Merkel seeks clarity on resolution text
SPOKANE VALLEY – The City Council approved Resolution 25-001 on Tuesday, Jan. 21, establishing a permanent homeless and housing task force.
Eric Robison, the city’s Housing and Homeless Coordinator, said the updated resolution added private housing developers to the sectors eligible for task force membership.
Councilman Al Merkel argued that the resolution lacked sufficient language to ensure representation of individuals with lived experience of homelessness, suggesting an amendment to prioritize their inclusion.
“For positions 6, 7, 8, and 9, is it possible that we could have a task force without anyone with lived experience?” Merkel asked.
Robison acknowledged the difficulty of recruiting such members, citing a lack of interested candidates with recent experience.
“The feedback I received from the state was that a lot of jurisdictions are in the same position (…) which is why they relaxed that requirement,” Robison replied.
Merkel suggested amending the resolution to prioritize someone with lived experience, but his motion failed for lack of a second.
Despite Merkel’s concerns, the council approved the resolution 6–1, with Merkel voting no. Mayor Pam Haley said filling the task force remains a priority, and Robison committed to continued efforts to find qualified candidates.
Clare is an Eastern Washington University graduate and a reporter at Free Press Publishing.
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