Spokane council withholds $221,515.92 payment as members press for discussion on Track shelter lease buyout

Council member Cathcart moved Monday to strike check number 801-36086 — a $221,515.92 payment to Lawrence B. Stone Properties — from the consent agenda, saying the council had not been briefed on the expense and should deliberate before the city spends the money. “The motion that I intend to make is to strike check 801-36086, which is a payment to Lawrence B. Stone Properties in the amount of $221,515.92,” Council member Cathcart said.

The measure to suspend the rules so the change could be made passed on a voice vote, and the subsequent motion to withhold the check was approved by the council. Council staff said the administration will add the item to next week’s agenda for further discussion and possible formal action.

The move grew out of an ongoing effort by the administration to end the city’s lease at the Track shelter. Several council members said they support ending the lease but objected to learning the buyout amount only after the payment was issued. “If we control the power of the purse … it is fair to say this should have come before us for a $230,000 price tag,” Council member Bingle said. Council member McClitzky also said he supported getting out of the lease but welcomed a one‑week delay to resolve outstanding questions.

Other council members pushed back, saying delaying the payment could force the city to continue paying rent on an unused building. “A delay means that we're actually just sitting and paying rent for an empty building that we're not using,” a council member argued during the debate.

Council members asked the administration to clarify what budget will cover the buyout and whether state funds discussed in prior briefings would be used. Council member Dillon said state wind‑down funds had been discussed as a possible source but recommended answering outstanding questions before final action.

Legal and procedural concerns were also raised. Council member McAd(e)hart said the city code requires contracts or expenditures over $50,000 to come to council and argued that council should be briefed even if the administration believes the lease termination language gives it authority to act without prior council approval.

The council approved removing the payment from the consent agenda and directed staff to return with additional information at the next meeting. The council also separately voted to take the Consistent Care Services contract (an opioid hotspot coordination contract) out of the consent agenda to be considered independently; that contract passed separately (see related article).