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The acronym seems fitting for a group expected to keep the wheels in motion.
When Spokane County Commissioner Mark Richard first proposed the idea for the Council of Governments (COG), the design called for representation from city councils and civic groups throughout the area to discuss regional concerns in a collaborative setting.
Since then, the attendance roll at the quarterly meetings has featured leaders from a variety of cities including Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake and Rockford, as well as delegates from organizations like the Spokane Transit Authority and Greater Spokane Inc.
Last Friday, around 40 representatives of COG convened in a meeting room at the Spokane County Interstate Fair and Expo Center to mull over a range of issues from the dwindling state budget to plans for a new county jail.
“I think we’ve had great dialogue at these meetings,” Richard said. “It’s helped us move forward on important topics.”
Attendees at the Jan. 23 gathering first heard from Kathleen Small of the Spokane Aquifer Joint Board who presented an overview of a proposed amendment to state law that would maintain water rights among Spokane area public water purveyors.
The Washington state Department of Ecology has indicated that water rights can be relinquished if they have been designated for irrigation purposes and not been used in the past five years. Small described how many public water purveyors, particularly those in the Spokane Valley, were established to provide water to farms and orchards that have mostly been displaced by suburban and urban development. The DOE’s stance, Small said, will have an impact on the amount of water available for future growth.
Small encouraged COG to support a change to state legislation that would retain water rights among public purveyors through an amendment to RCW 90.14.140. While the group voted to support an amendment to the current law, it was agreed that individual COG representatives would take the issue back to their respective councils and organizations to look at the specific language of the document.
Lt. Mike Sparber of the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office provided attendees with an update on the proposed county jail, dividing his presentation into a discussion of the “bricks” and “nonbricks” elements of the plan.
The nonbricks approach has to do with alternative sentencing programs that focus on rehabilitation and education, a method championed by Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich. In the area of pretrial services, Sparber described the benefits of a new tracking system “that monitors suspects to make sure they show up for a court date.” Sparber added that the change to a 24/7 check-in policy will improve overall efficiency.
Richard said designs for the actual jail facility will be included in a master plan expected to be ready by March 1. With a bond vote anticipated on a November ballot, Richard said the public campaign would start in mid-March.
“We went back and put forth the best possible solution for the community,” Richard said.
Spokane City Council Member Steve Corker set the tone for the second portion of the meeting with a presentation on public health funding and its relation to the state budget. Corker described how statewide cuts could translate into a “significant reduction” in programs through the Spokane Regional Health District over the next two years, including substance abuse prevention and tobacco cessation.
“The state and federal government are sending a message that municipalities may have to implement taxes to pay for these programs,” Corker said.
Corker, who serves on the SRHD board, said the organization decided recently to organize an advocacy task force comprised of local leaders “that would make the community aware of what the Health District does.” Area jurisdictions would provide one representative to serve on the task force over a two-year period “to work with legislators and generate public awareness.”
Spokane Valley City Council Member Bill Gothmann, who serves on the Health District board, said the COG meetings provide a valuable opportunity for regional leaders to collaborate on potential funding sources as well as other ideas that benefit jurisdictions throughout Spokane County.
“I appreciate the chance to have these updates at the community level,” Gothmann said. “A lot of it is about keeping people informed.”
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By
Craig Howard
