Transportation Advocacy Day, Feb 12

Transportation Advocacy Day, Feb 12

On Tuesday, February 12, Futurewise is holding a Transportation Advocacy Day here in Spokane. Registration is free, and the only requirement for participation is an interest in how local modes of transportation — which includes pedestrian traffic, bikes, and mass transit — will develop in the coming years.

As part of the activities, Futurewise has arranged virtual meetings with our state legislators. Participants will be informed about current transportation legislation and relevant talking points before the virtual meetings.

Futurewise writes about the event:

The state legislature is considering a new transportation revenue package. We need more voices to help make sure that pedestrians, cyclists, children and transit riders are not left out in the cold.

Too many neighborhoods lack safe streets and sidewalks for us to get around safely. Our legislators will be voting soon on bills designed to give everyone an equal opportunity to get to our destinations safely and affordably.

It’s nearly Valentine’s Day and we will have some fun with that. We will pose for a photo valentine for our decision makers that sends the message, “We ♥ Walk-Bike-Transit.” We will also have coffee and treats.

Let’s make it clear to our legislators: unsafe streets and bus service cuts are unacceptable. We need real solutions to keep Spokane moving forward.

Transportation Advocacy Day will be held downtown in the Community Building at 35 W Main Ave [map].

As a resident of Emerson-Garfield, you live in the 3rd Legislative District. This being the hub of the city, our district is set to receive the most attention at these meetings. Participants are asked to arrive at 8:45am and to expect the meetings and information sessions to run to about noon.

The 4th and 6th legislative districts will meet at different times.

Click here to register for Transportation Advocacy Day. Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive all the relevant meeting materials via e-mail on Monday (February 11) morning.

Bryant McKinley on Northwest Profiles

Bryant McKinley on Northwest Profiles

Emerson-Garfield resident Bryant McKinley is featured in the January, 2013 episode of Northwest Profiles on KSPS.


From the blurb:

For Bryant McKinley, cycling is a way of life. So is being blind. Yet even without his sense of sight, this active Spokane senior has a vibrant vision to win. With Tomas Lynch, his tandem bike teammate, McKinley has his sights set on winning a national bike racing championship. And with it, perhaps cycling’s ultimate prize: the coveted stars and stripes jersey.

Bryant is a friendly and fascinating guy. Believe it or not, there’s more to him than his cycling. He also fixes vintage car engines — all without his sight.

Watch the full Northwest Profiles show here.

Emerson-Garfield in the News

Emerson-Garfield in the News

Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council’s budding efforts to become a non-profit organization were covered in a Spokesman-Review story today by Pia Hallenberg. Read it here.

Public Meetings for the Comprehensive Plan Update

Public Meetings for the Comprehensive Plan Update

The City of Spokane Planning and Development Services Department is going to host three public meetings to gather input from citizens on the 2012-2014 Comprehensive Plan Review and Update.

Why is this important?

The city’s Comprehensive Plan (PDF link) is just that — a plan that covers every aspect of how Spokane aims to grow and develop in the coming years. Put simply, it’s our city’s vision for the future, and it determines what kind of decisions are made in the here and now. If the Comprehensive Plan mandates that the future of housing is in floating islands suspended by airships, you can (almost) bet that the city will direct current home-building practices toward this end.

Bluthton

But the vision of the future is not writ in stone, and it has to adapt to the ever-changing present. That’s why the Comprehensive Plan is updated every few years, and those updates are usually carried out with input from the public.

If the public doesn’t get involved in these processes, then the city naturally assumes everything is hunky dory and goes ahead with whatever it was going to do in the first place — which is precisely what has led to questionable planning decisions in the past. Not that the city is entirely at fault in these cases. How can they serve your neighborhood if the needs of your neighborhood aren’t made known to them?

Hence the importance of these public input meetings.

The public meeting for Council District 3, which encompasses Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood, will take place on Tuesday, February 19 from 5:30 to 7:30pm at Shadle Public Library (2111 W. Wellesley Ave, STA Route 20/33).

Don’t feel as though you have to be an expert on planning to attend. Each meeting will begin with a presentation on the background of the Comprehensive Plan and the update process. That will be followed by an interactive survey and activity stations.

For more info, contact Jo Anne Wright or Nikole Coleman-Porter in the Planning Department at (509) 625-6300.

Oh, and five points to whoever can name the town depicted in the drawing above.

Online Voters’ Guide for Feb 12 Special Election

Online Voters’ Guide for Feb 12 Special Election

An online voters’ guide (PDF) for Props 1-3 in the upcoming (Feb 12) special election is now available.

Here’s the breakdown:

  • Proposition No. 1 proposes to amend the City Charter to add two new sections regarding the Office of Police Ombudsman and a Police Ombudsman Commission. Proposition No. 1 proposes to amend the City Charter to add two new sections regarding the Office of Police Ombudsman and a Police Ombudsman Commission.
  • Proposition No. 2 proposes to amend the City Charter to provide that a majority plus one vote, i.e. five votes, of the City Council would be required to levy a new councilmanic tax or increase an existing councilmanic tax.
  • Proposition No. 3 proposes an increase in the regular property tax levy in excess of state law beginning in 2014 in which the funding would be allocated one hundred percent to library operations. This proposition authorizes an increase in the regular property tax levy for 2014 by $0.07 per $1,000 of assessed property value for a levy rate not to exceed $3.08. The increase would remain in effect for a period of four years.