City Council transfers Atlas park, funds homeless COVID plans

The Coeur d’Alene City Council met virtually Tuesday evening to maintain a normal business routine in a backdrop that is anything but normal. They debated a number of issues — some routine, some COVID-driven — as they met to conduct city business. These were some of their decisions:

— Council voted to assign oversight of the Atlas Waterfront Park project to ignite cda, the city’s urban renewal district. After hearing more specifics about the unanticipated work at the Seltice Way site — mainly involving salvageable dirt — Council approved the procedural move unanimously.

“There are just some spectacular views, if you’ve been on the site,” Phil Boyd of Welch Comer told Council. “One of the things we’ve commonly heard ... from folks is just the scale of it. It’s hard to appreciate the scale of the site from a drawing.”

— Bill Greenwood said he was leaning toward using a heartier blend of grass for a portion of the new park, approximately 30 feet south from the trail. Greenwood told Council he was also installing an irrigation pump station, the latter an add-alternate from the original designs.

The Parks and Recreation director said funding would come from savings accrued during early contingencies during the early phases of the park’s construction: Greenwood reported on-site soil borrowing and re-use saved the project nearly $300,000 alone. The pump station will cost roughly $150,000. Council unanimously approved the move.

“I like our architects,” Greenwood praised. “They sometimes get pretty free and color some big pictures ... and they’re willing to always make the changes we need.”

— The city will receive just under $200,000 in grants from the CARES ACT, part of the government’s $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package, to focus on the homeless and sensitive populations. The city voted to distribute $24,000 to St. Vincent de Paul, $12,600 to Family Promise and just over $3,600 to the Lake City Center. Minus administration costs, the city would have just under $86,000 at its disposal for other low-income programs that are still being evaluated by staff.

Councilmember Woody McEvers, a longtime supporter of the Lake City Center, abstained. Every other member of Council voted yes.

“The way they work,” Councilmember Dan English encouraged from his experience with Family Promise, “is that they have churches that put folks up in their basement or wherever, and folks from the congregation would come in and provide the meals. And it hit me: We can’t even go to the church. We’re having virtual services. So yeah, I can see where that’s a critical need.”

“I have a level of concern regarding the distribution of this,” Councilmember Dan Gookin said about the original proposal, which would have given St. Vincent’s $58,090. “They all have justifications; they’ve all listed the stuff they need. But the concern I have now, learning we have 10 others who want to apply, and it seems like we’re giving the lion’s share to St. Vinnie’s. They do good work, but they’re always in first place for some reason, and I’d really like to see what the 10 others want to offer before I make a decision to distribute the funds in the manner that they’re allocated right now.”

The Council amended the original presentation, voting to give St. Vincent’s $24,000 at this time with the option for future allotment. That funding will go to shelter homeless individuals who test positive for COVID-19.