Spokane County staff seek $12,000 interlocal amendment to support Beacon Hill Phase 2 project management

Doug Chase briefed the Spokane County Board of Commissioners on a proposed amendment to the interlocal agreement with the City of Spokane for the Beacon Hill public phase 2 enhancement work. The amendment would allow reimbursement of up to $12,000 for project manager Julia Cole’s time to provide project management support, Chase said. He framed the change as a way to capture available capacity and reduce the county’s extra-help costs in 2025, with some savings that may carry into 2026.

Chase said the county had taken the lead on grants and property acquisition in Phase 1 and that the City of Spokane has taken a lead role on enhancement work for Phase 2. He told commissioners the phase is expected to start in August but has been delayed by additional cultural‑resource information requested by the National Park Service, which is the grant funder through the Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO).

No formal motion or vote was recorded in the briefing. Chase closed by offering to answer commissioners’ questions about the request and the timing of work.

Why it matters: the amendment is intended to free up internal project management capacity while minimizing the need for additional temporary staffing in the county’s project budget. If approved by the board, the $12,000 reimbursement would be paid under the terms of the interlocal agreement and would be charged to the project budget described in the presentation.

What remains unclear: the briefing described an estimated $12,000 reimbursement but did not include the draft contract language or an agenda item record of a formal motion and vote in the transcript. The project‑start month was stated as August during the briefing but staff also noted the cultural‑resource work as a remaining condition before construction begins.