New Sheriff contract adds more law enforcement, with potential for more in the future. Council rejects modern communications for council members and meetings. City begins multi-year process of updating comprehensive plan.
Below is a summary of a few of the issues discussed at the last council meeting, held on May 3rd. Watch the video at the bottom or click a link to view a portion of the meeting that interests you.
Sheriff Contract
A new contract for law enforcement was approved by the city council. This new contract reduces the cost of the deputies currently working in Deer Park. It also adds a third deputy shortly, with the possibility of adding a fourth deputy six months later. The Sheriff’s vehicles will also be modified to display Deer Park Police. The law enforcement task force is working to evaluate if the city is best served by the Spokane County Sheriff Deputies or by creating its own police force.
- Council voted unanimously in favor.
Modernizing City Workflow & Communications
Four different items were brought before the council for a vote to improve how the city does its work and how city council members communicate.
iWorQ is a software service to update many of the city’s paper workflows such as building permits and code enforcement. Jake Barlass, who is responsible for city code enforcement, expressed that this will have a significant positive impact on how much work he is able to do. The annual cost of the software is $4,000 with a $2,700 setup fee.
- Council voted unanimously in favor.
Official email addresses for city council members along with the required laptops or tablets were also debated and voted on. Council members are not allowed to use city email accounts without secure devices because of state law and best security practices. Regarding adding 5 email accounts and management, Council Member Helen Dee Cragun said “We’re going to have to hire another person, and right now we can’t afford that.” She went on to say that “We need to wait until at least we have a seven-member council.” Later she stated that she does not use email at all.
- Council vote was split 3 to 2 with Cragun, Daiz, & Newsom against and Upchurch & Stapp in favor.
In order to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the council voted to acquire tablets to live stream the meeting using Microsoft Teams. The tablets would be provided to people with disabilities that need live transcription. However, the live stream would not be made available to anyone outside of the building.
- Council voted unanimously in favor.
Regarding live streaming the city council meetings the Mayor called for the vote quickly without any discussion or input or the public.
- Council vote was split 3 to 2 with Cragun, Daiz, & Newsom against and Upchurch & Stapp in favor.
City Planning
Work has begun to update the city’s comprehensive plan which is required by Washington State. Any laws created in Deer Park must fit within the comprehensive plan. The update process will take a couple of years and is expected to be completed in June of 2025. Some of the planned changes include potentially allowing chickens, changes to Accessory Dwelling Units, along with a wide range of subjects required by the state.
Wheeled All-Terrain Vehicles
After completing the three-reading process, the city council voted to approve allowing Wheeled All-Terrain Vehicles on city streets. As long as the vehicles meet state laws, and are registered, they can be driven on city streets with a speed limit of 35 or lower.
- Council voted unanimously in favor.
Accusation Of Corruption
At the end of the meeting, Vickie Scholz made an accusation of corruption against the City Council after her husband, Jim Scholz, was not called on to speak regarding the new contract with the Spokane County Sheriff. She did not provide any details regarding the accusation.
Key Points
- 00:00 – Call to Order & Roll Call
- 00:24 – Invocation & Pledge of Allegiance
- 02:19 – Approval of Agenda & Meeting Minutes
- 02:49 – Comments From the Audience
- 20:20 – New Business – iWorQ Electronic Permit Management
- 29:50 – New Business – Spokane County Sheriff Contract
- 56:23 – New Business – Comprehensive Plan Update
- 1:11:13 – New Business – Airport Master Plan Update
- 1:23:50 – New Business – Electronic Communications & ADA Compliance
- 1:29:35 – Ordinances – Wheeled All-Terrain Vehicles On City Streets
- 1:30:00 – Consent Agenda
- 1:30:54 – Council Member Report – Jason Upchurch
- 1:33:16 – Council Member Report – Caleb Stapp
- 1:35:35 – Accusation of Corruption
