2019, 11-12 Regular Formal minutes MINUTES
SPOKANE VALLEY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING
FORMAL FORMAT
Spokane Valley City Hall Council Chambers
Spokane Valley, Washington
November 12, 2019
Mayor Higgins called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
Attendance:
Councilmembers Staff
Rod Higgins, Mayor Mark Calhoun, City Manager
Pam Haley,Deputy Mayor John Hohman, Deputy City Manager
Brandi Peetz, Councilmember Cary Driskell, City Attorney
Linda Thompson, Councilmember Chelsie Taylor,Finance Director
Ben Wick, Councilmember Mike Stone, Parks &Recreation Director
Arne Woodard, Councilmember Bill Helbig, City Engineer
Sam Wood, Councilmember Erik Lamb, Deputy City Attorney
Morgan Koudelka, Sr. Admin.Analyst
Chaz Bates, Senior Planner
Mark Werner, Police Chief
Christine Bainbridge, City Clerk
INVOCATION: Pastor Danny Shultz of Sun City Church gave the invocation.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Council, staff, and the audience stood for the Pledge of Allegiance led by
members of Scout Pack 420.
ROLL CALL City Clerk Bainbridge called the roll; all Councilmembers were present.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA It was moved by Deputy Mayor Haley, seconded and unanimously agreed to
approve the agenda.
INTRODUCTION OF SPECIAL GUESTS AND PRESENTATIONS: n/a
COMMITTEE,BOARD, LIAISON SUMMARY REPORTS
Councilmember Wood: stated he had no report.
Councilmember Peetz: said she attended a Halloween Party at City Hall;went to the Trunk or Treat held at
Sun City; attended the Barker Road ribbon cutting; went to the Government Committee meeting yesterday
where they discussed the legislative agenda and how initiative 976 would impact our city and projects.
Councilmember Woodard: said he also attended the Chamber's Government Committee meeting yesterday
and said we have to be careful with how the Chamber could impact our own legislative agenda, said some
of their wording starts to infringe into the SRTC's (Spokane Regional Transportation Council) area.
Councilmember Thompson: reported she went to the NAOMI breakfast; attended the Board of Health
meeting where they discussed diseases and immunizations, and said they encourage people to watch out
for the flu; said she attended the Board of Health's Police Meeting where they also discussed their
legislative agenda; said she went to the ribbon cutting at Midilome; and attended a veterans celebration in
Vancouver; she also noted she will not be at next week's council meeting as she will be attending the
National League of Cities (NLC)meeting in San Antonio.
Councilmember Wick: said he attended the Chamber's transportation meeting where they discussed
initiative 976; went to the Barker Road ribbon cutting; mentioned that projects that have state funding or
those that have not begun could be impacted by initiative 976; and he mentioned that all three of our
representatives are on the Transportation Commission.
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Deputy Mayor Haley: said she also attended the NAOMI breakfast; went to the trunk or treat, and she
challenged Council to get involved for next year; said they discussed the next legislation session at the STA
(Spokane Transit Authority) meeting including what might occur with the Central City Line; and said she
attended the Justice Committee meeting where they continue discussing the jail.
MAYOR'S REPORT Mayor Higgins said he had no report.
1.PUBLIC HEARING: 2020 Proposed Budget Chelsie Taylor
Mayor Higgins opened the public hearing a 6:12 p.m. Director Taylor noted this is the third and final public
hearing on the 2020 budget. After Director Taylor gave an overview of the 2020 budget, including
explaining the mechanism to transfer excess funds over 50% of the ending fund balance to fund 312 capital
reserve to be used for various capital projects,Mayor Higgins invited public comment.No comments were
offered and Mayor Higgins closed the public hearing at 6:16 p.m.
2, CONSENT AGENDA: Consists of items considered routine which are approved as a group. Any
member of Council may ask that an item be removed from the Consent Agenda to be considered separately.
Proposed Motion:I move to approve the Consent Agenda.
a. Approval of claim vouchers on Nov. 12, 2019,Request for Council Action Form Total: $3,190,249.25
b. Approval of Payroll for Pay Period Ending October 31, 2019: $520,905.08
c. Approval of Council Meeting Minutes of October 15,2019, Study Session Format
d. Approval of Council Meeting Minutes of October 22, 2019 Special Meeting
e. Approval of Council Meeting Minutes of October 22, 2019, Formal Meeting Format
f. Approval of Council Meeting Minutes of October 29 2019,. Special Meeting
g. Approval of Council Meeting Minutes of October 29, 2019, Study Session Format
It was moved by Deputy Mayor Haley, seconded and unanimously agreed to approve the Consent Agenda.
NEW BUSINESS:
3. Second Reading Ordinance 19-016,2019 Budget Amendment—Chelsie Taylor
After City Clerk Bainbridge read the ordinance title, it was moved by Deputy Mayor Haley and seconded
to approve Ordinance 19-016 amending Ordinance 18-024 which adopted a budget,far the period January
1, 2019 through December 31, 2019, as subsequently amended by Ordinance 19-003 and 19-006. Finance
Director Taylor briefly went over the amendments to the 2019 budget. Vote by acclamation: in favor:
unanimous; opposed: none. Motion carried.
4. Second Reading Ordinance 19-017,2020 Budget Adoption—Chelsie Taylor
After City Clerk Bainbridge read the ordinance title, it was moved by Deputy Mayor Haley and seconded
to approve Ordinance 19-017 adopting the 2020 budget. Vote by acclamation: in favor. unanimous;
opposed: none. Motion carried
5. Second Reading Ordinance 19-018 Amending Park Regulations Cary Driskell, Mike Stone
After City Clerk Bainbridge read the ordinance title, it was moved by Deputy Mayor Haley and seconded
to approve Ordinance 19-018 amending park regulations. City Attorney Driskell went over the proposed
changes as outlined in the Request for Council Action, including the two-tier open and closing operating
hours; that hot air balloons and inflatable toys will be allowed pursuant to the special permit process, and
that disc golf will only be allowed where posted on-site by the City.Mayor Higgins invited public comment.
Mr. Scott Jones, Spokane Valley: said it surprises him that we require eight pages of rules, most of which
define what we can't do; that he realizes we have to write them to have guidelines for some degree of
enforcement, but wonders how did we get to the point where we need eight pages of rules for conduct in
the parks. There were no other public comments. Councilmember Wood said he still objects to closing the
park at 7 p.m.and thinks it should be 9 p.m. consistently. Councilmember Wick said it is sad when we need
so many pages of regulations, but a lot of things happen in the parks that didn't use to, including
inappropriate use of the restrooms and making it so people don't feel safe;and said we want to make people
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feel safe and comfortable. Vote by acclamation: in favor: Mayor Higgins, Deputy Mayor Haley, and
Councilmembers Thompson, Wick, Woodard, and Peetz. Opposed: Cowicilmember Wood. Motion carried.
6. Second Reading Ordinance 19-019 Regulating Public Camping—Erik Lamb, Cary Driskell
After City Clerk Bainbridge read the ordinance title, it was moved by Deputy Mayor Haley and seconded
to approve Ordinance 19-019 adopting regulations regarding camping on public property. Deputy City
Attorney Lamb again explained the three important components of the proposed regulations, as noted in
the Request for Council Action;he said this is not a 'no-parking' ordinance as it deals with actual camping;
he said enforcement will be subject to the Martin v. Boise decision concerning having adequate shelter
space. Mr.lamb also noted that as someone mentioned during the ordinance's first reading,maybe camping
in the right-of-way should be permitted for limited duration or with a permit; he said fundamentally, the
right-of-way is for travel of vehicles, and from a public safety standpoint, it doesn't make sense to permit
it; also there are different widths in different areas; he mentioned that some businesses in Spokane Valley
do allow camping, such as in KOA and other parks; he said people can park their RV in front of their
property, but they just can't stay in the vehicle; and that the public safety risks outweigh the benefits to
permitting this; said the City of Spokane adopted a `no-sit-lie camping provision' a while ago and our
provisions are similar to Spokane's. There was brief discussion about available shelter space, co-response
teams, and of the desire to help people rather than send people to jail. Mayor Higgins invited public
comment.
Ms. Barb Howard, Spokane Valley: said we are over an aquifer and she doesn't understand people who
simply dump their waste;said there is a need to do something and we don't have enough deputies to enforce
anything as there are people who simply move their un-tagged vehicle around; said she cares about her
water.
Ms. Amanda Dugger, Spokane Valley: she thanked Council for addressing the issues like regulations for
public camping; said she used to be homeless several years ago; said Spokane Valley still doesn't have a
shelter and there are people here who are homeless and need help to find a shelter; said she thinks this will
hinder people and will push more people to the street; said we need to look at the big picture of why are
people living in cars; and said that families need more resources and more affordable housing.
Mr. Dennis: said he used to live in Spokane Valley;that he moved here from Florida but lost his job when
the economy fell; said he found one shelter with just one open bed;that it is hard to hear the hate and what
we won't allow and said he has yet to hear any solutions except for removing property and prosecution;
said not all homeless people are into drugs; many people just need one chance or maybe just need a place
for one month to help them get on their feet; said some don't want help but most do; said this issue should
be looked at from the standpoint of what we can do; suggested providing a piece of land to allow people to
camp on and he suggested Council aggressively pursue land purchase,
Ms. Jennie Willardson, Spokane Valley: said she would ask what would Jesus do about the problem of
people without a home; said the Federal 9th Circuit court said we can't have these kind of regulations unless
you provide a shelter for those without a home; said Spokane Valley needs to provide a shelter; said she
heard about a man who lost both legs due to frostbite;that it is much cheaper to provide shelter than medical
expenses; said there is also currently a horrible hepatitis A epidemic, which is spread by human excrement;
said shelters have restroom facilities and water.
Ms. Jennifer Wilcox, Spokane Valley: said we have to start adapting to some issues; said she has been
involved in some committees to try to provide some input to some of these issues; regarding a plan to end
homelessness, they have identified some actions that community members might be interested in; said she
would like to see more community members participate; said the City of Spokane has a five-year strategic
plan and there are lots of documents available to read;she recommended social media as part of the solution;
said people need to de-stigmatize those without homes; and that people need to be more proactive.
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Ms. Julie Garcia, Spokane; said she is with Jewels Helping Hands; said people agree people should not be
sleeping in parks; she mentioned that Family Promise was full at 7 pm last night; said there is no solution
of where to take them at night;she said the City of Spokane has shelters but there were no beds there either;
there were four beds available in the entire county last night; said there are 762 people who consider
themselves families with no place to sleep; she encouraged Council to provide that space.
Mr. Jason Green, Spokane: said he also is with Jewels Helping Hands; said there have always been
discriminatory laws which is why Marlin v. Boise came about; said you can't criminalize someone's life;
said it is creative that Spokane Valley has tried to work around the law in just three locations; said this is
not solving the issue but just pushing this into other districts that have parks; said members from Jewels
Helping Hands met with some officers and it was noted officers can't fit people's belongings in the back
of a patrol vehicle; said the City of Spokane is already getting sued;lie asked if Council would rather spend
money to fight the lawsuits or enforce the laws or look at the bigger picture and find homes for these people
and help them out of their situation.
Ms. Christine Schoeder, Spokane Valley: said she does outreach in the valley and drives around to the parks
and alleyways; said she knocks on car windows if it looks like someone is living there; said she hopes her
little Subaru has what these people need to get through the night; that there are no operating bus lines at
5:30 a.m.; said if you do this it will put people's income at risk as these people are already struggling and
enduring drama; she asked Council to please consider the impact they are making on people's lives and
provide shelter and take care of our vulnerable citizens.
Mr. Richard Dahl, Spokane Valley: said he was involved in a lawsuit against the City of Spokane; said he
doesn't think Spokane Valley can afford one of those lawsuits; that it is a lot cheaper to come up with an
idea for a shelter; said he's been homeless for eight years; that he started out in Moses Lake; said he had a
job for a while and Jewels Helping Hand gave him a break; said they are asking for help; said we are
spending more money to put a homeless person jail then it would cost to put them in a hotel room; said you
won't get any money out of them if you fine them; and this is just adds to their stress,
Mr. Bill Kane, Spokane Valley: said he is the Executive Director of the Spokane Center for Independent
Living; he asked Council to explore all options before passing the measure to limit use of the parks; said
this would be like a bandaid to the problem;that it is time to change the culture to where they can go instead
of where they can't; said an article in the Spokesman Review states there is no shelter in Spokane Valley
and he sked,why is that; said not all homeless are problematic as many just need a stable place; that there
are two categories: those who choose and those who find themselves without a home.
Ms. Christine Schuller, Spokane: said she has been a resident of Spokane for over 50 years and has worked
jobs in the valley; said she supports this no public camping and what Council is doing and that those three
areas should always be prohibited from camping as we need to protect the city; said we don't want to end
up like Spokane or Seattle; said she was homeless for two years and lived in her car; said these people want
shelters but there will never be enough shelters; said these people want socialism; she suggested getting a
dirt field and putting in some port-a-potties and a washing station; said not to give them tents or a house.
Ms. Maria Bartleson, Spokane: said she is the founder of the homeless in Spokane Facebook group; said
she was a Spokane Valley resident for about ten years but now lives in the Spokane area; said she loves the
valley but she put in her notice to vacate her apartment, but then couldn't find a place so she ended up with
no place; said she had some money saved up and used that staying in a hotel; said she wanted to stay in a
shelter but the one they put her in a had a woman who was doing drugs so she didn't stay there; and said
she wishes there was a shelter here.
Ms.Leanna Missinger, Spokane Valley: said she knows the people at Jewels Helping Hands and what they
do is very moving; said she appreciated the stated compassion from the City's legal counsel but discussions
won't save lives as people are out there and they are freezing; said some people go to an ER just to get
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warm; said we need to take care of people; said she spent one night at an emergency warming center and
there was a steady line for the bathroom; said there is. a hepatitis A outbreak and people have to go
someplace; said Spokane City won't solve the problems.
Councilmember Thompson said she appreciates the comments; said she is an advocate for prevention
including helping kids get a good education,then jobs and outreach; said we have invested in these regional
efforts to help although it isn't reflected a lot in the paper, but we have been at the table;that we know the
risk factors and that there is a great need and she is open to having a shelter; said the crisis is now so the
partnerships have to step up. Councilmember Wick mentioned that he served on the SNAP Board in the
past and they did a lot of foreclosure prevention; said there has been focus on downtown as a higher need,
but we are also participating; said we give funds to the County for this need; and we have recently joined
the Continuum of Care to help bring awareness and allocate funds; said the discussions continue for a
shelter and we need to figure out what the City of Spokane will do with their new administration; said we
are not trying to criminalize homelessness, but we want to make sure people are aware and safe.
Councilmember Woodard also noted this topic is never easy; said he is on the Continuum of Care Board as
well as the HCDAC; said he is not sure anyone has an answer but we know criminalizing is not the answer;
said we have to protect the homeless and the rest of the public; said there have been efforts to get a law
passed in this state to help homeless teens under 18; said there is HUD and recording fees and we have
contributed about$1.2 million through those processes; said centers are not inexpensive; said we were not
included in the Havana site discussions; lie mentioned the need for security and protection of Project ID;
said he is not opposed to a shelter here, but it is now too late for this year and we need help for those in the
system now; said the business community got engaged and he feels some progress will be made in the next
six months to help get people off the street; and he agreed prevention is a big part; and said there will never
be enough money but we need to work to get the people off the street and keep them from going to the
street. Vote by acclamation: in favor: unanimous; opposed: none. Motion carried.
7. First Reading Ordinance 19-020, Barker Road/BNSF Grade Separation Project Land Acquisition—Cary
Driskell
After City Clerk Bainbridge read the ordinance title, it was moved by Deputy Mayor Haley and seconded
to suspend the rules and approve Ordinance 19-020 related to land acquisition.for the Barker/BNSF Grade
Separation Project. City Attorney Drislcell explained that this ordinance is identical to the previous
ordinance in September relative to three different property owners, and that this is the fourth of four the
City has been negotiating with; said there is no agreement yet for acquisition of their property, and if we
are unable to finalize this,we will file a condemnation action; but even if that were to occur it doesn't mean
we would stop negotiation; he said we will continue to by to come up with an agreed resolution; adding
that notice was sent to the property owner. Mayor Higgins invited public comment; no comments were
offered. Vote by acclamation: in favor: unanimous; opposed: none. Motion carried.
8. Resolution 19-015 Adopting Parks&Recreation MasterPlan--Mike Stone, Chaz Bates
It was moved by Deputy Mayor Haley and seconded to approve Resolution 19-015 adopting the 2019 Parks
and Recreation Master Plan update. Parks and Recreation Director Stone went over some of the key issues
included in this update, and said we were also able to accomplish this with in-house staff, Mr. Chaz Bates.
Mayor Higgins invited public comment; no comments were offered. There was brief Council discussion
voicing appreciation for the updates as they strive to accommodate the needs of all user groups; and also
Council's appreciation for the outreach with the stakeholders and business groups. Vote by acclamation: in
favor • unanimous; opposed: none. Motion carried.
Mayor Higgins called for a recess at 7:43 p.m.; he reconvened the meeting at 7:55 p.m.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: After Mayor Higgins explained the process,he invited public comments.
Ms. Barb Howard, Spokane Valley: said she wants to talk about a project Deputy Mayor Haley and
Councilmember Woods were working on,that of cleaning up Edgeclift Park; and she asked if the City paid
$20,000 to SCOPE to do this project; said it is her understanding that Mr. Hafner was dragging his feet on
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this project; said she'd like to know why; said this is wrong not to do this or to do as some say and just wait
until the Council turns over; said people want the change now as she lives in Spaluding's Wrecking Yard;'
said she was a member of Nextdoor(social networking service); she mentioned Block Watch; said they get
e-mails if a sex offender moves into the neighborhood; said evidentially SCOPE is no longer getting those
notifications, and said there is a sex offender in her neighborhood; said she was kicked out of Nextdoor,
and wants to know why; said she won't do block watch anymore, and said she doesn't appreciate getting
kicked out.
Ms. Christine Schuller, Spokane: said she came here to give Council a heads-up on what is happening with
the homeless situation in her city; said they have targeted her city and they are here and targeting this City;
that Mcn•tin vs. Boise doesn't care how much money this City gave to that City; said Council will have to
save your City for yourself; said they are demanding that you build shelters for the homeless; said she was
once homeless so she knows what she is talking about; said people need to be responsible for themselves,
and maybe they need a little tough love;said there was mention of buying parkland,and said Council should
do that; said she is glad Council passed the no encampment regulation; said Council should set aside some
parkland then put up some port-a-potties and a washing station; said it would be nice to have a shelter but
Spokane Valley is being targeted, and as soon as this City builds a shelter, it will be full and you can't
enforce the no encampment rule; as soon as you take more taxpayer's money and build another shelter the
same thing will happen; it will be full; said that is what has been happening in Spokane; said we gave them
$2 million and the Jewels people were going to run it,but that's not enough as they already have the beds
full; and she re-stated that Martin vs. Boise doesn't state that you have to build a shelter, or give them
apartments or a tent; you just can't enforce the no camping if there's no place for them to camp in public;
so she suggested providing a spot like a dirt field.
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS: (discussed in the order shown)
9. Law Enforcement Vacancy History—Morgan Koudelka
Senior Administrative Analyst Koudelka introduced Spokane Valley Police Chief Werner, and Spokane
County Sheriff Knezovich. Mr. Koudelka explained that he is here tonight to provide some data in follow-
up to the October 22 Council meeting where Deputy Mayor Haley requested and Council agreed, for staff
to gather some historical information on law enforcement vacancies. Via his PowerPoint, Mr. Koudelka
spoke about law enforcement staffing for the period 2018 through 2019; he noted the vacancies as of
October 1 for Spokane Valley and for Spokane County,as well as Commissioned officer vacancies for both
entities, and those that are shared; he showed a chart of patrol officer vacancies for both entities, showing
Spokane Valley with an average 4.5 vacancies, and Spokane County with an average of 2.5 vacancies; he
also noted patrol deputy vacancies as a percentage of patrol FTE's.Mr.Koudelka showed the SVPD Patrol
staffing numbers, as well as maximum, minimum and actual staffing for the day shift, night shift, power
shift, and total. He also went over the patrol officer call load of citizen calls with response for both entities,
and total citizen calls for service including no response, and gave a quick breakdown of the type of calls
that did not receive a response, which he said can occur for a varied number of reasons, from priority of
calls at the time,to the call being cancelled by the dispatcher.Mr. Koudelka noted that those figures do not
include trainees,and is only the information on actual staff answering calls.
Sheriff Knezovich also shared a PowerPoint presentation, and mentioned he gave Mr. Koudelka two
additional reports which can be supplied later to Council if desired. Sheriff Knezovich explained that he
finds it useful to look at the past when evaluating the present and planning for the future. Via his PowerPoint
slides,he noted that the Spokane County Sheriff's Office is fully staffed with all 227 funded commissioned
deputy positions full; he noted the Sheriff's Office is staffed over the authorized 227, which he explained
will enable his office to better absorb the increase in predicated retirements; said they have seven of the
fourteen pre-hired positions filled and by December will have all fourteen pre-hired positions filled; that
they are also talking with the Spokane County Budget office togain permission to hire five additional
deputies; and he stressed that this does not mean they have stopped recruiting or testing. Concerning the
issue of vacancies, Sheriff Knezovich said what is actually happening is there is an accounting system that
does not reflect operational reality; that the term `vacancy' is misused, and there is a misunderstanding of
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the twelve-hour shift model. Sheriff Knezovich explained the 12-hour shift schedule and what that means
for the unincorporated Spokane County and for the City of Spokane Valley; he mentioned some of the
additional shift relief pressures such as the Family Medical Leave Act, and pressures for increased training.
The Sheriff also explained the misunderstanding of maximum staffing for our city with the pre-power shift
and post-power shift;he gave a summary of the workload report of 2012;the metro patrol model; overtime;
situations and rationale for calls that did not receive a response; and 2012 average response times; he
mentioned that they were aware of an approaching staffing crisis in 2013; that societal changes had an
impact on the reduced number of applicants for law enforcement careers; he noted County budget cuts and
an increased need for City of Spokane Valley officers;and he mentioned the new hiring and training model
goals and expectations which results in approximately 35 weeks of savings in time and money. Sheriff
Knezovich stated that the next four deputies coming out of training go to Spokane valley, and by August
2020, the staff should be at the full number, with everyone working on their own and with fourteen more
getting ready to work the following year.
Mr. Koudelka extended thanks to the Sheriff for coming out tonight, as well we meeting with him and Mr.
Calhoun previously; said they have had good discussions and are moving forward with the focus on the
outcomes of those discussions; said we have funding for the co-response team but still need to work with
Frontier to fill their portion of the mental health professional position; said the overtime concerns have
already started to create line items and new specialty unit categories so the data can be properly recorded
and allocated.
At 8:58 p.m., it was moved by Deputy Mayor Haley, seconded and unanimously agreed to extend the
meeting for another hour.
Concerning quarterly reports, Mr. Koudelka mentioned that they will be developing a report to share with
Council that shows the different types of information, and to get Council feedback to tell staff what parts
of the data are useful; he also noted that he met with Fire Chief Collins and it was mentioned that the big
box stores consume a lot of time so something might be done in the future to better address the most
prevalent types of calls. Sheriff Knezovich added that pressure also needs to be put on the courts to address
the issue of revolving arrests. The discussion ended with Mr. Koudelka stating that there has been great
achievement in filling in the training pipeline,and with so many officers retiring,we feel we can finally see
the light and are getting people training in anticipation of people leaving in the future; and said we are
seeing many things finally paying off. Council thanked Mr. Koudelka and Sheriff Knezovich for their
information.
10. Comprehensive Plan Docket—Mike Basinger, Chaz Bates
Mr. Basinger explained about the 2020 Annual Comprehensive Plan amendment docket, and went over the
items listed on docket. Mr. Basinger noted as Councilmember Wick indicated, that staff is not
recommending CPA-2020-0004, nor as Councilmember Peetz indicated, CPA-2020-0005. After staff
discussed the proposed amendments,there was general Council consensus to remove CPA-2020-0004 and
0005 from the docket for when this comes back to Council for a motion consideration at the November 19
Council meeting. It was also mentioned that the applicants for those amendments being removed, will be
contacted prior to the motion consideration. Councilmember Wick mentioned annexation policies and
Deputy City Attorney Lamb indicated that staff is working on criteria which will enable us to respond to
any annexation request, which will first go before the Planning Commission.
It was decided due to the lateness of the hour,that Council will hear the sidewalk snow removal item next,
and if time permits,the Lodging Tax issue will follow, or that could be discussed at an upcoming meeting.
12. Sidewalk Snow Removal—John Hohman
Deputy City Manager Hohman said this will just be a brief update on the sidewalk snow removal options;
that staff was asked to check if the school districts would also take on a sidewalk, and said each District
declined our offer, even with reimbursement; said they have a lack of staff and little interest in taking on
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that responsibility. Mr. Hohman said that our Street Superintendent Shane Arlt put together a bid packet,
that it was advertised, and he personally contacted nine contractors, but there was no response; that there
was one additional contractor that the Mayor had been in contact with, and that Mr. Arlt talked to that
individual who mistakenly thought it was removing snow from the parking lot and not the sidewalk; but
that we have not heard back and hope to hear from him within the next few days. Mr. Hohman also noted
the options contained in the Request for Council Action form; that it is probably too late to purchase
equipment but staff could probably rent it; said we are not committing that we could complete all twenty-
two miles of sidewalk, but would make every attempt; and said staff is looking for Council's guidance.
After brief discussion with Council, there was Council consensus to have a one-year trial period, or pilot
project and see what level equipment it will take to get the job done. Mr. Hohman mentioned there is also
the possibility we will hear back from that one individual.
11. Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) Recommendations to Council—Chelsie Taylor
After Finance Director Taylor explained the background and resulting recommendations from the latest
LTAC committee meeting, Councilmember Thompson said she would have preferred to see $200,000
transfer into Fund 104 and have all projects funded, but said she will support the outcome. Director Taylor
noted this will be before Council as a motion consideration at the December 10 Council meeting.
13. Advance Agenda—Mayor Higgins
Councilmember Peetz said she would like the Council to partner with the Sheriff's Office in the Trunk or
Treat event; and Council concurred. Councilmember Peetz also asked about the effectiveness of the
contract with the Prosecutor's Office and that she would like a discussion on contracts. Mr. Calhoun said
that topic is traditionally included as part of the winter workshop,which this year is scheduled for February
11. Council agreed to discuss the contracts at that February workshop. Councilmember Thompson noted
the homeless issue is not on the pending agenda, and Council agreed to have it added to the pending list.
CITY MANAGER COMMENTS
City Manager Calhoun noted our application for a BUILD grant for the Pines Grade Separation was not
awarded, but he extended congratulations to Spokane County for their$11.3 million award for one of their
projects. Mr. Calhoun also noted there will be a ribbon cutting tomorrow at 2:30 on the Appleway Trail
development project, which will be held on Evergreen on the east side of the street near the Sketcher's
Parking lot.
It was moved by Deputy Mayor Haley, seconded and unanimously agreed to adjourn. The meeting
adjourned at 9:45 p.m.
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Christine Bainbridge, City Clerk
Regular Formal Council Meeting: 11-12-2019 Page 8 of 8
Approved by Council: 12-10-2019
SPOKANE VALLEY CITY COUNCIL MEETING
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
6:00 p.m. Regular Meeting
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1
AGENDA ITEM # 9
Spokane County Sheriff's
office Staffing Presentation
Is the Spokane County Sheriff's Office
Fully Staffed?
•Yes
•The Spokane County Sheriff's Offices has:
• 227 funded commissioned deputy positions
• All 227 funded commissioned deputy positions
are full
a
1
Actually, The Sheriff's Office is Staffed
Over Our Authorized Strength of 227
• Since January 2019 the Spokane County Board of
County Commissioners in conjunction with the City of
Spokane Valley have funded 14 pre-hire positions
• These positions will:
• Enable the Sheriff's Office to better absorb the increase
in retirements we, both predicated and since
approximately 2015, have seen
• Help us reduce the number of deputies in training and
increase the number of deputies working autonomously
3
Actually The Sheriff's Office is Staffed
Over Our Authorized Strength of 227
• We currently have 7 of the 14 pre-hired positions
filled and by December will have all 14 pre-hired
positions filled
- We are in talks with the Spokane County Budget
Office to gain permission to hire 5 additional deputies
(This is in addition to the 14 pre-hire positions) in
anticipation of 4-5 retirements starting at the end of
December 2019 in order to ensure we have 14 pre-
hired positions filled for the 13-15 retirements
anticipated starting in May of 2020
4
2
The Reality
• By December 2019, assuming buy in by the Spokane
County Budget Office, it is possible that the Sheriff's
Office will be 4-5 positions over our authorized
strength and pre-hire positions
• Authorized Strength: 227
• Pre-hire Positions: 14 (Positions to cover retirements
starting in May of 2020)
• Overage: 4-5 positions to cover retirements starting
the end of December 2019
5
Bottom Line: I Can 't Hire Any More Deputies
At This Time
• For those who may be potential deputy candidates
this does not mean we have stopped:
• Recruiting, or
• Testing
• We project 13-18 retirements in 2020 so we will be
hiring in 2020
• Bottomline:
• Continue to apply for jobs with the
Spokane County Sheriff's Office
3
Sounds Like Great News, Right?
• Not so fast Sheriff, we have vacancies
• No, you have:
• An accounting system that does not reflect
operational reality
• The misuse of the term "vacancy"
• A Misunderstanding of our 12-hour shift model
• A failure to timely respond to a request for
assistance
Accounting System
• In order to better track and ensure fair cost sharing
between the City of Spokane Valley and Spokane
County the Sheriff's Office's budget office:
• Stopped placing newly hired deputies in "vacant"
duty spots
• Created a training category where all newly hired
deputies are assigned until their training is complete
• Result was the term "vacancy" being used for duty
spots even though the replacement had been hired
4
Misuse of the Term Vacancy
Excerpt of report provided to the City of Spokane Valley by Chief VanLeuven
Currently(March 1,2016),SCSO has 11 vacant cornissioned positions,but this does not tell the entire
story, There are also 143 additional personnel in various stages of training that are not yet available for
assignment to autonomous law enforcement duties. This results in 25 unfilled positions out of a total
commissioned force of 222 deputies. These open positions are distributed throughout the Sheriff's
Office with 12 of these open positions currently carried within SVPD.
With anticipated 2016 retirements and the current number of new personnel within the training
pipeline it is expected that 2016 will end with SVPD staffing levels remaining status quo; however,
fluctuations are expected.
9
"Vacancies"
SCSO= 7 SVPD= 11
• 5-Patrol • 1- Traffic Sgt
• 1-Traffic • 3- Dix
• 1-SCID
• 1- Investigative Deputy
*Westlake: (IT/NW CAD: Negative impact to SCSO
patrol) • 1-K-9 (needs changed to patrol
*Staley: (Training: Negative impact to SCSO patrol) or additional dog)
*Moman:(CIT Regional: Negative impact to SCSO
patrol) • 3-Patrol - (CIT Deputy)
**Greg Lance(SCSO Patrol assigned to Training for
2 years to do backgrounds) • 2-Traffic Deputy
10
5
"Vacancies"
Shared Staff Grant Positions
• Shared: 3 • Grant:
• 1 -Major Crimes • 1 -WAPTA
• 1 -Sex Crimes • 2- CIT Deputies (One new
• 1 -SSTF SVPD position if approved by
City of Spokane Valley)
Spokane County Sheriff's Office Staffing Model
• 12-hour shift schedule
• Staffing levels for 12-hour shifts range from 4.5 to 9
deputies per district
• Due to existing manpower levels when the 12-hour shift
was adopted 6 deputies per district was adopted as the
staffing level
• This level of staffing gave us the ability to factor in:
• Sick relief
• Vacation relief(DSA contractual issue)
• Kelly Day relief (DSA contractual issue)
12
6
12-hour Shift Schedule
Unincorporated Spokane County City of Spokane Valley
• 10 + Patrol Districts • 6 Patrol Districts
• 6 Deputies/District= 60 deputies • 6 Deputies/District= 36 deputies
• 4 platoons= 15 deputies/platoon • In order to deal with contractual
15 15 15 14 -1 desk relief factors the Spokane Valley
was staffed with:
• 44 Deputies
•:•There is an economy of scale 11 11 11 10 — 1 Desk
gained in this model by having
more districts
13
12- hour Shift Schedule
• Unincorporated Spokane County • City of Spokane Valley
15 11
1 vacation 1 vacation
1 kelly day 1 Kelly day
1 sick day 1 sick day
12 8
Two cushion positions Two cushion positions
10 6
Minimum staffing Minimum staffing
14
7
Additional Shift Relief Pressures
• Family Medical Leave Act
• Increased Training pressures
• The State of Washington is considering raising the
minimum continuing/advanced training hours from 24
hours to 60
• The Spokane County Sheriff's Office currently conducts
40 hours of training/year for free due to our 12-hour
shift schedule and kelly days
• Specialty training requirements
• Need to maintain advanced certifications
• Homicide schools, etc.
15
Sj�'iS� ar>;e
, 1 ;ley SVPD Patrol Staffing
Maximum Staffing(48 47 patrol deputies—1 front desk+2 K9)
�li"7:gf'�fi4,le ';1I4ie; '�l:l.y.'+-rr'�l'ul1} li'ic=ll
Platoon B1 10 10 4 24
Platoon 02 10 10 4 24
Total 20 20 8 48
Minimum Staffing
II10`0i11F; I,i.}+,4:r 'likf{: ,
Platoon 111 6 6 3 15
Platoon 02 6 6 3 15
Total 12 12 6 30
Actual Staffing for 2018 and 2019
f_ - Day Shift Night Shift Power Shift Total =l
Platoon 01 6.3 6.7 2.8 15.8
Platoon 02 6.3 6.7 2.8 15.8
Total 12,4 13.4 5,6 31.6
16
8
Misunderstanding of Maximum Staffing
City of Spokane Valley
Pre-Power Shift Post-Power Shift
11 10
1 vacation 1 vacation
1 Kelly day 1 Kelly day
1 sick day 1 sick day
8 (Maximum Staffing) 7 (Maximum Staffing)
Two cushion positions One cushion position
b 6
Minimum staffing Minimum staffing
17
Misunderstanding of Maximum Staffing
• According to data provided by the City of Spokane Valley:
• Spokane Valley's 2018/2019 Actual Patrol Staffing was:
• Day Shift 6.3
• Night Shift 6.7
18
9
Spokane Valley Patrol Staffing/Shift
2005-2012
FIGURE EIGHT: VP AVERAGE PATROL STAFFING PER SHIFT
7.8 7.706 2005-2012
7.6
7.4
.345
7.2 P.049 7.078 7.144
7 I6.886 16.926 -
6.8 1 6.757
6.6
6.4
6.2
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Pre-Power Shift numbers 19
Misunderstanding of Maximum Staffing
• Given the City of Spokane Valley patrol has a maximum
Staffing of 7 after contractual and relief issues are factored in,
Spokane Valley Patrol's actual staffing is well within the
tolerances built into the staffing model to accommodate a
minimum staffing need of 6 Deputies to fully staff each shift
zo
10
Spokane Valley Police Department Performance
and Workload Report
2012
nr�ns�Eoy -49
• Spokane Valley population has Increased 10A2%since incorporation in
2003 and citizen Initiated calls for service have Increased 19.1%since
2045. Patrol division staffing has not Increased(since 2003)to address
this increase in workload.
• The SVPD patrol division has reached a saturation point with respect to
workload. Increasing citizen Initialed calls for service is negatively
impacting the ability of SVPD to perform proactive police work.
• SVPD maintains a very low rate of citizen complaints:.194 complaints per
1.000 incidents.
• SVPD maintains a very low use of force rale:1.392 UOF per 1,000
incidents which well below the national average of 8.60 per 0,000
incidents.
• SVPD response time to emergencies falls within the three to live minute
range. Response to report calls falls within a range of 30 to 60 minutes.
• SVPD property crimes detectives maintain a solution rate of 88%for the
cases worked. Unfortunately,staffing limitations prevent the working of
33%of the potentially solvable cases.
21
Misunderstanding of Maximum Staffing
• Perhaps the real question: Is the City of Spokane Valley Police
Department properly staffed to handle the call load and
population level of the City of Spokane Valley?
• Should the maximum staffing level after sick/vacation/kelly
days/training are factored in be 8 or 9 deputies?
• Is it time to revisit considering a Metro Style Patrol Division?
• It is time to have this discussion
22
11
Metro Patrol Model
• 16 Patrol Districts
• Staffed at 7/District= 112 Deputies"-currentlybetween 107SCSO Patra!and DeSpVPDuties
• 28 Deputies/Shift
• 28
• 2 Vacation
• 2 Kelly Day Average elief Factor 20% of shift total= 5.6
• 2 Sick
• 22 Maximum staffing= 6 Deputy Cushion
• 16 Minimum staffing
23
Overtime
SiMane
Overtime Comparison for 2018
Dedicated FTE Average Vacancies 2018 Dedicated Overtime
County 99 5.05 5 1,161,895
Spokane Valley 89 11.09 $ 1,567,831
24
12
Overtime
• Overtime has many drivers
• The Sheriff's Office has broken this cost down to 13
separate categories
• Minimum Staffing being one
• We are trying to determine how much of the overtime
cost is related to minimum staffing as a result of staffing
25
Overtime
• Spokane Valley has a larger number of Deputies
assigned to specialty positions:
• SWAT
• FTO
• Etc.
• Vacation control is also an issue
• It would take a very deep dive to verify the
actual affects of staffing on overtime
• One we are currently attempting
26
13
Calls Not Receiving Response
sriOlap Wiley
Calls that Did Not Receive Response Snapshot
• Reckless Driver 20%
• 911 Abandoned 17%(Cellphone without location info)
• Suspicious Person,Vehicle,or Circumstance 9%
• Traffic Hazard 8%
• Check Welfare 8%
• Accident/Collision 5%
• DUI 3%
• Noise Complaint 2%
• Other 28%
27
Calls Not Receiving Response
• Reality: Depending on the information relayed
by dispatch, some of these calls may not have
been responded to for a variety of reasons
• To determine if lack of staffing was an issue two
things must take place:
• Verify the staffing level at the time of the call
• Verify what units on duty were doing at the time of
the call
28
14
SVPD 2012 Average Response Times
Review of the average response times for various call types shows that SVPD is
properly prioritizing call response. It also indicates that call volume is preventing
prompt response to report calls. These figures show a 1.82%increase in
response time over 2011 figures.
Table One:Average Res once Times 2012
CALL TYPE AVG.RESPONSE TIME IN MINUTES
Hold-up alarm 4.61
911 abandoned line 4.99
Vehicle collision with injury 6.15
Commercial alarm 7.54
Disorderly 10.08
Vehicle collision noninjury 12.00
Unwanted guest 13.03
Argument 14.41
Assault report 30.90
Forgery report 32.51
Residential burglary report 41.23
Vehicle theft report 44.59
Commercial burglary report 46.47
The Approaching Crisis As Outlined in 2013
SCSO Projected Personnel
Shortage
30
15
A number of factors are conspiring to create the
"perfect storm" with regard to the level of service
that Spokane County Sheriff's Office will be able to
provide to the Citizens of Spokane County in the
future.
•Changing Sheriff's Office demographics
•Changes in our society
•Sheriff's Office budget (staffing) reductions
'Growth in demand for LE services
31
For the period 2003 through 2012 the average
attrition of SCSO was 8.3 commissioned
personnel per year.
Retirement = 4.4 deputies per year
Other* = 3.9 deputies per year
*Other includes: resignation,termination, medical discharge, and deceased. 32
16
If only half of those eligible retire in the
next three years SCSO will need to
replace 11 deputies per year.
Adding another 4 per year* due to other
losses brings the potential loss to 15
deputies per year.
*Since 2003 the average attrition due to causes other than retirement has been 3.9 ss
deputies per year.
Societal changes have reduced the
number of applicants interested in a
career in law enforcement.
In the '90s it was common to have
several hundred civil service applicants
for the position of deputy sheriff.
The most recent list had only 98
applicants.
Washington State Patrol is using
billboards to boost their recruiting efforts.
17
Little Did We Know How Bad
Societal Pressures Would Become
•August 9, 2014 Ferguson Missouri
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Why Police Departments Are
Facing Recruitment Problems
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18
Why Police Departments are Facing
Recruitment Problems
• "High Attrition in Law Enforcement
- You've probably seen multiple news stories about the critical
shortage of personnel in professions like nursing and teaching,
but probably not so much about the shortage of police
officers. In fact, you have probably never heard of a study by
the North Carolina Criminal Justice Analysis Center which
showed the attrition rate for police officers (14 percent) is
higher than both nursing (12 percent) and teaching (13
percent)."
37
Why Police Departments are Facing
Recruitment Problems
• "Decreasing Pool of Potential Police
- Most people understand that law enforcement careers aren't
for everyone, but it seems, at least anecdotally, that the pool
of available candidates continues to shrink. Several factors
have converged to make it more difficult than ever to find
good officers and diminish interest in policing careers."
38
19
Why Police Departments are Facing
Recruitment Problems
• "Disqualifying Behaviors
— Another, even more, difficult obstacle to overcome for
departments are the evolving tolerances of society as a whole
for minor crimes and illicit drug use. As the culture accepts the
use of marijuana and other drugs, and as the trend towards
legalization of pot continues, more and more young people
engage in behaviors that will ultimately keep them from getting
a criminal justice job."
39
Why Police Departments are Facing
Recruitment Problems
• "Lack of Physical Fitness
— The increasingly sedentary lifestyle of younger generations, the
increased occurrence of obesity, and the relatively low fitness
level of so many people have also lead to a smaller group of
potential police officer candidates. With the potentially
demanding physical rigors of police work, departments are
finding that fewer job applicants can meet their weight and
physical fitness standards."
40
20
Police Shortage Hits Cities and Small Towns
Across the Country
Police Shortage Hits Cities and Small Towns
Across the Country
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41
haps://www.n hcnews.cominews/us-newsfpolice-shortage-hits-cities-small-towns-across-country-n734721
Police Shortage Hits Cities and Small Towns
Across the Country
"Law enforcement: It's a tough job but somebody's got to do it.
But what happens when no one wants to be that somebody?"
"The Roswell Police Department in New Mexico has been dealing
with staff shortages for the last five years... is currently down 20
percent from the allocated headcount, he said. The police force
has been below its maximum headcount for years now, Mayor
Dennis Kintigh said."
https://www.nbcnews.com/newshts-news/police-shortage-hits-cities-small-towns-across-coUntrv-n73472142
21
Police Shortage Hits Cities and Small Towns
Across the Country
"Risks Have Changed
"The job is also more vulnerable, said Donald DeLucca, president of the
international Association of Chiefs of Police. "Last year some horrific things
happened to police officers," he said.
He's referring to law enforcement fatalities, which were at their highest in
five years in 2016, with 135 officers killed in the line of duty, according to
the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF).
Twenty-one were the result of ambush-style attacks, the highest in more than
two decades, according to NLEOMF.
Related: Sharp Rise in Ambush Killings Leaves Police Officers, Families on Edge"
43
•
7/7/2016
• 5 Dallas Police Officers killed in the line of duty
• 10 days later 3 Baton Rouge Police officers killed
• 2016: "Twenty-one were the result of ambush-style
attacks, the highest in more than two decades,
according to NLEOMF. "
- The amazing thing is when I pointed this out in 2016 the press
and academia said, Not so Sheriff.
- The Sheriff's Office lost 2 deputies in the weeks just after
Dallas
- We almost lost 3 44
22
Cultural changes have also reduced the
proportion of law enforcement applicants that
meet the standards of SCSO.
Integrity issues, extensive drug use, criminal
activity, sexual deviancy, etc. have increased
among the applicants and as a result reduce
the number of potentially acceptable
candidates.
Currently, it is necessary to process 20
candidates from the civil service eligibility list
to obtain 1 worthy of hiring. 45
Another wildcard is Spokane Valley.
Spokane Valley population is up 11.6% since incorporation
in 2003.
Citizen initiated calls for service in Spokane Valley are up
19% since 2005.
The number of deputies working Spokane Valley has
remained virtually static since 2003.
it is anticipated that in the near future Spokane Valley wilt
increase their contract with SCSO to address their
community's increased demand for law enforcement services.
46
23
SCSO budget cuts have reduced the total
commissioned staff from 249 in 2009 to 222 in
2013. The unincorporated area of Spokane
County has seen a reduction of 34 deputies
since 2009. Despite the losses in manpower
SCSO continues to operate at the same
minimum staffing levels in patrol. It is not
possible for SCSO to absorb any further loss of
personnel without cutting minimum staffing
levels. A reduction in minimum staffing levels
means that some Spokane County patrol
districts will not have 24/7 deputy coverage.
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Currently, SCSO has only one investigator
assigned to conduct background investigations
and coordinate the pre-hire process. SPD
employs three. This limitation has already
resulted in the loss of qualified candidates to
SPD.
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2013
Recommendations:
• Authorize hiring ahead in anticipation of expected losses
• Provide funding to Civil Service for advertisement of
deputy sheriff job opportunities
• Add support position to assist in the pre-hire and
background check process
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What did we do?
• In 2019 the BoCC and the City of Spokane Valley agreed to
fund 14 pre-hire positions
• We totally restructured our recruitment, testing, and
processing of applicants trying to decrease the amount of
time it takes to hire a new deputy from the time they take
our test to the time they are hired
• In October of 2017 we started seeing results
• We created our own academy to compensate from not
being able to get academy slots in a timely manner and to
shorten the train time without sacrificing quality training
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What did we do?
• We are evaluating our FTo program to determine
if it is the reason for a 30% attrition rate in our
new hires
• The magnitude of the number of deputies hired
in this current environment is beyond
phenomenal
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What did we do?
• What has been accomplished should have been
celebrated, it wasn't
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What does Fully Staffed Mean?
• Due to the dynamics of Law Enforcement no agency is ever
fully staffed based on the definition some are attempting to
use
• Why?
• It currently takes 12 to 17 months to replace a deputy upon
separation from their agency
From the decision to hire a new deputy to the point at which a new deputy is working a patrol district is
approximately 17 months.
• Pre-hire process=12 weeks
• Wait for next available academy=22 weeks
• WSCJTC Academy=19 weeks
• Post academy orientation=3 weeks
• Field training program=14 to 18 weeks
Total=70 to 74 weeks 53
Our New Hiring and Training Model
Goals and Expectations
• Pre-hire is 9 weeks
• 28 weeks for academy
• 37 weeks or 9.25 months to achieve fully trained
deputy working the street
• 35 weeks of savings in:
• Time
• Money
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What is needed to achieve the definition in question?
• Find a way to prevent staff from ever: retiring/getting
injured/resigning/etc.
• OR
• Have pre-hire positions to deal with anticipated losses
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Is the Spokane County Sheriff's Office
Fully Staffed?
• This presentation was a long answer to a very
easy question
• Yes, the Spokane County Sheriff's Office is fully
staffed
• Something my peers around the nation find amazing
• Yes, that means some of them are in training
• Just like every other Law Enforcement agency in the
nation
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