Post Falls City Council Meeting – October 8, 2025

The City Council of Post Falls met on October 8, 2025, to address routine approvals, public hearings, new business, and staff reports. Key actions included approval of a utility easement vacation, an update on the Warren Field Community Development Block Grant project, approval of a change order for the Prairie Trail extension, a contract amendment for the Transportation Master Plan, acceptance of a county deed for trail property, a presentation on the city's park asset management system, and a report on the recovery of withheld taxpayer funds from Kootenai County.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes from the September 16, 2025 City Council meeting were approved.
• Payables for September 4–30, 2025 were approved.
• Surplus of City Hall items (desktops, office chairs, etc.) were approved for auction, with proceeds to go into the general fund.
• Fiscal Year 2025 Audit Engagement Letter was approved.
• Linger Annexation (ANNX-24-11) and Painted Rock Annexation (ANNX-25-3) were approved.
• The consent calendar passed with a unanimous 5-0 vote (Council members Davis, Weslin, Ziggler, Malloy, and Stigleader all voted aye).

Public Hearings

• O'Brien Vacation (VAC-25-1): Justin Souter presented the request to vacate a 10-foot utility easement at 1501 East Tammy Drive. City Engineer Robert Paul explained the easement was never used and no utilities would be affected. Council approved the vacation unanimously (5-0).
• Warren Field CDBG Update: Robbie Quinn, Parks Planner, provided an update on the $325,000 Community Development Block Grant project. The project included road frontage improvements on 2nd Avenue and Idaho Street (curb, gutter, sidewalks, lighting, ADA access). Actual costs were slightly over budget by about 2.8%, with the overage covered by the parks construction budget. No action was taken; the hearing was informational. Council members discussed back-in parking, tree preservation, and parking issues in the area.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Joe Kovacs, Kootenai County Assessor, spoke during the citizens' issues portion. He raised concerns about a city-owned parking lot (4.11 acres) that had been deeded to the city in 2012 by a big-box retailer. He stated that under Idaho law, the property should not be exempt from taxation because it is vacant and not used for a public purpose. He also noted the county had settled lawsuits with the retailer over assessed values, resulting in about $260,000 in uncollected property taxes. Council members questioned the timing and forum of the presentation, stating it should have been handled through proper channels. The matter was not resolved.

Discussion Items

• Prairie Trail Extension – Work Change Directive #1: City Engineer Robert Paulis requested approval of a $27,901.50 change order for excess fill material (3,000 cubic yards) on the trail project between Zoros Road and State Highway 41. The extra cost would come from multimodal impact fees, leaving about $15,000 in contingency. Council approved unanimously after discussion about the estimate and the decision to bury material on-site.
• Transportation Master Plan – Contract Amendment #3: Robert Paulis presented a request for $27,782 to correct errors in regional job projections along Highway 41, which affected future traffic modeling. The work was already completed and funds would come from street impact fees. Council approved unanimously, though members expressed concern about the work being done before approval.
• Acceptance of County Deed to Centennial Trail Property: City Attorney Field Harrington presented a deed from Kootenai County for a half-mile section of the Prairie Trail from the existing trail to McGuire Road. No strings attached and no pre-existing problems noted. Council accepted the deed unanimously.
• Parks & Urban Forestry Asset Management: Parks Manager Brian Myers presented an update on the computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) implemented over the past two years. Over 5,300 work orders were completed, with 82% being preventive maintenance. The system will help predict lifecycle costs and replacement needs. Council commended staff for the implementation.
• Recovery of Withheld Taxpayer Funds: City Attorney Field Harrington reported that after a successful lawsuit and appeal to the Idaho Supreme Court, the city recovered $147,000 in principal and interest from Kootenai County, plus legal fees. The county had been withholding penalties and interest from delinquent property tax collections. Monthly distributions have resumed.
• Parks & Recreation Director Recruitment Update: City staff reported that interviews will occur at the end of the week, with three external and one internal candidate. A recommendation may be brought to council in November or December.

Key Outcomes

• Approved O'Brien vacation (unanimous).
• Approved Prairie Trail extension change order #1 for $27,901.50 from multimodal impact fees (unanimous).
• Approved Transportation Master Plan contract amendment #3 for $27,782 from street impact fees (unanimous).
• Accepted county deed for Centennial Trail property (unanimous).
• Received update on parks asset management and recovery of taxpayer funds.
• Entered executive session under Idaho Code 74-206B and 74-206D to discuss personnel and exempt records; no action taken during session. Subsequently approved a confidential agreement discussed in executive session.
• No action taken on assessor's parking lot tax issue; city attorney will review.