Efforts to assist those experiencing homelessness under way
Marlene Feist, Public Works, (509) 625-6505
Saturday, October 24, 2020 at 8:20 a.m.
City of Spokane crews are clearing streets of downed trees and limbs following the storm overnight, while continuing to plow and manage snow and ice on City streets. Efforts to assist those experiencing homelessness during the cold weather are continuing.
The City has received about 100 reports of trees or branches in the right of way so far. Meanwhile, crews completed snow plowing work in the primary arterials overnight. They have moved into the secondary arterials and will complete work in some residential areas—particularly those with higher snow totals. Crews from Water and Wastewater are joining those from the Street Department to respond to needs.
“Our teams are balancing tree and snow removal work to improve mobility for our community,” says Mayor Nadine Woodward. “Responding to improve conditions and address safety is our top priority today.”
Citizens can call 3-1-1 to report trees blocking roadways. For trees entangled with power lines, please call Avista at 1-800-227-9187. (Answer “yes” when asked if you want to report an urgent issue.) If downed power lines pose an emergency, please call 9-1-1. Don’t approach downed power lines.
Crews will prioritize opening blocked arterials and residential streets and then will move to debris removal from the streets. Parks Operations teams will evaluate and manage tree damage in City parks. Sidewalks may also are blocked by fallen trees and limbs; residents are asked to clear away debris from sidewalks.
Snow and unseasonably cold weather also has impacted those experiencing homelessness. Existing shelter operators are flexing their capacities to temporarily offer as many as 85 additional low-barrier, night-by-night spaces for adults to escape the unseasonably cold overnight weather over the next several days, the Mayor announced earlier in the week.
See information on the City’s web site on the additional spaces for those experiencing homelessness.
Citizens can take tree debris from their yards to the Waste to Energy facility, 2900 S. Geiger Blvd., or place it in their green yard waste carts for pickup on customers’ normal garbage collection days. Branches must be smaller than 3 inches in diameter and fit within the cart. Residents who need to clear tree debris from private property are encouraged to refer to the list of licensed arborists at spokanecity.org.
