Post Falls plans for budget hearing, charts road construction
CAROLYN BOSTICK | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 months, 2 weeks AGO
Samantha Steigleder, Ron Jacobson, Nathan Ziegler, Randy Westlund and Kenny Shove listen to a presentation during a Post Falls City Council meeting Tuesday night.
Councilmember Joe Malloy is recovering from a collision when he was hit while riding his motorcycle to work.
CAROLYN BOSTICK/Press
Carolyn Bostick has worked for the Coeur d’Alene Press since June 2023. She covers Shoshone County and Coeur d'Alene. Carolyn previously worked in Utica, New York at the Observer-Dispatch for almost seven years before briefly working at The Inquirer and Mirror in Nantucket, Massachusetts. Since she moved to the Pacific Northwest from upstate New York in 2021, she's performed with the Spokane Shakespeare Society for three summers. | August 7, 2024 1:07 AM
POST FALLS — The Post Falls City Council meeting concluded on a somber note Tuesday as Mayor Ron Jacobson acknowledged the absence of Councilman Joe Malloy, who was recently injured in a motorcycle accident on his way to work. Jacobson expressed concern for Malloy's condition and used the opportunity to remind residents to be vigilant for motorcycles and children enjoying the good weather.
Earlier in the session, the council unanimously approved a resolution to hold the fiscal year 2025 budget hearing Aug. 20. This hearing will include discussions on fees and comparisons with current and past budgets.
Post Falls civil engineer Rob Palus presented an overview of the State of Idaho's Transportation Improvement Program for District One, covering 2025-31. The program allocates $595.4 million for the district, with the majority earmarked for construction projects.
Palus detailed several significant projects affecting Post Falls. The Chase Road project, initially slated for 2028, has been moved up to 2025 thanks to a $1.2 million grant secured in 2019. Prairie Avenue will see expansion in 2028, transforming into a five-lane road with roundabouts and improved pedestrian access. The Prairie Trail Underpass project, though outside city jurisdiction, will create a bicycle underpass on Prairie Avenue in 2025.
Other notable projects include a roundabout at Lancaster and Huetter, safety updates to the Huetter/Union Pacific Railroad crossing, and the eagerly anticipated Pleasant View Interchange. The latter, a $45 million project set for 2025, is expected to significantly improve safety and reduce congestion in the area.
Palus also highlighted major interstate projects, including improvements to the I-90/SH41 interchange, widening of I-90 from Highway 41 to U.S. 95, and upgrades to the I-90/U.S.95 interchange. These projects represent substantial investments in the region's transportation infrastructure.
Jacobson expressed particular enthusiasm for the Pleasant View/Highway 53 exchange, describing the current situation as a "deathtrap" and welcoming the approved improvements.
ARTICLES BY CAROLYN BOSTICK
All aboard! Brunner Road railway crossing project funded
Lakes Highway District recently announced a $14.5 million award from USDOT Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to eliminate a railway crossing on Brunner Road. The BNSF Railroad crossing project will construct a roundabout, the second alternative outlined in the project pitch to FRA. Brunner Road is a rural east/west major collector road.
Plew picked to fill Post Falls council seat
Mayor Ron Jacobson and city councilors interviewed Aaron Plew, Patrick O'Halloran, Annette Nolting, and Julie Hensley in a conference room at city hall, eventually unanimously confirming Aaron Plew to fill council seat two Thursday after the name was put forth by Jacobson. A full room of residents were present to observe the interviews and additional chairs had to be added as additional constituents arrived.
Post Falls council sets strict rules for filling vacant seats
Rules exclude past candidates
City councilors communicated very specific stipulations to Mayor Ron Jacobson about the kind of candidates desired wanted to fill Josh Walker’s council seat.