County raises fees, extends jail contract
A public relations contract to promote a Spokane County jail construction bond measure will be extended four months at a cost of $46,156.
In other action Tuesday, county commissioners voted to increase golf fees and the charge for access to the county sewer system.
Commissioner Bonnie Mager was absent.
Commission Chairman Mark Richard said in April that he didn’t yet have an appetite for the $100,000 “full-meal deal” jail-promotion contract with Gallatin Public Affairs. But he was hungrier this week.
Richard and Commissioner Todd Mielke agreed without comment to add four months to the original six-month, $62,500 contract. The contract, which would have expired Tuesday, was extended through March 17.
County officials plan to present a bond measure in April to replace the Geiger Corrections Center and make other jail improvements.
Also Tuesday, commissioners approved a $135 increase in the “capital facilities” charge for access to the county sewer system, from $5,780 to $5,915. The charge will go from $41.80 a month to $42.75 for those who choose installment payments.
The charge applies to areas in Spokane Valley that are scheduled to receive sewer service next year under a septic-tank elimination program that began in 1997. Those include the Green Haven and Micaview neighborhoods, and possibly the Belle Terre neighborhood.
County officials are leaning toward removing Belle Terre from the program on grounds that providing sewers there wouldn’t be cost-effective, but no decision has been made.
Parks Director Doug Chase told commissioners that the golf fee increases they approved for next year will leave county courses competitive with Spokane municipal links.
Some fees will remain unchanged and a number of others will increase by a dollar. The $1 increases will apply to regular 18-hole adult tickets, which will cost $27 on weekdays and $29 on weekends.
Regular junior rates will remain $15, but the $21 regular senior rate will be eliminated. A senior season pass will go from $850 to $903.
Adult weekend discount card rates will remain $17, but other discount cards will cost up to $2 more.
The $200 annual cart storage fee will increase $50, and full-season cart trail fee will go from $155 to $200. The daily trail fee will remain $11.
A full list of the changes, with comparisons to Spokane rates, is available at www.spokesman. com/documents/2010/nov/17/golffees/.