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Record of Proceedings

Coeur d'Alene City Council Meeting – September 15, 2026

City Council — Wednesday, September 16, 2026
BodyCoeur Dalene, Idaho
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, September 16, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:26:02

Original source
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0:24

Good evening.

0:24

It's September 15, 2026.

0:26

This is a meeting of the Cordelaine City Council, which I shall call to order.

0:30

The clerk will take the role.

0:33

English.

0:33

Here.

0:34

Gabriel.

0:35

Here.

0:35

Sheckler.

0:36

Here.

0:36

Wood.

0:37

Here.

0:38

Miller.

0:38

Here.

0:42

Evans.

0:44

Very good.

0:45

Is Don Duffy here?

0:47

Very good.

0:48

Could you come forward and give us our invocation?

0:50

Everyone, please rise.

0:56

Our dear Father in Heaven, we're grateful to meet at this time.

0:59

We're so grateful for this beautiful city in which that we live.

1:03

We're grateful for the many city services that serve us and especially our first responders and pray that they will be blessed and protected from harm and danger.

1:14

We're grateful for our mayor and city council.

1:17

We're grateful for the efforts that they put forth for individuals and families in this community and pray that they will be blessed with wisdom and understanding as they exercise their responsibilities.

1:28

We pray that thy Holy Spirit might be with us at this time throughout this meeting in the name of Jesus Christ.

1:33

Amen.

1:34

Thank you.

1:35

Please join me in the pledge.

1:37

Ready?

1:38

Begin.

1:39

I pledge allegiance to the United States of America and the Republic for which the stands, one nation, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

1:52

You may be seated.

1:57

And I will correct the super from the last from the invocation that was Don Duffy from the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints.

2:05

There is a sign-up sheet in the back for the hearing, and that's on our budget amendment.

2:12

If you want to comment on the Kratom ordinance, uh please sign up for public comments.

2:19

There's a separate sign-up sheet for that.

2:20

That is not a hearing, but if you want to say something, you can say it in uh public comments.

2:26

Move on to item D, amendments to the agenda.

2:28

Are there any amendments?

2:30

Ms.

2:30

Mayor.

2:31

Um I would like to make um a motion to amend the agenda to remove item K, the executive session today, um, due to the inability for some that needed to attend to be able to de there be there on short notice.

2:44

Second.

2:45

Motion and second, any discussion.

2:48

All those in favor?

2:49

Aye.

2:50

Any opposed?

2:51

Okay, the m agenda is a mention is amended.

2:54

Thank you, Kiki.

2:55

We'll move on to item E, which is a presentation.

2:58

It's a proclamation for October 2026, which is Arts and Humanities Month, and I shall read this proclamation.

3:09

With a little help.

3:21

And whereas the Cordelaine Arts Commission actively promotes and supports visual arts, performing arts, literary arts, and humanities programs that foster creativity, cultural understanding, and civic pride, and whereas artists, educators, students, organizations, and art supporters throughout Cordelaine contribute significantly to the cultural education and economic vitality of our community, and whereas the annual Cordelaine Arts Awards, now in its thirtieth year, exemplifies the community's commitment to recognizing excellence, leadership, and meaningful impact in the arts.

3:55

And whereas the celebration of the arts encourages greater awareness, participation, and appreciation of creative expression in all forms, strengthening community identity and connection, and whereas the month of October provides a meaningful opportunity to highlight and honor the contributions of those who advance the arts and humanities in Cordelaine, and whereas the City of Cordelaine values the role of arts and humanities in education, community engagement, and the overall quality of life for all who live in and visit our city.

4:24

Now, therefore, I, Daniel K.

4:25

Gukin, Mayor of the City of Cordelaine, Idaho, do hereby proclaim the month of October 2026 as Arts and Humanities Month in Cordelaine, Idaho, and encourage all citizens to celebrate, support, and participate in the arts and humanities throughout our community.

4:41

And we have Mary Lee Riba, who's chairman of our arts commission, who will come forward to accept this.

5:02

Thank you, Mayor and Council, for this wonderful plot proclamation.

5:07

October is a special time for us to celebrate the incredible artists, musicians, writers, performers, historians, and cultural organizations that make Court Olaine such a vibrant community.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Cannabis Regulation█████████████████████████████████████████████46%
Procedural████████████████16%
Budget Equity Analysis███████████11%
Public Safety███████7%
Personnel Matters██████6%
Public Engagement████4%
Parks and Recreation████4%
Volunteer Management██2%
Mental Health Awareness██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Coeur d'Alene City Council Meeting – September 15, 2026

The Coeur d'Alene City Council met on September 15, 2026, to discuss and act on several items including a proclamation for Arts and Humanities Month, public comments on proposed Kratom regulations, amendments to the city's classification and compensation plan, and a budget amendment for fiscal year 2025-2026. The council also removed an executive session from the agenda.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved the consent calendar including Resolution 26-074 with a minor correction (removing the maintenance warranty agreement from item 6B). The vote was unanimous.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Gina Rogers (small business owner selling natural Kratom) voiced support for Council Bill 261015, emphasizing a regulatory approach over a ban. She supported age restrictions, testing, labeling, and removal of high-potency synthetic 70H products. She requested clarification on whether properly labeled adult gummies would be allowed under the ordinance.
  • Mark Mathis spoke in support of Kratom regulation, sharing that his wife and daughter use natural Kratom for pain relief. He supported removing synthetic high-concentration products but opposed a total ban.
  • Ally Mathis (age 24, Coeur d'Alene resident) described her struggle with rheumatoid arthritis and the relief she gets from natural Kratom. She supported regulation to preserve access for responsible adults and distinguish natural Kratom from synthetic 70H.
  • Mason Valdez (age 23) supported regulation, stating natural Kratom helps him manage chronic pain from an accident. He noted the DEA's distinction between natural and synthetic products and argued that alcohol causes greater harm.
  • Two online commenters were read into the record: Jeff Reagan (in favor of budget amendment) and Shannon from Massachusetts (neutral), though likely intended for Kratom discussion.

Discussion Items

Proclamation: Arts and Humanities Month

  • Mayor read a proclamation declaring October 2026 as Arts and Humanities Month. Mary Lee Riba, Arts Commission chair, accepted and thanked the council.

City Council Announcements

  • Councilmember Kiki Miller reported on a presentation by Leon Deuce regarding House Bill 389 and cybersecurity concerns from the Association of Idaho Cities. She also recognized Hillary Patterson, Community Planning Director, for receiving an Outstanding Leadership Award from the American Planning Association.
  • Councilmember Christy Wood reported that the Park and Rec committee is forming an advisory committee for city park upgrades, including promenade repairs, and that a proposal for Johnson Park improvements (beach area, docks, bathrooms, parking) using remaining River District funds was presented.
  • Councilmember Dan English raised concerns about locked bathrooms at a park; discussion followed about vandalism and funding. Councilmember Wood noted the Parks Department closes some bathrooms after 4 p.m. to reduce vandalism.
  • Chief of Police announced volunteer opportunities for youth (ages 14-18) on city committees, adult openings on Planning and Zoning Commission, Ped Bike Committee, Urban Forestry Committee, and Personnel Appeals Board. He also recognized library board trustee Katie Saylor for 40 years of service and acknowledged the passing of former city employee John Brummerling.

Resolution 26075: Classification and Compensation Plan Amendments

  • HR Director Melissa Tosi presented the amendments based on a citywide class/comp study. Three positions were below market: Street Maintenance Worker (71% below), HR Specialist (71% below), and Building Maintenance Superintendent (increased scope). The proposal moved each up one pay grade. Total cost: $21,546, effective October 1, funded from fund balance or savings. Council approved unanimously.

Council Bill 261015: Regulation of Kratom

  • City Attorney Randy Adams presented the draft ordinance. Key provisions: does not ban Kratom for adults; requires a license; prohibits sale to persons under 21; requires products to be behind a counter; prohibits marketing to minors; sets labeling and concentration limits (max 2% 7-OH).
  • Council debated amendments. Councilmember Sheckler proposed removing the entire labeling section (9.27.040) and changing the age to 18. That motion failed for lack of a second. Councilmember Christy Wood then moved to adopt with removal of subsections D.1 and D.2 from prohibited acts (confection/candy mimicry) but keep D.3 (marketing to minors). The motion was seconded and passed unanimously. The age limit remained 21.

Public Hearing: Budget Amendment for FY 2025-2026

  • Finance Director Katie Ebner presented the amendment increasing expenditures by approximately $3 million and revenues by $1.1 million. Items included voluntary separation incentive payouts, carryover for IT software, HVAC repairs, police vehicle purchases, fire department constant staffing ($648,000), and grant adjustments. No public speakers signed up. The council adopted Council Bill 26-1016 unanimously.

Key Outcomes

  • Removed executive session from the agenda (unanimous).
  • Approved consent calendar (unanimous).
  • Approved Resolution 26075 (classification and compensation plan amendments) (unanimous).
  • Adopted Council Bill 261015 (Kratom regulation) with amendment to remove prohibited acts subsections D.1 and D.2 (confection/candy appeal) while retaining prohibition on marketing to minors; age limit set at 21 (unanimous).
  • Adopted Council Bill 26-1016 (budget amendment for FY 2025-2026) (unanimous).
  • Meeting adjourned.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening. It's September 15, 2026. This is a meeting of the Cordelaine City Council, which I shall call to order. The clerk will take the role. English. Here. Gabriel. Here. Sheckler. Here. Wood. Here. Miller. Here. Evans. Very good. Is Don Duffy here? Very good. Could you come forward and give us our invocation? Everyone, please rise. Our dear Father in Heaven, we're grateful to meet at this time. We're so grateful for this beautiful city in which that we live. We're grateful for the many city services that serve us and especially our first responders and pray that they will be blessed and protected from harm and danger. We're grateful for our mayor and city council. We're grateful for the efforts that they put forth for individuals and families in this community and pray that they will be blessed with wisdom and understanding as they exercise their responsibilities. We pray that thy Holy Spirit might be with us at this time throughout this meeting in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Thank you. Please join me in the pledge. Ready? Begin. I pledge allegiance to the United States of America and the Republic for which the stands, one nation, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. You may be seated. And I will correct the super from the last from the invocation that was Don Duffy from the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints. There is a sign-up sheet in the back for the hearing, and that's on our budget amendment. If you want to comment on the Kratom ordinance, uh please sign up for public comments. There's a separate sign-up sheet for that. That is not a hearing, but if you want to say something, you can say it in uh public comments. Move on to item D, amendments to the agenda. Are there any amendments? Ms. Mayor. Um I would like to make um a motion to amend the agenda to remove item K, the executive session today, um, due to the inability for some that needed to attend to be able to de there be there on short notice. Second. Motion and second, any discussion. All those in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Okay, the m agenda is a mention is amended. Thank you, Kiki.

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