This week’s Spokane Valley City Council meeting began with the pledge of allegiance and approval of the following meeting agenda. Deputy Mayor Hattenburg and Councilmember Merkel were excused from the meeting.
General Public Comments
Each week, community members have an opportunity to address Councilmembers for up to three minutes during the General Public Comment period, either at the beginning or end of each meeting, either in person or via Zoom.
ACTION ITEMS
#1 – Consent Agenda
The Council unanimously approved the consent agenda, which included vouchers for paying city expenses, payroll and minutes from the June 23, 2026, and June 30, 2026, Council meetings.
#2 – Mayoral Appointment: Two members for Homeless Housing Task Force
The Homeless Housing Task Force is an advisory group that makes recommendations to the Spokane Valley City Council on topics related to addressing homelessness in the city. The Council established this group on an interim basis in 2023 and made it permanent by adoption of Resolution 25-001 on January 21, 2025. Two of the nine seats have become vacant; Mayor Padden has nominated Jessica Laughery, CEO of Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce and Brynn Eixenberger, Director of Utilization and Care Management at CHAS Health.
A motion to confirm the Mayoral appointment of Jessica Laughery to position three and Brynn Eixenberger to position nine on the Homeless Housing Task Force passed unanimously.
NON-ACTION ITEMS
#3 – Point-in-Time Count Update
The Point-in-Time (PIT) count and associated Housing Inventory Count (HIC) are required by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in communities that receive federal funding for housing and homeless programs. HUD has specific methodology that the PIT and HIC must follow. Amanda Martinez, City of Spokane HMIS Lead Information Systems Analyst, shared details and statistics from the 2026 PIT Count, which was conducted on January 27, 2026. Key takeaways from the 2026 PIT include:
BIPOC individuals continue to be disproportionately represented in the PIT data, highlighting ongoing equity concerns.
Strengthening document-readiness support for people experiencing literal homelessness is a key opportunity for improvement.
Increasing utilization of available emergency shelter beds and expanding upstream housing solutions will be critical to improving system flow. Nearly 200 emergency shelter beds were unused during this period.
While trends across the PIT and other measures show positive progress, continued monitoring and target improvements will help to sustain and further improve progress.
#4 – Estimated 2027 Revenues and Expenditures
Staff provided a report on 2027 Budget estimated expenditures and revenues. Highlights of the report include:
• Total expenditures for 2027 are currently unknown due to unknown law enforcement contract costs. City staff continue to coordinate and work closely with Spokane County to develop reasonable estimates.
• Total estimated revenues across all funds are currently at $148 million.
The 2027 budget will add one full-time employee for a total count of 120.25 for the position of Public Safety Director.
The Council will discuss the 2027 Budget six more times and there will be three public hearings before the Council is asked to adopt the budget on Nov. 17, 2026.
INFORMATION ONLY (no presentations or discussion)
Monthly Department Reports
• City of Spokane Valley: Community Development
• Spokane Valley Police Department: Monthly report - June 2026, Monthly report – July 2026
• Spokane Valley Fire Department: Monthly report – July 2026
About Spokane Valley City Council
City Council meetings occur most Tuesdays at 6 p.m. at Spokane Valley City Hall, 10210 E. Sprague Avenue, Spokane Valley, and online via Zoom. Meeting agendas and minutes are available at SpokaneValleyWA.gov/Agendas. Community members are invited to attend Council meetings to participate in action items or public comment periods in-person or online. Council meetings are broadcast on Comcast channel 14. Email the Council at CityCouncil@SpokaneValleyWA.gov or learn more at SpokaneValleyWA.gov/CityCouncil.
Stay Connected
Spokane Valley City Hall is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Information is available online at SpokaneValleyWA.gov. Sign up to receive email updates about the topics that matter to you most at SpokaneValleyWA.gov/SignUp or follow the city on social media.