Coeur d'Alene council OKs ordinance to put $16.4 million fire bond on May ballot

Coeur d'Alene — The Coeur d'Alene City Council on March 4 unanimously approved an ordinance (Council Bill No. 25-1005) calling a $16,400,000 general obligation bond election for the May ballot to replace aging fire apparatus and fund facility upgrades, including a major rebuild or remodel of Station 2.

The bond ordinance was adopted after presentations from the fire department and public comments supporting the measure. Fire Chief Tom Grieve told the council the request is divided into two broad categories: about $10 million for apparatus replacement and roughly $6.3 million for facility upgrades. Chief Grieve said higher equipment and construction costs since the department's last bond make the larger request necessary. "We need to plan for the future. When you look at apparatus and construction costs, they have roughly doubled since our last bond," Chief Grieve said.

Why it matters: The fire department described multi-year equipment lead times and facility…