2016, 09-21 Special Study Session MINUTES
SPOKANE VALLEY COUNCIL
MEETING STUDY SESSION
Spokane Valley City Hall Council Chambers
Spokane Valley, Washington
September 21,2016
Attendance:
Couneilmelnbers Staff
Arne Woodard, Deputy Mayor Mark Calhoun,Deputy City Manager
Caleb Collier, Councilmember Cary Driskell, City Attorney
Pam Haley, Councilmember Chelsie Taylor, Finance Director
Mike Munch, Councilmember Carolbelle Branch,Public Information Officer
Ed Pace, Councilmember Mark Werner,Police Chief
Sam Wood, Councilmember Carrie Koudelka,Deputy City Clerk
Absent:
Rod Higgins, Mayor
Deputy Mayor Woodard called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL: Deputy City Clerk Koudelka called the roll; all Councihnembers were present except
Mayor Higgins.It was moved by Councilinember Pace,seconded and unanimously agreed to excuse Mayor
Higgins,from the meeting.
PROCLAMATION: Valleyfest Days
Deputy Mayor Woodard read the proclamation and presented it to Peggy Doering, Executive Director of
Valleyfest,who thanked Council for their continued support of Valleyfest.
1. Outside Agencies Presentations
After Finance Director Taylor gave an overview of the process for Outside Agency funding, the following
organizations gave a brief presentation in response to our call for Outside Agency Funding: Economic
Development Agencies: 1) Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce; 3) Spokane Valley Arts
Council; 4) Spokane Valley Heritage Museum; 5) SNAP Financial Access; 6) Valleyfest. There was no
presentation from 2) Spokane Area Workforce Development Council. Social Services Agencies: 8) Arts
Academy of Spokane; 10)Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Inland NW; 11) Greater Spokane County Meals
on Wheels; 12) Greater Spokane Substance Abuse Council; 13) Spokane Valley Partners; 14) Vietnam
Veterans of America; 15) Widows Might; 16) YWCA. There were no presentations from 7) ALS
Association of Evergreen Chapter and 9)Baskets for Babies.
After the presentations, Ms. Taylor asked Council to submit their scoring sheet to her no later than 4 p.m.
on Friday, October 14th. The allocations will be brought back before Council at the October 25 meeting
using the same methodology employed in the past.
2. Property Tax Ordinance—Chelsie Taylor
Finance Director Taylor said state law requires that the City adopt an ordinance in order to levy property
tax and the law allows an increase in property tax levy of the lesser of one percent or the IPD(Implicit Price
Deflator),the measure of inflation in Washington used for property taxes. She said our proposed levy does
not include an increase in property taxes but the ordinance does include estimated property taxes on new
construction. With the passage of this ordinance, she said the City anticipates collecting approximately
$11,614,500,which represents twenty-eight percent of total estimated general fund revenues for 2017. Ms.
Council Study Session:09-21-2016 Page 1 of 2
Approved by Council: 10-11-2016
Taylor said the final determination of assessed property values will not be made by Spokane County until
later this fall, but our proposed 2017 levy will not be greater than the 2016 levy of$11,489,5]8 plus new
construction. Ms. Taylor then explained that banked capacity is the difference between the highest lawful
levy, as calculated by Spokane County, that the City could levy and the amount it actually does levy. She
said any amount levied that is less than the highest lawful levy represents "banked capacity." She said that
because the IPD was less than one percent last year, there is a high degree of variability in the banked
capacity calculation for next year and referred Council to the RCA for in depth detail.She said the ordinance
will come back to Council on October 1 I, 2016 for a first reading and again on October 25, 2016 for a
second reading.
3. Advance Agenda—Deputy Mayor Woodard
There were no comments or changes to the Advance Agenda.
4. Council Comments—Deputy Mayor Woodard
Councilmember Pace asked Council to reflect on our founding documents and stated that the first three
words of each are"We the People,"meaning everyone.
5.Acting City Manager Comments—Mark Calhoun
Acting City Manager Calhoun said he is waiting to get the date for the Spokane Valley Chamber of
Commerce and GSI forum regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement, but Congress will
likely discuss it after the election during their lame duck session so we have scheduled a ninety-minute
public hearing for October 18,2016. We will advertise the hearing two times prior to the meeting and each
speaker will be allowed to speak one time for up to three minutes. Mr. Calhoun said that with regard to the
2.82 acres sold to the Library District in 2012 at the Balfour Park site,the Board has indicated they are still
interested in the City purchasing the land back and receiving the funds prior to October 2017 as stated in
the contract. He said they are looking to hear back from the City as to forming a partnership to encourage
them to build a library at that site. He said they are not interested in another bond issue. This will be
discussed at the agenda meeting on Monday. Lastly, he said the Rotary Club has asked if Council is
interested in reciting"Twas the Night Before Christmas"again at the Tree Lighting ceremony on December
1st at 5:30 p.m. Any interested Councilmembers can contact Sue Passmore.
It was moved by Cou ncib neniber Wood, seconded and unanimously agreed to adjourn. The meeting
adjourned at 7:59 p.m.
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Council Study Session:09-21-2016 Page 2 of 2
Approved by Council: 10-11-2016