Kootenai County Delays Hearings

Wed., Feb. 2, 2000

People weighing in on a proposed railroad depot will get to spend Valentine’s Day with their sweethearts after all.

Public depot hearings that were supposed to start Feb. 14 have been delayed for two days. The hearings are now scheduled to start Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. at Lake City High School, with additional hearings on Feb. 17 and 18 if needed.

The depot, proposed by Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway, needs two permits from Kootenai County.

County officials requested the delay to solve a potential legal problem with notices advertising the hearings.

Wording on the legal notices could have given citizens the impression that only limited testimony was being accepted, officials said. Testimony will not be limited. The county wanted to clarify the wording, and pushed the hearings back to comply with a 14-day notice requirement.

“It’s just housekeeping to make sure we’ve got our t’s crossed and our i’s dotted,” Kootenai County Commissioner Ron Rankin said.

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