COEUR d'ALENE — Even after a courtesy inquiry by Kootenai County commissioners, sending a proposal to create a regional public transportation authority to voters in November hasn't gained traction.

The Kootenai Metropolitan Planning Organization (KMPO) in May decided against recommending to county commissioners that the creation of a RPTA be placed on the ballot.

But with the vote being 4-4 — with the tie not being enough to make a recommendation to the commissioners — the commissioners still sent a survey inquiry to about 20 agencies from cities to highway districts for another take on the proposal. Two KMPO board members were also not at the May meeting to vote and county commissioner Marc Eberlein, who also serves on the KMPO board, recused himself from the vote.

Eberlein on Tuesday updated the other two county commissioners on the survey, saying the responses were few and not favorable overall from the agencies to send the question to voters. County commissioners have the authority to put the question on the ballot.

"We didn't receive a lot of response (to the survey) — pro or con," Eberlein said. "The feedback I've gotten is that it would create another layer of bureaucracy and there's no mechanism to provide funding for it.

"We felt that it was proper to see if the entities were willing to chip in to fund it and that it would be inappropriate to just ignore the subject. But, if the appetite is not there, why try to move it forward (to voters)?"

The survey asked agencies if they support creating an RPTA, if they would be willing to designate a representative to the board and if the agency would be willing to support the RPTA with funding.

Eberlein said he also spoke with Federal Transit Administration representatives about the RPTA proposal.

"They were pretty surprised to hear that an RPTA was being considered in Kootenai County and they were not aware of it," Eberlein said. "They suggested to not (forward it) if we are not ready for it."

An RPTA is a government agency that coordinates services, monitors how federal grant money is spent and secures funding through federal and local sources. The RPTA would not replace KMPO, a board with representatives from area highway districts, the cities, the county, state and Coeur d'Alene Tribe that handles transportation planning.

RPTAs are governed through a board of directors and do not have taxing authority. They form partnerships with businesses, colleges and nonprofits to secure more funding for public transit.

RPTAs were also bantered by KMPO in 2010 and 2012, but a proposal didn't make it to the ballot either year. Such proposals can only go to voters in even-numbered years.

County Commissioner David Stewart, who said he would support sending the RPTA question to voters, asked about the possibility of having FTA representatives speak to all three commissioners at once about the subject.

But Eberlein said by the time that happens, the deadline to place the question on the ballot will likely have passed.

"Who is going to support financing this?" Eberlein said. "That's the key point. The highway districts are already strapped and we didn't even get a response from (North Idaho College), which is a great beneficiary of transit systems."

There are two RPTAs in Idaho, including Bonneville County (Idaho Falls area) and Ada and Canyon counties (Boise area).