Prayers to open Coeur d'Alene City Council meetings may soon come from beyond city boundaries.

The General Works/Public Works Committee on Monday agreed to forward a request for council discussion to allow nonprofit, faith-based organizations in Kootenai County to offer the invocation, rather than limiting it within city limits.

But at least one councilor opposes it.

"I don't think opening it up to all of Kootenai County is necessary," Kiki Miller said.

Miller said she likes the tradition of an invocation at City Council meetings. If no one is signed up to give an invocation, there could be a moment of silence, or a City Council member could offer a prayer, she added.

Councilor Kenny Gabriel asked if the city has received requests from others beyond Coeur d'Alene wishing to offer the opening prayer.

Renata McLeod, city clerk and municipal services director, said there have been a few.

"I have to tell them they don't qualify," she said.

The reason for the proposed change is not enough have stepped up to offer the invocations for the twice-monthly meetings at City Hall.

In 2022, the council had several discussions regarding the continuance of the tradition of having an invocation at City Council meetings. That year, it approved a lottery system to allow any nonprofit, faith-based organization within the city to provide the invocation, with the single exception of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe.

But over the past year, the city received 12 qualified registrants, which resulted in needing to run the lottery twice and many applicants provided two invocations this year, a staff report said.

"The online lottery system is easy and efficient and can allow for the option of allowing two invocations a year from organizations within the city or to open the system to organizations throughout Kootenai County," the report said. "Additionally, the online, lottery system meets constitutional muster by not discriminating based on viewpoint."

Invocation rules include: The prayer can be specific to a religion, faith, person; may not seek to convert anyone; may not disparage other faiths; may not refer to punishment, secular or spiritual, for those with different beliefs; and may not reflect partisanship or a political bias.

The invocation should be no more than two to three minutes.

"It's really just intended to be a blessing upon the meeting," McLeod said.

Mayor-elect Dan Gookin had requested that council discuss opening the invocation countywide. He said he was a guest of the Kootenai County Ministerial Association earlier this year and was told Coeur d'Alene residents attend churches in Hayden and Dalton Gardens, but the pastors of those churches aren't eligible to give the city invocation.

He said opening it up to a larger area could help meet the need.

The City Council is expected to discuss it when it meets Dec. 2.

    Gabriel