Spokane Valley City Council Regular Meeting - September 15, 2026

The Spokane Valley City Council held a regular meeting on September 15, 2026, at City Hall. The meeting included a proclamation for Constitution Week, a public hearing on the 2027 budget, and administrative reports on right-of-way vegetation control, lodging tax advisory committee (LTAC) goals, a Justice Assistance Grant (JAG), and the draft comprehensive plan. Council also received public comments on neighborhood councils, data centers, public records, and state water projects.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Susan DeLucke and Linda Tesh advocated for the establishment of neighborhood councils to improve citizen participation and communication, citing low voter turnout (less than 25% in the last election) and frustration with the current system. They provided written materials for council review.
• Glenn Stockwell (Ritzville) urged the council to write a letter to Senator Patty Murray and President Trump requesting funding to complete the Columbia Basin Project, emphasizing bipartisan collaboration and noting a $1.2 trillion opportunity.
• Aubreyana Anderson raised alarm about a proposed large-load data center in Spokane County, citing concerns over water usage (millions of gallons per year on a closed-loop system), lack of transparency from county officials, and potential risks. She noted that Spokane City has a nine-month pause on data centers and that county records requests reveal direct communication between public officials and the data center proponent.
• Ben Lund (34-year resident) questioned Councilmember Merkel about public record access under the Washington Public Records Act, specifically regarding records on private devices or social media. He also asked for an update on a motion by Councilmember Yeager to recover costs related to past public records disputes, noting approximately $600,000 in taxpayer costs discussed at the June 30 meeting.

Discussion Items

• Public Hearing #1 – 2027 Budget Revenues: Finance Director Chelsie Walls presented the draft budget. Total estimated revenues across all 31 funds are $148 million. General fund recurring revenues are estimated at $71.8 million (up 5%), with property taxes at $14.5 million (excluding the 1% increase and $1.4 million in bank capacity) and sales tax at $37 million (up 9.6%). General fund expenditures remain unknown due to pending law enforcement contract costs. The city aims to have recurring revenues exceed recurring expenditures and maintain a fund balance at least 50% of recurring expenditures. No public comments were made on the budget.
• Right-of-Way Vegetation Control: Public Works Director Robert Blegen reported on the city’s vegetation management program. The city manages 111 acres of dryland grass mowing (goal of 2-3 times/year), tree removal/trimming, and weed spraying. Costs have increased due to higher labor rates and fewer contractors (only two main contractors currently). The city also maintains 23 acres of WSDOT property (e.g., the Argonne interchange) to a higher standard. Council discussed potential cost savings through converting to lower-growing bunchgrass over a three-year period, and the impact of losing Geiger work crews due to county corrections staffing shortages.
• LTAC Goals & Priorities: Chelsie Walls reviewed the lodging tax structure (3.3% total) and the 2027 outlook. Only $250,000 is available from the 2% fund (due to a $600,000 multi-year award to the ICE sports facility), and the capital fund (1.3%) has an expected balance of $530,000 at end of 2027, so staff recommended not opening applications for capital projects. Suggested goals prioritize funding for projects aligned with the tourism strategic plan, especially established facilities like the cross-course and ice arena. Council discussed whether to exclude for-profit entities from LTAC grants and encourage them to use the opportunity fund instead, but no consensus was reached on that change. Council did reach consensus to proceed with the proposed goals and priorities.
• Justice Assistance Grant (JAG): Deputy City Manager Eric Lamb and Assistant Police Chief Jared Keene proposed using approximately $31,000 in JAG funds plus $12,500 from DUI restitution to purchase an eighth police motorcycle (estimated total $43,470). The new unit would support the traffic unit and allow a high-mileage motorcycle (38,000 miles) to shift to a training role. Council expressed support and gave consensus to move forward with the application.
• Draft Comprehensive Plan: Community Director Mike Basinger and Planning Manager Steve Roberge presented the updated draft plan, noting it maintains the readable format from 2016. Key changes include a new climate/resiliency element and mandated housing provisions for middle housing and all income levels. The plan aims for adoption by mid-December 2026. A future meeting on September 29 will cover development regulation changes from state law.

Key Outcomes

• The agenda was approved unanimously (Councilmember Yeager excused, Councilmember Kelly present via Zoom).
• Council reached consensus to apply for the JAG grant for a new police motorcycle.
• Council reached consensus to proceed with the proposed LTAC goals and priorities for 2027.
• Councilmember Merkel announced future agenda items: a five-year moratorium on data centers, inviting Life Services to speak about alternatives to termination, and exploring stop-arm cameras for school buses due to increased violations (15-20 per day vs. 2-3 ten years ago).
• Mayor Patton commented on Constitution Week, emphasizing the importance of correctly invoking the Constitution and criticizing what she described as false allegations of constitutional violations by a council member regarding freedom of speech and the Sixth Amendment.
• City Manager updates: Spokane Regional Stormwater Manual update (due June 2027), Flock camera removal notice issued (30-day notice started September 1), Cops & Kids car show had 5,000 attendees and 300 cars, and a sculpture dedication by Fritz and Jeannie Wolfe.
• The meeting adjourned.