Public Periscope

From PUBLIC PERISCOPE, January 20, 1997: There were errors in the Periscope’s report last week about an error in a county mailing…Sewer bills for county customers are going up $4 in three years, not the smaller amount reported. And Bruce Rawls, not Bill Johns, is the county’s utilities director, noted Chad Hutson, Public Works Department spokesman…We didn’t mess up everything, though. The phone number listed on some of the 13,000 mailers did indeed link angry callers to the home of John’s father.

The legal eagle has a point …

Attorney Steve Eugster recently won a legal fight that forces Spokane city officials to update the municipal code in a timely fashion. Eugster noted in court documents the code was in disarray and months behind on changes … Last week, the code went on-line, where it can be found at http://www.spokanecity.org. The Web site offers an interesting disclaimer that sort of proves Eugster’s point when it urges browsers not to trust the code as posted … “This database was assembled from files kept on a mainframe and on various personal computers,” the disclaimer warns. “There may be errors in the source files or resulting from the transfers” … Maybe that’s why Eugster has had so much luck when he takes the city to court?

For a good time, call Bill … or his dad.

Some 13,000 Spokane County residents will get letters this week telling them that sewer rates will increase a total of $2 a month over the next three years. Wisely anticipating that some customers might have something to say about the increase, the author included the telephone number for county Engineer Bill Johns … Problem is, there’s a slight mistake in the number, which should be 456-3604. Officials didn’t catch the error until many letters had been mailed, said Chad Hudson, Public Works Department spokesman. The homeowner whose number was listed was extremely understanding, Hudson said … Seems the department got lucky with its typo - the incorrect number rings at the home of Bill Johns’ father.

Courthouse cover-up

It took three coats of paint to cover eight years’ accumulation of graffiti in Steve Hasson’s old office, Spokane County Courthouse workers report. The wall was signed by hundreds of folks who came to see the commissioner … Hasson was wont to invite visitors to sign on or around the windowsill which he exited, suddenly, the day he was re-elected in 1992.

Correcting an erroneous correction

During last week’s City Council meeting, Jack Brucick, a Spokane COPS board member, accused The Spokesman-Review of misstating the non-profit’s budget request from the city of Spokane. The group that oversees the city’s police substations was asking for $118,000 this year when it only asked for $75,000 in 1996, the paper reported. Spokane COPS spent $105,000 last year, a scowling Brucick told the council … Councilwoman Roberta Greene offered a key detail for Brucick’s figure: “$30,000 of that was a demonstration grant from the federal government. This time, you’re asking for $118,000 in terms of the citizens of Spokane.”

Speaking of corrections

An alert reader called to question our listing two weeks ago of cities receiving awards by the American Automobile Association for years without a pedestrian traffic fatality. Clarkston received its award for 23 years without such an occurrence; Ardith Caudill noted that the southeast Washington town experienced a pedestrian fatality last January … Ed Sharmann of the Inland Empire AAA said Caudill is correct, but the list wasn’t wrong - just a little late. The awards were for the period ending Dec. 31, 1995. The national office compiles the stats after a full year passes and sends out awards. That usually happens in the summertime, but things were a little slow at the national headquarters last year. The accident means Clarkston won’t be on the list that comes out this year, he said.

, DataTimes MEMO: Public Periscope, published Mondays, is compiled by Jim Camden from staff reports.

This sidebar appeared with the story: HOT TOPICS Tuesday: County commissioners consider adding 50 cents to the cost of teeing off at county golf courses. 5 p.m., Public Works hearing room, 1026 W. Broadway. Thursday: Spokane County Planning Commission discusses whether to expand the exclusive agriculture zone and create zones for timber lands and mineral areas. Deliberations only - three hearings have been held and no comment is being accepted. 1 p.m., Public Works hearing room.

The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Compiled by Jim Camden from staff reports