Spokane City Council member Zack Zappone has a problem with downtown Spokane parking: There's too much of it. Even at the busiest time of the day on the busiest day of the week, over 44 percent of downtown parking goes unfilled. "There's a lot of parking downtown, a lot of available space, and there's a lot of need in the community for housing," Zappone says. So on Monday night, the Spokane City Council unanimously passed a Zappone-sponsored ordinance that establishes tax breaks for developers who want to turn downtown parking spaces into new housing spaces. Recent state legislation paved the way for the incentives, but requires 50 percent of the apartment units established to be affordable. Some developers, Zappone acknowledges, think that requirement is too steep, but he believes it remains a step in the right direction. Any modification beyond that is up to the folks in Olympia. (DANIEL WALTERS)
WILD HORSES AT COYOTE
Eastern Washington state Rep. Mary Dye, R-Pomeroy, is one step closer to creating a unique prison training program after the state House unanimously passed House Bill 1543 on Monday. The bill would direct the state Department of Corrections to study the creation of a wild horse training and farrier program at its largest prison, Coyote Ridge Corrections Center in Connell. The plan to replicate an Arizona program that teaches inmates to train wild horses captured on federal land was unanimously approved by the Legislature in 2020, but was among many bills vetoed by Gov. Jay Inslee that year as the pandemic raised financial uncertainty. "The program gives inmates hands-on training in the equestrian field, helps them to build self-confidence as they care for the animals, and provides the opportunity for employable skills they can use upon release," says Dye in a news release, noting recidivism is low for those who've participated in Arizona. "We want those people who serve time to be able to positively reintegrate back into society." (SAMANTHA WOHLFEIL)
THIS OLD HOUSING ORDINANCE
City Council President Breean Beggs is known for playing the long game. The really long game. So when he recalls the "very robust debate" between landlord and tenants over potential reforms, he's talking about a debate that happened back in 2018. "We gave up," Beggs says. "We deferred it." But this week, the City Council managed to pass not just one but two landlord-tenant ordinances. The first passed unanimously and lays out a plan to actually enforce the existing housing code and levels a new $15-per-unit registration fee to help enforce it. "It's a sad statement for our city that we have not been enforcing the laws on our books. Shame on us," says City Council member Betsy Wilkerson. The second includes changes that tighten inspection and records requirements, establishes a background and credit check program, and makes it easier for tenants to terminate their lease for code violations. It passed 5-2, with 'no' votes from conservative City Council members Michael Cathcart and Jonathan Bingle. Landlord Steve Wareham echoed those concerns by calling attention to his red Star Trek shirt, referencing the starship Enterprise's most expendable crew members. "This is how small landlords feel," he said. Terri Anderson, policy director for the Tenants Union of Washington State, cited a local survey that showed that of the Spokane tenants who responded, 57 percent worried about eviction. (DANIEL WALTERS)
