COEUR d'ALENE - Person, McEuen, wastewater.

The city of Coeur d'Alene will consider amending its budget tonight by $4.4 million to reflect a number of financial deals the City Council has already green-lighted.

And some it hasn't.

Among the proposed amendments, the city's financial department is asking the city to sock away $75,000 in case a pending judicial confirmation gets tied up in court.

The money could pay for an election where voters, not a judge, would decide if the city can spend at least $33 million in upgrades to the wastewater treatment plant.

Right now, the city is asking a judge to rule the upgrades ordinary and necessary because the city could be fined millions of dollars if it ignores improving the plant to meet new federal discharge standards.

The City Council agreed to ask the judge for the go-ahead, but Councilman Steve Adams reversed his stance and spoke out against it in court, saying he would prefer to ask voters first. He also said he would appeal the judge's decision should First District Judge John Luster rule in favor of the city.

Luster's decision could be issued in the coming weeks, but Adams would have 42 days to appeal. The hold up could prompt the city to put the issue to voters, perhaps by May, or at least have the money budgeted so the city can consider that option.

"I would think an appeal could take months and months and months," said Troy Tymesen, finance director, on the appeal as the city prepares to implement upgrades to the sewer plant over the next six years. "This doesn't happen with the snap of one's fingers. And it costs money."

Tymesen said he likely wouldn't budget the amount if a threat of an appeal wasn't looming.

Adams said he's fine with the city carving out the extra $75,000 for a possible election. He said it should have been budgeted from the get go because the city would be taking on large debt for the upgrades, which normally requires voter approval.

"It costs money to have an election, he said.

"They're making this a big urgent thing which it doesn't need to be," he added of the upgrades. "We have years to implement this."

In fact, around $1.6 million of amendments are slotted for the wastewater treatment facility, including for a recently-finished rate study and possibly appealing tighter EPA standards.

The $4.4 million in amendments would increase the city's financial plan from approximately $72.7 million to $77 million.

Included in the proposed amendments is $750,000 to purchase Person and Bryan fields from the school district, and around $1.9 million toward McEuen Field.

Last month, the City Council agreed to buy the fields from the school district. It voted to allocate the McEuen money two months ago.