RATHDRUM - The Rathdrum City Council will hear a presentation on the Highway 53 Access Management Plan and is expected to appoint Andy Olson to the Parks and Recreation Commission tonight.

The meeting starts at 6 at City Hall, 8047 W. Main St.

Olson will replace Karen Holmes, who served four years.

Olson is the warehouse manager for Bild Industries in Post Falls, a supplier of fasteners for aviation distributors. He has been a Rathdrum resident for 16 years and a Kootenai County resident for 19. Olson has coached youth sports, graduated from Lakeland High and has three kids in the Lakeland School District.

Phil Ward, who recently resigned from the parks board after serving four years, will be recognized at the meeting.

"His knowledge of the landscape design profession was tremendous as we worked through the (Majestic Park) process," said Lance Bridges, Rathdrum's parks and recreation director.

The council is also expected to approve a contract with Handshake Productions for $2,500 to sponsor a summer concert during the four-part concert series.

The board will consider accepting the Highway 53 plan after a presentation. An open house and public comment period were earlier held on the plan, which includes the stretch from the Washington state line, through Rathdrum and to the U.S. 95 junction.

The study seeks to address safety, congestion and capacity issues along the corridor, but does not give project cost estimates or a timeline for improvements. Projects will be pursued as funding and development arise, transportation officials said.

There were 232 crashes in the corridor between 2007 to 2011, including one fatality and 90 injury-related accidents, according to the state.

Crash "hot spots" identified in the study include intersections at Prairie Avenue and Pleasant view, Meyer and Ramsey roads.

Possible solutions include developing roads parallel to Highway 53 so local traffic doesn't have to use the busy stretch, combining driveways of adjacent lots or businesses, and gaining easements between adjacent lots so traffic doesn't have to use Highway 53.

The $149,000 study was conducted by David Evans and Associates.