[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6257069,"mediaKeyId","3155087-79a11f93466daee8fb5b6e4621013636","parentId",3155087,"title","Spokane County commissioners unanimously approve multiple proclamations and approve consent and two public-hearing items","audioSeconds",3312,"startMs",68479,"endMs",3380925,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3155087-79a11f93466daee8fb5b6e4621013636&start=68&end=3380","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3155087-79a11f93466daee8fb5b6e4621013636/thumbnail_68479.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6257069/Spokane-County/Washington/Spokane-County-commissioners-unanimously-approve-multiple-proclamations-and-approve-consent-and-two-public-hearing-items","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6257069-d711a571728c64a73386c7c54ddd69c6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771102705&Signature=PJe7doEejOsGliAjDeKCtASJimj-T0UyeWxIt5J7CKG6P1hcUtFnHpr-LQoZ~~hi1er4KdelbG8PG87xbfIORlzPUudOUCOAcrAp3WWBFoxvE9RfpRnNrpeF3HpcVNyk9qSyvmflBor0NBjYMd3qvtqmZPxM5n9~psS0Eisfb0b-UWNesnur5pkL0bQiQusxJiRBPhhIP88Bhx0~tpjlpJlfNTWngXflw8PAt39uAHieaIgBbQVLcMO6-oWHrqGbFPe8i2YonoY3sv4zaYhmk9tfARYJR0MoCvqg~ipAjFj3tO8RNUn54S~8Rs6fHdkrFfbPP6utyi4NXWz08yYZUw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Spokane County, WA","date","2025-04-29T20:56:29Z","article","Spokane County’s Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously April 29 to adopt four proclamations honoring local and national observances, approved the consent agenda and approved two public-hearing items: a county road renaming and the disposal of surplus county property by auction.

The board proclaimed May 2025 as Therapeutic Court Month, calling out Spokane County’s role in operating specialty courts including felony therapeutic drug court, co-occurring disorders court, felony mental health court, the Spokane Regional Mental Health Court, Veterans Enhanced Regional Treatment Court, and DUI therapeutic court. Presiding Superior Court Judge Shelley Zamplin thanked the board “on behalf of Spokane Superior Court and our therapeutic team” and said Spokane established one of the first drug courts in Washington nearly 30 years ago.

District Court Presiding Judge Jeff Smith described recent graduations and read an excerpt from a DUI-court graduate: “my journey before and during my time in DUI court was not the most pleasant in my life. ... Most importantly, I learned that no matter how much the DUI courts team and members were there to encourage and support me, real change was up to me.” County Clerk Tim Fitzgerald also emphasized data used to track outcomes, saying the national recidivism rate in criminal courts is “72 percent to 75 percent” while Spokane’s veterans court recidivism “is 5.7” (as spoken at the meeting).

Other proclamations approved unanimously included April 30 as National Therapy Animal Day; May 2025 as National Correctional Officers and Employees Week, which recognized detention services staff and their awards and supports; and May 2025 as Behavioral Health Awareness Month, with remarks from Justin Johnson, director of Community Services, Chantal Lisky of NAMI Spokane and Kim Taylor, chair of the Spokane County Behavioral Health Advisory Board.

The board also moved, seconded and passed the consent agenda items 4, 5 and 6 (including subitems) by voice vote. In public hearings, the board approved a county road name change (Old PSH 11 to Third Avenue/Third Street; County Engineer file 1628) and declared specified county personal property surplus for disposition by auction, recycling or destruction (project 25-15). Each motion carried by unanimous voice vote with five commissioners present.

Votes at a glance

- Proclaim May 2025 as Therapeutic Court Month — motion read by Commissioner Jordan; passed unanimously (5-0).
- Proclaim April 30, 2025 as National Therapy Animal Day — passed unanimously (5-0).
- Proclaim May 2025 as National Correctional Officers and Employees Week — passed unanimously (5-0).
- Proclaim May 2025 as Behavioral Health Awareness Month — passed unanimously (5-0).
- Approve consent agenda items 4–6, with all subitems — passed unanimously (5-0).
- Approve road name change Old PSH 11 to Third Avenue (County Engineer file 1628) — passed unanimously (5-0).
- Declare county-owned personal property surplus for disposition (project 25-15) — passed unanimously (5-0).

Why it matters: The proclamations recognize county programs (therapeutic courts, behavioral health, corrections, therapy-animal volunteers) and highlight local partners and volunteers. The road rename and surplus-property disposal are routine administrative actions but change public records and address signage in a portion of the county.

What to expect next: Proclamation recipients and department staff took photos at the meeting; items requiring execution (for example, signage following the road rename and auction scheduling for surplused items) will be handled by county staff and relevant departments.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2024.04.29 Legislative Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","On April 29 the Board of County Commissioners adopted proclamations recognizing Therapeutic Court Month, National Therapy Animal Day, National Correctional Officers and Employees Week, and Behavioral Health Awareness Month; the board also approved consent agenda items 4–6 and two public hearings (a road rename and surplus-property auction).","taxTitle","Spokane County, Washington","taxId",2643,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6257074,"Spokane County hears West Plains residents’ concerns about contaminated wells; commissioner announces $7.495 million state grant for filtration",1086,715170,1801895,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3155087-79a11f93466daee8fb5b6e4621013636&start=715&end=1801","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3155087-79a11f93466daee8fb5b6e4621013636/thumbnail_715170.jpg","/articles/6257074/Spokane-County/Washington/Spokane-County-hears-West-Plains-residents-concerns-about-contaminated-wells-commissioner-announces-7495-million-state-grant-for-filtration","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6257074-38769e40e8f06ca203c563bfc83e1c72/orig.mp4?Expires=1771102705&Signature=k~B9XEqEwGsKN02FYxekSZvIPAklcEwyrwu0dv0V6Zs8n~IDm-zV09CD8BZD~E47B-jyUQ4RYIvvCjjuoQsjirfVL6Cfnw8Bpk5a-uOqWwa9YayoJh1oGJ6vCb87ampebX-ciCHsWASwqIH740nb1BoJ~zyVhMGdCJgSGUDHpyM~-K6WGhzIeBaIijWqmnB-U6-dcsvdUrZXfXVHgIhgd-EtKJ3-46-2ahVJnkbaTpXWEBoS31W7UjJm0yPs9fSEvfxwzifkY2So9NVlq3U-pEPmRRsFr9pVBmFP7zMSkTRKGXrTsZb1ND8w5vnIzCPSxd9H4B4wKUYwPok0h2Dgeg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Spokane County commissioners heard multiple public comments April 29 urging faster, clearer county action on contamination of private wells on the West Plains and announced state funding to begin household filtration work.

At an open-public-forum segment, several residents described a sense of being left out of internal county planning and urged a sustained, collaborative response. Craig Ballasing of the West Plains asked the county to “help keep us informed so our input is more up to date.” John Hancock told the board private wells on the West Plains “have a contamination that can't be fixed using just the perspectives of people who live in town,” and urged the commissioners to move beyond campaign promises to continuous action.

Commissioner Pam French told the board the state legislature has approved funding to assist West Plains residents. “We did hear, yesterday, that the state legislature, has awarded ... 7.495 — I round up to $7,500,000 — to provide water filtration for residents in the West Plains,” French said. She added county staff will work with the state, the Washington State Department of Ecology and the Washington State Department of Health to prepare a contract and deploy point-of-entry treatment (POET) systems to affected homes.

Other public commenters included members of a group calling itself the Spokane County Assembly and residents who urged new forms of engagement between county officials and the West Plains community. One speaker, who identified themself as Dream, told the commission they opposed increased law-enforcement spending and urged investment in housing, mental health care and clean water.

Why it matters: West Plains residents have reported contamination concerns affecting private wells; the announced state funding sets a step toward household filtration while county and state agencies sort implementation details such as contracting and equipment siting. Commissioner French named the Department of Ecology and the Department of Health as partners in the coming work.

What the record shows and what remains to be decided: French described the awarded amount as roughly $7.495 million and said staff will prepare the contract with the state and work on deploying POET systems. The board did not vote on a related ordinance or allocation at this meeting; the announcement was informational and directional. The specific list of eligible addresses, timeline for installations, and how remaining local matching funds (if any) will be handled were not specified during the meeting.

Public-comment context and next steps: Residents repeatedly asked for more two-way communication from county staff and for formal mechanisms—such as a task force—to guide aquifer protection. Commissioners acknowledged the concerns; Commissioner French committed to partnership with state agencies to implement filtration. Additional procedural steps, procurement actions, or required approvals from state agencies were not finalized during the session and will be addressed in follow-up staff work.","Residents told the county they lack timely information about aquifer protection as private wells show contamination; Commissioner French said the state will award $7.495 million to fund point-of-entry treatment and related work on the West Plains.","actionData","errors"]

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Spokane County commissioners unanimously approve multiple proclamations and approve consent and two public-hearing items

Spokane County hears West Plains residents’ concerns about contaminated wells; commissioner announces $7.495 million state grant for filtration