COEUR d'ALENE - Mike Tedesco is getting used to his name in print.

Sure, he only just submitted his first report as a new Kootenai County hearing examiner to the commissioners.

But he has penned about the government process before.

Just in a less typical context.

The 33-year-old has churned out two books about the subject of which he has intimate knowledge: Urban planning.

Given the topic, he understands they might not make it to best seller lists.

"I write about what I know," Tedesco explained.

The writing is just a hobby, a sidebar to his real calling that he is glad to engage in now that he's back in Coeur d'Alene.

But the knowledge that made it into the books is the same that qualifies him for his new position.

Originally from Spokane, Tedesco studied at North Idaho College for a year before obtaining an undergraduate degree in geography at the University of Idaho in Moscow, then a master's in urban planning from the University of Kansas.

After working for several years as director of an urban renewal authority in Pueblo, Colo., he recently moved to Coeur d'Alene. He now works as executive director for the Puget Sound Attractions Council, which requires spending about three nights a week in Seattle.

"It was initially pretty taxing," he admitted. "But it's not so bad, now."

The opening for a new examiner held appeal, he said, because of his love for dealing with land use and development.

"It's very enjoyable, and I'm very knowledgeable at it," he said.

Commissioner Dan Green, former chair of the county Planning Commission, said the commissioners were impressed by both Tedesco's resume and his sample report.

"We felt his work was the best of the people who applied," Green said.

Tedesco's hiring by the commissioners means that plenty of eyes will be reading his work - on top of those reading his books.

The examiner's role is to hold hearings and take testimony on land use and zoning applications. Say, for a new subdivision being proposed, or property owners wanting to rezone their land.

After hearing from all sides, Tedesco will write out a lengthy recommendation to the commissioners to reject or approve the proposal, based on its consistency with county laws and the Comprehensive Plan.

Tedesco is excited to help the public have its say.

"The biggest item I try to keep in mind is (to ensure) everything is fair," he said.

Green said an examiner's recommendation carries a significant amount of weight with the commissioners in their final decision.

"I think somebody has to be experienced in land issues (to be an examiner), because they're making recommendations that are then forwarded on to the board of county commissioners," he said.

Tedesco, who is married to Caitlin and has two children, 12-year-old Madelyn and 5-year-Cooper, said he unwinds at the end of the day by writing.

"It's that, or watch a couple of hours of TV every night," he said. "I wanted to exercise my mind a little bit."

His first book, "City Boy, Urban Planning, Municipal Politics and Guerilla Warfare," is a non-fiction work published by Sunstone Press in Santa Fe, N.M.

His second, a fiction political satire, "The Official Bureaucrat's Guide for Navigating Bureaucracy," is self-published.

The novel is mostly intended for other bureaucrats, he admitted, who can relate to working in local government.

"You can imagine how fun it is to read a fiction book about urban planning," he said.

Tedesco is filling the open examiner position left by Rebecca Zanetti, also, interestingly, a recently published author.

Tedesco and the other county examiner, Lisa Key, will hold about one hearing per month, he believes.

He is paid $180 per hearing, he added, and $65 per site visit.

It's an honor to help with the process, he said.

Also: There are more books coming.

"As soon as the fire gets lit again, I will pick up the next book," he said.