In brief: Asphalt for potholes, all 300 tons, used up

Spokane street crews have run out of the 300 tons of asphalt for filling potholes that the City Council bought in the fall.

Eight workers remain on pothole duty because the street department has purchased smaller amounts of cold mix until the City Council approves the purchase of 400 tons next week, said Street Director Mark Serbousek.

Serbousek said it’s the fastest he’s seen the city go through so much pothole filler.

Last month, Mayor Mary Verner, following a series of harsh winter storms, ordered an increased number of city workers to pothole duty.

About 1,600 potholes totaling 2,100 square yards have been filled so far this year, Serbousek said. At this time last year, the city had filled 1,300 potholes covering 4,800 square yards.

Drivers can report potholes to the city at (509) 625-7733.

– Jonathan Brunt

Spokane schools won’t have makeup days

Spokane Public Schools officials announced Friday that students will not be required to make up any days lost to snow this year.

The district received a waiver from the state last week under an emergency declaration signed by the governor for snowstorms at the end of January. The waiver allows the district to operate for less than 180 days – required for public schools in Washington – without any loss in funding.

School officials were still considering whether to accept the waiver, or add 15 minutes to each school day to make up for instructional time lost during the four days school was canceled.

The district solicited input from the community through an online and telephone poll, and overwhelmingly families and staff said they preferred to waive the missed days.

According to a press release from the school district, the decision to add time was “ruled out because of the impact on families and the significant financial burden to the district.”

Adding more time would have also meant paying staff additional hours. Under employee contracts, the district would be required to pay staff for the time when school is canceled, union officials said.

– Sara Leaming

Boise

Senate OKs disclosure of property sales price

Property sales prices would have to be disclosed – confidentially – to the county assessor, under legislation that passed the Idaho Senate on Monday on a 19-15 vote.

Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, said the bill is needed to fix a property tax system that orders counties to set taxable values based on market prices, but then denies them the needed information.

Opponents said they feared having to report sales prices could endanger privacy or lead to an eventual property transfer tax, though the bill specifically says the information couldn’t be used for that. Two North Idaho senators, John Goedde, R-Coeur d’Alene, and Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, voted against the bill.

– Betsy Z. Russell