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 shortcomings that officials said affect response capacity and safety. Gabe Eckert, president of Coeur d'Alene Firefighters Local 710 and a resident, told the council the department has seen call volume increase from 7,835 annual responses in 2014 to 10,589 in 2024 and urged a yes vote. Resident Josh Austin, a firefighter, recounted the stakes of delayed response and also urged support.

Details of the proposal: Chief Grieve and Captain Jeff Fletcher described a package that would fund new first-line engines and a ladder truck, command/staff vehicles and facility work that includes a prioritized rebuild or remodel of Station 2 (the department's busiest), upgrades at Station 1 and Station 3 and a specialty training prop. Captain Fletcher said Station 2, built in 1992 as a two-person house, now routinely houses five firefighters and lacks gender-specific dorms, adequate office space and modern decontamination features. "We can barely walk around the trucks," Fletcher said, describing cramped apparatus bays and limited office space for incident documentation and private conversations.

Finances and taxpayer impact: Fire staff and bond consultants provided an estimate of the tax impact. Using an example taxable value of $425,000 (after homeowner exemptions), officials said the bond would add about $69 per year — roughly $5.75 per month — for that home. Staff emphasized contingency planning (they modeled construction at about $400 per square foot with a 15% contingency) because contractors' bids and material costs remain uncertain.

Process and next steps: The council voted to dispense with the rule to read the bill by title and then voted to adopt Council Bill No. 25-1005, which calls the bond election and authorizes placement of the measure on the May ballot. Councilmembers voting yes were Wood, Evans, Miller, Gabriel and Gookin. If the measure is placed by the election and approved by voters, department officials said apparatus ordering would proceed quickly (equipment build times were estimated at 36–48 months), while station construction would follow design and bidding steps.

Public outreach: Chief Grieve said Captain Fletcher will lead the fire department's community education (informational) campaign while the union conducts an independent advocacy campaign. Bond counsel and city staff will advise to keep official outreach within legal limits.

Votes at a glance: The council adopted the ordinance calling a general obligation bond election (Council Bill No. 25-1005) by roll-call vote: Wood — Yes; Evans — Yes; Miller — Aye; Gabriel — Yes; Gookin — Yes. The ordinance directs staff to place the proposition on the May ballot and to proceed with bond-related preparations.

What was not decided tonight: The council adopted only the ordinance calling the election; final designs, bid awards and specific construction contracting were not approved and would come later if voters approve the bond.