[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-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",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_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",6189078,"mediaKeyId","5058632-19a39bc1ca7c01c2204c54b5b3bfb3f7","parentId",5058632,"title","Spokane County Noxious Weed Board seeks assessment increase; BOCC to schedule public hearing","audioSeconds",2086,"startMs",5660000,"endMs",7746000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5058632-19a39bc1ca7c01c2204c54b5b3bfb3f7&start=5660&end=7746","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5058632-19a39bc1ca7c01c2204c54b5b3bfb3f7/thumbnail_5660000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6189078/Spokane-County/Washington/Spokane-County-Noxious-Weed-Board-seeks-assessment-increase-BOCC-to-schedule-public-hearing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6189078-0e0b68f333aa514f753ffa73bd4ce243/orig.mp4?Expires=1771063320&Signature=IVMam--XA7JdO~XPRX3v9cGwl3QJO~8CO0IccnfMJqhmOuJ3eWEN7fqGuUt281~ObN5ayfc8OdZy883hfhcgDh8LA8RDE75MsHLJJEmOOrF10E2oS57qEBCeV-Yoff~6WHizqFWSf-JClEXcOMn8E4-oCNLaJa4lBFP9OqqKytKKXstGxKO9QV2OLiRVqyk3Xyx~ZL6skT09gfh6aYUP1rlkHbHYreHtnKwjhLxx5mU46zQ0MtQ~xmcC-Ydtd~RHm8iaAOdqcobg~NXnfHhkccOsNb9rc9x0CCq24fDZbRO8ND9Yd1GJdLA04FedbS0keQmNEAeMYy-EQOlKFu939Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Spokane County, WA","date","2025-06-25T07:23:32Z","article","The Spokane County Noxious Weed Board presented a proposed increase to its assessment rates at the June 24 briefing, asking the Board of County Commissioners to schedule the statutorily required county-level public hearing on the recommendation.

Board representatives said noxious-weed complaints, detections and notice contacts have risen substantially since the assessment’s last update and that the board needs more full-time staff and dedicated project funding to support a countywide eradication, outreach and owner-assistance program. The board described large economic risks from certain species (citing Washington State Department of Agriculture analyses), highlighted recent first detections in the county and said its workload has grown faster than population. The board described plans to increase program capacity, add full-time inspectors and expand seasonal staffing and outreach.

Why it matters: the county’s noxious-weed assessment funds inspections, notices and enforcement and — the board argued — enables eradication of newly detected high-priority species. The board said it has pursued grants in the past and will do so more aggressively if it can commit matching funds from assessments.

Process and next steps: county legal counsel (Mister Riccio) advised the commissioners that state law requires the noxious-weed board to hold its own public hearing and then forward the recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners; the county must then hold a separate public hearing with at least 10 days’ notice. The county clerk was instructed to place the commissioners’ public hearing notice on the next legislative agenda so the BOCC can consider the noxious-weed board’s recommended assessment increase.

Public input and concerns: the noxious-weed board reported limited public comment at its hearing but noted at least one commenter urging stronger communication with right-of-way managers (state and other agencies) to ensure effective control on major corridors, a point commissioners said was relevant to program priorities.

Ending: commissioners directed staff to schedule the required public hearing and asked county staff to ensure the hearing is noticed and the noxious-weed board’s materials are provided in advance.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025.06.24 Board Briefing Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The Spokane County Noxious Weed Control Board requested higher assessments to expand staffing and program capacity; county legal staff said state law requires the county commissioners to hold a separate public hearing on the board’s recommendation and the board placed a hearing on the commissioners’ upcoming agenda.","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},6189083,"Sheriff’s office seeks renewal and restructuring of corrections sign-on bonuses amid staffing and overtime pressures",204,3002000,3206000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5058632-19a39bc1ca7c01c2204c54b5b3bfb3f7&start=3002&end=3206","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5058632-19a39bc1ca7c01c2204c54b5b3bfb3f7/thumbnail_3002000.jpg","/articles/6189083/Spokane-County/Washington/Sheriffs-office-seeks-renewal-and-restructuring-of-corrections-sign-on-bonuses-amid-staffing-and-overtime-pressures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6189083-795204d1ff65da21d2ce6da1ff7f92a1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771063320&Signature=PEqX89C5e6IrQ1BaF0B3~rVkEOEs7-XdzfgUZzAupqQt6nXvsANSZm4M9OpDq1hk-tvrDiJbkgm1JJPgV6TjKHOniv6s9oZU3FMulJhTUQ9z~wLVUvRE7XF8RUGpZA41YFY~RPo9V8gadIDFiLR~fN6e0rwCXfCEKgvoodX~t1Z8UV7gR8bqPsZ2Os1ArD8WgVRBGV9PAj7sAMFSPMEBlCU-gQkhyZuvQDRUDPaII55FofM7WTDYKvtH4wkrmxsvgTs-lz0dD8IsF7dr5RlraEbKDQaEoiDeOerqtxi-umH93WyrKp3D73JrfplYWsWvj6-kYQbeWWN~XytB~~rMrQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Spokane County sheriff’s office told the Board of County Commissioners on June 24 it seeks renewal and a restructuring of sign-on bonuses for corrections officers and related positions to address persistent vacancies and high overtime costs.

Sheriff’s office staff said the sign-on program has been in place since February 2021 and has supported hiring 84 people under the bonus program; total cost since 2021 is about $656,000. The office reported 20 active corrections-officer vacancies at the time of the briefing (218 authorized corrections positions), with another three expected to leave in the coming weeks; the office said it continues to operate a rolling training pipeline and that about 15 employees were in training at the time of the briefing.

Proposal details: the sheriff’s office requested a change in payout timing for the $10,000 corrections sign-on: shift from two half-year payments to a three-step schedule (day 1: $3,000; mid-year: $3,000; end of year 1: $4,000) for entry and lateral corrections officers. The office asked for a larger increase for cook positions — from $3,500 to $10,000 — describing the cook role as the hardest to fill; sheriff’s staff reported three cook vacancies and said they had received 154 cook applications in the year but had hired none to date because of no-shows, failed interviews or incomplete background paperwork.

Staffing and overtime context: the department said its overtime spending approaches $4 million annually and that continued hiring is intended to reduce overtime. The office estimated that if vacancies fell into the mid-teens, staffing levels would be much improved; however, high training demands, required in-service hours and transport duties continue to generate overtime. Corrections staff projected hiring about 12 new corrections officers in the remainder of 2025 in a best-case hiring scenario.

HR and budget context: county HR (Ashley Cloud) said the county continues to support the sign-on bonuses, especially increasing the cook incentive because of scarce applicants and drop-off in application completion. Staff indicated the sign-on program is an annual renewal request; commissioners asked county budget staff whether the payment would affect the county’s salary-recapture strategy and were told the county was not currently planning to recapture vacancy dollars tied to those positions but would monitor the budget and adjust if needed.

Policy tweaks: the briefing also covered a related lateral incentive for deputies (accrued paid time off rather than cash) that county leaders proposed to modify; the sheriff requested expanding eligibility from five years of prior experience down to two years for the lateral vacation/sick-time incentive, a change HR cautioned could increase administrative complexity if tiered accruals were introduced. HR flagged Workday implementation complexity and the administrative burden of creating multiple leave plans if the board authorized tiered accruals.

Next steps: staff indicated the sign-on policy and contract amendments would be placed on the board’s consent agenda at an upcoming legislative meeting if commissioners were agreeable; commissioners asked staff to return with more data on lateral versus entry hires, year-by-year sign-on payouts and the plan for funding the renewals.

Ending: commissioners asked for follow-up budget and hiring data; no formal board action to renew the bonuses was recorded in the briefing itself, and staff said the program request was for annual renewal.","Spokane County Sheriff’s Office requested renewal and modification of sign-on bonuses for corrections officers and cooks, proposing payout timing changes and higher incentives for kitchen positions; staff described vacancies, training loads and overtime pressures, and HR supported continuation of sign-on incentives.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6189087,"County staff recommend regional review for proposed Spokane Valley mental-health facility",100,2302000,2402000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5058632-19a39bc1ca7c01c2204c54b5b3bfb3f7&start=2302&end=2402","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5058632-19a39bc1ca7c01c2204c54b5b3bfb3f7/thumbnail_2302000.jpg","/articles/6189087/Spokane-County/Washington/County-staff-recommend-regional-review-for-proposed-Spokane-Valley-mental-health-facility","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6189087-7a9afe2863e0fe114c23f5742e81f045/orig.mp4?Expires=1771063320&Signature=fpKXm~hgL78f7pVpvSUULnSu2j4w1H3bvfFP0EJEMCxkEBwsL8uOym4XCQmESrFjFuzIF9VMZPNgyt6qUypOoS1jY-h9gxVLOaPp~VTla6qhdM26ZJTc1-BMYVPZ~CKDcjTBmNncWqlbk849-whOLEieTJdSRlnxbnxoO14eR7fETwJ0cKTcdmA5eMKf8DjH9GF~LUCCW0Ck3l7ojyM36P4fDCeDAbBfu4fQk3Hvzb06syUWmdqJ7RqB8a0ekLVdOyoVzXAnXBGf-EJiXe~C5KQL0sb8gKDZdkXeaFn9ouVHA9M1vvn3~PQTkZrAhQMeoj2UeiToZaZqiNO6-KXxeg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County planning staff returned to the Board of County Commissioners on June 24 with a recommendation that a proposed behavioral-health facility in Spokane Valley be designated as county/regional significance under the county’s EPF (essential public facilities) guidelines.

Staff said additional research indicated the applicant (MultiCare) expects to recruit and treat patients from across Washington, increasing the scope beyond a single local impact. \"We have come to the conclusion that this is a facility that will be recruiting and taking patients from across the state, not just in the county,\" a staff member told commissioners.

Why that matters: If the board finds the project to have county or regional significance, the applicant must follow the EPF facility and quantitative-analysis guidelines to produce a set of candidate sites. Staff explained that the applicant will produce a larger list of potential sites, from which the board will narrow to three finalist sites for a public hearing and then make a preferred-site recommendation; permitting would still occur at the local level for the preferred host jurisdiction.

Process and timeline: Staff said a resolution formalizing the regional/county-significance finding would be before the board at the July 8 legislative meeting. No statutory timeline is imposed on the applicant; staff said the onus is on the applicant to complete the EPF analyses and return. Commissioners asked whether hospitals and other providers had been consulted; staff said the EPF process requires the applicant to do the outreach and analysis and that the county will advertise and include interested providers in the public hearing when the finalist sites are ready.

Concerns and context: Commissioners raised questions about local bed capacity (MultiCare is converting a floor) and whether hospitals in the region were aware. Staff said one hospital said it had not been informed and noted the EPF process is intended in part to ensure that broader stakeholders are engaged in facility siting decisions. Staff noted three EPF levels (local, county/regional, statewide) and said impacts are evaluated by geographic reach of patients and severity of impacts.

Ending: Staff emphasized the intention to return to the board with a formal resolution on July 8 and with scoring matrices and finalist-site materials if the regional designation is adopted.","County planning staff told commissioners they recommend finding a proposed Spokane Valley facility to be of county/regional significance, triggering an EPF-guided site-selection and public-review process to identify up to three finalist sites.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6189092,"Veterans group asks Spokane County to add 988 emblems to county vehicles; commissioners ask staff for cost estimate",279,1720000,1999000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5058632-19a39bc1ca7c01c2204c54b5b3bfb3f7&start=1720&end=1999","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5058632-19a39bc1ca7c01c2204c54b5b3bfb3f7/thumbnail_1720000.jpg","/articles/6189092/Spokane-County/Washington/Veterans-group-asks-Spokane-County-to-add-988-emblems-to-county-vehicles-commissioners-ask-staff-for-cost-estimate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6189092-8b574d42161d2778c3b15a2e1c223a67/orig.mp4?Expires=1771063320&Signature=mUViGeUBepYtcYtEKII18IKs54f4kJeXCBP5Jl7D159jcxSIVJvP9owK9VSk29EGtei-~APrLq8947ngSjl0O4vmrE7sYLuspMdgMFhtkz1pKetkzDSg3Xn8K9Zp2CDmY8o90R~LA3f~aM-1YnwOVJQTaHifmOkr-d8NPEoffxNAM0Xc9QWQnGEExepFzxQd7FjEJ2cOCPHr4m7ZcMy8NcQ1TvBBzC~7zGUtVf0-4980BZr4X7q8238pBI-nqMwvlpZvFT5mQPn-pPydv03LQikJAePM32u6wCTZPrSRCTihCFi8~KbwR9qYIwHgmFzi126PrMeYnPnw1YmWeDM2sA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Holly Stingline, suicide-prevention program specialist with the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, asked Spokane County on June 24 to approve purchase and placement of 988 crisis-line emblems on county vehicles as a public sign of support for crisis services.

Stingline said the 988 lifeline provides 24/7 crisis counseling and that emblems exist for license-plate attachment: \"Adding these to county vehicles sends a powerful message that Spokane County is committed to mental health, to destigmatizing crisis support, and to being there for our community,\" she said. She gave a per-emblem cost of $10 plus a one-time $8 processing fee and said monies from emblem purchases support local prevention programs focused on veterans and their families.

Board discussion: Commissioners asked staff for the number of county-owned vehicles and which fleets would be appropriate for emblems (public-works and other frequently seen vehicles were cited as priorities). County staff estimated public-works vehicles in the \"200 range\" and said law-enforcement and undercover vehicles would likely be excluded for operational reasons. Commissioner discussion referenced Liberty Lake and Lacey, Washington, where local jurisdictions have previously placed emblems on vehicles.

Action and funding: Commissioner Scott (surname in transcript \"Scott\") moved to direct staff to identify eligible vehicles and return to the board with an estimate of cost for purchase; the board indicated it would fund the purchase from veteran-services program funds rather than general reserves. County staff said Spokane County’s veteran-services budget could cover initial purchases for up to about 200 emblems; staff also noted the Department of Licensing maintains emblem stock but may require advance notice for large orders.

Next steps: The board directed County fleet staff (Mister Simmons) to compile eligible-vehicle counts and an estimated price and report back to the commissioners. Commissioners signaled support for the initiative but did not record a final purchase vote during the briefing.

Ending: Commissioners said they supported the visibility and veteran-focused funding model and requested a follow-up estimate and vehicle list before final authorization.","A Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs representative asked Spokane County to place 988 crisis-line emblems on county vehicles; commissioners directed staff to identify eligible vehicles and estimate costs for board review.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6189096,"Spokane County seeks renewed data-sharing with health district as overdose rates climb",397,1116000,1513000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5058632-19a39bc1ca7c01c2204c54b5b3bfb3f7&start=1116&end=1513","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5058632-19a39bc1ca7c01c2204c54b5b3bfb3f7/thumbnail_1116000.jpg","/articles/6189096/Spokane-County/Washington/Spokane-County-seeks-renewed-data-sharing-with-health-district-as-overdose-rates-climb","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6189096-bbc27a91a1d36b7ca8d7048ab54288cc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771063320&Signature=gBx-KQedrXn8b-K2d3iGj-meyQKKICGz~8rWw09zteftiKDb9ZVvi6kk9hCfyZyRkN4Zy0e006hrQqgkPC6UgSyy~s3XHEFPTOvd~RRF0MmCHXlc3R6iMm8Jhfxo2Hkno1dr1JE3dcu6siNALgOzh7dod2hAP2U23ROURCa7Ohk9tBR7x9vGY3ZWDXW0KHZEZ1V5lOE1~n14AEArpkzBr8MOPkwAHHuEwDFJGEI0y0mfKMZbUIN3PeRGsZW6m4ef~Enu~TKgohAsDooY2lQIZJUB2VV86bXrFHzldPm53FWqRhePe4fih5uHZ6-h9s6L79ffM~WKt8D1r0p13zmd~Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Spokane County medical examiner’s office asked the Board of County Commissioners on June 24 to renew an interlocal agreement with the Spokane Regional Health District for the child fatality multidisciplinary case review panel and to begin a new interlocal agreement to participate in an adult overdose and suicide death review panel.

The request, presented by Dr. Singh of the medical examiner’s office, calls for Spokane County to provide data and record access to the health district and for a county pathologist to participate on the panels. \"They are convening an adult fatality death review panel. And this is, specifically to review deaths caused by overdose and suicide and withdrawal,\" Singh said during the briefing.

Why it matters: county leaders said the data-sharing and review panels are intended to identify preventable factors and reduce deaths. The same presentation included Washington Department of Health-coded death-certificate data showing Spokane County’s overdose death rates continuing to trend upward through the first quarter of 2025, while the statewide rate has flattened or declined.

The county’s slides, prepared using state death-certificate coding, showed higher per-100,000 rates in Spokane County than in Eastern Washington and the state for overall overdoses and for particular drug categories, including opioids, synthetic opioids (primarily fentanyl), methamphetamine-related deaths and cocaine-involved deaths. Singh noted the state’s figures are derived from death-certificate coding (ICD external-cause codes such as X40–X44) and that for county–to–state comparisons the county must rely on the Department of Health’s extraction and coding of those records.

Discussion and next steps: commissioners thanked staff for the data and asked for continued quarterly updates. No formal vote was recorded during the briefing on the two interlocal agreements; county staff asked the board for approval to renew and to enter the agreements and to have county staff participate on the panels. The presentation emphasized that the review panels depend on timely access to records and cooperation between the county coroner/medical examiner and the regional health district.

Community context: commissioners said they want recurring, timely reporting so the county can see trends month-to-month and act where possible. The presentation noted Eastern Washington was defined for the slide set as Adams, Asotin, Ferry, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens and Whitman counties.

Ending: Dr. Singh and commissioners agreed the information is essential to guiding local efforts, and the county plans further outreach and periodic updates to the board as the agreements and panels move forward.","Spokane County public-health officials requested two interlocal agreements with the Spokane Regional Health District to continue a child fatality review panel and to join a new adult overdose and suicide death review panel, while county data show overdose death rates rising through early 2025.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Spokane County Noxious Weed Board seeks assessment increase; BOCC to schedule public hearing

Sheriff’s office seeks renewal and restructuring of corrections sign-on bonuses amid staffing and overtime pressures

County staff recommend regional review for proposed Spokane Valley mental-health facility

Veterans group asks Spokane County to add 988 emblems to county vehicles; commissioners ask staff for cost estimate

Spokane County seeks renewed data-sharing with health district as overdose rates climb