler, Republican, mark.schoesler@leg.wa.gov 360-7867620
Signing in or Testifying on Bills
Another great way to engage with the state legislative process is by sharing your position on bills or legislative changes being considered. Anyone can sign in or indicate that they are in favor (pro) for or against (con) a legislative proposal or bill while it is having a hearing in a legislative committee. Access https://leg.wa.gov/billsmeetings-and-session/ to learn more about finding the current bills and the upcoming legislative committee meeting schedule to know which ones are going to have a hearing this week so that you can share your thoughts.
Key Dates During Legislative Process
While the state legislature is considering over 1,800 different bills there are some key dates that affect their consideration. Each bill is referred to go through at least one committee related to its topic. It is during this stage that the legislature holds the public hearing and has an opportunity to hear from the public any comments. While not all bills are allowed to have a hearing, all bills are required to pass out of their committees on or before the 40th day of the legislative session which is February 21st 2025. If a bill doesn’t get voted out of the committee before then it will no longer be considered during this legislative session (unless it is deemed necessary to implement the budget).
If the bill has an impact on the operating budget, after it passes out of its policy committee it must go through the finance or fiscal committee. Bills are required to pass out of the fiscal committee by the 47th day of session which is February 28th 2025 to still be
considered.
After the committee reviews and approvals, bills must pass their house of origin meaning that it must be approved by the majority of the representatives of the chamber it was submitted in (i.e. either the House or the Senate) by 5pm on the 59th day of session or March 12th in order to continue to be considered.
After that the process starts over in the opposite house, if the House approved the original bill then it would begin its process in the Senate by first going through its committees (on or before April 2nd, then fiscal committee by April 8th, and to the floor for a vote by April 16th unless it is considered necessary to implement the budget then it is exempt from all cutoff timelines.
The official end of the legislative session per the state constitution is April 27th. After which the Governor has 5 days to approve or veto any approved legislation.
Operating Budget
Unlike most personal budgets the state has three separate budgets (Operating, Transportation, and Capital) which are all biennial or two year budgets. The Operating Budget which is the budget that contains the day to day operations of most state agencies, colleges and universities, and public schools. While no official budget bills have been released the budget is a dominating topic in Olympia. Based upon financial projections from the Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM), the state will be facing $10 to $12 Billion more expenses than revenue for the 2025 to 2027 budget. This has dominated most discussions around the capital as to how the state legislature is going to address this in their budget proposals. The governor has called for $3 Billion in spending reductions while other legislators are talking about ways to get more revenue which will come from increased taxes.
Transportation Budget
The State budget that funds the construction, maintenance and operation of the states transportation infrastructure. This budget is also projected to have more expenses planned for 2025 to 2027 than the projected revenue. The methods of balancing this budget are by delaying construction projects into the future thereby reducing the expenses in the current budget or by raising revenues.
For our region the possibility of delaying construction projects is concerning when thinking about the
completion of the North Spokane Corridor which has funding expected to be included in the upcoming budget. While this isn’t the only mega project in the budget forecast, it is the only one that is not under construction currently so up under consideration by the legislators as they craft the transportation budget.
Some legislators are interested in pursuing a revenue option. House Bill 1921 a bill that would implement a road usage charge that would augment the reduced revenues being seen by the transportation budgets primary revenue source (the gas tax). According to a press release about the legislation, it proposes a road usage charge of 2.6 cents per mile, which would be adjusted periodically to match the gas tax revenue, and would involve annual odometer reporting, with selfreporting being phased in starting in 2026. The proposed roll out would be in the following phases:
• Phase 1 (2027-2029): Voluntary for EV and hybrid drivers (registration fees waived).
• Phase 2 (2029-2031): Mandatory for EVs/hybrids; voluntary for fuel-efficient gas vehicles (20+ mpg).
• Phase 3 (2031-2035): Mandatory for all gas vehicles with 20+ mpg. Beginning July 2031 – 2035, fuelefficient cars will be phased in from most to least fuel-efficient Other Notable Bills
HB 1380 is a proposal that requires any city or town, or county laws that regulate the acts of sitting, lying, sleeping, or keeping warm and dry outdoors on public property that is open to the public be objectively reasonable as to time, place, and manner. This is the bill that would prevent cities from being able to enforce no-camping regulations in city parks again.
HB 1095 Grants authority to cities and counties to impose a 0.10 percent sales and use tax, credited against the state sales and use tax, for employing additional commissioned law enforcement officers.
HB 1258 – is a proposal relating to the funding for municipalities (or cities) that are not participating in the regional 911 emergency communications system. This is the bill that only applies to Spokane County and has been a point of contention between the City of Spokane and the remainder of the Spokane County entities. It would allow the City of Spokane to take a percentage of the County wide sales tax that funds emergency communications in a share greater than what they generate.
