City of Spokane, Code Enforcement, is the lead on proposed amendments to the SMC. The proposed amendments provide an alternative to demolition orders by the Building Official as a part of the substandard building process in the City of Spokane and are intended to facilitate mitigation of safety hazards and nuisance conditions, aimed at the rehabilitation and re-use of substandard, abandoned, unfit, and/or nuisance properties.
If approved the proposed amendments would be implemented as part of the Building Official hearing process – an administrative hearing process for substandard, abandoned, unfit, and nuisance properties. When appropriate, the Building Official could refer properties to City Legal staff to petition Superior Court to appoint a Receiver as the responsible party for a distressed property. This alternative could be implemented following exhaustion of all appropriate administrative remedies, including standard code enforcement notices of violation, Building Official administrative hearings and potentially Hearing Examiner appeals processes, and would then follow Superior Court protocol.
A briefing before the City Council’s Urban Experience Committee took place on January 13, 2020. An introductory briefing was provided to Plan Commission on February 12, 2020 and a formal workshop on the proposed amendments occurred on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. The process was delayed due to COVID-19 and related priority changes, but has since resumed. A second formal workshop is scheduled to occur on November 11, 2020. A hearing before the Plan Commission took place on December 9, 2020 and resulted in a formal recommendation to the City Council to approve the code text amendments. This proposal is scheduled for a public hearing before the City Council on February 1, 2021.
Amendment of the Spokane Municipal Code will proceed through the regular Plan Commission and City Council Adoption process which includes opportunities for public comment and testimony in front of both the Plan Commission and Spokane City Council.
Should you have questions or concerns or wish to enter comment into the public record prior to public hearings, please submit your comments regarding these proposed actions to Jason Ruffing:
Code Enforcement
Attn: Jason Ruffing
808 West Spokane Falls Boulevard
Spokane, WA 99201-3329
Phone 509.625.6529
jruffing@spokanecity.org
City of Spokane Code Enforcement
Jason Ruffing
509.625.6529
jruffing@spokanecity.org
