RIVER CROSSING
Schools welcome new leadersMeet the new Principals
By Nina Culver
Current contributor
Schools are full of new faces each fall – new students, new teachers and new principals. Principals usually head back to school before the teachers do to prepare for the upcoming year and new principals are often the earliest to go back, getting to know their new school before everyone starts arriving.
The Central Valley School District and East Valley School District are both welcoming new principals this year as former principals retired or took other positions. The West Valley School District has been conducting a search for a new high school principal, but no decision has been made yet.
Jon Thomas is the new principal at East Farms STEAM Magnet School, an elementary school focused on science, technology, engineering, art and math. It’s not far from Otis Orchards Elementary, where Thomas was recently the assistant principal.
Thomas has been working
toward becoming a principal for years and said he’s excited to be able to stay within the East Valley district. “East Valley has been my family for going on 18 years,” he said. “I wanted to be a part of this.”
Part of his inspiration for becoming a teacher was his mother, who went back to school when he was in high school and earned a teaching degree. Thomas said he loved working with students and wanted to serve his community.
Thomas, who grew up in Kent, Washington, first attended Washington State University, where he threw the shot put and the hammer for the track team. There he met his future wife, Casey, who was a javelin thrower. She left WSU for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Thomas followed.
She returned back to her home in Spokane Valley and Thomas followed again, finishing off his teaching degree at Eastern Washington University. Though his degree was in special education, his original plan was to be a math teacher. Along the way, however, Thomas had the opportunity to work with a student with Down’s Syndrome.
“I just fell in love,” he said. “I thought, these are my people. It really changed my view of people in general.”
He took a job as a special education teacher at East Valley High School, where he remained for 15 years. Along the way he earned a master’s degree in autism spectrum disorder from Grand Canyon University. He also coached freshman football as well as middle school track and wrestling.
But after more than a decade in teaching, Thomas was deeply affected when three of his students died within a four year span. “It was really hard,” he said.
That experience pushed him toward considering becoming a principal, where he could have a bigger impact than a single classroom of students. He earned his administrative certificate from Gonzaga University and then was hired at Otis Orchards Elementary.
He credits Principal Cheryl Fried for mentoring him and helping him acclimate to working with elementary students.
“I was a little unsure about how elementary would go,” he said.
He said he felt welcomed at Otis. “It’s like you’re a celebrity,” he said. “The kids, they genuinely think you’re cool. At elementary school, they love you. That really filled my bucket.”
He’s excited to be working at East Farms, where even the music room has technology to go along with the usual collection of drums and xylophones. The school also has equipment to make t shirts, etchers and 3D printers. “We’re a STEAM school,” he said. “We focus on cross curricular projects. We have laser printers, we have a lab that’s just dedicated to our projects. We have a lot of technology incorporated into our music programs. We do everything every elementary does, but we do a little bit more.”
One of Thomas’ tasks as an incoming principal is to oversee the final stages of construction on a sensory garden, funded by a $100,000 grant from EarthGen. The area includes an outdoor classroom space and a winding path. “It’s going to be a cool little space,” he said.
Since East Valley provides almost all school supplies for students, his job also included shopping for cases of markers, crayons, colored pencils, pencils and dry erase markers. Thomas said he filled up three carts. “I went to Wal-Mart and got a really great deal,” he said.
Thomas said he’s looking forward to working with East Farms parents and students. “I’m excited about the opportunity,” he said.
New Continuous Curriculum School principal Ben Gilsdorf will go back to school sooner than other principals, since CCS operates on a more year-round schedule and classes begin on Aug. 14. Gilsdorf, who got his teaching degree from Whitworth University, said he doesn’t remember a time when he didn’t want to be a teacher.
“I’m the oldest of five brothers,” he said. “I’ve kind of always been teaching, whether it was my little brothers or swim lessons as a teenager. I just always love the art of teaching.”
When he was fresh out of Whitworth, his first job was teaching a third and fourth grade combination class at CCS. He was laid off, then took a job teaching at Francis Scott Elementary in Spokane. He quickly realized his goal was to become a principal. He got a master’s degree in educational leadership and his principal certification.
He held assistant principal positions at Holmes Elementary and Moran Prairie Elementary schools in Spokane before landing at Hallett Elementary in Medical Lake three years ago. When the former CCS principal retired, Gilsdorf leapt at the chance to apply.
“I was happy where I was, but seeing CCS come around, I was really excited,” he said.
He describes the principal interview process as arduous, meeting with several different groups. He was directed to meet with a panel of parents and when he walked in the room, he realized it was the very classroom where he taught third and fourth grade students at CCS all those years ago. Gilsdorf said he had an immediate reaction.
“I walked in the room and froze,” he said. “It was my old classroom. It was a really cool full circle experience. It was super emotional.”
Gilsdorf said the fact that his first
Activities & Food
Mad 1 — 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
n Car show — 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. $10 registration at the event. Awards at 3:30 p.m.
n Train rides — 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
n Second Chance Ranch petting zoo — 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
n Dunk tank — 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
n Food trucks, vendors, and concession stand open — 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Scheduled food trucks: Dippin’ Dots, Mixed Plate, Clementine, Sasquatcho Taco, Kona Ice, and The Wandering Tin Can. Concession stand will be in operation from Kiwanis Club.
n Inflatable chicken races — 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Participant registration starts at 2:30 p.m. at the main stage. Racing groups will be for ages 13-14, 15-17, and 18-up.
n Beer garden — 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Pavillion Stage Entertainment
n Reptile Lady April Jackson — 10 a.m.
n Youth bands (Spider-Monkey with Issac, Crimson Creek, We R Decoys, Rainbow Epoch, The Monday Band) — 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
n Frances from Inland Northwest Magic — 1 p.m.
n Northwest Taekwondo Academy — 1:30 p.m.
n Aloha Hula of Spokane — 2 p.m.
n Soulful Brothers featuring Max Daniels — 4 to 5:30 p.m. & 6 to 7:30 p.m.
Dunk Tank!
PRINCIPALS
Continued from page 2
job as principal is at CCS is just icing on the cake. “I really wanted to come to CCS,” he said. “It’s something I had been working pretty diligently toward for the last seven years.”
Jamie Mikelson, new principal at the K-8 Summit School, is back in the Central Valley school district after several years away. She will be a familiar face to some after working as an instructional coach at Summit from 2012 to 2016.
Mikelson said she heard Summit’s principal was retiring and applied to replace him. “It just all worked out,” she said.
Not only is it like coming home because she previously worked at Summit, her family lives nearby. Really nearby. “My sister lives across the street from Summit and my parents are two blocks away,” she said.
She grew up in Coeur d’Alene and Davenport and attended Carroll College. She had planned to become a lawyer and didn’t even consider becoming a teacher until her senior year in high school, when she tutored a fourth-grade student. “I taught a student how to read and I caught the bug,” she said.
After earning her degree, she worked in the Lakeland School District in North Idaho for nine years teaching sixth grade. “It was a fantastic experience,” she said. “It really taught me how to be a teacher.”
She was teaching third grade at Opportunity Elementary when her principal encouraged her to apply for an instructional coach position at Summit. She realized she liked helping teachers improve their craft. “It’s one of the things that really
NEWS
caught me the principal bug,” she said.
She earned her administrative certificate from WSU Spokane, then, with no elementary principal positions available in Central Valley, she took an elementary school principal job in Oroville, Washington, for five years. She then was the principal at Reardan Elementary School for the last four years.
Mikelson said she enjoys getting to know all the students in her school. “The relationship that you can have with kids is so different,” she said. “As principal, you get to know the entire school.”
She’s excited to be back at Summit, where she still knows some of the staff. “It’s just that family feel,” she said. “It’s like coming back home. I couldn’t ask for anything
better.”
Mikaila Shaw is the new principal at North Pines Middle School, but she hasn’t gone far. In fact, she’s in the same office she was in last year. She just changed the name plate outside her door to read Principal instead of Assistant Principal.
“We’re all right next to each other, so it doesn’t matter,” she said of her office choice. “I absolutely love North Pines. I love our staff, our students. We have such a diverse population. This is the community I love.”
Shaw earned her teaching degree at St. Martin’s University in Lacey, Washington, after wanting to be a teacher her entire life. As a child, she often played school with her two younger sisters. “Truly, literally, all my life I wanted to be a teacher,” she said. “I loved school. I loved my teachers.”
She taught math in Yelm for a year before moving to Spokane with her family. This year will be her ninth year at North Pines, the
first four years as a math teacher. Shaw said she was encouraged to participate in the leadership team nearly from the beginning and that’s what pushed her to consider becoming a principal.
“I just had incredible support,” she said. “They believed in me, pushed me.”
She transitioned from math teacher to instructional coach and was the assistant principal for the last three years. Though she missed the classroom, she wants to be in a leadership position. “I want to think bigger,” she said. “I want to support teachers.”
She said it’s her students that keep her enthusiastic about her job. “It’s definitely the students,” she said. “Our kids are hilarious. They
show up, they love that their teachers push them, believe in them.”
Rachael Crooks, the new principal at Selkirk Middle School, has worked at nearly every middle school in the Central Valley School District in various roles. She’s already familiar with some of the staff at Selkirk and hopes to settle in quickly.
“I’m so excited to be a part of the wolfpack,” she said. “The staff is amazing. I’ve worked with a number of these staff members in various roles.”
Crooks grew up in the small community of Bridgeport, Washington, where she was one of 23 students in her graduating class. She said she always knew she wanted to be a teacher. “I don’t remember ever wanting to be anything else,” she said. “I was that kid who made her siblings play school.”
She graduated from Spokane Community College, then earned her teaching degree in special education and elementary education from Eastern Washington University. Crooks said she was
inspired to pursue special education in part because of her uncle, who has special needs.
“I just really like meeting them where they’re at,” she said of special education students.
She taught special education in Chewelah for three years, though she remained living in the Spokane area and commuted every day, carpooling with other teachers. In 2007, she landed a job as a special education teacher at Horizon Middle School. After five years, she switched to teaching history and language arts, which she did for another four years.
Crooks said she always tried to be as involved as she could, serving on numerous committees in the district. “I love what I do,” she said. “I have a real passion.”
After her time at Horizon, she began working at other middle schools in the district, often as Dean of Students. She spent a year at Evergreen Middle School, then went to North Pines Middle School and Bowdish Middle School. In 2020 she was named the assistant principal at Evergreen Middle School.
Crooks said she enjoys teaching both children and adults. “As an administrator, you have the opportunity to broaden your classroom,” she said.
Meet the principals
East Farms STEAM Magnet School, 26203 E. Rowan Ave. – Back to school night Aug. 25 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. The night will include a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new sensory garden.
Continuous Curriculum School, 16924 E. Wellesley Ave. –Back to school night Aug. 13 from 2 to 4 p.m.
Summit School, 13313 E. Broadway Ave. – Back to school night Aug. 25, 5 p.m.
North Pines Middle School, 11900 E. Broadway Ave., Aug. 20 open house from either 9 to 11 a.m. or 4 to 6 p.m. Sixth graders can practice opening their lockers.
Selkirk Middle School, 1409 N. Harvest Parkway, sixth grade sneak peek from 8 to 11 a.m. on Aug. 20, back to school night Sept. 4 at 5:30 p.m.
CV School Board Position in August Primary
By Nina Culver Splash Contributor
Central Valley school board member Pam Orebaugh has drawn two challengers to her seat, former political ally Rob Linebarger and former Central Valley teacher Mark Bitz. Linebarger and Orebaugh faced off on the ballot four years ago, but Linebarger came out and endorsed Orebaugh as being the better candidate.
This time, however, Linebarger said that Orebaugh is too closely aligned with Superintendent John Parker and isn’t representing parents and teachers. “The teachers that come to me say she’s been less than effective in her position,” he said. “They don’t ever see her. They don’t hear from her.”
Orebaugh, who works as a nurse educator, said she often has different opinions from the superintendent even though the two meet weekly. The board often votes in opposition to Parker’s recommendations and he always follows board directives, Orebaugh said. “Dr. Parker is not happy with a lot of what we do, but we have a respectful working relationship,” she said. “We have very candid conversations. What I have seen from him is he is there for the kids.”
Linebarger, a Navy veteran who currently works for Cisco Systems, said he believes the district has dropped its emphasis on maintaining high academic standards and is focusing too much on ideas like belonging and equity. The most recent district newsletter highlights a 67 percent improvement in academic achievement in elementary in middle schools and points readers towards a 20 page “Report Card” filled with data and statistics, but Linebarger said he’s skeptical about that statement.
“They don’t say what the baseline was,” he said. “Where did we start from? I’d rather a detailed report.”
Orebaugh maintains that the district has been working hard to improve academics. “I’ve heard from staff and principals that we’ve had a huge increase in academic achievement,” she said. “We’ve done a lot of work on it.”
Orebaugh said she’s also followed through on promises to increase transparency, with the district often posting detailed information on its web site. “We’re doing really great work in increasing communication and accountability,” she said. “Even the web site is full of information, more than it used to be.”
Linebarger said administrators should worry about policy and budget and let teachers teach without interference. He said he thinks teachers have been stripped of their autonomy in favor of a onesize-fits-all mentality. “I have 99 percent confidence in the classroom teacher in Central Valley,” he said. “They know when a younger child needs additional help and I just want that control back to them.”
He also believes that the district employs too many administrators and that money should instead be going to classrooms. “I’m having a hard time finding the value in all those extra heads,” he said of administrative staff.
In May the school board voted to file a federal Title IX complaint in regards to conflicting directives from the federal government and Washington State regarding the participation of transgender athletes in sports. State policies allow transgender students to play on the sports team they identify with, but federal policy is the opposite.
Orebaugh voted to approve the letter. She said the state has said
the district will lose state funding, which accounts for a large part of the budget, if it does not follow state policy. The federal government has also threatened to withhold funding, a much smaller part of the district’s total budget, if federal policy is not followed.
“We are caught in the crosshairs,” Orebaugh said. “We are taxpayer funded. We just need funding so we can pay our teachers and educate our kids.”
Linebarger said he believes trans students should not be allowed to play on teams associated with the gender they identify as and should use the bathrooms and locker rooms associated with their gender at birth.
“Biological males should not compete against biological females,” he said. “It’s a moral issue with me. It’s a safety issue with me.”
He said schools should have separate facilities for transgender students. “Why not build a new locker room?” he said. “Whatever happened to the phrase ‘separate but equal?’”
Bitz, a former engineer who previously taught at Spokane Valley Tech, said he believes the school board has spent too much time focusing on ideological issues and real life is more nuanced than that. “The key for the board is to focus on what matters and staying away from partisan and ideological issues,” he said. “In our current political climate, divide and conquer is a very effective strategy and I feel like it’s being used on us. I’m really not about pushing those ideological issues from either side.”
The board should be focusing on
academic and enrichment, including clubs, activities and sports, he said. Enrichment activities are equally as important as academics because of what they can teach students, Bitz said. “They learn to work hard, they learn to come back after failure,” he said. “They’re critical to student success.”
Bitz also was unhappy about how the board handled a recent update to the district’s cell phone policy. The district spent time and money putting together a committee of parents, students, staff and administrators to consider the issue. The committee recommended allowing cell phone use before and after school, during lunch and during passing periods. However, the board decided at the last minute to ban cell phones during passing periods and also voted to spend $50,000 to hire staff to monitor the halls of the high schools during passing periods to enforce the ban, Bitz said.
Bitz said many committee members felt ignored. “Listening to our community is important,” he said. “I believe the proper approach is to listen to the committee.”
Bitz said he’d also like to focus on fiscal responsibility, including growing the district’s small reserve fund. “We really have to be focused on that,” he said. “We need to show we are spending our money wisely.”
Orebaugh said she decided to run again because she wants to continue the work she has been doing the last four years. “My focus is the kids,” she said. “They need to be safe. We have to provide them with everything they need. I love what we’re doing. We’ve done a lot
Pam Orebaugh
Rob Linebarger
Mark Bitz
of good work in the last few years.”
Bitz said he wants to listen to families in the district and believes his perspective as a former teacher would be valuable on the board.
“You cannot make all the people happy, but we can make our district work for everyone,” he said. “We
really are a good school district. We offer a lot of opportunities.”
Primary ballots are due August 5 and must be postmarked by that day if mailed. Ballots can also be put in an official drop box, most of them located at library branches. The drop boxes close at 8 p.m. on Aug. 5.
School Districts align Schedules and Cell Phones policies
By Nina Culver
Current contributor
For the first time in 20 years, all three Spokane Valley area school districts will be starting at the same time and following roughly the same schedule throughout the school year.
This year both the Central Valley School District and the West Valley School District have announced modifications to their school calendar, starting back in the classroom before Labor Day and adding a week-long midwinter break in February, plus other scattered days off. These changes match the calendar the East Valley School District has been following for the last 20 years.
Central Valley Superintendent John Parker said Central Valley started considering changes to its calendar two years ago, when the state started encouraging school districts to embrace a more balanced schedule. Each school will still have the traditional 180 days of instruction
despite the changes, Parker said. “This is just taking the 180 days and redistributing them,” he said.
The district put together a committee that included staff, parents and community members to consider the change. The group met eight times and also surveyed parents and students to get their input. “It was a very detailed process,” Parker said. “We pulled research. We had speakers come and give us information.”
Parker anticipates that the earlier start date will be the most impactful change, with classes for most students starting on Aug. 27. “That was a significant shift,” he said.
Schools are closed for Veterans Day, which falls on a Tuesday this year. The district will not have classes the day before, on November 10, to create a four-day weekend for staff and students. Winter break remains the same, but the district added four days off to the week of President’s Day in February, giving everyone a week-long mid-winter break.
Other no school days have been added to the schedule to create occasional three-day weekends. The schedule committee felt the community would appreciate those breaks, Parker said. “I think it was pretty smart work,” he said.
West Valley started looking at a schedule change around the same time, said Superintendent Kyle Rydell. “We modeled it after what
East Valley has done for 20 plus years,” he said. “Now East Valley, Central Valley and West Valley are going to have identical calendars. It’s creating some consistency.”
District staff voted in favor of the new schedule, Rydell, citing the need for more breaks. “They see some fatigue not only in their students, but among themselves," he said. "Our calendar has remained unchanged since the 1970's and it was created around the farm seasons."
Separate from the calendar work, Central Valley decided to change
the way they handle parent-teacher conferences in elementary schools. Previously, the district had 11 half school days on the calendar for conferences. That was disruptive to the school day schedule and meant that students couldn’t do some of their usual activities, Parker said, and the district has considered changing it for some time. Switching the school calendar was the perfect opportunity to make that change as well, he said.
This year, the district will switch to having five full days off for conferences, Oct 22-24 and Feb. 5-6. “We felt five full days of being gone made more sense than 11 half days,” Parker said. “We felt it was a good opportunity to weave everything in all at once.”
West Valley is also working to expand a pilot before and after school program at Ness Elementary operated by the Boys and Girls Club of Spokane County. It operated at the school last year and also ran during the summer at Ness for students throughout the district. Currently the district is considering how to transport students from other schools to the program, Rydell said.
“We just have the space at Ness to do it,” he said. “We’re trying to figure out how to expand it.”
Perhaps the biggest change in West Valley this school year is bringing kindergarten students back to the elementary schools. The district lost its lease for the building that housed the district’s preschool program, which meant moving those
Photo by Nina Culver
East Valley High School Booster Club partnered with Shaw Contracting and Alliance Flooring to install new flooring in the high school entryway
Photo by Nina Culver, Selkirk Middle School
students into the kindergarten center and putting the kindergarteners in the schools.
Knowing the lease was ending, the district began adding on to both Pasadena Park Elementary and Ness Elementary last year. Three classrooms were added to Pasadena and the former library at Ness was turned into two classrooms and a new library was built.
“It’s nice to have our K-5 buildings back in our neighborhoods,” Rydell said.
Central Valley and West Valley have also made changes to their cell phone policy this school year, following in the footsteps of East Valley, which made similar changes last year. Again, Central Valley formed a committee to study the issue, which recommended that cell phones be allowed before and after school, during lunch and during passing periods. However, Parker said, the school board voted to eliminate cell phone use during passing periods when they approved the new policy.
Despite the new policy, not all schools will be making changes because they had already changed it. “Some schools were already going above and beyond because they didn’t want to wait,” he said. “They were already enforcing some aspects of this.”
The school board was so committed to banning cell phone use during passing periods that
COVER STORY
they voted to spend funding for extra staff to patrol the halls at the district’s high schools to enforce the new cell phone policy.
West Valley’s new policy allows cell phone use before and after school and during lunch at the high school and only before and after school at middle schools. Cell phones are prohibited at elementary schools.
The district’s old policy was created in 2006 and technology has changed since then, Rydell said. “We don’t want kids glued to their cell phones,” he said. “Screen time is an issue.”
For the East Valley School District, it will be business as usual since their cell phone policy was updated last year. “We’ve been minimizing cell phone usage across the district and we will continue that,” said Superintendent Brian Talbott.
All three school districts also spent the summer working on various construction projects to improve schools and/or make repairs while students were not in the building. In Central Valley, that meant ramping up projects funded by a capital projects levy approved by voters last year, including creating secure building entryways.
This summer new vestibules were put in at Broadway, Liberty Lake and Progress Elementary Schools as well as Summit School and Greenacres middle school. New roofs were also on the menu at McDonald and Broadway Elementary Schools and
Greenacres Middle School.
The levy will last for six years, but the district got an up-front loan with a nominal interest rate so they could get projects done faster and avoid rising construction costs, Parker said. “We’re able to get work done sooner at a reduced cost,” he said.
West Valley also spent the summer working on projects funded by their capital projects levy, including finishing replacing the high school roof and making improvements to the parent pick up and drop off area at Seth Woodard Elementary.
The district also spent several weeks of the summer upgrading the software that parents use to communicate with teachers and check grades. “It’s basically Skyward 2.0,
Rydell said. “It’s supposed to be more user friendly, a better format.”
In East Valley, a new HVAC unit was installed in the shop wing at the high school. “The unit that was replaced was installed in 1975,” said Director of Business Services Neale Rasmussen. “The cooling wasn’t working at all. The heating was barely working. We couldn’t bandaid it together any more.”
A new roof was finished at Trentwood Elementary this summer and reader boards are going in at the middle school, high school and Trent Elementary. The high school booster club partnered with Shaw
Contracting and Alliance Flooring to put new flooring in the high school entryway.
The big push this fall will be putting out information on a $220 million construction bond the district will put on the Feb. 10 ballot, Talbott said. District voters haven’t approved a new bond since 1996, though the district did try to pass a bond several times about a decade ago, Talbott said.
A facilities improvement committee studied the state of the district's buildings and determined that many need significant improvements. The state recently passed a new law requiring that commercial buildings, including old ones, meet new energy efficient building codes. The district got the high school evaluated and determined that it would require $31 million to upgrade the building, not including the numerous repairs and upgrades needed in other areas, Rasmussen said.
With that in mind, the committee recommended building a new middle school and a new high school, Talbott said. The existing buildings are both more than 60 years old. Both new schools would be built at the same time on their respective campuses, with the old buildings torn down after the new ones are complete. That avoids housing hundreds of students in modular classrooms during construction, Talbott said, an expensive process.
Voters did approve a four-year $18 million capital levy that the district has been using for repairs, but it has been only a band-aid. Some schools have electrical systems that are 50 years old and not designed for the electronics that are currently used in classrooms, Rasmussen said. Many HVAC systems are so old it's difficult to get parts for repairs.
“I don’t think there are many in the community who don’t recognize the need,” Talbott said.
The current capital levy will expire in January 2026 and collects 73 cents per $1,000 in assessed home value. If the bond is approved by voters, it would start after that levy expires and collect $1.96 per $1,000 in assessed home value, a net increase of $1.23 per $1,000.
The district will be providing information on the proposed bond to voters in the district and will host information nights explaining the need.
Photo by Nina Culver West Valley Kindergarten Center is becoming the West Valley Early Learning building as the Preschool program moves in and Kindergarteners are moved back into the elementary schools.
Student of the Month
Scarlett Lambert an incoming senior at Ridgeline High School helped open the GESA credit union branch at Ridgeline and has been serving at the branch manager managing a team of intern tellers. Over the summer, Scarlett was recently promoted at Gesa to Community Outreach Coordinator. Scarlett maintains a 4.0 GPA with a weighted GPA of 4.85. Last year she competed at the national level in two separate categories for FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) and she placed 9th in the country. Scarlett also has been a member of the Ridgeline Dance Team serving as a team leader and helped secure a 2nd place in state in the Hip Hop division. In her spare time she is also a member and officer for the National Honor Society. After high school Scarlett has aspirations of pursing a career in forensics and wants to keep our world a little bit safer.
Athlete of the Month
Freeman High School
incoming senior Anneke Haskins is enthusiastic on and off the field. Anneke maintains a 4.0 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society. On the field she is an active athlete participating on the varsity soccer team and the varsity track team. Last year she broke the 2B State League record in the 4x200 relay, placed 8th in high jump and 6th in the 300 meter hurdles.
Citizen of the Month
John Abernathy is part owner and Spokane Valley Store Manager of the Bike Hub. John grew up in Great Falls Montana, is married to Shannon Abernathy and has two daughters.
When not working on bikes at the Bike Hub, John has chaired and helped organize the Spokane Valley Cycle Celebration, a Spokane Valley based family fun ride offering 10, 25, and 50 mile courses for people of all cycling abilities, for several years.
John enjoys Mountain Biking, and spending time with his family, and sharing his love of bicycling with others.
Spokane Valley council rejects Pines Road/BNSF project bids
By John McCallum
Current contributor
One of Spokane Valley’s signature projects will have to wait a bit longer before construction starts.
At its July 15 meeting, the Spokane Valley City Council voted to suspend its rules and adopt a resolution rejecting all bids for the complex, multi-million Pines Road (State Route 27) Burlington Northern Santa Fe Grade Separation project at the Pines and Trent avenues intersection and reissue a second call for bids.
Without going into much detail, Public Works Director Robert Blegen said staff review of the four bids received for the $48 million project indicated “irregularities” with each bid, along with protests from all bidders during the review process. Blegen said one bidder has also threatened to take legal action against the city, a move that could push the project further beyond the construction season as well as delay the rail grade separation, removal of the highway signals — which are proposed being replaced by a large roundabout — and potentially increase costs.
Blegen said rejection of the bids would result in the city publishing a re-bid notification, which it did on July 16. Advertisement for the project began on July 18, with a bid opening scheduled for Friday, Aug. 8 and an award target date at the City Council’s Aug. 19 meeting.
“Upon successful award and execution, the groundbreaking would be shifted into September,” Blegen said.
As council members had no questions when asked by Deputy Mayor Tim Hattenburg, it fell to citizens to ask some during the public comment period on the item.
Spokane Valley resident Ben Lund said he was under the impression the city had everything regarding the project defined and secured and that it was rolling towards construction. While expressing confidence in
the council and city staff to fix the issues and keep the citizens needs in mind if making any changes, he was confused as to the rejection move.
“But if it’s appropriate, I’m curious, what happened?” Lund asked.
His question was seconded by resident Mike Dolan.
“It seems kind of unusual to me that people who are going to bid on such a large project would not understand how to do it correctly,” Dolan said.
Resident Darren Horner had a different concern with his question — funding. The project costs are covered by a number of local, state and federal sources, the largest of which is $21 million from the federal Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) fund.
The city is also receiving $5.3 million from a Surface Transportation Block Grant, $5 million in congressionally directed spending appropriation, $5 million
from a Move Ahead Washington grant, $4.9 million from a congestion and air quality grant and a $1.2 million grant from the state Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program.
“Normally, you have to have the project started within a certain timeframe with the funding,” Horner said. “Is it going to be retracted if we push this past a certain date?”
The Pines Road/BNSF Grade Separation project has been in the works for several years, with some funding secured as far back as 2021-2022. As described in the bid advertisement on the city’s website, the project “consists of construction of a new alignment of Pines Road (SR-27) to the east of the existing roadway and beneath the proposed BNSF railroad bridges (to be constructed by BNSF), a roundabout at Trent Avenue (SR-290), a new northern connection to Empire Avenue, drainage improvements and improved lighting.”
The project also includes a new trailhead for the Centennial Trail
which passes just south of the proposed work. The new trailhead will include an expanded parking lot equipped with restrooms, electric vehicle charging stations and nonmotorized access to the trail and Spokane River.
Avista Utilities has donated land at the project site for the trailhead expansion, land valued at nearly $800,000.
City Manager John Hohman addressed the citizen questions for the most part, noting the city is “not starting from scratch” in its rebid process and that the project is well along in design and execution work.
“There is no risk to the funding,” Hohman said. “As we speak right now, we have plenty of time to complete the project.”
Without going into more detail, Hohman echoed Blegen’s comments regarding bid irregularities, bids that came from some of the region’s larger general contractors.
“We are recommending the council proceed safely here and reject all bids,” he added.
Council voted 5-1 to approve the resolution rejecting the bids and issuing a rebid process. Councilman Al Merkel cast the lone no vote, while Mayor Pam Haley was excused from the meeting.
Haley has been on medical leave to deal with some health issues since June 23. Merkel has previously stated he will be voting against city construction projects and some other expenditures due to his dissatisfaction with council’s approach to funding law enforcement.
Some construction work has already begun near the Pines Road/ Trent Avenue intersection. BNSF has started work on constructing the new bridges at the site, closing Pines while pile driving activities are under way.
Once completed, the project is estimated to not only improve traffic and pedestrian safety at Pines and Trent but also access to over 170 acres of undeveloped mixed-use, commercial and industrial land. Economic impact to the city from the development is estimated at $1.3 billion total, with $686 million in direct spending, 8,719 new jobs in Spokane County with 4,312 direct job impacts along potentially $8.2 million in new general fund taxes over the next 25 years.
Contributed graphic courtesy of the City of Spokane Valley Once completed, the Pines Road / BNSF grade separation project is anticipated to increase vehicle and pedestrian safety at Pines and Trent avenues through a road about, railroad bridge overpass and improved sidewalks, lighting and other features.
Brought
• Create cool art during Make Perler Bead Creations
• Spark your imagination at 3D Printing: Make Your Own Meeples
• Log your Summer Reading with Beanstack to enter the prize drawing
All programs are free at SCLD libraries.
Discover more summer programs at scld.org/engage.
The Crest
About and for Spokane Valley area seniors
Four Square off for Open Spokane Valley Council Seat
By Nina Culver Current contributor
Spokane Valley City Councilman Rod Higgins created a vacancy on the city council when he decided to step down and four candidates, many of them familiar to Spokane Valley voters, have stepped up to try to win his seat.
Mike Kelly, chief financial officer for KT Contracting Company in Oregon, has been on the city’s planning commission for the last year and ran unsuccessfully for a 4th Legislative District Senate seat last year. Lisa Miller, an attorney and owner of Lex Law Corp., was appointed to the city’s Homeless Housing Task Force earlier this year. Kristopher Pockell, a software engineer and co-owner of Elixir Sauce, ran unsuccessfully for a 4th Legislative District House seat last year and for a seat on the Spokane Valley Fire Department board in 2015. Adam Smith, owner of Smash Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, has run unsuccessfully for city council seats in 2019, 2021 and 2023.
One of the larger issues the city has grappled with in recent months is trying to find the money to hire more police officers. The city contracts with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement coverage and staffing was stagnant for many years even as the city continued to grow. The council has already funded 10 new positions, but a consultant recommended the city fill two dozen new positions to fully staff
the city’s needs.
A majority of council members voted to put a proposal for a 1/10 of one percent sales tax on the August 4 primary ballot to fund the additional positions. The candidates vying to replace Higgins agree that the city needs to continue hiring new officers and that a sales tax, while not an ideal solution, is probably the best one available.
Smith said he believes that policing should be the city’s number one priority. “As much as I don’t want to increase taxes, I think the sales tax is the smartest way so the burden isn’t on property owners in Spokane Valley.
Pockell said people need to feel safe and the city needs more police officers. “Pretty much any way you measure it, the City of Spokane Valley is behind,” he said.
He likes that it is estimated that nearly half of the proposed sales tax would be paid by non-residents. He said he also appreciates that the council decided to put the proposal to a vote. “They have the ability to raise the sales tax without going to the people,” he said. “I think 1/10 of one percent is a pretty low burden. I think it’s worth it in this case.”
Miller said public safety is her number one priority. “We need to get to full staff status as soon as possible,” she said. “We need to use advanced technologies to maximize police force resources.”
She said she supports the council putting their sales tax proposal on the ballot. “I want to hear the voice of the voters on this issue,” she said.
Kelly said he’s not entirely convinced that the city doesn’t already have the money it needs to pay for the
new officers and wants to examine the city’s contract. “Generally, I’m not in favor of increasing taxes,” he said. “If we must do it, this is the best way to go about it. It was appropriate to refer it to the people for a vote.”
Kelly said he has concerns about the city’s infrastructure work and what is really necessary. He favors the city seeking grants for projects, but notes that even grant funded projects usually require 20 percent of the project be funded by the city. Kelly said the public often doesn’t know the reasoning behind road projects and the city should be more transparent about what they’re doing.
He points to issues the city has had with the new roundabout at 16th Avenue and Bowdish Road that was completed in 2024. The city made alterations to the project several months later after receiving reports that people were speeding through the roundabout. Earlier this year, the city announced more changes to the roundabout, including adding various signs with flashing LED lights.
Kelly said while he believes the intersection needed improvements, he’s not sure a roundabout was the way to go. “Now we’re spending money the third time to redo the redo,” he said.
Pockell said he believes the city needs to properly maintain and expand its infrastructure to support growth. “Some of our roads and bridges in the Valley have been around for a while,” he said.
Miller said she believes the city needs to streamline regulations in order to support small businesses. “I propose that we explore developing an app that helps residents and visitors find the smaller businesses in our city that
provide the goods and services they need,” she said. “We need to explore business improvement districts across economic sectors.”
Smith said he thinks the city needs to focus more on increasing tourism, but that goal is hampered by the lack of any large entertainment venues. The city should consider putting a music stage in Valley Mission Park to create a concert venue, he said. “I could see it being something that’s significant,” he said. “It’s the perfect concert venue set up.”
Reports from the city indicate this year’s budget might fall short by $1.4 million and the candidates have varying ideas on how to proceed. Kelly said prices have gone up and he believes it’s important for the city to pay its staff well, but said he’d like to take a close look at staffing to see if any money can be saved.
“We have 110 staff,” he said. “I don’t know what all of them do. We’re just going to have to look around. We have to make sure we’re operating efficiently.”
Smith said the city might benefit from hiring a consultant to study the budget. “The city manager would obviously be the one who would need to dive in the deepest on that,” he said.
Miller said she’s very familiar with the city’s budget and the city needs to find efficiencies in order to balance its budget. “I participated in the city’s all day budget workshop and thus had an opportunity to review every line item on every page and hear every department head explain all the income and outgo,” she said. “We cannot spend money we do not have. We must operate within our budget. We can address this in two ways: increase income and cut
Adam Smith Lisa Miller
Mike Kelly
Kristopher Pockell
Pockell said the city cut 5 percent from all departments last year to keep the budget in check. “Last year the city did a lot of cutting on the budget,” he said. “I think we’re close to as lean as we can be. I think we’d have to start cutting services if we cut much more.”
He said he’d be in favor of increasing some fees to raise revenue. Pockell gave the example of paying $25 for the annual business license he needs to run Elixer Sauce Company, a hot sauce company he co-owns, and said he’d be willing to pay more. “It certainly doesn’t pay for the staff time,” he said.
The city council has also been roiled with conflict since the election of councilman Al Merkel in 2024 and several council meetings have turned into shouting matches. Merkel has repeatedly clashed with his fellow council members and some city employees reported feeling threatened by him. An independent investigation determined that Merkel harassed city staff and likely violated public records laws by not properly archiving his social media posts and comments, particularly on NextDoor. The council took the unusual step of suing Merkel earlier this year over his public records violations.
All four candidates say they believe they can successfully navigate the current state of affairs in the council chambers. Miller points to her work as an arbitrator and her previous experience sitting on the city council in Valley Village, California. “I have decades of experience applying Roberts Rules of Order,” she said. “I plan to follow the rules and apply them in city council and other public meetings. I plan to listen with respect to all stakeholders.”
Miller said she’s not sure if she agrees with the council’s decision to sue Merkel. “The decision to litigate was made in private,” so I am unaware of the particular pressures on the council that were considered in that discussion,” she
said. “I know the case is in very good hands with Judge Anderson.”
“I understand what the city is doing and why they’re doing it,” Kelly said. “I’m acquainted with all the members of city council. I’m going to be someone who has conversations with both sides. I’m going to stick to the facts.”
Kelly acknowledges that some council members have had a “less than helpful” approach to ongoing disagreements. He said he hopes the lawsuit will result in some sort of resolution. “I’m looking forward to some answers from a neutral arbiter.”
Pockell said he thinks he’s an easy person to get along with. “I’m a pretty even-tempered person,” he said. “I like to take people at their word. We just want it to be over. I think the city is doing all it can to solve it as soon as possible.”
He hasn’t been happy with the behavior of the council, Pockell said. “It’s embarrassing,” he said. “I think we can do better on both sides of the issue. I really think city council should be boring. It shouldn’t be a big dramatic thing every week.”
Smith points to his years of working with the public as an advantage. “I’m able to communicate very well,” he said. “I think that’s really needed right now on the council. I feel like I could be a bridge in that dynamic.”
Smith said he’s not sure he agrees with everything the council has done in regards to Merkel, which has cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars in attorney fees and other expenses. “People aren’t understanding each other and the taxpayers are the ones who are going to eat it,” he said. “I think that’s a misuse of funds. That’s a problem that could have been solved internally.”
Primary ballots are due August 5 and must be postmarked by that date if mailed. There are also ballot drop boxes at all local library branches that will be open until 8 p.m. on Aug. 5.
PUZZLES
By Ben Wick, Splash Publisher
HUB Brings Summer Fun with Play Unplugged Program
While summer break is often celebrated as ‘free time’ by students, the HUB Sports Center is helping provide a free program to help get kids active and off of electronics this summer. Reviving a nationwide effort that was starting to catch on before the pandemic ended it, the HUB Sports Center has stepped up to organize a local ‘Play Unplugged’, a challenge to all youth to unplug from electronics, find an activity, and play!
Twenty sponsoring businesses across Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake have stepped up to highlight an activity kids can accomplish without being on an electronic device. Once completed, they can visit the local business to receive their ‘Brag Tag’ which has a point value and registration code and can be registered on the HUBs website for a chance to win further prizes.
The tags themselves are a plastic tag of different shapes that resemble a military dog tag or keychain tag and has an image representing the specific activity accomplished. Special attention has been given to ensure that each Brag Tag has a desirable and highly collectible design and feel.
With over 300 kids registering activities so far this summer, the program which initially targeted kids from Kindergarten through 5th grade in East Valley, Central Valley, and West Valley, is open to all kids no matter age or school district enrollment who are interested in participating.
“Our goal is to help kids re-engage with the real world, help parents plan a fun and exciting summer, and give much needed visibility to local businesses” said Ryan Barbieri, Program Director at the HUB Sports Center.
While the program began on Memorial Day it runs through the HUBs annual Family Fun Festival which is on September 19th.
“There really isn’t anything social about social media” added Phil Champlin the Executive Director of the HUB Sports Center. “You need to be inperson to pick up social skills and learn
how to interact with each other.”
Other challenges include:
According to the Play Unplugged program website at hubsportscenter. com/play-unplugged The Liberty Lake Library has the most registrations so far and offers two Brag Tags, ‘The Adventure’ challenge which asks kids to “Read an adventure book and tell the Liberty Lake Library about your favorite character. And the ‘Color Our World’ challenge which asks kids to “Color a picture of something you see outside and bring it to the Liberty Lake Library”
Roller Valley is the sponsor of the ‘Roller Skater’ challenge which offers a free 30 minute rink time to participants to show their skating skills or develop new ones or order to achieve the Brag Tag.
Basketballer, sponsored by HUB Sports Center challenges kids to see how many hoops they can get in a row and to tell the HUB Sports Center your highest
score to achieve the tag.
Bike Rider, sponsored by WA Trust Bank challenges kids to ride a bike and share with them about your biking adventure and what you saw.
Cake Decorator, sponsored by Nothing Bundt Cakes challenges kids to make a cake or other baked treat and decorate it. Then share a picture of your creation with Nothing Bundt Cake.
Smile Maker, sponsored by Scott Family Orthodontics challenges kids to do a random act of kindness for a family member, friend, neighbor or stranger. Draw a picture of what you did with a sentence about who you made smile and bring it into Scott Family Orthodontics.
Animal Whisperer, Camper, Cloud Watcher, Collector, Dancer, Gardner, Outdoor Explorer, Pizza Partier, Road Warrior, Story Teller, Super Saver, and Wacky Clothes Wearer.
For specific challenge details and more information about the program
please visit www.hubsportscenter.com/ play-unplugged/ and click on “2025 Tags”
While parents are encouraged to set a point system goal and rewards, kids that complete and register their activities on the HUB website by September 19th or bring their Brag Tags to the HUB Family Fun Festival on September 19th will be eligible for prizes.
“In order to help those who might have transportation as a barrier to participation, on Friday August 1st from 3pm to 5pm we are having a ‘Brag Tag College’ where kids can come to the HUB Sports Center and have the opportunity to earn six different Brag Tags at the same location” explained Barbieri.
“We know that kids who are moving and are active are less likely to face obesity issues, less likely to develop heart disease, etc. We want our kids to grow up and become healthy adults” added Barbieri.
BACK TO SCHOOL IS BETTER WITH BUNDTS
$5 OFF
Purchase of Dozen Bundtinis
Spokane
Located on the South Hill 2525 E 29th Ave, Ste 1B, Spokane, WA 99223 (509) 535-4864
North
Located in Northpointe Plaza across from Target 9706 Newport Hwy, Ste 29, Spokane, WA 99218 (509) 204-5435
LIBRARY
SEED SAVING
Explore nature and stretch your creativity at these library programs
By Erin Dodge Spokane County Library District
them in your art. This program is for adults and is offered in collaboration with Inland Northwest Outdoor Art. Registration is required, and the meetup location is shared by email.
If you miss the Mirabeau Springs art program, you have a second chance to sign up for the “Outdoor Painting Meetup: Fall Foliage” at Moran Prairie Library on Saturday, September 27, at 2:30pm.
Once signed up, participants receive an email with the meetup location.
During the interactive “Tree Identification Walks,” educators from The Lands Council introduce you to the fundamentals of tree identification. Throughout the walk, you become familiar with common trees in our area and learn which features are most helpful in determining a tree’s species.
IN SPOKANE VALLEY MEADOW
For Adults
Practice saving seeds from drought resistant flowers:
• Purple coneflowers
• Black-eyed Susans
• Common yarrow
• Sheep fescue
• And more!
Plus get seed saving tips from a professional gardener.
SPOKANE VALLEY LIBRARY
22 N Herald Rd
Saturday, Sep 6, 10–11am
Nature in the Pacific Northwest offers experiences with diverse landscapes and opportunities to immerse yourself in the natural beauty of the region. Spokane County Library District (SCLD) offers you the following programs that focus on the nature that surrounds us every day. All these library events, including how to sign up, can be found at scld.org/ events.
“Outdoor Painting Meetup: Waterfall & Pond” takes place at Mirabeau Springs on Saturday, August 2, at 8am. For this program, you bring your own art supplies to paint or draw in the open air. Experience nature more deeply and immerse yourself in your surroundings to better replicate
Gain knowledge of wilderness and survival skills at the library
By Erin Dodge Spokane County Library District
If you’re preparing for a trip outdoors or concerned about the uncertainty of the grid, food supply chain, and civil unrest, the upcoming introductory survival classes may be for you.
Class instructor Charlie Bouck has 20 years of experience as a U.S. Air Force Survival Instructor. When asked about the outdoor skills he would be discussing during the wilderness survival class, Bouck shared, “I focus on teaching people how to meet their five basic needs: health, personal protection, sustenance, travel, and signaling for rescue.”
Registration is required for “Introduction to Wilderness Survival in the Inland Northwest,” which is offered at Otis Orchards Library (22324 E Wellesley Ave), on Tuesday, August 5, at 6:30pm (link
Explore the world of flower pressing, and get creative ideas to inspire your own DIY projects. During the all-ages event “Making Pressed Meadow Flowers,” we use flowers from the library’s meadow and premade flower presses. Registration is required, and each person must register separately for this program at Spokane Valley Library (22 N Herald Rd) on Wednesday, August 20, at 6pm. The library provides all supplies for this program.
The walk in the Dishman Hills Natural Area (Moran Prairie/ Glenrose) is Friday, August 8, at 8am. This walk will take place on a dirt trail with uneven terrain and some steep sections. The Appleway Trail walk (Spokane Valley) is Friday, September 5, at 8am and takes place along a paved path that may include some uneven pavement. These walks are for adults and require registration.
adults and require registration.
below).
Charlie Bouck is the owner of Herbal Expeditions and provides survival training, guided foraging, and holistic wellness. He shared more about the wilderness survival classes he teaches: “Some clients may already be skilled in one or more of [the five basic needs], wherein I would help them to buff up on their weaker areas. It is so rewarding to me when I see clients strengthen their survival skills in a semi-controlled outdoor learning environment and when they are able to thrive, despite facing natural or perceived obstacles, difficulties, and discomfort.”
Bouck is also presenting the basics of urban survival, including procuring food and water, maintaining human temperatures at 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, ensuring personal safety and security, and dealing with inherently unsanitary conditions.
Registration is also required for “Introduction to Urban Survival,” which has two sessions offered: one at Argonne Library (4322 N Argonne Rd), on Tuesday, August 26, at 6:30pm and another at Spokane
Discover how to save seeds to keep your garden sustainable and for donation to Spokane Valley Library’s Seed Library during “Seed Saving in Spokane Valley Meadow.” Professional gardener and garden consultant Erin Nelson shares seed saving techniques. After, the class ventures outside into the meadow to practice saving seeds from drought resistant flowers, including purple coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, common yarrow, sheep fescue, and more. Drop by for this adults’ program at Spokane Valley Library on Saturday, September 6, at 10am.
Valley Library (22 N Herald Rd), on Wednesday, September 24, at 6:30pm (link below).
When I asked him what surprised people about urban survival skills, he replied that “although some people are more familiar with navigating and finding resources in a city scape than they are in the wilderness… the same survival techniques apply, just with a few modifications in mindset and using a city’s resources to meet your five basic needs.”
Considering Bouck’s background teaching survival skills to military personnel, it is no surprise that he started a company to share his knowledge. Bouck shared, “I knew that my experience and skillset could be of value to civilian outdoorsy people who would like to hone their survival skills and those who recognize that we are living in economically and socially uncertain times. I also have a passion for helping people who want to learn about outdoor skills, as well as for aiding friends, family, and clients in their sustainability efforts.”
You can sign up for these survival classes held at SCLD’s libraries at scld.org/survival-programs.
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Valley council approves LTAC funding goals, controlled substance code changes
By John McCallum
Current contributor
Spokane Valley City Council unanimously approved four goals and priorities at its July 22 meeting for the city’s Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) to follow when it recommends how best to spend hotel/ motel room rental taxes in 2026.
Goals and priorities include funding projects and events making Spokane Valley a destination for tourism and result in increases to tourism, developing destination tourism facilities and venues, along with helping with the operation and maintenance of these facilities. Council also wants LTAC to prioritize projects “with the greatest potential long-term impact” on tourism to the city that include “the economic impacts of all major components of the tourismbased economy such as overnight room nights in lodging businesses, shopping and dining.” Finally, the council wants to avoid partially funding requests where possible.
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By state law, these lodging tax funds can only be used for tourism marketing, operations and marketing of special events and festivals, operations and capital expenditures for publicly owned or operated tourism facilities and venues and operations only of non-publicly owned tourism facilities owned and operated by non-profit organizations.
Spokane Valley collects a 3.3% tax on lodging operations in the city, dividing that between Fund 104 (1.3%) and Fund 105 (2%). The latter is a credit against the 6.5% state sales tax so that the total tax someone pays in retail sales tax and the hotel/motel tax combined is equal to the retail sales tax — which for Spokane Valley is 8.9%.
Fund 104 is in addition to the 8.9% sales tax, and when combined with the Fund 105 tax causes the total lodging tax rate in Spokane Valley to equal 12.0%.
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Most of the LTAC awards come from Fund 105, which is forecast in 2026 to collect $900,000, with $590,000 estimated for Fund 104. Total expenses for Fund 105 are budgeted at $923,000, with a total of up to $893,000 available for award allocation when added to the
existing fund balance, leaving an end of year balance of about $270,000.
No capital expenses are projected for Fund 104. Staff anticipates approximately $1.6 million to be available for awards in 2026.
Property declared surplus for housing project
At the July 15 meeting, City Council voted 5-1 to declare two city-owned properties as surplus in order to transfer them to the non-profit affordable housing organization Habitat for Humanity. The properties, one at the intersection of East 2nd Avenue and Carnahan and the other nearby at 4908 E. 1st Avenue are part of Habitat’s affordable housing project, approved by the council at the April 22, 2025 meeting.
The East Carnahan parcel was purchased in March 2024 for $633,000 while the 1st Avenue parcel was deeded to the city in 2021 as part of a summary judgement.
The city purchased the Carnahan parcel as part of $2 million council set aside for affordable housing property acquisition from the $16 million the city received from the American Recover Plan Act (ARPA) in 2022. Council authorized using $4 million of this funding in 2023 for a variety of projects dealing with affordable housing and homelessness.
Councilman Al Merkel cast the lone no vote.
Also at the July 15 meeting, council unanimously approved an interlocal agreement with Spokane Regional Health District to provide some funds it has received from various opioid lawsuit settlements to the district. The funds will help expand the district’s opioid dashboard as well as creating a Spokane Valley-specific “needs assessment” of opioid use and overdose fatalities.
The city has received approximately $105,000 from opioid lawsuit settlements to date.
Changes made to controlled substance codes
At its July 8 meeting, the City Council unanimously adopted an ordinance making amendments to the Spokane Valley Municipal Code to make it a gross misdemeanor for anyone to “knowingly or recklessly permit a child or any other person to ingest, inhale, absorb or have contact with a controlled substance.”
The subject was originally brought to the council’s attention through a presentation by Police Chief Dave Ellis and Spokane Valley Police Department Lt. Jerad Kiehn at the May 6 meeting. Council subsequently
NEWS
contributed photo Bowdish and 16th Roundabout change order makes larger central island, decreases the lane widths, and angles entry points to try to address excessive speeding.
passed the first reading on June 3 and the second on June 24, but tabled final passage until additional changes were made by staff, mainly to language that clarifies the conduct and individuals addressed by the ordinance.
Because Spokane Valley contracts its prosecuting services with Spokane County, the changes will need to be reviewed and approved by the Spokane County Board of Commissioners.
The changes make it a gross misdemeanor to assist anyone in taking controlled substances listed on the state’s Schedule I or Schedule II lists, except as permitted by law. A first offense is punishable by no less than 90 days and no more than 364 days imprisonment and an up to $5,000 fine, with a second offense containing the same punishment, with exceptions to a minimum sentence of no less than 180 days.
Also at the meeting, council voted 5-1 to approve the city’s request to apply for funding from the state
Department of Ecology’s Local Solid Waste Financial Assistance Grant. The grant is available to help jurisdictions offset solid waste management costs, and requires 25% matching funds from the award recipient.
Spokane Valley’s share of grant funding in the 2025-2027 biennium is $158,576. When combined with matching funds, the amount available is $211,435.
Staff recommended two projects to be funded by the grant in a phased approach in year one: homeless encampment response — estimated at $40,000-$60,000 annually — and a lithium battery fire safety storage cabinet — estimated at roughly $30,000-$40,000 total.
Councilman Merkel cast the only no vote.
Changes made to Bowdish and 16th roundabout
The council voted 4-1 – Mayor Pam Haley and Councilman Ben Wick
were absent – at its June 24 meeting to approve a change order for the Bowdish Road Sidewalk and Bike Lane Project. The $408,250.53 change order with Liberty Concrete, LLC makes changes to the roundabout at Bowdish and 16th Avenue to address continuing complaints about driver speeds and failures to yield at that location.
The change order will increase the roundabout entry offset, create a larger central island, decrease land width, reduce speed limits and create larger distances between the roundabout entry and exits.
Liberty Concrete was awarded the project in 2024 with a bid of just over $3.046 million. The project was completed in summer, 2024, with the roundabout opened to traffic in August.
After receiving complaints about driver behavior at the roundabout, the city attempted some modifications to address the issue, but complaints persisted, leading to the change order.
Councilman Merkel cast the only no vote.
