Spokane City Council will reconsider the regional collaboration for the social center that was rejected in September

Spokane City Council will consider funding the same lease for Spokane County’s social services resource center that it turned down just two months ago.

City officials are again calling on the council to sign an agreement on Monday that would split the cost of renting the center between the City of Spokane, Spokane County and the Spokane Workforce Council.

The council rejected the deal in September, leaving the city of Spokane as the only obstacle to regional cooperation anticipated by many elected leaders.

The Resource Center of Spokane County – formerly Spokane Resource Center – opened in 2019 and billed as a “one-stop shop” for people with access to social services. More than a dozen nonprofits are represented at the facility at 130 S. Arthur Street, east Spokane. They provide help, such as guiding people on drug abuse treatment programs or access to housing.

The proposed rental finance agreement calls for the city to pay one-third of the rental cost, a total of $ 448,000, by May 2023.

The vote scheduled for Monday will be a test of whether council members’ objections, which aired in September, still stand. The council rejected the agreement by 4-3 votes, so only one member needs to change position to move it forward.

At a meeting last week, Councilor Lori Kinnear reiterated her concerns that the deal was lengthy. She has argued that the Resource Center was opened on a pilot basis, but the council was never provided with data to demonstrate its effectiveness.

The Spokane Workforce Council, which operates the resource center, has presented itself to the city council and announced its progress even during a pandemic. It has provided the council with data showing that it has assisted more than 7,000 people through more than a dozen agencies that provide services in the resource center.

Several councilors have asked for assurances that the resource center will eventually become self-sufficient and no longer require financial support from local governments.

Councilor Betsy Wilkerson said the center should know by next year if it is sustainable without government support, but that the proposed deal locks the city off for two years.

“Are we really careful or are we speculating a little for the sophomore?” Asked Wilkerson.

Council President Breean Beggs spoke out in favor of the resource center and the lease, saying the center is working to become self-sufficient. He noted that the city alone funded the program prior to this year.

“We’ve made significant changes to the city’s finances,” said Beggs.