POST FALLS - The Post Falls City Council tonight will consider whether to help fund a new proposed countywide mental health and detoxification center.

As the need has risen, the county, law enforcement, Kootenai Medical Center and other entities have been exploring a facility created for involuntary mental holds.

County officials made a presentation to the City Council last month and requested $32,000 to help kick off a center that could be housed next to KMC.

While city officials agree there is a need for such a facility and to ease stress on KMC, they said there has been $6,000 in expenses for mental holds in the past three years, funding is tight and it's the county's responsibility under state law to fund the service.

"There is currently a lack of appropriate facilities to handle the load of cases involving mental illness in Kootenai County," Post Falls Police Chief Scot Haug said. "Just (Sunday) night, our staff was asked to transport a citizen with an illness to Boise."

Haug said the officer didn't drive the resident to Boise due to economic reasons - or even to Lewiston like previous cases because a facility there was full - but an officer remained watching the person at KMC on Monday.

"The PD is in support of a county-funded solution to address this issue," Haug said. "We hope that the committee that has been formed to look toward a solution can secure appropriate funding and resources so we can properly treat and care for people here in our community and not have to transport to other communities for treatment."

The center would be a place where people can be placed to sober up over one or a few days and receive exams determining their release or higher-level treatment.

* In other business, Haug will update the council on technology his department has implemented to fight crime, PFPD's new police dog Andor will be sworn in with Officer Jason Hunt and Shawn Chamberlain will be appointed to the Urban Forestry Commission.

The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at 408 N. Spokane St.