City Council in Brief

If you missed Tuesday’s City Council meeting, here are some of the highlights. A video of the meeting in its entirety is posted on www.cdaid.org.

Council accepts Person Field offer

Person Field

City Council accepted the School District’s offer to buy the District’s half of Person Field and all of Bryan Field for $750,00. City and school officials had been trying to work out a deal in which the School District would sell the City its half of Person Field. The City owns the other half. The price tag for Person Field is $650,000. Bryan Field was appraised at $350,000, but the District offered to sell both for $750,000.  The City asked that Bryan Field be part of the deal.

New development moves forward

Council approved the final plat document for a 46-lot residential and commercial development at West Pinegrove Drive and Canfield Avenue. The development is a re-plat of the original Cottage Grove subdivision that was approved in 2007 but was never populated. That plan called for 21 residential and 8 commercial lots. The Council’s approval allows for the sale and development of all of the lots in the expanded development.

Water rate increase passes

Following a public hearing, City Council passed an increase in water rates. Starting in March, existing customers will see a modest rate increase of 2.50 percent. That increase will rise to 4.90 percent in 2014 and hold steady each year until 2018. New water users will see an increase in capitalization fees. Even with the increase, Coeur d’Alene has among the lowest water rates compared to other nearby cities. The Water Department relies on user fees to fund all of its operations and does not receive funding from taxes. The increase in fees will support project costs that are part of the department’s Capital Improvement Plan over the next six years.