SPOKANE, Wash. – The City of Spokane and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will spend $440,000 cleaning up city gateways, which have been affected by trash and graffiti in past months.
Under the new agreement between the municipal and state governments, Spokane Code Enforcement will conduct cleanups just as they have been, but will now be reimbursed by WSDOT, taking financial pressure off the city.
WSDOT administrator Mike Frucci argued that the increased graffiti and trash near entrances to the city are due to unhoused individuals.
“WSDOT is grateful for the continued partnership…to address challenges presented by the unhoused on WSDOT right of ways…we now have a means to partially reimburse the City for costs associated with this work,” Frucci said.
Mayor Lisa Brown touted the new agreement as a win for the city, and highlighted the first-impression made by city gateways.
“Our gateways are the front porch of our city. This partnership will help us keep them clean, safe, and inviting,” Brown said.
The contract will last two years with the potential for additional reimbursement funding after the initial $440,000 has been spent.
