This meeting offers one more way that the public can engage with the Spokane Police Department. Representatives from the SPD will answer citizens’ questions and provide updates on current issues and ongoing initiatives.
The PAC is a collection of community representatives who serve as an advisory group to the Office of the Chief of Police regarding community needs and concerns, as well as community responses to proposed police programs and priorities.
The PAC is looking for additional community leaders to join this committee. If you are interested, please send a request for an application to anapolitano@spokanepolice.org or call (509) 625-4063.
The March 11, 2015 meeting of the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council (EGNC) featured Kelly Norwood of Avista, assisted by Casey Fielder, as its guest speaker. Kelly provided a printed slideshow with some background on the company, its infrastructure, as well as the rate regulations it is subject to.
Of the $2.5 billion investment in Avista, 48% is equity, owned by shareholders, and 52% is owned by bond holders and banks. Avista is asking for a 4.75% authorized return on equity, which, according to the statistics provided in the printed materials, is an average rate compared to other providers. While the cost of electricity has increased 41% over the past 10 years, natural gas has only increased 3%. Over time, the costs to the customers has matched inflation almost exactly.
Kelly took questions from the group and later remained after the meeting to speak with interested attendees individually.
Kelly Norwood of Avista speaks to the EGNC about rate increases.
Next, Alicia Powell spoke about the City’s Greening Grants. In 2014, twelve neighborhoods applied for projects, and there were 17 approved applications, including 117 street trees, five perennial plantings, and one riparian planting. Under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, 66 street trees were planted.
Under the Greening Grants program, each neighborhood in Spokane can apply for three grants each at up to $5,000 per grant. On April 17 and 18 of this year, 1,000 trees will be given away to residents for planting. Every resident can receive up to two trees. If residents would prefer to be supplied with larger, more established trees, a landscaping company can deliver and install up to two for $95 each. Vouchers for these trees and pickup locations will be provided to the neighborhood council at the next meeting on April 8.
The neighborhood Greening Grants planting for its successful 2014 applications will take place on Saturday, April 4. More info on that — including times, locations and scope of projects — will be available in a forthcoming blog post.
There were several volunteers for an ad hoc Greening Grants Committee, which will meet briefly over the next month to determine potential locations for plantings and landscaping and apply for one or more of the three possible grants. If you are interested in serving on this committee, please get in touch. You don’t have to be a voting member of the neighborhood council to participate.
Volunteering for the neighborhood council executive positions was encouraged, as elections are in April.
Megan Kennedy reported on the City-hosted open house for North Monroe business owners that she attended on the morning of March 10. She said that the City employees took the concerns of the business owners very seriously. One of the main concerns for owners was the length of the street closure. If a full closure, there would be 3 to 5 months of construction as opposed to 2 to 4 years if a partial closure. The City is also adjusting an additional levy source that could bring further improvements to the road surface.
Community Frameworks recently provided their architectural plans to the EGNC’s chair and vice-chair, requesting their opinions regarding the development of affordable housing at 315 West Mission.
The City is currently in negotiations for a site in Emerson-Garfield that would house an additional drinking water well. This well would provide a safe source of drinking water, especially in light of the risks associated with some of the current drinking water wells in industrial locations.
The neighborhood website was recently migrated to a new server, and is now (clearly) back online.
The Movin’ and Groovin’ Fair of the Corbin Senior Activity Center will be held on Saturday, March 14 from 8am to 2pm. There will be 75 vendors. Lunch will be served for $6. Corbin’s sound system, valued at $500, was stolen, and the Center is considering a new locking system.
Karen Colvin and Carol Anderson spoke on behalf of the Spokane Community Oriented Policing Services (C.O.P.S.) shops. The North Hill and North Central C.O.P.S. shops should be merging, with volunteers relocating to the North Central location (630 W Shannon). The North Central location is open Monday through Friday, 10am to 2pm.
As C.O.P.S. receives limited funding, there will be a flea-market fundraiser market on Saturday, May 9 from 9am to 3pm at Knox Presbyterian Church (806 W Knox). C.O.P.S. North Central and Knox Presbyterian will be collaborating with the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council to plan and augment the event.
Al Steuart briefly reported on the planning for composting demonstrations and other activities during the Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market. There are currently additional volunteers for canning and dehydration/desiccation demos. If you would like to coordinate one of these events, please e-mail Al directly.
On the news that previous organizer Eline Helm was stepping down, Timothy Diko and Melissa Parker volunteered to organize this year’s Concerts in the Park. The date will depend on the availability of the band but could be timed, like last year, to coincide with Summer Parkways.
Karl Boldt reported on the Spring Cleanup scheduled for Saturday, April18 from 9am to 12:30pm, the annual dumpster roll-off event that allows residents to dispose of household and yard waste for free. Faith Bible Church will provide beverages and snacks to all those who participate, plus pizza for volunteers after the event. Unlike previous years, we will be unable to gather hazardous waste materials. This is a good opportunity to clean up alleys with your neighbors. Tires are acceptable at the roll-off event, but dump passes may be provided for construction materials that should be taken directly to the dump.
Barb Biles reported on the Land Use Committee, which is considering changes to bicycle lanes, rental properties regulations, and an easy-to-use outline for application processes.
Tim Musser reported on the Community Development meetings, which are working to determine how neighborhoods will receive and allocate CDBG funds in the coming years. The intent of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the source of the funds, is to improve the standard of living for lower-income residents, so the committee used that goal to formulate a proposal for a point-based system of resource allocation. Generally speaking, if a CDBG block has 75% or more of low-income households, it receives four points. With 60–75%, two points, and 50% to 60% receives one point. The Community Assembly is set to assess and vote on that proposal.
Admission is free to this all-ages event, which features free massages and health screenings, seminars and giveaways, as well as a raffle and an affordable ($6) lunch.
Around 75 vendors are scheduled to take part this year. They generally wind through the whole first floor and lower level of the center, and they represent services and businesses from all fields: home care, retirement living, legal services, computer assistance, moving services, hearing, energy savings. real-estate and financial planning, and lots more.
During this year’s event, the Corbin Senior Center will be offering half-price annual membership for new members. That’s just $13 for individual membership and $18 per couple! Membership gives you access to all the Corbin Senior Center’s facilities and first dibs on their tours and activities — plus a range of discounts at all these great area businesses. Anyone over the age of 18 can be a member.
This is a recap of the February 24, 2015 meeting of the Community Assembly‘s Pedestrian, Traffic and Transportation (PeTT) Committee from Steve Anderson, our neighborhood’s new PeTT representative. (We hope to have more brief reports like this as Emerson-Garfield sees more representation on city-level advisory committees.)
The meeting was mainly dominated by a presentation by STA representative Kathleen Weinand. With an upcoming ballot measure for an increase in funding to STA, they are looking to retool their 20-year plan. They came to get our opinion on some matters, though nothing we suggested would be binding.
Discussion regarding bus benches and shelters was a lengthy one. Kathleen discussed the difficultly STA is having with creating proper areas to put benches and shelters. One answer they have come up with is to place the proper cement pads, etc. when the streets, curbs, and/or sidewalks are being repaired or reworked.
One area of change the STA is looking into is allowing private advertising companies to erect bus shelters with advertising on them. Currently, STA allows companies such as these to install benches with advertising on them. Concerns were raised about the how STA handles disrepair and vandalism on the currently installed benches and how STA might make the process of citizens reporting vandalism or disrepair easier. Generally, the committee felt that shelters built for the purpose of advertising might be something to look into for downtown, but we were a bit more hesitant about allowing it throughout the city, given the challenges the benches already present.
Other talking points included creating bus stops that would make access for riders easier and more appealing, exploring who should be in charge of installing and repairing STA signage (currently either the City or County installs them and then charges STA), and the expansion of STA routes and stops.
In the coming month there will be a citywide public meeting regarding these and other issues surrounding the STA. The next PeTT meeting will be on Tuesday, March 24 at 6pm at the West Central Community Center (1603 N Belt). All are welcome at these meetings. Hope to see you there!
The Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council meets tomorrow (March11). The meeting starts at 6pm in the Corbin Senior Center (827 W Cleveland).
Representatives from Avista will be this month’s guest speakers. They’ll be talking about the rate increases as well as other local energy-related initiatives.
Following that, we’ll hear about upcoming Greening Grants opportunities and possibly brainstorm some ideal locations in the neighborhood for new landscaping and street trees. We’ll also hear a recap of this morning’s open house for N Monroe business owners, updates on the traffic-calming applications submitted earlier this month, and news on development big and small around E-G including Pura Vida, a new drinking water well and 315 West on the southern tip of Emerson-Garfield.
As always, you can download the materials beforehand as PDFs:
These meetings are open to anyone who lives, works or owns property in Emerson-Garfield. There are no dues or fees to participate. It’s a great way to stay informed, meet your neighbors and take an active, grassroots role in shaping your neighborhood for the better!
