EDITORIAL: Legislators on wrong side of rezone

Opponents of a rezoning proposal that would create a university district encompassing the North Idaho College campus can be excused for not fully understanding bureaucracy in motion.

But when outspoken opponents are state elected officials — bureaucrats who really should know better — their arguments fall with a deeper thud than the average citizen’s. Especially when ulterior motivations come into play.

This amusing phenomenon was on display at a recent Coeur d’Alene Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, in which commissioners unanimously recommended City Council approval of the university district zoning proposal. The Council is expected to consider the issue Sept. 3.

During the P&Z meeting, local state legislators Joe Alfieri and Ron Mendive were miffed because, according to sources they did not identify, NIC’s trustees were not properly notified that the panel was taking up the proposal Aug. 13. That’s a head scratcher on at least two levels.

One, the city is diligent in posting public notices for all its official meetings. If NIC trustees were unaware, they simply weren’t paying attention. It wouldn’t be the first time, but that’s another story — one which, sadly, the entire community has heard over and over the past few years.

Two, NIC’s trustees have no authority on city zoning decisions. Because the NIC trustee majority has a dismal record in adhering to the limits of its responsibilities, perhaps nobody should be surprised if trustees think their stamp of approval is a universal requirement.

Fifth-term Rep. Mendive, a Post Falls resident, should by now know what “takings” and “eminent domain” mean. He showed his ignorance by infusing the zoning change request with those evocative terms, which are basically the same thing — the power of the government to take private property and put it to public use after paying fairly for it.

Patiently, city attorney Randy Adams explained that in no way does the university district proposal take any property away from anybody. It’s a rezone, he noted, something the city does often.

Citizens should encourage the city to do it again Sept. 3. 

Creating a university district zone will help preserve the campus for educational purposes if NIC loses accreditation — a distinct possibility thanks to the disastrous actions and behavior of NIC’s board majority. 

“You can put up one more line of defense before the school is lost,” former NIC instructor Dave Hoskins encouraged P&Z commissioners.

These days, higher education can’t have too many lines of defense. The new Republican Party platform, which Alfieri and Mendive embrace, would eliminate all public funding for North Idaho College and other state institutions of higher learning.

The 2024 GOP platform states (with emphasis added): “We strongly support professional technical and continuing education programs that provide career readiness and college preparation, but do not support using taxpayer funding for programs beyond high school.” 

Alfieri and Mendive may have friends on the NIC board of trustees, but they should not be confused with friends of NIC.