Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!

Open forum: residents praise navigation center, warn a kratom ban would hurt small businesses and recovery supports

December 09, 2025 | Spokane, Spokane County, Washington


This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error »

Open forum: residents praise navigation center, warn a kratom ban would hurt small businesses and recovery supports
Open forum brought multiple residents to the podium with praise, policy concerns and gratitude.

Chad Wendell thanked the council for passing Prop 1+ and said early results had reduced private security costs for his nonprofit properties. Larry Andrews returned to the podium to reiterate the need for coordinated advocacy to protect Spokane’s waste‑to‑energy facility.

Spencer Coffin, who identified himself as a Spokane resident and daily kratom user for chronic pain and harm reduction, urged the council not to adopt a blanket ban on kratom within city limits. He described a family‑run kratom shop that has helped people in recovery by offering discounts and assistance to those in withdrawal and argued a ban would “obliterate” their business and remove a recovery‑adjacent community space. “The planned kratom ordinance...does not regulate them. It obliterates them,” Coffin said.

Sunshine Wigan spoke about benefits she has seen from the city’s navigation center and thanked the council for the resource. Elizabeth Goldsmith used her two minutes to thank an outgoing councilmember, praising their service and wishing them well.

Open forum concluded and the council adjourned.

Don't Miss a Word: See the Full Meeting!

Go beyond summaries. Unlock every video, transcript, and key insight with a Founder Membership.

Get instant access to full meeting videos
Search and clip any phrase from complete transcripts
Receive AI-powered summaries & custom alerts
Enjoy lifetime, unrestricted access to government data
Access Full Meeting

30-day money-back guarantee

Sponsors

Proudly supported by sponsors who keep Washington articles free in 2025

Scribe from Workplace AI
Scribe from Workplace AI