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Residents press council on homelessness, police conduct, scooters and tenant issues at open forum
Summary
At the council’s open forum residents urged action on affordable housing and disability supports, alleged police harassment, warned about Lime scooters’ sidewalk dangers, and raised tenant and pest-control concerns; staff offered to follow up with individuals after the meeting.
Residents used the council’s open forum to press a range of concerns that the council did not vote on but said staff would follow up on.
Desiree, a public commenter, urged support for the council’s affordable-housing funding and said many people experiencing homelessness have disabilities. "About 50 or more percent of people experiencing homelessness in The United States have some form of disability," she said, and urged stronger supports for single disabled individuals who lack access to resources and closed voucher lists.
William Aurelana told the council he moved to Spokane three years ago and said he has been repeatedly harassed by law enforcement after attempting to report a landlord he named as Steve Johnson for illegally surveilling tenants. William said he has recordings and alleged that officers violated his rights twice, including an arrest and search. The chair offered to speak with him after the meeting and staff invited him to leave contact information.
Will Hewlings, who lives downtown, urged action on safety problems he attributes to dockless Lime scooters, describing daily near-misses on sidewalks and urging either an ordinance or public education. "I almost get hit almost daily because people decide to haul down sidewalks," he said, adding he avoids walking his dog at night because of reckless riders.
Other commenters raised free-speech concerns about a poetry-at-the-podium program and urged that individual speakers, not entire programs, be held accountable for profanity. Tanya urged the city to address pest infestations in rental housing and argued that disabled tenants should not bear the cost of pest control. Dave, identifying himself as a lifelong tenant, criticized an offensive billboard on Northwest Boulevard and said he plans to organize a protest.
Council members and staff consistently told speakers they would follow up outside the meeting; no formal council action on these open-forum items was recorded.
The chair closed open forum and the meeting adjourned.
