Post Falls City Council Meeting – December 17, 2025
Post Falls City Council Meeting – December 17, 2025
The meeting was called to order at 01:59:46 UTC (local time unspecified) on December 17, 2025. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by a Girl Scout from Troop 2472. The council removed a parade ordinance from the agenda. A Girl Scout representative honored Mayor Jacobson, and the new parks and recreation director was sworn in. The council unanimously approved a 16-item consent calendar, passed seven ordinances on first reading, and debated three new business items: an Urban Renewal Technology District Plan Amendment, a Crown Reserve Park Construction Improvement Agreement, and a Quarry Sports Complex sewer easement. Citizen comments highlighted the Holidays and Heroes program and urged fairness in council vacancy appointments. Retiring Parks and Recreation Director Dave Fair delivered a farewell presentation on the department’s growth and future needs. Council members gave farewell remarks to outgoing Mayor Jacobson and Councilmember Davis.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes of the December 2, 2025, council meeting; accounts payable December 3–17, 2025; October cash and investments; fiscal year 2025 street and road report; salary survey contract with Optimal Talent Dynamics; construction improvement agreements for Arrived Post Falls, Harvest Meadows Subdivision, North Place East Fourth Edition; final plat approvals for Crown Reserve Subdivision and Walka States Minor Subdivision; grants of rights-of-way and easements for Poll Line and Zoros (ANNX-24-2), Maguire (ANNX-25-4), and Echo Estates (ANNX-24-5); and annexation/development agreements for Maguire and Echo Estates. All items were approved unanimously by roll call vote.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Carrie Thorson (2508 Powder Horn Street) thanked the Post Falls Police Department for leading the Holidays and Heroes program for over 25 years. She then urged the council not to disqualify applicants for the upcoming council vacancy based on their service on planning and zoning commissions or having previously run for office, noting that two previous vacancy interviews had been “confrontational” and disqualified many qualified volunteers.
Discussion Items
- Urban Renewal Technology District Plan Amendment – Bob Seal (Community Development Director) presented the amendment, which adds approximately $6.4 million in eligible public roadway, water, and sewer improvements to the 2018 plan. The amendment is not a modification (no reset of revenue allocation). Jameson Smith (CEO, Kootenai Health) and Ben McGran (project manager) described a collaborative project involving Kootenai Health, MultiCare, Parkwood Properties, and Lakeside Development. The planned Prairie Medical Campus (Phase 1: $120 million, emergency department and medical office building, completion late 2027/early 2028) plus Parkwood Medical Park ($100 million) and Lakeside Senior Living ($50 million) are expected to create over 1,500 high-quality jobs. The infrastructure improvements (complete Zoros, Fenicus, and Prosper streets) would accelerate development and improve connectivity. Council members discussed the benefits of completing roads now versus incremental phasing, and concerns about taxpayer reimbursement versus developer responsibility. The ordinance was placed on first reading and passed unanimously (7–0).
- Crown Reserve Park Construction Improvement Agreement – Robbie Quinn (Parks Planner) presented a shared-cost agreement with the developer (Metalist Development) for a 3.6-acre neighborhood park. The developer would build basic amenities (grading, landscaping, asphalt path, road frontage) and the city would reimburse $349,380.01 for additional amenities (basketball courts, sidewalks, parking, utilities, etc.) upon final inspection and dedication. The city would own and maintain the park. Council debate focused on the value of the land (estimated at $860,000) and the shift from an HOA-maintained green space to a city park. Concerns were raised about taxpayer expense for developer benefit, but the council ultimately approved the agreement (6–1, with Councilmember Mulloy dissenting? Roll call showed Mulloy? Actually roll call: Mulloy? Ziglar? Aye? The transcript says:
Meeting Transcript
Call the meeting to order. Tonight we have a representative from Girls Crout Girl Scout Troop 2472. And would would you be so kind as to come forward and lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance? And to the Republic for which it stands on the nation and under God. Thank you very much. You did a wonderful job, and you even had a police escort. Real quick, if anybody is here for the uh ordinance on the parade, that's been removed from the agenda. And it was published on the I think social media, but it has been removed. So if they're here, you're here for that. That is now gone. Okay. And we do have representative from Girl Scouts who would like to speak. Thank you, Mayor. Uh, my name is Brian Newberry, uh, the CEO of Girl Scouts Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho. I just want to celebrate Eden here representing uh 3,200 Girl Scouts all across Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho. We have over the past two months visited 16 different city councils across our vast territory. You are our last, and uh we're there to celebrate the day of the girl, which was in the fall time frame. And so Eden, who goes to Celtees uh this day is to celebrate you and to let you know that we want to hear your voice, because your voice makes the world a better place. But I'm also here tonight to celebrate you, sir Mayor. Uh Mayor Jacobson was the first mayor when I started as CEO seven years that opened up his heart and his council to my girl scouts. Uh Jackie Livingston, who's a great service unit leader there, she's getting a little tearful myself, but uh herself, but I am too. Uh you were the first one to give a gold award to recognize a Gold Ward Girl Scout in our council. That's the highest award in Girl Scouting. Um, to her daughter Jackie Livingston, and you also recognize Sierra Livingston, and you also made Sierra Livingston citizen of the day for her work here with the VFW. So, Mayor, from start to finish, you've been there for Girl Scouts, so if you ever need thin mints, just let us know. Uh we we gave him uh a thin man ornament because he is truly number one in our hearts. So Mayor Jacobson, these Girl Scouts are actually number three in the country for Girl Scout cookies. Uh last year um they had over 40,000 boxes donated to our troops and our first responders, and after the tragedy in Court of Lane over the fourth just before the Fourth of July weekend, they went on out and delivered 5,000 boxes of cookies to every northern Idaho first responder, including the great uh city of Post Falls as well. That's what you all do is you support Girl Scouts, and in turn they support you to make the world a better place. So Eden, God bless you and your Girl Scouts for all they do, and more importantly, God bless every one of these sir servants up here who are making our world better place. Mayor Jacobson will never forget you. You take care. So hopefully we will get a number of applications for that position. And in addition, there will be an opening on the urban renewal agency. So if anybody out there has an interest, please feel free to uh stop by the city and submit a uh form with our wonderful clerk Shannon Howard. Uh opportunities there, please take advantage of it. And I guess I should have started by saying please note that all council members are present. Um we do have a swearing in as opposed to swearing at. It's time to swear in our new parks and recreation director. Who is doing the honor? Shannon Please raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear that you will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Idaho, and that you will faithfully discharge the duties of parks rec director of the city of Post Falls accordingly according to the best of your ability? I do. Congratulations. Thank you, Chris. Does that mean this is your last meeting, Dave? Well, I will be a citizen next time. You've been here for many of them, thank you. Are there are there any amendments to the agenda other than the remove uh removal of that one ordinance? Just the removal.
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