Council approves consent items, easement vacation and multiple project amendments

Post Falls City Council on Oct. 7 approved a series of routine and project-related items, including the consent calendar, a vacation of a 10-foot utility easement for a private homeowner, a roughly $27,901 work change directive for the Prairie Trail extension, a $27,782 contract amendment for the city’s Transportation Master Plan and acceptance of a county deed expanding the Centennial Trail. Council later approved a confidential-agreement waiver following an executive session.

The consent calendar — which included minutes from the Sept. 16 meeting, payables for Sept. 4–30, an audit engagement letter for FY2025, and two annexation decisions — was approved by voice and roll call after one council member asked about surplus city hall items. Public Works Director John Beacham told council most surplus equipment will be sent to auction and proceeds will go to the facilities fund.

In a public hearing, council approved the O’Brien vacation (VAC-25-1), which vacates a 10-foot utility easement along the westerly property line of 1501 East Hamby (Tamay) Drive so the owner can build an addition. City staff and utility providers reported no utilities are currently located in the easement and Avista confirmed it will not be needed for future utilities.

Council voted to approve Work Change Directive No. 1 for the Prairie Trail extension (Zorros Road to State Highway 41). City engineer Robert Paulus said the change covers on-site reworking and placement of about 3,000 cubic yards of excess material at $12 per cubic yard; hauling offsite would have been more expensive. The directive drew questions about contingency use and how often contingencies are fully spent; Paulus said the city would still retain about $15,000 in contingency after the directive.

Council also approved Contract Amendment No. 3 to the Transportation Master Plan for $27,782, funded from street impact fees. Staff said the consultant and regional modelers adjusted job-placement inputs for the State Highway 41 corridor after finding the regional model had undercounted projected jobs, and the amendment covers the additional hours to update modeling and coordination with KMPO.

Council voted to accept a county deed conveying roughly a half-mile extension of the Prairie Trail into city ownership to connect the existing trail to McGuire; City Attorney Field Harrington said the county deeded the property with no strings attached and staff recommended acceptance.

Following an executive session, council approved a confidential-agreement waiver that had been discussed in closed session. No additional details were released in open session.

Votes at a glance (motions and outcomes drawn from the meeting record): - Consent Calendar — motion to approve; motion seconded; roll call affirmed; outcome: approved. - O’Brien vacation (VAC-25-1) — motion to approve; motion seconded; roll call affirmed; outcome: approved. - Prairie Trail Extension Work Change Directive No. 1 — motion to approve $27,901.50 from multimodal impact fees; motion seconded; roll call affirmed; outcome: approved. - Transportation Master Plan Contract Amendment No. 3 ($27,782, street impact fees) — motion to approve; motion seconded; roll call affirmed; outcome: approved. - Acceptance of county deed to Centennial/Prairie Trail property — motion to accept; motion seconded; roll call affirmed; outcome: approved. - Confidential-agreement waiver from executive session — motion to approve; motion seconded; roll call affirmed; outcome: approved.

Council did not indicate further immediate budget amendments on the record for the items funded from impact-fee accounts; staff said those funds have sufficient balances for the approvals granted. Several council members asked staff follow-up questions about contingency usage and the long-term impact on impact-fee balances.

The council will take up remaining items on later agendas as needed.