Courtland City Council Meeting - January 20, 2026

The Courtland City Council met on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, to address several key items including the appointment of a new council member, fire department restructuring, a citywide compensation study, wastewater infrastructure improvements, and a proposal for the University of Idaho to purchase the Harbor Center property. The meeting began with the oath of office for Councilman-elect Dan Sheckler, followed by public testimony on sensitive ethical issues regarding a visiting speaker, ongoing trash service concerns in the Foreground neighborhood, and future land use options for the Harbor Center area.

Consent Calendar

• Approved Resolution 26-004 and all other items on the consent calendar by unanimous roll call vote (Evans, Miller, Gabriel, English, Wood, Sheckler: Yes).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Brian Seguin (on behalf of the Cooney County Democratic Executive Committee): Expressed strong opposition to Matt Gates speaking at the upcoming Republican Lincoln Day Dinner fundraiser. Cited a U.S. House Ethics Committee report detailing substantial evidence of violations including prostitution, statutory rape, and obstruction of Congress. The speaker urged the community to reject the normalization of such behavior and emphasized the city's duty to uphold integrity and protect children.
• Tom Saner: Expressed moral concern regarding the perceived inconsistency in how the city handles moral judgments, contrasting the issuance of a values-based proclamation for Charlie Kirk with the dismissal of public moral objections to Matt Gates. Argued that moral reasoning should be applied consistently regardless of whether it comes from city leadership or citizens.
• Bridget Hill: Expressed concern regarding Republic Services and the need for the city to ensure the contractor provides notice for necessary alley remediation and maintains trash service during a grace period for homeowners.
• Gabe Eckerton: Expressed full support for Resolution 26-005 regarding the reorganization of the fire department, citing the alignment with local support and the opportunity to update the chain of command.
• Dylan Hughes: Expressed support for the city exploring the sale of public lands at the Harbor Center but emphasized the critical need to ensure total transparency, verify the University's agenda, and guarantee that public access to trail systems remains uninterrupted.
• Ken Murphy: Expressed confusion and concern regarding Republic Services' claim that local alleys are impassable for 14 years despite a lack of orange markers and previous successful collections. Questioned how the definition of "impassable" changed under the new contractor.

Discussion Items

• Appointment of Dan Sheckler: Council amended the agenda to declare an emergency for the appointment to Council Seat 3 to ensure a full council. Following the oath of office, the council confirmed Dan Sheckler unanimously.
• Fire Department Reorganization (Resolution 26-005): Fire Chief Tom Gripe presented a proposal to restructure the administrative command staff, establishing a Division Chief rank for Training, EMS, and Logistics, and upgrading the Fire Marshal position. Staff reported that the $56,000 ongoing cost is driven by the need to address vacancies and upcoming retirements rather than immediate cost savings. The proposal aims to prevent wage compression between union and exempt roles and establish a clear chain of command from the Fire Chief to Division Chiefs. Councilmember Wood expressed initial concerns about the delineation of discipline between union and exempt roles but was relieved after assurances from the Chief that progressive discipline would remain with exempt leadership.
• Citywide Compensation Study (Resolution 26-006): HR Director Melissa Tosi requested approval for a professional services agreement with Best AHR for a comprehensive classification and compensation study, the first of its kind since 2017. The study is necessary to prepare for police contract negotiations in September and ensure pay equity across the city's three different employee groups. Councilmember Christy noted that while she supports the study, she prefers the city have a five-year strategic plan for implementation and explore sharing resources with the city of Post Falls. Staff confirmed that the consultant's report would include implementation strategies.
• Wastewater Capital Improvement Projects (Resolution 26-007): Wastewater Director Mike Anderson requested approval for a $319,800 agreement with JUB Engineering to upgrade the Mill River Lift Station. The project aims to increase capacity by utilizing an existing eight-inch pipe and adding bypass capabilities to allow for maintenance. The project will be funded by a combination of the current year's $900,000 allocation, the $300,000 underspend from the previous year, and the Mill River surcharge fund.
• University of Idaho Harbor Center Lease Sale: Dr. Andrew Fields, CEO of the University of Idaho at Coeur d'Alene, requested authorization to enter negotiations for the possible purchase of the Harbor Center building and land. He argued that ownership would allow the university to apply for state funding for aging infrastructure, provide stability, and strengthen its role as a permanent fixture in the Education Corridor. Councilmembers Wood and English voiced support for the concept but raised concerns regarding the future expansion of the wastewater treatment plant and access to BLM trails. City Administrator Troy Tymerson clarified that the city is not currently committing to a sale but noted the complexity of land boundaries, which include parcels protected for wastewater and BLM corridor access.

Key Outcomes

• Appointment Confirmed: Dan Sheckler was sworn in and confirmed to Council Seat 3 by a unanimous vote (6-0).
• Resolution 26-005 Approved: The Council approved the Fire Department reorganization and CBA amendment by a unanimous roll call vote (Evans, Miller, Gabriel, English, Wood, Sheckler: Yes).
• Resolution 26-006 Approved: The Council approved the professional services agreement with Best AHR for the citywide compensation study by a unanimous roll call vote.
• Resolution 26-007 Approved: The Council approved the $319,800 agreement with JUB Engineering for wastewater projects by a unanimous roll call vote.
• Direction for Negotiations: The Council, by a majority vote (Evans, Miller, Gabriel, English: Yes; Wood: No; Sheckler: No; with Mayor casting the deciding vote in favor of the motion), directed staff to negotiate specifically for the sale of the Harbor Center land and building. The motion failed to allow for negotiation of alternative options (selling the building and leasing land, or continuing the lease) due to a procedural clarification requiring a single specific direction. The City Administrator noted that further information regarding boundaries and the wastewater master plan will be required before final decisions.
• Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned with the promise of a group photo at the end.