Hayden Lake Feb. 3 Hearing on $50 Alarm, $75 Appeals Fee

Hayden Lake has scheduled a public hearing to consider two new municipal fees: a $50 registration fee for commercial and residential alarm systems and a $75 fee for code enforcement appeals. The hearing is set for 5:00 p.m. on Feb. 3, 2026 at Hayden Lake City Hall, 9393 N. Strahorn Road.

Written testimony must be filed no later than 4:00 p.m. on the hearing date. The legal notice included accommodations for Americans with Disabilities Act needs and for persons with limited English proficiency, signaling the city’s intent to make the process accessible to all residents.

The proposal, announced in the legals column on Jan. 20, 2026, would create a registration requirement that applies to both homeowners and businesses that operate alarm systems. If adopted, the $50 charge would likely be collected at registration and the $75 charge would apply when a property owner or business files an appeal of a code enforcement decision. City officials have framed such fees in other jurisdictions as a way to cover administrative costs, though the notice itself focuses on the hearing logistics rather than a detailed budget rationale.

For local residents and business owners, the proposed fees carry practical implications. Lakefront homeowners and small businesses that rely on alarm systems should expect a one-time or periodic registration step and an up-front cost if they contest a code enforcement action. For households on fixed incomes and small enterprises operating in the Hayden Lake area, even modest fees can add friction to compliance and appeal processes. At the municipal level, the fees would generate revenue that the city might earmark for program administration, enforcement staffing, or public-safety coordination.

The legals column that printed the notice functions as the official public-notice vehicle for Kootenai County municipalities. In the same issue, readers also saw trustee sale notices, other public hearing announcements, and routine legal filings. Those pages serve as the formal place to find deadlines, hearing details, and official contact information for local government action.

Hayden Lake residents who want their views recorded should plan to attend the Feb. 3 hearing at City Hall or submit written testimony by 4:00 p.m. that day. The hearing will determine whether the city adopts the registration requirement and appeals fee, a decision that will shape how residents interact with local code enforcement and how the city funds those functions going forward.