Spokane Valley City Council Regular Meeting – June 23, 2026

The Spokane Valley City Council met on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall. The meeting included action on school zone speed limits, creation of a Public Safety Director position, and several informational reports. Council unanimously approved all action items and reached consensus on administrative reports.

Consent Calendar

• Approved consent agenda unanimously, including: Claim vouchers totaling $3,431,391.68 (April 28, 2026), payroll for pay periods ending May 31, 2026 ($796,504.77) and June 15, 2026 ($755,250.80), and minutes from April 21, April 28, May 5, May 19, May 26, and June 2, 2026.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Kaylee, a Spokane Valley resident from the Dishman area, spoke during general public comment. She urged the city to provide a right to cooling for all residents, including unhoused and drug-addicted individuals, citing the dangers of global warming and inequity. She noted that the City of Spokane was considering a similar ordinance that evening.
• Darren Horner (Spokane Valley) spoke during the second public comment period, asking council to add a discussion on group homes (particularly youth group homes) to a future advance agenda, stating the issue affects neighbors and other facilities.

Discussion Items

Resolution 26-007: School Zone Speed Limit Modifications

• Jerremy Clark, city traffic engineer, presented a revision to the master speed limit schedule, adding three new school zones: in front of Central Valley High School, East Valley High School, and a section of Fourth Avenue at the Ruben Trejo Dual Language Academy (formerly Pratt Elementary). The resolution corrects past relocations and brings the schedule into compliance with current state codes. Council voted unanimously to approve.

Motion: Public Safety Director Position

• Erik Lamb, city manager, presented a motion to fund a Public Safety Director position for 2026. The position would oversee public safety contracts (approximately two-thirds of the city's recurring budget), manage two analysts, and report to the deputy city manager. The total 2026 cost is estimated at $231,218, funded by savings from delayed hiring of police officers and existing contingency. The role does not oversee the police chief. Council discussed the title change from coordinator to director, office space needs ($70,000), and the hiring process (in-house recruitment preferred). Councilmember Kelly expressed concerns about process but supported the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

Admin Report: Aging & Long-Term Care of Eastern Washington

• Lynn Kimball, executive director, provided an update. In the past year, Aging & Long-Term Care served approximately 2,500 unduplicated residents in Spokane Valley, with $5.8 million invested in services and an estimated $70 million in Medicaid in-home care. Services included: 1,500 residents receiving in-home care, 470 seniors receiving over 50,000 home-delivered meals via Meals on Wheels, 110 legal cases handled, 1,000+ hours of respite care, and 43 home repairs. New programs include a presumptive eligibility pilot for Medicaid (statewide July 1) and WA Cares (statewide July 1) with provider network development. Kimball noted upcoming impacts from HR1: as of October 1, many refugee community members on Medicaid will lose eligibility; the state is creating a state-funded program but slots are uncertain.

Admin Report: Master Parking Prohibition Schedule

• Jerremy Clark presented the first master parking prohibition schedule, documenting 93 existing no-parking locations (mostly from 2020 data, with 7 added since). Locations include standard no parking (62 segments), fire lanes (6), no parking bike lanes (16), no parking 30 feet from stop sign, time-restricted zones, and school-day restrictions. The schedule meets code requirements and will be updated quarterly or semi-annually. Council gave unanimous consensus to bring it back for adoption.

Admin Report: HUD Entitlement Funds – Requalification Process

• Gloria Mantz, city services administrator, outlined four options for CDBG, HOME, and ESG grants. The city’s 2027 allocation is approximately $720,000 CDBG and $417,000 HOME (city does not qualify for ESG). Staff recommended Option 1 (status quo): defer entitlement and continue participating in Spokane County’s consortium. This avoids additional administrative costs and liability; the city has four of 17 seats on the advisory committee (HCDAC) and has received grants exceeding its entitlement in recent years (e.g., $1.7 million average per year in other grants). Council gave unanimous consensus to select Option 1.

Admin Report: RCO Planning Grant Opportunity

• John Bottelli, parks and recreation director, requested consensus to apply for a $80,000–$100,000 grant (no match required) from RCO’s Planning for Recreation Access (PRA) program to develop a renovation master plan for Edgecliff Park. The park lacks ADA access and has aging infrastructure; the surrounding area has lower median household income and higher diversity. The city has zero points for applicant history (having received recent RCO grants) but scores well on location. Council gave unanimous consensus to submit an application.

Key Outcomes

• Resolution 26-007 (School Zone Speed Limits) passed unanimously.
• Motion to fund a Public Safety Director position for 2026 passed unanimously.
• Consensus to defer HUD entitlement (Option 1), adopt the master parking prohibition schedule, and apply for the RCO Edgecliff Park planning grant.
• No further action was taken on the Bob West complaint investigation; council agreed the matter is resolved after Councilmember Yeager cooperated and changed behavior, contrasting with Councilmember Merkel’s response.
• Advance agenda: City manager confirmed staff is working on a group homes ordinance to address chronic nuisance issues.
• Councilmember reports included updates on the Steering Committee of Elected Officials (GMA allocation dispute), STA board (sales tax revenue up 5.6%, bus route extension on Trent), AWC conference, and community events.