Approved by the Council. These are the official minutes of record.
Date: Thursday, May 15, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. Location: The Conservatory in Vinegar Flats at Vinegar Goods, 1930 S. Inland Empire Way
I. Call to Order
Meeting called to order at 6:02 p.m. by Stephanie Watson, Acting Chair.
The Chair asked for a volunteer to take on the role of Neighborhood Council secretary. No one volunteered. Pat Nault volunteered to take notes for this meeting.
14 people in attendance.
Note on voting members — The current (outdated) bylaws define voting members as those who have attended 3 of the last 6 meetings. Fewer than 5 individuals meet that requirement at this time. Updating the bylaws is a work in progress. For the sake of carrying out the Neighborhood Council business, the Executive Committee is considered to be the acting Chair, the acting Vice Chair, and the acting Representative to the Community Assembly, and voting members are considered by the Executive Committee to be those members in attendance who have attended or stayed in communication the last 6 meetings.
March 2025 minutes prepared by former acting Chair Alex Knox were approved.
II. Updates, Guest Presentations, Reports
a) Neighborhood Resource Officer — Micah Prim, Spokane Police Department
Current crime statistics show that the majority of calls from the Latah-Hangman area are in the category of “suspicious activities.” 28th and S. Empire Way shows the most activity.
Officer Prim works day shift hours but can work with officers on other shifts on neighborhood concerns. Clean-up crews are removing garbage from High Bridge Park. Officer Prim encouraged park users to report activities of concern, including graffiti, at or near High Bridge Park to Crime Check at 509-456-2233. In addition, email Officer Micah Prim at mprim@spokanepolice.org, or call 509-216-1890.
A neighborhood member noted recent instances of campfires and gunfire near the creek.
b) City Legislative Update — Council Member Paul Dillon
The police department brought back the Mobile Traffic Unit about a month ago. Paul asked them to try to determine if speeding traffic on Inland Empire Way is coming through from US 195 or if it is more local. The city’s moratorium on residential development in the Latah Valley is expiring on May 20. There is not enough support to extend it among City Council members. The progress made on development issues during the moratorium includes: funding for planning (not building) a new fire station, Council support for developing a sub-area plan for the Latah Valley, a wildfire evacuation drill in the Grandview-Thorpe neighborhood, building code input into the Comprehensive Plan update to address wildland-urban interface issues, and potential improvement to fire officer communications.
Extensive discussion ensued with Councilmember Dillon. Key points included:
- Suggestion for a meeting with city officials to discuss changes to zoning practices, designation of “centers” (as in the Centers and Corridors planning paradigm) in the Latah Valley to promote development of neighborhood businesses
- The need for a better built environment including sidewalk improvements between 11th and 26th on Inland Empire Way, as well as improved maintenance by the city of the existing sidewalks, which are overgrown and littered with refuse
- Recognition by the City of the importance of local farms and wildlife habitat to the planning processes for Latah Valley
- The need to improve traffic safety on Inland Empire Way, particularly in light of the city’s designation of this road, with no planning and no discussion of safety enhancements, as an alternate route from US 195 to downtown
- The need for timely and structured participation by the Neighborhood Council and other neighborhood stakeholders in the development of the sub-area plan
Councilmember Dillon noted the City Council is working on a junk vehicle ordinance, as there is no current legislation allowing the city to take action against junk vehicles, excessive weeds, etc. on private property.
It was noted that when the last 20-year plan for local growth was developed, the city anticipated that 350 housing units would be added in the Latah Valley. Instead, 15% of the overall growth in the city has happened in the Latah Valley and construction of thousands of housing units is planned, underway, or completed. The Comprehensive Plan is being updated to reflect the current reality.
Councilmember Dillon suggested that there may be grant opportunities for small business support through the Washington Main Street Alliance.
Councilmember Dillon said that the Neighborhood Council has to pass resolutions for specific projects to address the concerns. He suggested inclusion of city officials Inge Note, Jon Snyder, and Abigail Martin in the next Neighborhood Council meeting to look at possibilities.
Homeless ordinances will be changing due to a recent Supreme Court decision overturning Proposition 1.
Council supports “good neighbor” agreements and improved communication with neighborhoods.
Committee: Traffic (Paul) invited via email. Stephanie invited neighbors to star (*) their name on the sign-in to be added to a traffic committee email. Email thread to include: Conifer Defouse, Patricia Nault, Jerry Bishop, Celeste Shaw, Jim Schrock, Kate Telis.
c) Amber Groe, liaison to Office of Neighborhood Services
The Town Hall for City Council District 2 will be at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center on June 9 from 6:00–7:30 p.m. All are encouraged to attend.
Amber distributed copies of a new city publication, This Is Spokane: A Civic Guide for Neighbors. Free copies available from the Office of Neighborhood Services. The publication is available in languages other than English on the City of Spokane website.
May 16 is the final day to get Spring Disposal Passes ($30 voucher) online or at City Hall. Passes expire in 30 days. Fall Passes will be available starting August 5.
Amber will assist people doing ONS-sponsored clean-up projects (West Hills, Fish Lake Trail) to get trash dumped at no cost.
The LHNC Clean-up is scheduled for October 11, 2025 from 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Location will be a privately owned lot at Chestnut and 17th Street, with landowner permission. Joe Lenti has volunteered to work with the landowner. The Clean Up Committee is Ed Bruya, Joe Lenti, Pat Nault and Stephanie Watson. A work crew from County Corrections is booked to help load the dumpsters.
Mobile Speed Feedback program — portable units will be installed at two locations to display and record vehicle speeds: from June 16–27 on West Eagle Ridge Blvd between Parkridge Blvd and Shelby Ridge Street to monitor eastbound traffic, and from August 11–22 on Inland Empire Way at the north end of the bridge (near West 17th Ave) to monitor northbound traffic. Speed data will be made available to the LHNC in September.
Permanent speed feedback devices were installed on South Lincoln Way (major entrance/exit route from Eagle Ridge and nearby developments) in April by the city through the Cycle 11 Spokane Safe Streets for All program. The devices monitor traffic and display speeds in both directions.
d) Executive Committee — Stephanie Watson. Seeking Vice Chair and Secretary.
e) Community Assembly — Ed Bruya
- City council — parking minimums
- Michael Cathcart, important, need to look harder
f) Public Safety Committee. Vic Pestrin is no longer serving as the LHNC representative to the Public Safety Committee. We need to find a new rep.
g) Land Use — Pat Nault. No report. Pat was absent due to travel.
h) Neighborhood Beautification/Clean Up — Joe Lenti. No report. Joe not in attendance.
III. New Business
a. Community Engagement Grant. LHNC is requesting $850. A maximum of $300 can be spent on food. The group supports buying five sandwich boards to advertise Neighborhood Council meetings and events. Suggestions for placement: Inland Empire Way (Vinegar Goods, one other), Yoke’s on Cheney Spokane Road, median on Eagle Ridge Blvd and/or Park Ridge Blvd (with HOA permission). Also agreed on one or more branded (with LHNC graphic) tablecloths.
b. Fall Fest at Vinegar Goods. Celeste is not planning on that event this year, but suggested having a potluck for the July NC meeting.
c. Meeting Rent. No need to budget for space. Celeste is open to using the Conservatory.
IV. Update to Bylaws
Latah Valley and name going forward:
- Hangman
- Vinegar Flats (strong affiliation — but only a subsection of our neighborhood)
- Very brief discussion on naming; some neighbors vocalized removing Hangman from the Council name
- Shared that it is a process, and we seek public participation before renaming
V. General Announcements and Public Comments
Comstock Neighborhood Council (Liaison, Sandy Wicht):
- Speaker meetings, good meetings, good attendance there (content is most relevant to our Council too)
- Concert in the Park / Symphony in the Park (support Comstock Neighborhood Council’s Summer Parkways)
The next LHNC meeting will be on July 17.