Coeur d'Alene City Council Meeting – March 4, 2026: MS Proclamation, Annexation, Land Exchange
Coeur d'Alene City Council Meeting – March 4, 2026
The City Council met on March 4, 2026, for a regular meeting that included a proclamation for Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week, public comments from Republic Services and a Disability Awareness Month advocate, approval of several resolutions, two quasi-judicial hearings, and a land exchange. The meeting lasted approximately two hours and included unanimous votes on most items.
Proclamation
- MS Awareness Week Proclamation: Chief Grive shared his personal MS diagnosis story and introduced Dr. Nina Bosanov, one of only two MS fellowship-trained neurologists in Idaho. Dr. Bosanov provided an overview of MS, noting that over a million Americans live with it, a global diagnosis occurs every five minutes, and Idaho has a higher prevalence. She highlighted that early diagnosis and treatment are critical and that local MS care was previously unavailable, forcing patients to travel to Seattle or Oregon. Council adopted the proclamation.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Wes Davis (General Manager, Republic Services): Reported on the transition from Phil Damiano's company. He stated that 38 of 40 original employees remain (95% retention), hired additional staff and a new truck, and reassured the city of continued high-quality service. He offered tours of the recycling facility and noted that recyclables are processed in Hayden, shipped to Seattle, and used as mill feedstock.
- Suzanne Knutson: Spoke in recognition of Disability Awareness Month, emphasizing that more than one in four Americans live with a disability. She called for moving from accommodation as an afterthought to inclusion as a priority, and urged the city to design for those facing the greatest barriers, thanking the council for support of the specialized needs recreation building project.
Announcements
- Councilmember Christy reported on a morning meeting with CDA EDU (formerly Jobs Plus), focused on bringing high-paying jobs to the region.
- The Mayor announced the passing of Phyllis Leuven, a former police department secretary who served from 1969 to 1995, offering condolences.
- Appointments to the Personnel Appeals Board (Benton Wolfinger, Vonnie Jensen, Mike Gridley) were approved unanimously.
Consent Calendar
- Approved Resolution 26-018 and the consent calendar as presented, without discussion, via roll call (all ayes).
Discussion Items
- Resolution 26019 – Change Orders for Solids Building Improvement Project: Mike Becker (Capital Programs Manager) presented Change Orders #4 ($12,068.67) and #5 ($190,811.89) with Apollo Inc. for safety-related utility relocation and electrical improvements. The project, started in 2023, is scheduled for completion April 24, 2026. No budget remained but funds were available from prior fiscal year underspend. Approved unanimously.
- Resolution 26020 – 15-Minute Parking Restriction at 108 Indiana Avenue: Chris Mosley (Streets & Engineering) explained that BTIFIC (behavioral health) requested a drop-off zone for clients with disabilities who need to be near the door. A bus drop-off area will be signed as a 15-minute parking restriction. Approved unanimously.
- Resolution 26021 – Water Meter Purchase: Glenn Polstra (Assistant Water Director) presented a bid from Badger Meter Inc. for $299,456, within the $350,000 budget, for registers and endpoints as part of the annual meter replacement program (1,500–2,000 meters per year). The city uses a test bench to recertify old meter bodies. Only one bid was received. Approved unanimously.
Quasi-Judicial Hearing – Annexation A126 (Aspen Homes)
- Staff Report: Associate Planner Barbara Barker presented the request to annex 1.937 acres at 2739 E Thomas Lane from County AG Suburban to City R3 (3 units/acre). The property, previously a salvage yard, had phase I and II environmental assessments with no concerns found, but conditions require independent soil reports for building permits and DEQ coordination. The Planning & Zoning Commission approved the subdivision (Mountainside at Canfield) on January 13, 2026. Staff recommended approval with 14 conditions. Council found the proposal conforms to the comprehensive plan, utilities are adequate, the site is suitable, and no adverse neighborhood impacts.
- Applicant Presentation: Jeremy Kazuli (land use consultant) described the project as a four-lot single-family subdivision on a private driveway. He addressed public concern about early clearing, explaining the extensive pre-application process. He highlighted benefits: increased tax base, impact fees, infrastructure extension, and diversity of housing.
- Public Testimony: No one testified. The hearing was closed.
- Council Action: Moved to approve with findings and conditions 1–14. Motion carried unanimously. The ordinance (Council Bill 26-105) and annexation agreement (Resolution 26-022) were also approved unanimously.
Quasi-Judicial Hearing – Land Exchange with Parkwood Properties
- Staff Report: Monty McCullough (Trails Coordinator) presented a proposal to exchange a half-acre city-owned parcel (portion of tax #24207) behind 3700 W. Seltice Way for improvements to city-owned real property valued at $85,000. The improvements include: a double trail section with a secondary gravel path, two light poles, a bike repair station, widened concrete for public art/exercise equipment, perpetual maintenance of dryland grass seed, and permanent solar lighting for the skate park. The city declared the parcel value at $85,000 on February 3, 2026. Staff noted the parcel is not needed for a pocket park according to the Parks strategic plan, and the exchange reduces city maintenance costs.
- Applicant Presentation: Chris Meyer (Parkwood Properties) explained the context: Parkwood is redeveloping the former US Bank call center into a multi-disciplinary Center for Healthy Living in partnership with Heritage Health. The trail improvements are required frontage improvements for a building permit; the proposal adds amenities beyond the standard 15-foot trail. He described the benefits to trail users, public safety lighting, and the opportunity to engage the community with the Heritage Health center.
- Public Testimony: None.
- Council Discussion: Councilmember Wood asked about the valuation, noting that an appraisal was not obtained. Monty explained that the value was negotiated based on the city's original investment. Councilmember Christy supported the project, noting the parks plan did not allocate resources for a pocket park there. Councilmember Evans stated he believes the city comes out ahead. Councilman Sheckler, absent, submitted a letter requesting an independent appraisal before exchange, arguing the valuation method is unreliable and the property's value is higher when assembled with the adjoining 10.06-acre parcel. The Mayor read the letter into the record. After discussion, council approved the exchange (Resolution 26-023) and the development agreement (Resolution 26-024) unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- MS Awareness Proclamation adopted.
- Consent Calendar approved, including Resolution 26-018.
- Resolution 26-019 (change orders for Solids Building) approved.
- Resolution 26-020 (15-minute parking at 108 Indiana) approved.
- Resolution 26-021 (water meter purchase from Badger Meter) approved.
- Annexation A126 (Aspen Homes) approved with 14 conditions; ordinance and annexation agreement passed.
- Land Exchange (Parkwood Properties) approved; valuation determined by council at $85,000 without independent appraisal; development agreement approved.
- Appointments to Personnel Appeals Board confirmed.
- Meeting adjourned at approximately 8:54 PM.
Meeting Transcript
Tonight is to raise awareness for MS through MS Week, MS month, and quite frankly, most of us try to raise awareness and advocate for it twelve months out of the year. Um raising awareness, um emphasizing the understanding of what multiple sclerosis is. So uh when you see people that might have the disease in the community, you understand better what it was or what it is. I know when I was diagnosed, I had to look it up. I didn't know what it was, and I'd been a paramedic for 20-something years. So that's the opportunity that we have during MS Awareness Week is just to bring education to the forefront, and Dr. Bosanoff will uh do that for us here in just a minute. From a personal perspective, I just like to share a couple things. Uh when adversity enters your life, whether it's a medical condition or something other. Uh I know personally I had to search for something that made sense with it all, or find a reason to uh help me accept why this had to happen to me, or just simply grab onto something positive to help you move forward with it. Um advocating for this disease is just that it's a positive thing. Uh I have some friends in here that advocate for this every day with fundraisers and walks and golf tournaments, and I think that's what helps us move forward with this um this disease in today's world. Um my personal MS diagnosis came in 2019. It was life-changing for me and my family, but it also brought some very unexpected blessings into my life. Um, and those are the people that I believe if I wouldn't have been diagnosed with MS, I never would have crossed paths with them. And they're some of the most remarkable, amazing people that I've ever met in my life. And some of them are here tonight, and you're gonna get to meet one special one here in just a second. Um the team at Kooteny Health is far more than just care providers for MS patients, but they're they're trusted and they become close friends. And I I I consider them extended family for myself, and I know that the folks that are here tonight with me and in the MS community, I'm echoing the same feeling for them. So at this time, I is my privilege to introduce you to an amazing person who has been just instrumental in the care and support of MS patients in this region since 2020, Dr. Nina Bosanov from Kootenia. I'll pull your slides up for you. Thank you all so much for having me here this evening. We won't take up too much more of your time, but thank you for the recognition and this opportunity. Uh so again, my name is Dr. Nina Bajanov. I'm one of the only two multiple sclerosis fellowship trained neurologists in the state of Idaho. The other one is in Boise, so we obviously have to care for a wide uh range of our population that's living with multiple sclerosis. Uh so just uh a couple of things to overview about multiple sclerosis, and maybe some of you are familiar with this. It is a chronic autoimmune condition. It can impact the optic nerve, the brain or the spinal cord. And essentially what it is, it's a disruption of the communication between the body and the brain. And so one of the challenges with multiple sclerosis is the symptoms can be very different based on where the lesions can occur. So someone may have blindness, they may be in a wheelchair, they may just have cognitive changes or fatigue. And so the approach really has to be individualized as we think about multiple sclerosis. So it is a lifelong condition. Right now, we do not have a cure for multiple sclerosis because we don't really fully know the cause. But we do have treatments that can significantly improve quality of life as well as disability. So what is the impact? So as you mentioned, uh over a million people are living with multiple sclerosis. A global diagnosis is made every five minutes. As we talked about before, it can cause varying symptoms, and that's one of the reasons it can be so challenging to make a diagnosis, is because people may not realize that their symptoms might be from something like MS. Most people get a diagnosis diagnosis between the ages of 20 and 50, but we know that there are pediatric people with MS, uh, as well as older adults as well. Uh there is progress and hope, which is the great part of things, and it's one of the reasons I love giving MS care. So over the past two decades, we have more than 20 FTA-approved multiple sclerosis disease modifying therapies, and they can really prevent these attacks of MS and then hopefully prevent disability by preventing the attacks. So the time of diagnosis is incredibly critical. So the earlier we can make a diagnosis, the faster we can get people on treatment, uh, and then hopefully stabilize their disease course. Um what what do we know about MS, especially here? So it's interesting if you look at the prevalence of MS, as we can see in this map of the US, uh, those dark blue states such as Idaho have higher prevalence rates than many of the other areas in the country. Um, and there's still a lot of work being done in this area to understand why that might be.
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