Judge: Wastewater vote not needed

First District Judge John Luster granted judicial confirmation for the city of Coeur d’Alene to take on debt to improve the wastewater treatment plant. The ruling, issued today, said the expenditures were ordinary and necessary and therefore voter approval wasn’t required to pay for the $33 million in upgrades. The ruling could be moot, because the city voted last week to go to an election on the matter because City Councilman Steve Adams has said he would appeal the judge’s decision, which would tie the issue up in court for up to a year. The Press is working on a full story.