Council member Andres Gargueta briefed the Spokane City Council on a sponsor-substitute for resolution 2025-0095 at the Oct. 27 agenda review that reduces the proposed frequency of Community Days and directs the administration to study parking validation.

Gargueta said the substitute specifies who would organize and plan the events, drops the frequency from once-a-month to “at least seven” events, and asks the administration to examine the viability of validated parking during large events or legislative sessions. “Some of that new language in the resolution came from the equity subcommittee,” he said, noting the draft names the director of communications and community engagement, council staff and administrative staff as possible organizers.

Council members pressed where responsibility should sit. Council President Wilkerson said the Office of Neighborhood Services (ONS) told her they could take on the work with neighborhood councils; she asked whether it should be managed by administration rather than being a council-run function. Gargueta said the resolution’s language allows the administration to be the lead, and that ONS could be the implementing office.

On the parking question, Council member Beale and Council member Landon discussed a validation model rather than wide-area free parking to avoid non-event parking use. Landon noted an estimate that monthly validation would reduce parking revenue by about $700 — a figure he described as “pretty minimal.” Beale said staff could run cost figures quickly.

No formal vote on the resolution was recorded during the agenda review; the briefing is intended to finalize sponsor language before the item moves through the formal agenda process.