Coeur d'Alene council OKs bond survey

The Coeur d’Alene City Council on Tuesday approved a survey to gauge community response to a general obligation bond in May to support the fire department. 

The survey to be conducted by Zions Public Finances and Portman Square is expected to go out to 15,565 registered city voters later this month.

The bond’s “high-water mark” for use in the survey only is $16.4 million. It would pay for replacing fire apparatus and expansion and remodeling of fire stations. 

An actual resolution dollar amount is expected to go before the City Council in March.

Councilor Dan English said an important question was how much per month it would cost the typical Coeur d’Alene taxpayer. That has not been determined. 

Councilor Dan Gookin questioned how the survey would be conducted. He said its validity would depend on its sample size. 

“How you contact someone is important,” he said. 

The form of delivering the survey, about 10-15 questions, has not been finalized but could be a “multi-pronged approach” of mail, through the media or via QR codes, said Michael Keith, Zions representative. Full results would be expected in about three weeks.

Results will “assess public awareness and perception of the community needs that the FD has identified, measure support for the proposed bond election and tolerance for potential property tax increases."

"We want to make sure people understand the needs," Keith said.

Listed for replacement in the fire department's outline of priorities are four rescue pumpers at $4.5 million, one platform aerial unit for $2.2 million, one heavy rescue rig for $1.6 million and a Spartan pumper, $1.1 million. 

“It seems like every vehicle in the fleet,” said Councilor Dan English. 

Fire Chief Tom Greif assured him it was not. He said the fire department has a high volume of calls and its fleet is aging.

“We tend to run the wheels off them,” he said. 

The fire department responded to 10,589 incidents in 2024, up 5.7% from 2023. It responded to 51 building fires, including 34 single-family residences, 11 multi-family apartments, one hotel and one outbuilding. It responded to 11 car fires, 10 brush fires, seven cooking fires and 36 other fires such as boats, motor homes and lithium batteries.

It also responded to 7,880 EMS calls and 2,594 other calls, such as alarms, lift assists and utility problems.

As a rule of thumb, Greif said, a fire apparatus is used on the frontline for 10 years and then goes to backup for five years. The department has just one operable backup fire engine. 

Remodeling/rebuilding of Fire Station 2 is estimated at $5.6 million. 

“It’s a big number,” said Councilor Kenny Gabriel, retired Coeur d’Alene fire chief, adding that he supported rebuilding, as the station is older. "It's a real number."

Remodeling and expansion of stations 1 and 2 is estimated at $650,000. 

The bond this time around will be higher than in 2015 due to inflation and other rising costs, Greif said. For instance, a fire engine that cost $580,000 in 2015 would now be closer to $1.2 million.

The city ran its first public safety general obligation bond for $7 million in 2005, and it received 74% approval.    

In 2015, 85% of Coeur d’Alene voters supported a $6 million, 10-year public safety bond to fund capital expenditures for the police and fire departments. It ends in August 2025.   

A new GO bond would likely be for 10 years. It requires a super majority, 66 2/3, to pass. 

The survey results are considered a key step.

"We will use the insights to refine our messaging, address specific community concerns, and help your team make data-driven decisions about the bond election," Greif's report said. "Understanding current support levels will also help us determine the scope of outreach needed to achieve a successful outcome in May."