Water Use in Spokane

Spokane City Mayor Mary Verner has proposed lawn watering limits to help conserve water since Spokane uses more water per capita than other parts of the state. The City Water Department’s Water Stewardship program is a good way to educate yourself about ways to reduce water use; there are sections on landscaping and residential water use, including a sprinkler calculator. The County Extension Office has a good website on sustainable and waterwise landscaping. The County Utilities Department provides links to other water conservation resources, including the Aquifer Board. - Spokane Government Librarian

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Elections Resources

Ballots have been mailed for the August 19th primary - time to do your homework on the candidates and ballot measures you will decide on. Spokane Public Library has compiled a useful list of online Election Resources at both the state and local levels, including sample ballots, voting for judges, and information on the new top 2 primary. Remember that ballots can be dropped in the designated ballot boxes for free at all Spokane City and County libraries. - Spokane Government Librarian

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Comprehensive Plan News

Controversy over big box stores and other land use issues have put the status of the City’s Comprehensive Plan in the news lately. There are amendments to the plan each year, approved by the City Council. If you find the terms confusing, there is a useful brochure that gives background and principles of the plan. Outside of city limits, Spokane County’s Comprehensive Plan and its updates go into effect. You can also look at Spokane Valley’s and Liberty Lake’s plans online. - Spokane Government Librarian

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Spokane City Sustainability Program

The City of Spokane has started a new Sustainability Program addressing the ways climate change and energy prices will affect city services.  You can see their Strategic Action Plan, read documents, and link to sustainability resources on the web.  The program will help Spokane prepare for the economic, social, and environmental consequences of peak oil and climate change.  In the future, they will work with the Downtown Library to create a sustainability collection of books and other documents that will be available to the public. - Spokane Government Librarian

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Historic Spokane Tours

The City-County Historic Preservation Office has published a tour guide to Downtown historic buildings. Copies are available at the Downtown Library and online in an interactive form and a printable .pdf file. Other local tour ideas can be found through the Convention and Visitors Bureau - other historic tours, agricultural tours, Native American tours, or create your own. You can even expand your touring to the region for more local alternatives to expensive travel vacations. - Spokane Government Librarian

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2008 Road Construction

Spring is the time of year when Spokane’s road construction season starts. The City Street Department shows what major arterials are being re-constructed by the 10-year street bond. The County’s Division of Engineering and Roads Construction page lists current county projects.  The 2008 Regional Road Construction Map is now available online and in paper at city libraries.  The map shows road construction in Spokane County at all levels of government, including utility work, and also lists the projects in detail with start and end dates. - Spokane Government Librarian

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Spokane CrimeMap

With the likely passage of the sales tax for emergency communications and Crime Check, the City’s CrimeMap Viewer is a useful tool for finding statistics on crimes around a particular address. Crimes shown include assault, burglary, drugs, malicious mischief, robbery, theft, vehicle prowling, and vehicle theft. Click on Layers to show COPS Shops, schools, or neighborhoods. - Spokane Government Librarian

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Downtown Street Tree Grants

The City of Spokane is offering $500 grants for replacement and installation of downtown street trees. Eligible properties are limited to the downtown area. Property owners must agree to irrigate, fertilize, and prune the tree for 25 years. This brochure gives more details.

The Arbor Day Foundation talks about street trees, along with other advice on urban trees. You can look at free brochures from the Tree City USA program (to which Spokane belongs) about pruning, choosing the right tree, and trees for wildlife. If you want to know some of the benefits of street trees, read this article by Dan Burden. - Spokane Government Librarian

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Public Records Online

Did you know that many public records are now online? The library has created a Find the Best… Public Records Online resource page that will point you to some of the business, legal, political, and real estate databases featuring government information.  By searching these databases you can check on the legitimacy of a charity, discover who gave campaign contributions over $200, and discover who owns a property at a certain address.  This type of information is known as the Deep Web; in other words, you can’t easily find it just by using a search engine. - Spokane Government Librarian

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New Jail Information

Spokane County’s proposed new jail has been in the news lately, with a potential special election to fund construction. The County’s Building and Planning Department has several documents on potential sites for the new correctional facility. According to the Spokesman Review blog, there are several sites being considered. The Sheriff’s Department has created a website to track their progress. - Spokane Government Librarian

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