Spokane council adopts emergency ordinance revising camping, obstruction rules; vote 7-0

The Spokane City Council passed 7-0 an emergency ordinance titled "Safe and Accessible Spaces" that revises the city's home ordinance to more directly address public camping and obstruction in streets and other public spaces. Council Member Kitty Klitzke announced the vote and said the ordinance also clarifies the council's intent to offer services to people in need while maintaining safety in public areas.

The ordinance was adopted as an emergency measure by a unanimous 7-0 vote. According to Council Member Kitty Klitzke, the ordinance revises the existing home ordinance to "more effectively address public camping and obstruction and to clarify council's intent to offer services to those in need while maintaining a safe environment in our streets and public spaces." The transcript did not provide additional text of the ordinance, implementation dates, or department responsibilities.

Council did not identify a timeline for implementation or list required departmental actions during the announcement. The transcript also did not specify which city department will lead outreach or service provision, whether funding is required or available, or whether the ordinance will be subject to later revision. Those details were not specified in the public statement recorded in the transcript.

Council Member Kitty Klitzke delivered the announcement during a brief council update. No public comment, amendment language, or roll-call of individual council members was recorded in the provided transcript beyond the tally of 7-0.