[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6466389,"mediaKeyId","5824338-0bab113aa9494ffdf275c43c89bd4ac7","parentId",5824338,"title","County OKs trial subscription to Comms Coach hiring and training platform for 9-1-1 center","audioSeconds",430,"startMs",545000,"endMs",975000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5824338-0bab113aa9494ffdf275c43c89bd4ac7&start=545&end=975","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5824338-0bab113aa9494ffdf275c43c89bd4ac7/thumbnail_545000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6466389/Kootenai-County/Idaho/County-OKs-trial-subscription-to-Comms-Coach-hiring-and-training-platform-for-9-1-1-center","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6466389-752180463cb4aaeeebe532e62082cd84/orig.mp4?Expires=1773699717&Signature=Be4BbGvtbAQaOgBlBNYpVQgsEgkMZ4yGHX1tOK7K9PnI~9C8A-CZphK6N8QBv-pDUpc556sTZG-CT3VxH4rtPbcHlkvwI-rXOkWTPRjI5jYoVLPQT~RRA0VhDJZWsuA0aFKCPr-WpEITFkb9AjT6DtqwYoG551xuNXEbYUuC9G5IGhRjQKjIcgxZzkd7CWSBDGshG6NdC-ZE7pcXHz5v0P1PH~s4MSQDickRshQOCjZigYw1DzYq0AVeouhuSDDX6fBcRrpt-yhsxfWEb~pF0BkfegGASqQLZ-Y08mFWmr2TkfAQsCQcO71YIchzn9pyG6oIw3shoaNjRT-3q-EbVA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Kootenai County","date","2025-09-24T12:47:17.797Z","article","Kootenai County commissioners approved Sept. 23 an annual subscription to Comms Coach by GovWorks Inc., a platform county staff said will be used for recruiting, stress-testing applicants and AI-driven training and quality assurance at the county 9-1-1 center.

Lieutenant Howard presented the program to the Board, saying the platform offers broader candidate screening (including stress-evaluation modules), an AI training environment for call taking and dispatch scenarios, and a QA module that cross-checks center performance against policies and produces weekly reports. Howard said implementation would take roughly 90 days.

Howard told commissioners the company offered a substantial first-year discount to Kootenai County. \"They've given us a very large discounted rate for the whole, all 3 programs. I think it was, dollars 30,000 as opposed to right around the $80,000 mark for the first year,\" Howard said.

Commissioners asked how the subscription would be funded and whether it was cancelable. Howard said some dedicated funds might cover a portion of initial training costs but that the bulk would be an operational expense the 9-1-1 budget could absorb this year; staff could add it to the FY27 budget if the trial proves successful. He said the county can discontinue the service at any time.

Howard and commissioners discussed expected benefits: faster screening of applicants, more realistic training 'reps' during downtime, and an organization-level QA/training program rather than focusing only on new hires.

Commissioners approved the subscription motion. Commissioner Eberlein, Commissioner Duncan and Chair Metairie each voted aye; the motion carried.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","9/23/2025 Board of County Commissioners: Business Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Commissioners approved a one-year subscription to Comms Coach by GovWorks Inc. to assist with recruitment, screening and AI-driven training for the county 9-1-1 center; staff said first-year discounted cost is about $30,000 and implementation will take about 90 days.","taxTitle","Kootenai County, Idaho","taxId",3567,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6466394,"Kootenai County moves FY25 IT funds to cover sudden VMware price spike, plans longer-term IT review",429,1130000,1559000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5824338-0bab113aa9494ffdf275c43c89bd4ac7&start=1130&end=1559","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5824338-0bab113aa9494ffdf275c43c89bd4ac7/thumbnail_1130000.jpg","/articles/6466394/Kootenai-County/Idaho/Kootenai-County-moves-FY25-IT-funds-to-cover-sudden-VMware-price-spike-plans-longer-term-IT-review","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6466394-44df499296e9a5632928ee16e408678c/orig.mp4?Expires=1773699717&Signature=IJIz9AZ4WT5yAj9VApkomitPRRZt7DN2eJpzArKHHMtSfGJY9dPjBKy8G31XGu1J5y577ecEGHFmJoiZ9NwzBS5vJskbgDpki5d9SLdpYKmrAS-DbckEvIq7DiBKxMM3Ckg8~dWOyHTY~J-cjubmdFpiZSz27rJO-WE7-H1LRudEShlfHbETNlo4Rv39uJo~1VVwRzO48mLJBCbMEyUj7e3QepqJgTHOqg7qIhraIICv1lLIlfW3hy4irrMMkw5Fl-PrJLNr6hCF-aOlYvd8UgX8JKjaPaYtRpblD19LdTfNHs8nwuc4Nl~5Mbok~4G4zG0lXMxwjEAeSeZRnLOrQw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kootenai County IT staff won commissioner approval Sept. 23 to carry unspent fiscal-year-2025 IT funds forward into FY2026 to cover an unexpectedly large vendor renewal and to continue planned projects.

Grant Kinsey, network administrator, told the Board the county received a renewal quote for its VMware platform about three weeks before the meeting that raised the expected annual subscription cost to roughly five times the prior price. Kinsey said the county had budgeted to absorb typical renewals but the recent jump required a short-term funding fix so IT can evaluate alternatives without disrupting services.

\"It is now 5 times what it used to be,\" Kinsey said, describing the Broadcom-era price increase for the product the county uses to run its data center. He said the carryforward would be a stopgap to pay for one more year of service while staff perform a market review and consider alternatives.

Kinsey outlined projects affected by the rollover request: continued implementation of multi-factor authentication (MFA); completion of a Recorder office online beverage-license project; and final professional services for the county's OnBase records/workflow system. He said OnBase work is nearly complete while the MFA and Recorder projects require additional FY26 funds to finish.

Kinsey estimated the county's core infrastructure currently carries an annual outlay on the order of $200,000 and said a multi-year replacement or migration plan could total roughly $1 million over five years. He asked that unspent FY25 dollars in the IT budget be moved into FY26 to provide a roughly $100,000–$150,000 stopgap while staff evaluate long-term options.

Commissioners approved the carryforward motion. Commissioner Eberlein, Commissioner Duncan and Chair Metairie each voted aye; the motion carried.

The county did not approve a final multi-year procurement at this meeting. Kinsey told commissioners he will return with options and cost comparisons once staff have evaluated alternatives and the likely fiscal impact over a multi-year horizon.

The action preserves funding for near-term IT continuity and planned modernization work while creating time for procurement analysis and vendor comparison.","County information-technology staff won approval to roll unspent FY2025 IT funds into FY2026 after a vendor renewal quote raised short-term costs; staff said the move buys time to evaluate alternatives and continue planned projects such as multifactor authentication and OnBase work.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6466381,"Commissioners approve routine contracts, land transfers, insurance renewal and records actions",2793,384000,3177000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5824338-0bab113aa9494ffdf275c43c89bd4ac7&start=384&end=3177","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5824338-0bab113aa9494ffdf275c43c89bd4ac7/thumbnail_384000.jpg","/articles/6466381/Kootenai-County/Idaho/Commissioners-approve-routine-contracts-land-transfers-insurance-renewal-and-records-actions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6466381-0b86ad05d87d355f03b4d5d2e85e2315/orig.mp4?Expires=1773699717&Signature=iIgqtVT37m3pEserGf-su8E0KrhXVo0E8Agbhtyovg6qv1x9WLbgebo2eT2T1S4QQLHa5NrOVeZx~5p4OLfud1-~M3rfrgXYlaxLwJ8KxMNC77HHarVgaEsVnr2yjp3zvtT3YPTX3CKn7FRpl2~9segw~xePgQ9EmmPHGU34yeR9~t~90DAsAE1a-BPSHd0BL3kbqJ10y3HNZ2HuUn8VYLSmez~hMgJ6shyLqLbYRY9ehKef1ZhQjaFOW7cFx3XqXFSA50vgYi~LId1Nw2d0OmKSp-KZ7GaLZ4th6vIsI2nROBfX6CAtjtwCdLGZxDnGtqVPa~SMp7NWPG15uLbyKg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kootenai County commissioners completed a range of routine approvals on Sept. 23, voting to authorize contracts, interagency agreements, insurance renewals, a land transfer and records actions.

Solid Waste: John Phillips, solid-waste director, requested approval of a one-year professional services agreement with Parametrics Engineering to assist with environmental requirements at Fighting Creek Landfill. The county budgeted for the work; Phillips said the one-year extension would run Oct. 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2026, and the department requested approval of the contract at $229,058.76. The Board approved the motion.

Radio Interoperability MOUs: Commissioners approved two three-year memoranda of understanding under the SWIWIN statewide network to link county radios with partner agencies: one covering the City of Hayden Lake 9-1-1 and one covering Kootenai Health and 9-1-1. Lieutenant Howard spoke in support, saying these are the same agreements used with other partner agencies to connect radios to the statewide network. Motions passed.

Purdue Settlement (opioid funds): Andrea Littlefield, Office of Emergency Management, asked the Board to approve county participation in the Purdue direct settlement and to authorize Littlefield to sign participation documents in DocuSign. Commissioners approved the request and the signature authority.

FEMA Community Rating System: David Callahan of Community Development asked to reduce (but not end) county participation in FEMA's Community Rating System (CRS) after staff found some outreach activities cost more in staff time than the insurance savings to property owners. Callahan said the county would likely move from CRS class 7 to a lower benefit (which FEMA would label about a 9/9.5), modestly increasing flood-insurance costs for some property owners but reducing county staff costs. Commissioners approved staying in CRS at a reduced participation level for another year.

Legal and property items: Pat Braden, civil deputy prosecutor, presented a court-ordered mediation participation agreement in the Gaudette/River's Edge code-enforcement litigation; the county agreed to the minimum mediation fee and participation. Braden also presented a resolution and quitclaim deed to transfer a segment of Centennial Trail property lying between Maguire Road and an adjacent parcel to the City of Post Falls; legal notice was published Sept. 12 and the Board approved the transfer.

Insurance and HR: Cecilia Sweet, interim HR director, requested approval of the county's liability renewal with ICRMP for FY26; the transcript recorded the first-half payment as $701,686 due Oct. 15 but the full premium number in the audio was not clearly recorded in the transcript. Commissioners approved the renewal and authorized the first payment. Sweet also requested an extension of temporary HR staffing to cover leaves and vacancies; commissioners approved extending temporary staffing until at least two of three HR positions are filled.

Airport and facilities: Kim Stevenson, airport, presented a lease amendment clarifying exhibit square-footage for a Panhandle Area Council lease related to Empire Airlines; commissioners approved the amendment. Stevenson also requested payment to Motorola Solutions for radios previously included in an approved truck upfitting project; the Board approved payment of $87,676.86. Facilities director (Vohler) presented two vendor invoices: Atlas Boiler (work brought in under the original estimate after credits) and CR Concrete ($72,260 for campus concrete work); commissioners approved both invoices.

Treasurer and records: Kelly Weist, treasurer, presented a resolution to sign county deeds from the tax auction; all seven parcels sold at auction and the board authorized signatures. Will Hunter presented resolutions to classify and then destroy five boxes of adult misdemeanor probation records that were beyond retention; staff said legal review found the destruction is allowed under Idaho Code; the Board approved classification and destruction.

All motions described above carried with recorded aye votes by the commissioners in attendance unless otherwise noted in the transcript.","At the Sept. 23 meeting commissioners approved a series of routine items including a solid-waste professional services agreement, radio interoperability MOUs, Purdue opioid settlement participation, FEMA CRS participation adjustment, mediation and lease documents, insurance renewal and several invoices; all motions carried.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6466385,"Commissioners sign off on November ballot order, polling places and vendor payments for consolidated election",523,2353000,2876000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5824338-0bab113aa9494ffdf275c43c89bd4ac7&start=2353&end=2876","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5824338-0bab113aa9494ffdf275c43c89bd4ac7/thumbnail_2353000.jpg","/articles/6466385/Kootenai-County/Idaho/Commissioners-sign-off-on-November-ballot-order-polling-places-and-vendor-payments-for-consolidated-election","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6466385-c41b259482e20e0bdcb78425faa72cc3/orig.mp4?Expires=1773699717&Signature=jqps0d~AfYul6FWBy~6-yNpB6r4Lb4pghjzEzAV11mvRClOttqF6hc62N83uQqpMh92H-sNbI5VnTngQspX0aCISYbA5Kd-JUvWwOoCgEyPiw7K72qE9RkdsyK7Rh92KE9RpBaqh2yccY5qRBVSlCyb5ars~0uZIcl~gsg5ZQsxbEOOsuvHldYxo3xqXu5gShcoNHbbcgB2HieYITXYGEHOHuu45VqLoMyW5WmhHiF7YdLzAfmxIcGj0X4zsCAc9xJRwGAisnF8ja9KW90ZEIT7Zu1iDB-36u9fw2JV-fFgBoKZc3eYFKO1dXBvS-JYNbkK3oRlUB88N87V4LO9QZg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kootenai County commissioners on Sept. 23 approved the county's November consolidated election ballot order, designated precinct polling places and several vendor payments needed to run the election.

Elections Manager Asa Gray presented multiple agenda items. He said the Nov. 4 ballot will be complex: across 74 precincts the county will use 196 ballot styles; some precincts will issue as many as nine different ballots. Gray reported 5,296 absentee ballots had been requested at the time of the meeting and said the county had about 110,099 registered voters in its files, about 107,635 of whom are currently eligible to vote in the Nov. 4 contest based on address.

The Board approved several vendor payments in advance of the election: a consolidated-election printing and absentee mailing contract with K and H Integrated Print Solutions not to exceed $38,000; the year-2 invoice for the Precinct Central electronic pollbook (10X Software Solutions) covering 234 e-pollbooks at $135 each (total $31,590); and the FY26 invoice for hardware maintenance and license support with Election Systems & Software LLC for $35,615.92. Gray said the ES&S invoice rose modestly from last year but the budget can absorb the increase.

Gray also presented the official ballot order under Idaho Code and Christy Olson presented resolution 2025-69 designating current polling locations; Olson said none of the precinct locations had changed since May. The Board approved the ballot order and the polling-place resolution.

Gray noted security measures required by Idaho law: ballots will include a watermark on all ballot types. He also highlighted that 11 of the county's 14 cities have contested races and that there are multiple school-district and fire-district contests and two local ballot questions.

Motions to approve vendor payments, the ballot order and the polling-place resolution passed with recorded aye votes by Commissioner Eberlein, Commissioner Duncan and Chair Metairie.","The Board approved the November ballot order and designated polling places, and authorized prepayments to election vendors for printing, electronic pollbooks and tabulator maintenance as part of preparations for the Nov. 4 consolidated election.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County OKs trial subscription to Comms Coach hiring and training platform for 9-1-1 center

Kootenai County moves FY25 IT funds to cover sudden VMware price spike, plans longer-term IT review

Commissioners approve routine contracts, land transfers, insurance renewal and records actions

Commissioners sign off on November ballot order, polling places and vendor payments for consolidated election