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Spokane emergency shelter capacity to expand following emergency ordinance

Spokane City Council passed a measure lowering the threshold for when cooling centers must open, and increasing how much space must be available.

SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane City Council passed an emergency ordinance Monday night that mandates the city be more prepared for extreme weather and have more shelter space ready to go.

The measure passed 6-1, amending the city's existing code to lower the threshold for when cooling centers must be opened and broadening how much capacity such centers much provide.

Extreme weather has created a rift in Spokane city leadership in recent weeks. The mayor and several members of council disagree on whether the city's response has been sufficient.

During triple-digit temperatures, the city established cooling centers in Riverfront Park and in places like schools and libraries. Mayor Nadine Woodward says it was more than enough.

"Hundreds of people used the spaces in Riverfront Park, and in libraries throughout the city, and there was still plenty of space," she said in a prepared video statement following the vote. "The challenge now is to improve that plan to make better use of existing resources."

RELATED: Spokane Mayor Woodward hears from public about emergency shelters response

But several council members say the response needed to be bigger and faster.

They contend the shelters weren't busy, not because they weren't needed, but because there were too many obstacles to getting into them. Those obstacles include people not knowing about the locations, having transportation issues, being unable to bring pets or have access to storage for their belongings, or just not feeling welcome.

"The fact that it wasn't fully utilized at Riverfront Park doesn't mean that it wasn't needed. It just wasn't the right solution," said City Council President Breean Beggs. "It's not bad intent, it just was not the right solution."

The ordinance makes a few key changes to the city's emergency shelter policy.

One, rather than mandating cooling centers only when Spokane has three straight days of 100-plus degree weather, it will now be two days of 95-plus degree weather.

Two, it requires that all warming, cooling, and clean air centers be low barrier, meaning they can't require people to do things like attend church services or pass a drug test.

Three, it specifies that there needs to be enough space in these centers to take in all vulnerable people seeking shelter.

And finally, it requires that the city maintain contracts or agreements with shelter operators year-round, so that they're ready to go when extreme weather strikes.

Council Member Michael Cathcart was the only no vote. He feared the measure was pushed through too quickly, and so lacked specifics. 

"It just says 'sufficient to meet' but it does not provide a number," he said. "The mayor pointed out that in her plan that was enacted during the heat wave, it was sufficient to meet a thousand. Well if that's not enough, then what is the number that needs to be met so that we don't run into a situation where it's insufficient?"

Cathcart also felt there could be more details about logistics like transportation, parking, pets, and storage, and about taking account for things like wind chill.

But the council members who passed the law tonight said they'd be happy to add such details later; right now, gaps in the emergency shelter system need to be immediately addressed.

"We lost 20 people this last heat wave. And I'm determined that we should not lose any more," said Council Member Lori Kinnear, who sponsored the ordinance.

The measure was classified as an emergency ordinance. That means it requires 5 votes to pass; it got 6. It also means the mayor cannot veto.

After the ordinance passed, Woodward sent out a press release announcing the city will be opening cooling centers this week. She said the capacity of those shelters totals up to 1,000.

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