The Human Rights Education Institute’s home for the past 22 years has been at 414 W. Fort Grounds Drive. 

But if not for Coeur d’Alene Mayor Woody McEvers, it may have been looking for a new one. 

After a lengthy debate, the City Council on Tuesday was split 3-3 on whether to approve a new three-year lease with HREI. That’s when McEvers promptly cast a tie-breaking “yes” vote. 

“I wanted to give them a chance to get things in order,” McEvers said. 

He also noted there are limitations on how the brick building can be used, as it sits on land donated to the city by the U.S. government 1904. 

“You don’t want it sitting empty,” McEvers said. 

Jeanette Laster, HREI director, said she was grateful to the city leadership that voted to allow the nonprofit to continue in its current space.   

“Under critical budget times, we should expect healthy discussions centered around matters that impact funding,” she wrote in an email to The Press. “There are always contingency plans. However, we have been a long-term, good-standing nonprofit with a strong impact record in the community.” 

City Councilors Dan Gookin, Christie Wood and Dan English voted against approving the three-year lease. 

Gookin argued the city should not be landlords, but since it is, he said he was going to “put on my landlord hat. 

“Someone hasn’t paid rent for seven years, I'm not renewing a lease,” he said. 

Gookin said no one would renew a lease for someone who didn’t pay rent. 

“Only government is that stupid,” Gookin said. 

The lease deal that goes back more than two decades was referred to as having a “long, convoluted history” and contains language that HREI didn’t have to pay rent, set at $12,144 per year, if it paid utilities and an equal value in capital improvements to the building.  

In 2007, the lease was amended to give HREI credit for $149,574.42 in improvements, which basically covered rent through Dec. 10, 2017. 

The city determined that, since 2007, HREI submitted a $10,000 payment as reimbursement for a roof repair in January 2025.

“Aside from this transaction, all other payments from HREI recorded in the City’s system are related to utilities,” a staff report said. “The Finance Director cannot confirm with absolute certainty that these are the only payments received from HREI, as non-utility payments to the city are typically not linked to a customer account. However, staff is not aware of any other capital improvements."

Despite extended discussions starting in 2018, HREI did not sign a new lease agreement, the staff report said.  

Negotiations resumed in 2025 and HREI signed a new lease, with a three-year term, through Sept. 30, 2028. 

“The impetus for HREI to sign the new lease was its failure to pay the rent due after credit for improvements was given,” the staff report said. 

The lease said that for the first year of the new lease term, HREI shall continue to pay, as rent, utilities for the building. In the second and third years, the rent will be $500 per month, plus utilities. HREI would be entitled to renew the lease for an additional three-year term with rent set at $1,000 per month, plus utilities, if it is in compliance with the term of the lease, the staff report said.. 

Wood said while there was “no question of the impact of this institution,” she said renewing the lease was a business decision.

She asked why there was no language in the new lease requiring HREI to pay back seven years of rent. 

City Attorney Randy Adams said it was a payment plan HREI could follow. 

“A new start is what we’re talking about,” he said. 

He added that the building is old, needs maintenance, the city doesn’t want it sitting empty. As well, finding another tenant could be difficult considering the limitations on its use to primarily educational purposes. 

Councilor Kiki Miller agreed it would be best to move forward and start fresh.

“There doesn’t seem to be anything you could put in there,” she said.

Gookin said the council's decision could seem political because HREI is a nonprofit. 

He said the council might not be judged for its actions based on an entity not paying rent, but on what the entity does. 

“It becomes a sensitive issue,” he said. 

In the end, he said the city has a responsibility to taxpayers. 

“If we are going to be landlords than we must collect rent," Gookin said.

The council's discussion included mention of perhaps going with 12- or 18-month leases, which annoyed Gookin.

“This is BS. This is beyond the scope of what local government should do," he said.

Councilor Kenny Gabriel questioned the need for a shorter lease period. 

“It’s almost like we want them to get out of the lease,” he said. 

Wood said all the councilors support HREI’s mission.

“That’s not the question,” she said. 

Wood said police or fire departments might be able to use the building for educational purposes.  

“I think it is really important we take a look at what our needs are,” she said. 

Laster said the new lease will “help HREI maintain its stronghold as a light of hope for those who need it.” 

She said HREI is the longest known tenant of the building and is an established “beacon of hope for community, citizens, businesses and visitors.” 

“We feel very confident that the lease demonstrates the active partnership, mutually benefiting both parties, and our community the most,” Laster said.