Commissioners delay Delavan decision

COEUR d'ALENE - About a dozen people came to support the expected reinstatement of former Coeur d'Alene Airport Manager Greg Delavan on Monday, but it didn't happen.

Kootenai County Commissioners met to take "board action on an employee contract," but at the start of the meeting, Commissioner Marc Eberlein called for an emergency executive session to discuss "new information" he received in regard to Delavan's employment.

After nearly an hour of discussion behind closed doors, Eberlein made a motion stating that no direction would be given to staff outside the executive session and continued the meeting to "a date uncertain."

Commissioners would not comment further on the meeting because it is a personnel matter.

Both Eberlein and newly elected Commissioner David Stewart campaigned last fall saying if elected, they would reinstate Delavan - unless they found reason not to - after Delavan was suddenly terminated without explanation in October of last year.

At the time, former commissioner Jai Nelson adamantly opposed Delavan's termination.

On Friday, county commissioners met in executive session for 90 minutes to discuss issues related to Delavan's termination and possible reinstatement, but they delayed making a decision on the matter until Monday.

After the meeting on Monday, Stewart said he has not changed his mind on anything and voted "no" to extending the meeting to a date uncertain. Both Eberlein and Commissioner Dan Green voted to delay the decision.

Eberlein did meet with Delavan in his office after the meeting, but Delavan said he still doesn't have a clue as to what is going on.

"I don't think I can articulate it to you," he said after the meeting. "They clearly had a disagreement in there, so I guess they are putting it off for a while."

Delavan said Eberlein did not say how long he thought it would take to reach a decision.

"I think that this is all new to them, so they are being very, very cautious in everything they do," he said.