SPOKANE, Wash. – Residents from Spokane’s 29 neighborhood councils gathered at Gonzaga’s Hemmingson Center for a neighborhood summit. The event aimed to foster connections between residents and city departments, focusing on community strengthening.
Heather Hamlin from the Office of Neighborhood Services expressed excitement about the event. “As I look across this room, there are so many friendly faces, and we could not be more thrilled to be here with you today,” she said.
The summit featured workshops, panels and community conversations, promoting a spirit of connection throughout the day.
Amber Groe, also from the Office of Neighborhood Services, emphasized the summit’s goals. “The goal of bringing neighbors and city departments, different community organizations together today is really just to form connections and allow an opportunity for education. We work with our 29 different neighborhood councils across the City of Spokane and are regularly engaging neighbors and residents around common questions,” she said.
Many attendees noted improved communication with City Hall on topics like street projects and public safety.
Debbie Ryan from the East Central Neighborhood highlighted the importance of this communication. “The city council members come to our meetings and give us city updates. We have a city rep that comes every month, and so we’re in constant communication with the city leaders,” she said.
Madison Morgan from the Cliff/Cannon Neighborhood shared her recent experience joining a neighborhood council. “I just got involved with the neighborhood council for the Cliff Cannon neighborhood in February. First of all, it’s super easy to get involved, and it’s super easy actually to be connected with city representatives. It wasn’t until I joined that I was like, oh, this is something that we can do as a neighborhood. We can bring these concerns to the city. We can bring our voices,” she said.
Organizers hope the connections formed at the summit will continue to grow. Groe encouraged residents to engage with their neighborhood councils. “I would encourage everyone to seek out their neighborhood council. Attend one meeting. See if you like it. See if you’re interested. Whether you’ve got a concern or not, it’s a great way to meet people, get connected, and hear about things that are happening in your neighborhood,” she said.
The city emphasized the importance of face-to-face interactions in building and maintaining long-term trust, helping residents and departments find solutions together, one neighborhood at a time.
