Watch: City Council Meeting November 3rd, 2021

Fireworks at Winterfest, Water and Sewer, along with the city’s budget for 2022, were the main topics of the evening. 

This was the first meeting held after the city’s annual budget workshop. As a result, most of the meeting was spent reviewing the budget.  Also discussed at length was state law regarding communication of the budget workshop date and time so that council and community members could be present.

You can use the links below to skip to the sections of the video on YouTube. You can also watch the video at the bottom of this article.

Approval Of Meeting Minutes
There was a discussion about approving the meeting minutes from two meetings in one vote versus separate votes. There was a motion to divide the question by Councilmember Schut and seconded by Stapp. The vote to separate the meeting minutes was 2 to 3, with Schut and Stapp in favor and Scholz, Babb, and Cragun voting against it. The vote to approve meeting minutes was 4 to 1, with Scholz, Stapp, Babb, and Cragun in favor and Schut voting against the motion.

Public Hearings

There were a number of public hearings to allow citizens time to provide feedback and ask questions. 

The public hearings covered the following subjects:

  • Increasing property taxes by 1%.
  • The origin of city revenue sources.
  • Block grant to improve a city well.
  • Wastewater aeration lagoon replacement costing over 6 million dollars.

New Business
The city council members quickly came to a consensus to have the fireworks display at the end of Winterfest in January. City council members also unanimously voted to approve the application of the block grant for improving the cities well on North Dalton.

Ordinance Regarding Increasing Property Taxes
Mayor Verzal performed the first reading of the ordinance to increase property taxes by 1%  in Deer Park. There will be a second reading at the next city council meeting on November 17th. The three reading process could be waived during the meeting in November.

Council Member Reports
Because of a miscommunication regarding the date of the budget workshop council members discussed some points of the cities budget for 2022. Councilmember Schut spoke about the city’s cyber security and the Open Public Meeting Act regarding the city’s budget workshop. Councilmember Schut requested that his protest be recorded in the meeting minutes. Councilmemeber Stapp spoke regarding hiring an IT administrator and part-time communications personal. Stapp also spoke about his interpretation of the Open Public Meeting Act. Stapp had a number of other comments about the budget regarding city parks, law enforcement, the city hall building, and city staffing. Councilmember Scholz reported about Graffiti vandalism and the apprehension of the perpetrator.

Open to Public Comment
There were a number of people who shared comments at the end of the meeting.

You can watch the entire city council meeting in the video below.

Save The Dates!

City Council Meetings

  • Every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month at 7pm.
  • Deer Park Fire Department at 315 E. Crawford, Deer Park, WA, 99006  

Minutes from past meetings, as well as the agenda, can be viewed and downloaded at: CityofDeerParkWa.com

Featured Sponsor
Thank You For Your Support!

Related Articles

North Spokane Open Mic In-Person

Young poets will take center stage at the North Spokane Open Mic. They will share their original work in a supportive and welcoming environment. This event offers high school students a chance to build confidence before entering the world of competitive poetry slams.

Read More »

WA Saves Could Cost Business Owners

Most Washington businesses without an employer-sponsored retirement plan must register for WA Saves, starting July 1, 2027, the state’s new retirement savings program. WA Saves aims to help employees build financial security by requiring businesses to offer payroll-deducted Roth IRAs managed through the state. While beneficial for workers, the program raises concerns for employers, particularly small businesses.

Read More »

Dr. Ernest W Kettel

Dr. Ernest Walther Kettel died in his home peacefully with Jo Ann, his wife of 73 years, at his side on February 7th, 2025 at the age of 96.
He was born on October 8, 1928 at home in Wild Rose, North Dakota to Carl William Kettel and Orla (Kolke) Kettel.

Read More »

Celebrate Your Community At The Annual Art Show

The SCLD Community Art Show is back, inviting artists of all ages to showcase their creativity and love for their community. Free miniature canvases will be available at Spokane County Libraries throughout February. This year’s theme, Celebrate Your Community, encourages participants to highlight what makes their hometown special.

Read More »

GreenHouse Food & Clothing Bank Change Of Hours

The GreenHouse Food and Clothing is once again adjusting its hours, this time reducing service availability and shifting to an earlier schedule. However, food bank representatives encourage those with scheduling conflicts to reach out for potential accommodations.

Read More »

Slideshow: WinterFest 2025

Deer Park’s WinterFest 2025 brought the community together with fun traditions like outhouse races, a bustling craft fair, and live music. Check out our online gallery.

Read More »

Share this!

Featured Sponsor
Thank You For Your Support!

Share this!

Featured Sponsor
Thank You For Your Support!

Read more news.

Slideshow: WinterFest 2025

Deer Park’s WinterFest 2025 brought the community together with fun traditions like outhouse races, a bustling craft fair, and live music. Check out our online gallery.

Read More »

WinterFest 2025: A Little Over A Week Away

Deer Park’s WinterFest 2025 is fast approaching, with just over a week to go! The reveal of the official logo and the announcement of this year’s honored citizens have set the tone for an exciting event. Don’t forget that sign-ups are now open!

Read More »

Subscribe to our emails

Use the form below to sign up to receive news via email at no cost to you.

Read & Support The

Local news to keep you informed and entertained. The Deer Park Gazette is locally owned and operated. When you support the Deer Park Gazette, you support local writers and photographers.