Woodward’s 100-day plan aims to address homelessness, police contract, more

Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward on Monday outlined a broad agenda for the waning months of her first year in office that includes addressing homelessness, police reform and restructuring her administration.

In an annual address to the City Council, Woodward announced a 100-day plan that also includes negotiating a long-overdue contract with the city’s police union and embarking on the creation of a strategic plan that will set the course of her administration in the years to come.

Woodward highlighted the city’s nimble response to the novel coronavirus pandemic and addressed challenges that lie ahead, which include securing passage of a 2021 budget amid the economic recession caused by the pandemic.

She also used the platform to continue to advocate for the region’s advancement in reopening the economy and loosening the restrictions ordered by state health officials.

“That situation is not sustainable, which is why we have continuously advocated for Spokane and our economy,” Woodward said.

Those calls came just days after Spokane County Health Officer Dr. Bob Lutz warned that, amid yet another spike in COVID-19 cases and with outbreaks widespread across sectors, workplaces and age groups, Spokane could be forced to retighten its restrictions.

“We have a false sense of being out of the woods or that the pandemic isn’t as prevalent in our county, and that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Lutz said in a statement last week.

The mayor is required to give the annual “Statement of Conditions and Affairs” under city law. It’s the third major speech Woodward has made as mayor, following her inaugural and State of the City addresses, but the first since the coronavirus’ arrival in March.

While the condition of the city is stable, Woodward warned the challenges of 2020 “have also affected City operations and will continue to affect our ability to deliver high-quality services through the next months and years.”

A look at the mayor’s comments on some key issues.

Homelessness

Woodward will face enormous pressure to turn her advocacy for a regionally funded homeless services system into a reality before winter weather sets in.

In her preliminary 2021 budget, Woodward does not fund the city’s shelter system, instead leaving a blank while the city negotiates with Spokane County and Spokane Valley on a collaborative approach to homelessness.

She noted that the county and city have already agreed on a location for a “bridge housing” shelter that will, on a referral basis, provide shelter to people with an emphasis on transitioning them into stable housing and employment.

The region also collaborated to open emergency shelter, using federal coronavirus aid funds, after the pandemic hit and forced local shelters to implement social distancing requirements and reduce their capacity.

Police

Within the next 100 days, Woodward hopes to present the City Council, for already the second time in her short tenure, a proposed agreement with the Spokane Police Guild.

Woodward said the new contract should provide “certainty for the men and women who keep our city safe for everyone” and take the next step for the city “as a leader in civilian oversight.”

The guild has been without a new contract since the current version expired in 2016. That Woodward’s administration was able to bring a deal to the table at all was a mark of progress, but the council unanimously shot down the proposal earlier this year. Members argued that, as was the case in the previous version, the contract did not comply with the City Charter and limited independent oversight of the police department.

Simultaneously, Woodward will look to launch a community conversation on potential police reforms in response to the unrest generated this summer by the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

City Council President Breean Beggs and Woodward each raced to outline a number of proposed reforms shortly following the May and June protests, with Beggs’ proposals encouraging far deeper change in police policy and procedure.

But the proposals stalled.

Instead, in August, Beggs and Woodward agreed on a set of tenets for a community conversation on police reform.

Phase 3

Woodward also continued her calls for Spokane County to continue to advance through Gov. Jay Inslee’s reopening plan. The county was cleared in May to enter into Phase 2, where it has remained.

Though she acknowledged “caution has been the right approach” thus far, Woodward warned about the economic impacts of the shutdown, noting sales tax for downtown businesses has decreased by 24% this year.

“That’s a staggering number for the regional hub of economic activity that is very quiet most days right now,” Woodward said.

Woodward called for collaboration with industry leaders, the local health board, and state officials to forge a path forward.

City government

Undaunted by the challenges of the pandemic, Woodward plans to kick off several new initiatives.

She will begin the process, in coordination with the City Council, of updating the city’s strategic plan. Under former Mayor David Condon, the plan focused on creating economic growth and improving life in Spokane in a number of areas by “delivering a safer, smarter and healthier Spokane.”

“COVID-19 has fundamentally shifted our path as a community and demonstrated the need for a new plan which takes into consideration the challenges of 2020 and forges a path of recovery. One of the first steps in that plan is updating our strategic plan,” Woodward said. “We look forward to working together with the council through that process to align our priorities and provide our citizens with a clear view of our city’s future.”

Woodward will also look to bring a new city planning director and a Neighborhood, Housing, and Human Services director.

Those new hires will join a city administration in a transition phase.

Woodward plans to use the next 100 days to test a new administrative structure that will emphasize its focus in five “strategic” areas: public safety and health, public infrastructure, resident experience, management and budget, and internal services.