7/25/2022
####################################################
The Spokesman-Review
KREM
KXLY
The Center Square
####################################################
The Spokesman-Review
By Nick Gibson
THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
After an exceptionally cool and damp spring, intense summer heat is returning to the Spokane area this week, prompting pre-emptive responses from several local agencies.
The National Weather Service in Spokane has issued an excessive heat watch for the Inland Northwest from Tuesday through Saturday, with temperatures in Spokane forecast above 100 degrees Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The heat wave will hit the Pacific Northwest a little more than a year after the historic heat wave in June 2021 that set the record for the hottest temperature ever recorded in Spokane at 109 degrees.
Weather service meteorologist Steve Bodnar said excessive heat watches have been issued for most of Oregon, Washington and North Idaho, which are usually issued in the days leading up to a major heat event. Similar to last year, the extended period of heat is due to a high pressure zone known as a heat dome. These occur when high pressure in the upper atmosphere acts as a lid, preventing hot air from escaping and causing it to sink to the earth’s surface.
Compared to June 2021’s historic heat wave, the heat event is expected to be about six to eight degrees cooler and overnight lows are expected to be lower as well. Bodnar said people can prepare for the coming heat by ensuring fans and air conditioning units are working properly, planning to avoid outdoor activities during the hottest hours of the day and having an emergency plan in place. Based on the weather service’s findings from last year’s heat wave, Bodnar said residences without air conditioning saw their hottest indoor temperatures as late as 10 p.m.
When the heat arrives, Bodnar said it is important to stay hydrated, wear light colored clothing and apply sunscreen while also ensuring pets are staying cool and hydrated.
The City of Spokane and Mayor Nadine Woodward have not announced cooling center locations at this time, but are expected to do so before Tuesday. The Spokane City Council passed an ordinance last year that requires the city to open cooling centers when the temperature is forecast to be above 95 degrees for at least two days in a row.
Twenty people died last June during the record-breaking heat wave, with the majority of deaths being elderly people who died in their home, according to the 2021 year-end report from the Spokane County Medical Examiner.
Temperatures in Spokane Monday are not forecast above the 95 degree benchmark established by the ordinance. In a news release Saturday, Woodward encouraged residents to access public libraries and parks to escape the impending heat before cooling centers are opened.
All Spokane Public Library locations are air conditioned and are open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays. The news release also advises residents to visit Spokane Parks and Recreation pools and splash pads to stay cool. Splash pads are open 9a.m. to 8p.m. every day and city pools are open Monday through Saturday with varying hours. Locations and more information can be found on the park department’s website.
Avista Utilities spokesperson Dalila Sheehan said Avista is not expecting to implement rolling blackouts like it did last June to keep up with electricity demands. She said the company has invested in additional infrastructure planning to account for last year’s heat wave, and are continuing to upgrade substations, work that already was in progress last summer.
The heat is expected to break next weekend, with temperatures on Aug. 1 forecast to be significantly cooler. However, Bodnar said the forecast could change as the week goes on.
Bodnar said people should be aware the hot weather will dry out a lot of the moisture in low-lying grasses and vegetation – a major fuel source for wildfires in the Inland Northwest. He expects the region to enter peak wildfire season as the heat wave comes to a close, a bit later than usual due to the cold and damp spring.
There have been seven wildfires in Washington and Oregon this year, burning a total of 46,962 acres, according to the Northwest Interagency CoordinationCenter, which helps coordinate wildfire response.
At this time last year there had been 43 wildfires that burned 588,114 acres in Washington and Oregon.
“Just be extra cautious through the week, and especially going into next weekend, with not accidentally starting any fires,” Bodnar said. “Those are things like having chains dragging from your trailer, welding near dry grasses, something along those lines.”
Fire departments in the Spokane area also are concerned about the fire danger the hot, dry weather will bring and have issued burn restrictions for Spokane County in anticipation.
Effective last Friday, open burning and outdoor recreational fires in a fire pit are banned in Spokane County. Fires held in portable devices with a chimney, like patio warmers or chimneys still are allowed.
Anyone found in violation of the burn restriction may be charged with a misdemeanor, according to a news release from the agencies. Nick Gibson can be reached at (509) 459-5443 or by email at nickg@spokesman.com.
####################################################
KREM
The city of Spokane submitted a 24.3 million dollar proposal on housing people who live at homeless encampments. One of the proposal locations is the Quality Inn.
SPOKANE, Wash. — The city of Spokane submitted a $24.3 million dollar proposal on housing people who live at homeless encampments. One of the proposal locations is the Quality Inn right on Sunset Boulevard.
People that live near the Quality Inn think that it’s a great idea.
“I think it’s great. I think that there’s a lot of homeless people in Spokane and I would love to see them get some shelter,” said Amber Atwood, a resident living near Quality Inn. “So I’m glad to hear they’re doing something about it. I’m not too worried about it at all I think that it will be in a controlled environment which is better than them being on the street.
Atwood lives near Quality Inn. She and other neighbors living near the facility say they’ve had there fair share of homeless people coming in and out of the area. But adds they’re never usually a problem.
Alan Jackson, a local resident, said, “There’s been a fair amount of them through the past couple years, so I don’t think it’s going to be any worse than it’s been.”
Recently the city of Spokane put together a proposal to get more homeless people into alternative housing.
The Quality Inn is one of the housing sites proposed. The state recently awarded $6.5 million to Catholic Charities to buy the hotel.
One person who says it’s a good idea does have concerns about the relocation efforts.
“My only concern is there are people who will take it as a freebie like I get free housing, I won’t have to work, everything is given to me on a platter,” said Christina Young, who lives near Quality Inn.
Most of the people the city expects to offer relocation to are from the homeless encampment near Freya Street and I-90. That homeless encampment now has over 600 residents.
####################################################
KXLY
Posted: July 25, 2022 7:16 AM Updated: July 25, 2022 7:17 AM by Crosscut.
Image by Bruno /Germany from Pixabay
If you've tried everything and still can't beat the heat at home, you could look online for any local programs that are offering ductless air conditioners.
Depending on your state, some cooling centers — air-conditioned public facilities where people might go for relief during extremely hot weather — may be open and taking precautions to ensure they're as safe as possible. You could start by checking with your local utility offices, as they would know who is offering certain programs, Porter recommended.
By Hannah Weinberger / Crosscut.com
July 25, 2022
If King County really wants to prepare for extreme heat, better cooling needs to be part of the answer and not just for wealthy homeowners. Experts in climate adaptation say new infrastructure, including heat pumps and air conditioning, should be installed well before they are needed.
Seattle is one of the least air-conditioned metro areas in the country, with only 44% of homes air conditioned. While there are concerns about the long-term impacts of air conditioning on climate change, many more people are adding air conditioning to their homes than in previous years, with climate-friendlier forms of cooling like heat pumps also gaining in popularity. King County has received more than 4,600 applications for residential mechanical permits including the term “heat pump” in Seattle in 2022 alone.
Companies and municipalities across the region are working to help lower-income homeowners have access to this technology through rebate programs. Puget Sound Energy’s Efficiency Boost program has helped nine low-income households buy heat pumps in King County, while the city of Seattle has helped 923 homes convert from oil furnaces to heat pumps, including 65 low-income homes.
But both heat pumps and air conditioning remain out of reach for many. Even purchasing and installing the least expensive heat pumps can run homeowners thousands of dollars, and low-income renters rarely have the means or permission to install air conditioning in their homes. As of 2021, the majority of Seattle residents — 366,000 people — were renters, which has pushed Puget Sound Energy to explore how it can appeal to landlords to make more energy-conscious cooling and heating choices.
“As we continue to evolve and look into this work, we’re trying to figure out the best pathways to reach more of the landlord population to incentivize and encourage them to take part in these programs that we have available,” said Puget Sound Energy’s Gilbert Archuleta.
The state is using regulations to push builders forward.
The Washington State Building Code Council recently required heat pumps in most new large buildings, which will help renters living in them. But many people in existing homes still lack access to cooling systems.
One way the state is trying to increase access is by opening up the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program to cooling support. The program historically helped homeowners at or below 150% of the federal poverty line with heating grants and heating system replacements, but as of October 2021 it has been offering grants for mobile air conditioning units able to cool 300-square-foot spaces.
Since doing a communications push to increase awareness about the program with the Department of Social and Human Services about three months ago, program manager Brian Sarensen says the program has received 50 to 100 phone calls daily from people statewide asking how to apply for cooling assistance.
So far in 2022, the energy assistance program has provided 1,324 air conditioners to Washington residents, with a majority going to King County households.
Coordinating agencies are trying to get the word out as well. Byrd Barr Place, one of the three organizations coordinating the low-income air conditioning program in King County, has contacted around 4,000 people who it believes are eligible to request A/C units. It has validated 279 A/C applications so far, with employees working through a queue of 621 applications.
“There has been a lot of interest and the folks we are serving are all at or below 150% of FPL, so these are folks that would not otherwise be able to afford a unit,” says Byrd Barr’s Meredith Sibley. “We are serving many seniors living on fixed income and this program has most certainly increased their access to cooling and comfortable shelter.”
Sibley says that as of mid-July, Byrd Barr had delivered 188 units, and another 91 units have been ordered or are still en route to homes.
A large number of the recipients are renters, and the grant was designed with them in mind, Sarensen says. The air conditioning units can travel with them even if they need to move, as landlords aren’t required to provide air conditioning. However, the energy assistance program requires landlords to sign off on renters participating in the program if the renter lives in a hi-rise. “There is a concern about overwhelming the building’s power supply,” Sibley said.
Air conditioning isn’t a perfect solution and many people with access to air conditioning still suffer heat illness. Some people avoid running their air conditioning due to the cost of energy to run the units, and residential air conditioning isn’t all-powerful.
“Even the air conditioning websites will say, look, your residential-scale air conditioner can only cool you about 20 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’re in the middle of a 115 degree heat wave, you need to supplement with other cooling strategies,” says Dr. Alexandra Rempel, a cooling expert at the University of Oregon.
To that end, the energy assistance program also offers a $500 hardship benefit to help cooling-assistance recipients pay for the electricity needed to power their air conditioners. “It didn’t make sense to me as the program manager to not provide additional assistance, if necessary, to pay electricity bills,” Sarensen said.
At this point, between 7% and 10% of the agency’s grant spending is going toward cooling, Sarensen says. Demand for energy assistance has been so high in King County that the state Department of Commerce is working to get more funding for the Multi-Service Center — one of three service centers facilitating the cooling program in King County — to expand its service.
“We expended all our current LIHEAP funding for this program year on providing energy assistance (direct payments for energy bills) and at this time are awaiting the additional LIHEAP funding … so that we can start distributing AC units,” says Multi-Service Center’s Oksana Savolyuk, who directs its energy program, via email.
“We have definitely seen an interest, and are ready to purchase and distribute units as soon as we receive the funding from Commerce,” Savolyuk said. She added that Multi-Service Center plans to offer A/C units to all households applying for energy assistance at the time of their interview next year.
Getting air conditioners into people’s hands remains a challenge, despite the government funding.
Sibley, with Byrd Barr Place, says the brand-new program required forming new relationships with vendors and establishing a line of credit to buy A/C units. “The LIHEAP grant is reimbursable only, which means BBP has to front all of the money for the program and invoice the state to be repaid,” Sibley says. Another significant barrier is staff capacity. It takes a lot of combined staff time to purchase units, Sibley says, and to educate clients about the new program.
“I don’t know if what we put in place is going to be sufficient — if it was too much, if it was just right, not enough — because we don’t have any data for a full season,” Sarensen says.
But big changes may already be on the way to benefit people who rent or otherwise have limited ability to install air conditioning systems. On July 19, the Biden administration published an information memorandum on 2022 guidance related to LIHEAP funds and heat stress that include “establish[ing] cooling centers.” Sarensen said the state Department of Commerce is evaluating how it might use this funding to establish cooling centers, and whether community action agencies — the local groups facilitating LIHEAP funds, like Multi-Service Center and Byrd Barr Place — would be interested in participating.
####################################################
The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Spokane City Councilor Jonathan Bingle is upset about being left out of discussions about how to spend millions in state funding to disband a large homeless encampment in his district.
“I hate injustice and when that happens, it fires me up,” he told The Center Square.
Bingle said he and Councilor Michael Cathcart, who also represents District 1, were left out of the loop as city and county officials scrambled to finalize a relocation plan.
“More than 600 people live in that camp within our district and yet we were not once invited for a conversation with anybody,” he said. “I have been asking repeatedly since the start of the year to be involved in decisions involving the camp and to be ignored is just so frustrating.”
Bingle and Cathcart are the only conservatives on the left-leaning council that totals seven members.
“The cynic would say we are being left out because we differ ideologically,” he said.
Bingle took office in January knowing that being in the minority would be tough at times. But he finds it ironic to be shunned when the council majority talks repeatedly about the need for greater unity in governance.
“Unity means that you have to agree with them,” he said. “Never once in the call for unity have they voted for something that Michael or I proposed that they disagreed with. It’s all one sided.”
He said the majority needs to remember that he and Cathcart were put into office by voters who wanted different perspectives on the council, which should be respected.
At the heart of his angst is this week’s scramble by city and county to finalize a proposal about how $24.3 million offered by the state Department of Commerce should be expended. That money will be channeled through the city and can be used only to help get people out of Camp Home and into shelters or housing.
The camp is the largest in a state right-of-way and located on Washington Department of Transportation land next to Interstate 90.
Council President Breean Beggs was working with two other councilors to make those decisions, but was not providing updates, said Bingle.
“I called everybody this week trying to find out what was happening,” he said.
Bingle said the entire council should have been involved in developing the plan because there are going to be ongoing costs during a time of budget constraints. A special meeting could have been called to explore the long-term issues likely to arise, as well as what needed to be done in the immediate, he said.
The Camp Hope situation was not the first “injustice” of the week, said Bingle.
He and Cathcart were not notified by Council President Breean Beggs that a $3 million police vehicle funding request they sponsored had been pulled from the July 25 agenda.
Beggs said the proposal had been listed on the agenda in error. He said the three council members who vet requests for American Rescue Plan funds did not support the police proposal, so it should not have been placed on the agenda and published.
Bingle counters that police are asking for ARP funds to buy 46 replacement patrol cars, which will get them through 2023, due to fierce competition in the market created by supply chain disruptions.
Without taking advantage of a short window of time in August or September to place vehicle orders, SPD Major Eric Olson said there would be significant delays in getting new vehicles. The department needs more than 200 vehicles to ensure its fleet is up to date and operating at maximum efficiency, but the council only approved 35 this year, said Bingle.
“This is a public safety issue,” he said. “We received this money from the federal government to replenish funds for these types of projects, so this is an opportunity to get our fleet where it needs to be without going into debt.”
In a time with high crime, he said officers should be equipped with everything they need to keep communities safe, including reliable transportation.