SEPTEMBER 2026

Video highlighting Cliff-Cannon neighborhood

Gabby Ryan highlights the Chief Garry Park neighborhood from the Upriver Dam. Did you know that the Upriver Dam generates more than 70 million kilowatts of electricity annually? Power generated at the Dam is used to pump water to the City's water customers. The Water Department delivers up to 150 million gallons of clean, safe drinking water per day to more than 230,000 people in our community. 


Notable news: Parks and Rec Fall Activity Guide is available, and a reminder to register for ALERT Spokane.

Summit Registration is Open Now. RSVP today! The Summit will take place on Saturday, November 7 at the Hemmingson Center on Gonzaga’s Campus from 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. The Neighborhood Summit is a one day leadership conference designed for Spokane neighbors to gather around community-identified priorities, learn together, and grow practices in their neighborhood councils. Local leaders present topics relative to the needs of Spokane neighborhoods. The Summit is a free, annual event open to any current or aspiring member of a Spokane neighborhood council.

NEIGHBORHOOD ENGAGEMENT

Calling all District 1 Neighbors! Join City Staff and Council Members Sarah Dixit and Michael Cathcart to discuss parks, tree canopies and all things District 1. Community Tabling from 5:00-6:00pm and Town Hall Q&A from 6:00-7:00pm. Neighbors will gather on Tuesday, October 13 at the Northeast Community Center (4001 N Cook St).

An Important Note on the Comp Plan and the FLUM: A public comment period opened on August 7 for both the Future Land Use Map and draft Comprehensive Plan. After careful consideration, a deadline for the public comment period has been established, with comments due Friday, Oct. 2, 2026 at 5 p.m. 


Learn more about what is available and how to submit comments!


Cities adopt Future Land Use Maps to plan for the distribution of uses throughout the City to meet our current and future needs. The Future Land Use Map StoryMap includes an interactive map, where community members can zoom into specific properties and leave direct, location-based comments. Additionally, each neighborhood has been turned into a slider image that allows viewers to compare the existing Land Use designations, as converted to the new Land Use scheme, against what is proposed. Community members are encouraged to provide feedback, including recommendations, support, or specific concerns to help refine the Future Land Use Map draft. Explore the Future Land Use Map StoryMap.



PlanSpokane 2046 presented at the August 20 City Council Study Session, providing an update on community participation and presenting the draft Future Land Use Map. Additional recordings of City Council and Plan Commission presentations on PlanSpokane 2046 can be found on the About page of PlanSpokane.org, under the “Presentations and Materials” dropdown. 


Watch the Study Session recording. 

Take part in shaping the future of the North Spokane Corridor (NSC) and the Children of the Sun Trail (CoST). What is the purpose of this survey?


1. Sightline Feedback

Ten (10) cross-sections illustrate WSDOT’s proposed landscape treatment approach for the I-90 Connection to the North Spokane Corridor (NSC). Review each cross-section and share your preferences for sightlines (open, semi-open, or closed).


2. Screening Prioritization

Identify three locations along the corridor where you prefer a screening to be prioritized.


3. Plant Species Preference

WSDOT has identified 54 plant species for the I-90 Connection of the NSC. Identify the trees, shrubs, and grasses you would like to see planted along the corridor, including any preferred species that are not already identified.


The survey is expected to take approximately 25 minutes to complete. It will be open through Friday, September 25, 2026.

Provide Feedback on Capital Improvement Plan: Integrated Capital Management facilitates the development and implementation of sewer, water, and street infrastructure projects and programs in support of the City's comprehensive plan. It promotes enterprise-wide efficiencies by applying proven and emerging geographic information system technologies.


Integrated Capital Management maintains the Six-Year Capital Program Plans for:

  • Streets Department
  • Water and Hydro Utility
  • Wastewater Utility
  • Stormwater Utility


The Six Year Comprehensive Programs are annually updated and presented to the City of Spokane Plan Commission for recommendation and to Spokane City Council for adoption. Staff works directly with the departments within Public Works and Utilities to identify and coordinate capital projects and to scope projects. The Integrated Capital Management performs strategic infrastructure planning, conducts special studies, and provides general planning functions to support the Public Works and Utilities Departments. Staff seeks, develops, and administers grants, loans and other revenue sources for the City's capital projects.


The City of Spokane is seeking Agency and Public comments on the Draft Capital Improvement Program for 2027-2032. Written comments on this proposal and any environmental related issues related to it must be submitted via mail or email provided in the Notice by 5:00pm on September 30, 2026. Written comments will be made a part of the record. Email comments to Della Mutungi, Planner II, at dmutungi@spokanecity.org


If you would like to attend the Plan Commission public workshop to review the proposal, you can attend online or in-person on September 23, 2026 at 2:00pm at City Hall.

NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL (NC) DATES:

  • September 9- Grandview/Thorpe NC
  • September 10- Bemiss, Hillyard, Whitman NC
  • September 10- North Hill NC
  • September 10- Minnehaha NC
  • September 10- Peaceful Valley NC
  • September 10- Southgate NC
  • September 15- East Central NC
  • September 15- Emerson-Garfield NC
  • September 15- Comstock NC
  • September 15- Lincoln Heights NC
  • September 15- Riverside NC
  • September 16- Chief Garry Park NC
  • September 17- Audubon/Downriver NC
  • September 17- Browne's Addition NC
  • September 17- Latah-Hangman NC
  • September 17- Logan NC
  • September 17- Shiloh Hills NC
  • September 21- Northwest NC
  • September 24- Five Mile Prairie NC

COMMUNITY ASSEMBLY (CA) & EVENT DATES:

  • September 19- Building Stronger Neighborhoods
  • September 22- CA Admin
  • September 22- CA PeTT
  • September 24- CA Land Use
  • September 28- CA Budget
  • October 1- Community Assembly

The Standing Committees of the Community Assembly are smaller groups that represent many different interests citizens may have. Everyone is welcome to be a member of the standing committees you do not have to be a member of the Community Assembly to get involved. Learn more here.

CITY UPDATES

“Keep Kids Moving” – A Fund to Help Replace Recreation and Sports Gear for Youth who Lost their Homes in the Spokane Complex Fire: A group of community partners are kicking off an effort to ensure kids who lost everything in the Spokane Complex Fires have the gear they need to stay active in recreation and sports. The Spokane Parks Foundation, Northwest Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), City of Spokane Parks & Recreation, Spokane Public Schools, Mead School District, and Nine Mile Falls School District have partnered to establish a fund to help get new gear into the hands of kids who lost their homes in the fires.

 

The gear can include items to help youth participate in organized sports – items like football or track shoes – or to stay active in recreational activities like dance, skiing, martial arts, or on the playground. Utilizing a $10,000 donation from the Seattle Mariners as initial funding, the Spokane Parks Foundation and the City of Spokane’s H.O.M.E. Starts Here Fund are contributing matching funds of $5,000 each. Community members interested in contributing to the Keep Kids Moving fund may visit https://givebutter.com/keepkidsmoving. 

 

Families who lost their homes are asked to work with their school counselor for each youth who is a high school senior or younger. Their counselor will help connect them with an application where they will be asked to provide information about their equipment needs and timing, to help us get gear into the hands of kids who need fall sports/activities equipment right away. Youth with gear needs for winter activities may receive their gift card over the next couple of months.

 

Assistance will be issued in the form of $100 gift cards to local sports and recreation equipment stores. Organizers are asking athletic/recreational supply businesses interested in participating to please contact parks@spokanecity.org. 

Emergency Streets Pilot Program Rolling Out Soon:

What is the intent of the program? Emergency Streets is a framework that treats fatal crashes as a public health emergency shifting the focus from treating vehicle crashes as unpredictable "accidents" to addressing them as predictable, preventable systemic health crises. This pilot program is set to end in June 2027.


What can I expect to see? Within 48-72 hours after a fatal crash, the City will install two-week deployments of temporary traffic-calming measures (cones, signs, paint on street) paired with community education/outreach to immediately reduce vehicle speeds in the vicinity of the crash and educate the public about the impact of the crash. 


Where did the funding come from and who can I contact with questions? This program is supported with funding from Spokane Regional Health District, WTSC, SJATSC and in-kind support from University of Colorado Boulder. Please reach out to Nicole White with the Transportation & Sustainability Division at nwhite@spokanecity.org .

Kids Jr. Fire Academy: Mark your calendars! The Kids Jr. Fire Academy is Saturday, Sept. 12, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at River Park Square. Meet your local firefighters, tour and see demonstrations from a ladder truck and fire engine, learn hands-only CPR, make a craft, operate a charged fire hose, learn about child passenger safety, and so much more! Kids can collect stamps at each activity and receive a Jr. Firefighter certificate.

Water Wise Spokane Teams Up for Commercial Building Efficiency:

The City of Spokane's Water Department is big on efficiency. Its Water Wise program worked with Kiemle Hagood Facility Services to assess its cooling tower in the Washington Trust Bank's Financial Center. A simple clamp-on water meter test on a water-cooled condensing unit led to savings of 5 million gallons of water and $18,000 on their water bill in a year. Learn more about water efficiency for commercial properties at WaterWiseSpokane.org and read more about this story at KiemleHagood.com.


RESOURCES & MORE

Burn Restrictions Are In Place: Spokane-area Fire Marshals have enacted countywide Fire Danger Burn Restrictions. Although we've had cooler temperatures and some rain, the risk of wildfires remains high. With hot weather on the horizon, our community must act now to prevent human-caused fires. Click here for more information. What's Restricted? Unauthorized recreational fires AND unauthorized open burning.


Community Resource Website: We ask that everyone in our community visit SpokaneCommunityResources.org to connect with any of the following: 

  • Impacted families seeking resources
  • Organizations providing support or seeking volunteers 
  • Community members interested in volunteering or donating
  • Business leaders seeking resources 


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