Council approves LID, lowers assessment
Council voted to create a local improvement district on
a portion of Front Avenue. Front Avenue from Second to Seventh streets and the side streets north to the alley are slated for several
improvements that would bring the area in line with Sherman and Lakeside
avenues. Those streets were enhanced through LIDs in the late 80s and mid-90s.
The Front Avenue project will cost $2.9 million. The original proposal had the
city paying 61 percent of that, leaving the rest to be absorbed by Front Avenue
property owners. City staff said an assessment of $400 a front foot for
property owners would make the project pencil. However, Council voted to lower
that fee to $300 leaving the property owners with 29 percent of the cost
and the City with 71 percent. City staff will work
with that number and determine whether the scope of the project needs to be
reduced or whether they can find the additional dollars elsewhere in the city
budget.
Harbor House gets green light
The McEuen Park Design Team presented information to the Council
regarding the size and bulk of the Harbor House, one of the many amenities
identified for the park. The team also showed Council that the location of the
house was carefully planned to not obstruct any view corridor to the water. The
Council had concerns over the design of the Harbor House. After hearing the
report, Council voted to accept the design as is without modification and
thanked the Design Team for presenting the additional information.
City to explore visioning project
The city will further explore a longer-range visioning
project for how Coeur d’Alene should develop in the years to come. City
Attorney Mike Gridley presented the idea to Council at its last meeting.
Tuesday night, he reiterated the benefits of the community-led project. Bend,
Ore. embarked on such a visioning project with success, he said. Gridley has
asked Council to allocate $2,000 from the city’s Professional Services fund
toward bringing in the consultant on that project to talk about the potential
for such an initiative in Coeur d’Alene. It will cost a total of $6,000 to host
the consultant. Coeur d’Alene undertook a visioning 20/20 project more than a
decade ago. “We are now 10, 11, years down the road from that,” Gridley said.
“The world has changed significantly.” Gridley said it's time to revisit Coeur
d'Alene's long-range plan through the eyes of the community. He will look to
raise the additional $4,000 from the community to bring in the consultant. If
there is no interest, then the project will not go further, he said.
City launches social media
The city officially launched two social media sites
designed to get more information out to the public and offer citizens a way to engage
with the city. The city’s Facebook page can be accessed at facebook.com/cdagov and the city’s Twitter
page can be found at twitter.com/cdagov.
Drainage Utility fee appears this month
City staff reminded Council that the new drainage
utility fee will appear on January’s utility bill. The drainage utility was
formerly called the stormwater utility. City Council resurrected
the utility in December, allowing the city to once again collect fees to
provide drainage services to property owners. Council
opted for minimal user fees. Residents served by pipes will pay
$4.13 a month and those who rely on swales for drainage will pay $3.76 a month.
The city stopped collecting fees in 2011 while it evaluated the service and
reviewed a legal challenge of Lewiston’s stormwater utility, which was similar
to Coeur d’Alene’s. A primary function of a stormwater program is that the
utility, for a fee, takes on the individual property owners’ responsibility for
stormwater and regulatory compliance. Stormwater must meet federal, state, and
local regulations. The fee, effective immediately, only applies to property
owners that use the utility. Those who handle their own drainage on their
property will not be charged. For questions, contact 208.769.2223.
