In Woodward's Words

Mayor Nadine Woodward proposed a 2023 preliminary budget that invests in people.

People in our neighborhoods.

People who need housing.

People who deliver services.

Indigenous Peoples Day Holiday

Monday, Oct. 10, marks the City of Spokane's seventh observance of Indigenous Peoples Day!

• On-street parking meters and kiosks will not require payment.
• Garbage, recycling, and yard waste pickup will proceed on a normal schedule.
• Spokane City Council briefing session and legislative meeting will be held on their regular schedule.

For more information visit our website!

Riverside Park Water Reclamation Facility Update

The Riverside Park Water Reclamation Facility team works every day to protect our environment and uphold regulation standards. They routinely address aging infrastructure by working on a total plant assessment and now they are preparing for winter operations. Pretreatment Chemists are busy monitoring and issuing corrective action for violations on pretreatment standards, such as nickel from a metal finisher’s mop water or grease from a rendering plant. They are also issuing Industrial Discharge Agreement Renewals as they expire. Recently, the team hosted tours for the Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association conference to share operations information and the Mike Taylor Tertiary Membrane Facility.

Spokane Veterans Stand Down and Resource Fair

The Third Annual Spokane Veterans Stand Down and Resource Fair will take place on Saturday, Oct. 15, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. at the Salvation Army. The free event will give regional veterans and their families an opportunity to learn about community resources including health care, housing solutions, employment, education, legal services, food assistance, free haircuts, mental health counseling, suicide prevention and more. Click here to learn more.

Council Recap

Council Member Betsy Wilkerson recaps the Monday, Oct. 3, Spokane City Council meeting.

Division Street Lane Closures

Wednesday, Oct. 5 through Saturday, Oct. 15, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., two lanes of Division Street will be closed between Second and Sprague Avenues for emergency BNSF repair work. Drivers may experience additional congestion in both directions of I-90 near Division Street and are encouraged to use alternative routes. 

This work is expected to last ten days and will take place from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. Division Street will fully reopen daily after 7 p.m. 

Updated Pocket Resource Guide Available

The Pocket Resource Guide that lists emergency shelters, meal sites, resources and drop-in centers in Spokane has been updated. 

Ridpath Club Apartments Wins Edson Award for Historic Preservation

Last month, the Ridpath Club Apartments won a national award at the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition's Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Awards. The Ridpath was honored for their impactful use of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (Housing Credit). Click here to learn more.

City of Spokane Jobs

The City of Spokane is hiring! The classification opening for recruitment this week is:

• Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Maintenance Mechanic

For a full list of job openings with the City of Spokane click here.

Coronavirus Information

COVID-19 Vaccines

• COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.
• Everyone 6 months and older are now eligible to get a free COVID-19 vaccination.
• Everyone 5 years and older is eligible for boosters.
• Learn about the different vaccines available.

COVID-19 Testing Sites

Drive-up and walk-up COVID-19 testing sites are open to the community. These testing sites offer free testing and are open to anyone who is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or has recently been exposed to someone with COVID-19.

Need Mental Health Help?

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 9-8-8

Contact 24/7: Frontier Crisis Line (877) 266-1818

Contact or Walk-In: Inland Northwest Behavioral Health (509) 992-1888

CHAS Health: (509) 444-8200

Excelsior Wellness Center: (509) 559-3100

Request Online Appointment

Help for children, adults and families is available via telehealth.

Teen Text and Chat Line: 844-814-TEEN (8336)

Free confidential safe place service available to any teen or young adult.

Veterans Crisis Line: (800) 273-8255

Need Resources? 

Call Washington 211 at 2-1-1 or (877) 211-9274 to speak to a local agent

Text your Zip Code to 898211 or email ew211@incontactmail.com

Apply for Basic Food assistance over the phone!

Access to resources online at: wa211.org

Sign up for their Newsletter!

Domestic Violence and

Child Abuse Prevention Resources

Prevention at Home Video Series

Trauma Recovery Services

Lutheran Community Services: (509) 747-8224

Intensive Behavioral Health, Victim Advocacy and Foster Care, are available.

Resident Assistance

The impacts of COVID have created hardships for people in many ways. The City continues to connect residents with available and eligible resources.

Utility Assistance

There are Resident Assistance programs for emergency help to pay for City utility bills, which include charges for water, wastewater, stormwater and garbage collection. Interest-free payment plans are also available for residential and commercial customers.

Rent Assistance

Due to a large volume of applications, emergency rent assistance application portals have paused accepting applications from city residents seeking rental assistance who do not have a current eviction notice.

The City continues to work with the Washington State Department of Commerce to identify potential new sources of emergency rent assistance funds for Spokane City tenants and landlords, but a timeline for re-opening the portals for members of the general public (LiveStories), households with children (Family Promise of Spokane), and members of the African-American and BIPOC community (Carl Maxey Center) is unclear.

City of Spokane residents with a current eviction notice still may receive assistance through the ERAP 2.0 program. In order to determine eligibility and the process for doing so, reach out to one of the City’s two Dispute Resolution Centers that are managing the local Eviction Resolution Pilot Program.

• Last name begins with A-M: Northwest Mediation, 509-456-0103, ext. 1
• Last name begins with N-Z: Fulcrum Dispute Resolution Clinic, 509-838-2799
• Volunteer Lawyers Program, 509-477-2674

Overall, the two-year emergency rent assistance program has distributed about $33 million to more than 6,000 households. 

Spokane Rewards. Spokane Solves. Spokane Gives

The City of Spokane is a great place to combine community support with expertise. There are over 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!

Parking Advisory Committee 

The Parking Advisory Committee is currently accepting applications for four vacancies. The individuals selected for these positions may serve staggered terms to accommodate the number of new positions. The positions will remain open until filled.

The 11-member parking advisory committee is nominated by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council to advise the City on investments in the parking environment, policy and rate setting as informed by the parking studies. 

Those interested in being considered may submit a completed application to the Mayor's Office at mayor@spokanecity.org.

Autumn Adventures: Fall Activity Guide

The fall activity guide is out! Look inside for hundreds of opportunities for all ages, interests, and abilities. Click here to read the online only guide!

On the Bright Side

Last week, the City of Spokane hosted a Supported Employment Job Fair! Our Civil Service Department is actively recruiting Supported Employment applicants. If you are a job seeker with a disability visit our website to apply!