Spokane board finalizes Phase 1 climate assessment, outlines Phase 2 priorities and engagement

Spokane staff briefed the Climate Resilience and Sustainability Board on the close of Phase 1 of the city’s climate-planning grant and outlined a multi-month Phase 2 process that will develop draft goals, policies and a prioritization framework for the city’s comprehensive plan.

Phase 1 deliverables due to Washington State Commerce in early July include a climate impacts and climate justice memo, a city climate policy audit, an online climate vulnerability index and a draft climate risk and vulnerability assessment (CRVA). Marlene Murphy, the project lead, told the board “all of our materials [are] due in the next couple of days. Commerce is on the state biennium, so their deadline for all of their work as well is June 30.”

The Phase 1 work package was intended to compile facts and community feedback to ground policy choices. Murphy said the team reviewed roughly 1,200 existing policies and produced an audit to identify gaps and opportunities to align the comprehensive plan and other city strategies. She described the climate…