Commissioners told timeline for Hayden Area Regional Sewer Board dissolution; Oct. 22 rate-study meeting flagged

Kootenai County commissioners received an update Oct. 7 on the dissolution process for the Hayden Area Regional Sewer Board (HARSB), including an Oct. 22 entity rate-study meeting and a mediation session currently listed for Dec. 3, which may move to Dec. 9.

Commissioner Duncan, who presented the update, told the board the Oct. 22 meeting would present the rate-study methodology that will be used to determine costs if the county and the sewer district become clients of the city. Duncan said he will be out of town for the Oct. 22 meeting and asked whether other commissioners would attend; the board indicated one commissioner would attend and staff would provide meeting notice so attendance would comply with open-meeting rules.

Duncan said the county is a minority stakeholder in the dissolution process and that the rate study is prepared by a consultant the county has used in the past. “Ultimately, I mean, we’re a very minority stakeholder. So, I mean, how much say should we have would you recommend?” Duncan asked during the meeting, emphasizing the procedural nature of the Oct. 22 item.

The update also noted a mediation currently scheduled for Dec. 3 that may be moved to Dec. 9; Duncan said he has been involved with the issue since 2019 and volunteered to participate in mediation if the schedule permits. Commissioners discussed notifying one another and deciding who will attend once the final mediation date is confirmed. County legal counsel was identified as a potential attendee if needed.

Commissioners did not take a formal vote on the matter during the Oct. 7 meeting; staff said they would circulate logistics and additional details offline.

Next steps: staff will provide meeting location and updated dates as they are finalized so the board can properly notice attendance.