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Spokane council approves contract to remove Monahan statue; advocates press for plaque removal and apology
Summary
Following sustained public advocacy, the council approved a contract to relocate the Monahan statue and discussed removing an offensive plaque; public commenters asked for a formal apology to the Pacific Islander community and the contract passed on the consent calendar.
Public commenters and members of a citizens advisory group urged the Spokane City Council to approve a contract to remove the Monahan statue and to take steps to remove the monument’s offensive plaque and issue a formal apology to the Pacific Islander community.
Roberta True, identified as a member of the Citizens Advisory Council, told the council the statue’s language caused her distress and praised the council’s efforts to remove the monument and plaque from downtown Spokane. "This is meaningful work," she said in public comment, urging approval of the contract and continued action on plaque removal.
Hannah Truscott, speaking on behalf of the Citizens Advisory Council, said the group has worked on the issue since 2020 and submitted a petition in October 2022 with more than 2,300 individuals and 50 Spokane businesses calling for immediate removal of both the statue and the plaque. "I ask that you vote to approve the contract for statue removal," Truscott told the council, and she also asked the city to issue a formal apology to the Pacific Islander community.
Council discussion acknowledged a long advocacy history and some disagreement about process and the question of preserving history. Council Member Kakkar asked to take the item separately and said she would not support the item that night in part because of concerns about hiding history and the price tag, which she estimated at about $100,000. Other council members emphasized the sustained advocacy and said the item was the result of a multi‑year process; they expressed support for both removal and a plan to address the plaque.
The contract for removal was approved on the consent calendar (recorded as passing by the council; the consent block recorded the item as approved, indicated in the record as six to one on that item). Council members noted the statue will be relocated to Fairmont Cemetery and that further steps on the plaque’s disposition would be clarified in follow‑up work.
Next steps: the city will proceed with contract execution and coordinate with the family and Fairmont Cemetery regarding relocation logistics; council members asked staff to continue work on the plaque removal and community outreach.
