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City of Spokane
Community Update
April 23, 2024
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Message from the Mayor
Happy Earth Week! From Riverfront Park to the Spokane Falls, we have a lot to be thankful for here in the Lilac City. This week and every week moving forward, I hope you will join me in being stewards of our land. Read on to learn more about how the City of Spokane is taking strategic steps to ensure a resilient future.
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Mayor Lisa Brown Interviewed By Holmes Elementary Students
Students at Holmes Elementary interviewed Mayor Lisa Brown for the upcoming West Central Express summer guide! They inquired about the role of the Mayor and invited her to share some of her favorite summer activities. After the interview, Mayor Brown was given a collaborative art piece made by Level Up students, mentors, and staff.
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Canadian Consulate Visits Spokane
Mayor Lisa Brown met with members of the Canadian Consulate to share her priorities. Thanks for stopping by Spokane!
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State of the City Address
Mayor Lisa Brown will give her inaugural State of the City address on Tuesday, April 30! The address will be shown live on the City's website, Facebook page, and on CityCable 5.
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Washington St. Corridor Construction
The City of Spokane shares updates on the 29th Ave. grind and overlay, Washington St. grind and overlay, and Marshall Road Transmission Main projects.
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Downriver Park Reopening
City of Spokane Parks and Recreation and Public Works will celebrate the reopening of the Downriver Park access area near the TJ Meenach Bridge. This project is part of the Cochran Basin Stormwater Treatment Facilities series of projects to reduce the amount of contaminants that will reach the Spokane River from over 5,000 acres. The City of Spokane Parks and Recreation property is benefitting with a larger parking lot and improved access for outdoor enthusiasts.
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Public Safety Community Meeting and Survey
The City of Spokane is hosting Public Safety Community Meetings to seek input on the community’s public safety priorities. The last meeting is scheduled for:
Visit saferspokane.org to learn more and take the public survey. The survey is available in English, Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, and Marshallese.
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Free Pet Microchipping Event
Join Council Member Michael Cathcart and STAHR Short Term After Hours Rescue for a FREE Pet Microchipping event at City Hall on Friday, April 26, from 12 to 3 p.m.
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Arbor Day Celebration and Spring Compost Fair
The annual Arbor Day Celebration and Spring Compost Fair will take place at the Finch Arboretum on Saturday, April 27, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Spokane County residents can learn about composting from Master Composters/Recyclers. If you participate in the composting activity stations and are a Spokane County resident you can receive a free compost bin. Learn more on the City website.
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Children's Fire Safety House
Fourth and fifth grade students learn fire safety information in the Spokane Fire Department's new Fire Safety House. The Fire Safety House helps educate kids about how to stay safe if there is a fire, and to have an escape plan.
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City of Spokane Celebrates Earth Day
On Earth Day, the City of Spokane reaffirmed its commitment to environmental stewardship. Operationally, the City works to reduce emissions, conserve water, invest in renewable energy, and protect the health of the Spokane River. Here are a few highlights:
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The City’s Combined Sewer Overflow tanks collected 59 million gallons of stormwater and wastewater in 2023. These tanks made it possible for 99.7 percent of all wastewater to be sent through the Riverside Park Water Reclamation Facility for treatment before it goes back into the Spokane River. The reclamation facility itself treated 10.4 billion gallons of wastewater last year.
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City of Spokane Fire Department treated and managed over 300 acres of unimproved forest land to help reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires and increase forest health.
Read the more highlights on our website.
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Bloomsday Organizers Ask For Assistance During Race
The 48th annual Bloomsday will be on Sunday, May 5, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Race organizers offer tips to make the run with more than 40,000 runners, joggers, walkers, and wheelchair participants run as smoothly as possible.
- Park vehicles off the race course. Police will check the course the morning of the race, and vehicles left on the course may be towed
- Keep dogs along the course tied or fenced.
- Make plans ahead. Traffic in the race area will be restricted during the run. You will not be able to cross the course once the race has started.
For questions, call Bloomsday or visit the race website.
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AHANA Accepting Applications For Grant Funds
The Multi-Ethnic Business Association, doing business as AHANA, is accepting applications from small nonprofits for grants totaling $300,000, The funds are part of a $1 million allocation AHANA received of federal American Rescue Plan Act money. Applications are due Tuesday, April 30.
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Council Recap
Council Member Lili Navarrete recaps the Monday, April 22, Spokane City Council meeting.
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Become A Master Composter/Recycler
Jessica shares an update on class six of the Master Composter/Recycling course. Click here to read all about bokashi and the upcoming Arbor Day Celebration and Spring Compost Fair. The blog is updated weekly!
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Water Contamination Tabletop
Water contamination is rare, however, we do have a plan in case of an emergency and think it is important to practice. The City’s Water Department role played an incident response with the eastern Washington Department of Health staff to review processes and update our plan.
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Water Wise Wednesday Workshops
Learn about native plants, keystone species, and more! Join us on Wednesday, April 24, for an unforgettable journey through the variety of native plants and pollinators in our area. Visit the workshop page for more class information!
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Learn About West Central Project During Neighborhood Events
City staff will have an information table for the West Central Infrastructure Project on Saturday, April 27, including during a Neighborhood Clean-up Day at the West Central Community Center from 9 to 11 a.m. and during the El Mercadito Market at AM Cannon Park from noon to 3 p.m. Information for walking, biking and driving projects will be available, and attendees are invited to share their thoughts on project priorities. Residents can also visit the virtual open house and fill out a survey on priorities that closes at the end of the day on Sunday, May 5. If you have questions send us an email.
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South Logan Project Virtual Information Session On April 30
The public is invited to participate in a virtual information session on Tuesday, April 30, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. for the South Logan Transit-Oriented Development Project in which citywide and area-specific development code changes are being proposed.
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Centers and Corridors Study Workshop Scheduled
A community workshop related to the City Planning Department’s Centers and Corridors Update Study will be on Wednesday, May 1, 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Central Library. The workshop will include a discussion on opportunities and challenges, a presentation about proposed updates, and an opportunity to provide feedback on recommendations. A recent presentation at the Plan Commission provided examples of how recommended updates could translate into built projects. Click here for presentation slides and development concepts. Associated regulatory update recommendations are also available. An online questionnaire will be available May 1-31 on the project website. For more information, please send us an email or give us a call.
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Funds Available For Affordable Housing
The City’s Community, Housing, and Human Services Department is providing notice that an estimated $3,495,200 in federal funds through the 2024 HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) for affordable housing development is available to apply for through Wednesday, May 1. The program is intended for affordable housing projects that are highly viable, cost effective, project-ready (completed within 12 to 18 months) and that leverage additional funding from public and private sources. The Request for Proposals and scoring criteria are on the City website.
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Upcoming Career Fairs
Find the City of Spokane at these upcoming career fairs.
- KHQ/WorkSource Job Fair – Wednesday, April 24, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
- SFCC Career Fair – Thursday, April 25, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
- Expo ’74 Opening Ceremonies – Saturday, May 4
- Expo ’74 Vendor Village – Saturdays, May 18 & 25, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- Expo ’74 Vendor Village – Saturdays, June 1, 15, & 22, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Details on our website.
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Spokane Rewards. Spokane Solves. Spokane Gives
The City of Spokane is a great place to combine community support with expertise. There are more than 30 boards, commissions and committees made up of volunteers who help shape our community. If you have one day a year, or one day a week, there is an opportunity for you. Pick your passion and get involved!
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Help Expo be a Low Waste Celebration
Spokane ZeroWaste is looking for Waste Ambassador volunteers throughout the Expo 50th Celebration events to assist the public in recycling, composting, and disposing waste. Training provided. Register to be a Waste Ambassador. For questions email Spokane Zero Waste.
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Spring Clean Week 2024
Spring is blooming in downtown Spokane, and we’re calling on the community to join the Downtown Spokane Partnership for Spring Clean Week from Monday, April 29 to Friday, May 3.
Throughout the week, various volunteer opportunities are available, both downtown and nearby. Register as a team of individual through Volunteer Spokane. All participants will receive a voucher for a free slice at David’s Pizza.
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Spring Dreams: Friends of the Library Book Sale
Buy books for as low as $1 at the annual Friends of the Library Book Sale at the Shadle Park Library!
Member Presale
Get a first look at the selection during the Member Presale. Not a member, become one at the door for $10!
- Thursday, April 25, 3:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Book Sale Schedule
- Friday, April 26, 10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
- Saturday, April 27, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
(Saturday bag sale, $3/bag or $6/box. You are encouraged to bring your own bag or box.)
For more information visit the library's website.
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On the Bright Side
The Code Enforcement Department’s Litter Crew transported and disposed of about 8,600 pounds of garbage during the volunteer event coordinated by the Spokane Riverkeeper on Saturday, April 20. Code Enforcement partners with the Riverkeeper with camp cleanups in dangerous locations. Volunteers staged garbage in High Bridge Park. The litter was hand-picked and removed along the Spokane River and Latah Creek. Riverkeeper will organize another river cleanup on Saturday, June 8, from 10 a.m. to noon. Spring Clean Week, presented by the Downtown Spokane Partnership in collaboration with the City’s Office of Neighborhood Services, will be from Monday, April 29, to Friday, May 3. Visit Volunteer Spokane for volunteer opportunities.
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