Kootenai County commissioners approve Gator XUV, FireSmart Next Generation logging, paratransit contract

Kootenai County commissioners used their Jan. 30 business meeting to clear a slate of operational items ranging from solid waste equipment to wildfire mitigation contracts and a paratransit agreement, while one commissioner registered formal dissent.

The board approved a purchase of a Gator XUV for the Solid Waste Department and awarded bid work for Joint Chiefs / FireSmart projects, including a contract with Next Generation Logging. Commissioners also voted 2-1 to approve a three-year, $75,000 contract tied to paratransit vehicles and to extend the performance period for a separate Idaho Transportation Department grant; Commissioner Marc Eberlein cast the dissenting votes and has previously said, “I’m not a fan” and “I’m not in favor of this transit system.”

Those decisions followed a broader consent package approved Dec. 16 that included routine payables, procurement and grant-authority items. The board approved payables for Dec. 8–12, 2025 totaling $768,892.42 and jury panel payments of $1,600.12. The commission authorized a piggyback purchase of four solid-waste transfer trailers from Wilkins Industries for $519,946, using previously bid pricing and the same specifications. The board also authorized pursuing a Recreational Trail Program grant for phase 2 of the Centennial Trail asphalt replacement project with a required $125,000 local match from the joint shareholders account, and a Waterways Improvement Fund grant to replace the dock at Carlin Bay Boaters Park with a $200,000 match from the boat launch user fee account. The Dec. 16 package included a contract to move a modular building to the county fairgrounds and several advisory-board appointments.

The county’s transit actions remain the subject of process questions and conflicting accounting. One account of the Idaho Transportation Department 5310 transit grant lists the application as requesting $160,000 in federal funds with a $40,000 local match and reports the submission carried on a recorded 2-1 vote with the chair opposing. A separate account discussed by commissioners describes a federal grant that would provide $396,000 with a $99,000 county match if accepted. County transit staff have emphasized the intent is replacement, not expansion; Chad Ingle, program manager for Kootenai County Public Transportation, said, “We’re not expanding or doing any additions. It’s just the replacement of buses,” and that “The vehicles have an expected useful life of five years or 150,000 miles.”

City of Coeur d’Alene council packet excerpts included in county materials show parallel municipal procurement activity, for example a CAT backhoe for $148,382.30 and a 2026 sewer tank/pump truck for $211,739.00, but those purchases are city council matters, not BOCC actions.

For local residents, the approvals mean solid waste operations will receive new utility equipment, the county will proceed with wildfire mitigation contracts, and county transit has a short-term contract in place while questions about federal grant amounts and formal acceptance remain. Commissioners signaled intent to meet with transit administrators to clarify funding and program details before fully committing to federal grant receipts. County minutes, grant documents and vendor contracts remain the next public records to review for precise dollar figures, contract scopes and timelines.