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University of Idaho Dr. Andrew Fields will pitch the sale of the Harbor Center and surrounding lands from the city to University of Idaho.

The lease was recently finalized and it was another sweetheart deal, $20 per year until 2028, up from $10/year like many others the city [negotiates].The roof had to be replaced recently.

Riverfront property is hard to come by. In fact, the city purchased the Atlas Mill site for $8 million to ensure the Atlas Waterfront Park could be developed, according to Mayor Gookin. With very little community input regarding the sale of riverfront property, it will be interesting to see how the city council and mayor spin this as good for the residents of Coeur d’Alene. We need education and additional opportunities. Is the U of I the best steward? The University of Idaho spent over $17 million in a dead-end deal evaluating a nearly $700 million purchase of the University of Phoenix. University of Idaho officials failed to offer concrete plans for the building and adjacent lands, but cited the following benefits: 

• Open the door to expanded educational pathways, particularly in collaboration with neighboring North Idaho College;
• Improve the ability to develop high-quality research and teaching programs that best meet the
• Coeur d’Alene region’s workforce and innovation needs and concomitantly attract students, faculty, and staff ;
• Increase opportunities for intergovernmental and community partnerships;
• Allow for the creation a better-defined ‘Vandal’ space more welcoming to students and alumni, and;
• Permit increased and more strategic capital investment in the property, particularly from grants and the Idaho Permanent Building Fund.

City Council will decide on the fate of the building and property on Tuesday, 19 January 2026.

City leaders recently incentivized the retirement of long-term city employees. The five to six-figure payouts would pave the way to less expensive replacements. However, on Tuesday, 20 January, the city council will vote on studying the pay ranges of jobs within the city. Taxpayers paid for similar studies over the last two decades. However, the city council last ordered a study in 2017, three years before COVID-19 pandemic. Three years before a massive stimulus fueled inflation. Eight years ago. So, we say, Ready, Fire, Aim.

Perhaps this is one reason the city’s finance director Katie Ebner suggested that city council allow retirements to occur naturally, over time and NOT incentivize early retirement. 

Changes in wages are necessary and must be evaluated on a regular cadence. City leaders would be wise to evaluate wage changes before incentivizing retirement buy-outs. The projected savings will need to be reevaluated and will certainly shrink. In addition, funding the wage study will require use of reserve funds.

On a positive note, Christie Wood proposed a way for the city to conduct its own study of wages and save money. HR director Melissa Tossi kindly rejected the idea.

Last year, the budget was $2 million shy of revenue. This fiscal year, the budget is short by $1.8 million. Reserve funds are being used for routine expenditures and covering the difference. Projections for FY2027 and beyond call for a maximum increase in levy rates and may fall short again. In an attempt to correct the city’s budget woes, the city council asked the finance director, Katie Ebner, to evaluate an incentivized buy-out of city employees who are within five years of retirement. Ebner modeled the financial impact to the city and ultimately recommended that retirements occur naturally. A few of her slides presented during the early October workshop are here:

Some highlights of her presentation include the following statements: “Treating all [savings] as new savings would double count savings.”

“Natural and staggered turnover of retirees is preferred in the current state of city’s staffing and recruiting abilities.”

“[No positions are available to be eliminated. The financial impact for the current fiscal year is poor.]”

Key employees planned or announced retirement before the city decided to offer an early retirement incentive. For example, police chief Lee White announced his retirement October 17th, weeks before council voted unanimously to incentivize the early retirement of employees. Ultimately, seven fire personnel, including the fire chief, are retiring. The Chief of Police and 60% (⅗) of Lieutenants are leaving. The city administrator is leaving. Financial modeling calls for the city administrator AND police chief positions to remain open for 0.5 months for associated savings to pencil out. The decision is precarious.

Costs are certain. Savings are assumed. Ebner highlighted “the current state of city’s … recruiting abilities” as a reason to rely on natural and staggered turnover rather than incentivizing early retirement. But, that was not the decision of the city council. Now, the city will need to pay out over $600,000 in incentives in addition to accrued sick pay of over $400,000. During the fiscal year, $1.8M in the hole, city council members Dan Gookin, Dan English, Christie Wood, Amy Evans, Kenny Gabriel, and Kiki Miller have guaranteed additional expenses of over $1,000,000. This is a costly attempt at savings. And, our analysis does not even account for the cost of turnover, staff time to interview, onboard, orient, and train replacements for outgoing staff. Council will finalize the decision at the council meeting, Tuesday, December 16, 2025.

If savings occur as projected, the city budget will only take a several-hundred-thousand-dollar hit this year and eventually pencil in years to come. We hope.

Workshop slides: https://www.cdaid.org/files/Council/Packets/Packet%20101325%20Workshop%20WEB.pdf

Incentive Data: https://www.cdaid.org/files/Council/Packet121625WEB.pdf

One week before their candidate forum, the North Idaho Builders-Political Action Committee’s endorsements leaked to the press. Although we cannot disclose the source of the information, it is deemed credible.

We interviewed 2026 mayoral candidates sitting Mayor Woody McEvers and Councilman Dan Gookin in June. We invited the other candidates today. To avoid conflict of interests all CDA News content and reporting will be handled by the employees. There is a significant possiblity the site will be on hiatus until the end of the election or the end of the next mayoral term.

City leaders continue to grapple with growth and demand for living downtown. Nearly two dozen meetings have taken place to find a solution to building allowances and heights downtown. Here are several possible scenarios:

The flavor we are hearing right now is that potentially no more towers should be added to Front Street or Sherman Avenue. This is an ongoing story and will be updated regularly.