Airway Heights to reduce emergency services on Kalispel Tribe property

AIRWAY HEIGHTS, Wash. — The City of Airway Heights passed a resolution that will reduce the number of emergency services the Kalispel Tribe can receive.

Airway Heights said the Kalispel Tribe owes more than $1.5 million in contract payments, and the city can’t afford the high volume of police and fire calls coming from the property.

Albert Tripp, the Airway Heights City Manager, says the Tribe has stopped making contractual payments while continuing to draw upon city services.

The Kalispel Tribe responded to the resolution, saying the city has failed to provide the services they have contracted and paid for.

The Tribe says they have paid nearly $13 million in impact payments to Airway Heights since 2000, and they continue to make annual payments under its Gaming Compact, amounting to around $1.1 million over the past five years.

The Tribe is now working with the City of Spokane to ensure they still receive emergency services for the Northern Quest Casino and residents who live on the land.

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