Residents tell commissioners they pay for services they cannot access; sanitation and transit raised in public comment

Several members of the public used the meeting’s public-comment period on April 2 to say they pay county taxes or fees for services that do not serve them directly and asked commissioners to address perceived inequities.

Lori Arbro, identified in the transcript as Athol clerk-treasurer, said her city was concerned about proposed county language in area-of-impact agreements that appeared to give the county authority to deny applications; she said that language had been corrected and that the city was comfortable with the revised draft.

Ron Hartman, who said he lives outside the cities near Kidd Island Bay, stated that his property tax bill includes transit and that no CityLink stops serve his area. “There’s no way I can use that bus service. None whatsoever,” Hartman said. He expressed broader frustration about services being funded without direct local access and raised concerns about operational growth and liability risks associated with transit operations and grants.

County and city officials responded during the meeting. One official noted residents can access transit by traveling to a stop or transit center, while county staff said the county’s solid-waste facilities are open to all residents and that solid-waste fees show up on tax statements as a fee for service rather than a property-tax appropriation. A Coeur d’Alene official clarified that the city’s sanitation franchise is funded through a fee that is listed on the property-tax bill but is an enterprise fund and not paid from general property-tax revenue.

Journalist Kate Thornbroom of the Coeur d'Alene Press asked during public comment whether commissioners view a JPA as a requirement for continued transit service or one option among many; the meeting chair directed that the question be handled outside the public comment period.

The meeting ended without a formal response that changed service delivery or fee structures.