Airway Heights reduces services to Tribe

AIRWAY HEIGHTS– City council voted this week to reduce fire, EMS and police services in two areas owned or held in trust by the Kalispel Tribe of Indians.

“The Kalispel Tribe failed to pay on two separate contracts for service from the city, so we are reducing service proportional to that lack of payment,” city administrator Albert Tripp said.

One of these contracts between the city and the Tribe, established in 1996, was paid annually until 2019. The second contract is a 3-party contract between the Kalispel Tribe, Spokane County, and Airway Heights. Payments on this contract ceased in 2018.

“The Tribe is one of the largest property owners in the city,” Tripp said. “They own 40 acres on the casino area, and 250 acres south of the casino is held in trust by the federal government on behalf of the Tribe.”

Tripp said that the city’s needs are increasing and it can no longer afford to subsidize these services without the contractually required payment from the Kalispel Tribe.

“Our taxpayers are paying their fair share and as demand continues to increase, the cost of subsidizing the tribe’s lack of payment will increase as well,” Tripp said.

Tripp said that the tribe has until Dec. 31 to respond to this decision. Otherwise, they will have to contract with another agency in order to receive police, fire, and EMS services while city services will be reduced in those areas.

“In the future, the city will only respond to calls for service in these areas if the situation is beyond the capabilities of the agency with which the tribe is contracted,” Tripp said.