Spokane council amends planning commission work plan, adopts consolidated mid‑biennial ordinance amendment on budget timing and priorities

Spokane City Council amended the planning commission work plan and adopted a consolidated amendment to an existing ordinance as part of its agenda-review meeting, and it published timing changes for next week’s joint meeting with the Community Assembly.

On the planning commission item, council members Cathcart and Klitschke (spelled Klitzky in parts of the transcript) proposed an amendment to add three items to the commission’s work plan, including a complete streets update. Council member Dillon moved and a second was recorded; the amendment was adopted by voice vote when the presiding officer called for ayes and received no recorded noes or abstentions.

Separately, the council suspended the rules to consider an amendment to Ordinance C-36641 as part of the mid‑biennial review process. Council members Wilkerson, Dillon and Cathcart offered a consolidated amendment that staff described as synthesizing administration and council changes. Mister Wright summarized the package as changes to timing of the budget process (moving some deadlines to a bimonthly cadence and adjusting reporting requirements), explicitly naming the budget director as a party in budget negotiations, and creating a calendar by resolution for council budget priorities. One council member acknowledged the “diligent work and just a collaboration” among Cathcart and Dillon in producing the consolidated amendment. The council approved the suspension of the rules and adopted the amendment by voice vote.

Council staff also briefed the council about next week’s schedule: Jacoby said the council will hold a joint meeting with the Community Assembly at 5:00 p.m. in the Council Briefing Center on March 31 and then start the regular legislative session at 6:30 p.m. to allow CA members to attend. Jacoby said, “we will be having a joint CA meeting at 05:00 in the Council Briefing Center.” Council members asked for the agenda to be published in advance; staff agreed to publish the special meeting agenda before the meeting.

Why it matters: The planning commission additions will steer the commission’s workload; the ordinance amendment adjusts internal budget timing and formalizes a process for the council to present priorities to staff, which could change the schedule for future budget deliberations.

Next steps: The amended work plan and consolidated ordinance language were adopted at this meeting. Staff will publish the March 31 joint meeting agenda and the council will proceed under the revised timelines and reporting requirements for budget work.