CdA voters pass library, safety bonds
Coeur d’Alene will get a new downtown library and enough money for firefighters and local law enforcement to build a training center and hire more employees.
City voters passed two bond measures Tuesday that, combined, will increase the taxes on a $150,000 home by $70.68 annually.
The $3 million library bond got 74 percent approval, or 4,183 yes votes, while the $7 million public safety bond was approved by 3,878 voters, for 68 percent approval. Each measure needed two-thirds voter approval to pass.
Voter turnout was unofficially reported at 26.25 percent, or 5,705 voters.
“It’s a good day for Coeur d’Alene,” said Denny Davis, co-chairman of Citizens for a New Library. “All of us feel like we’ve done a very special thing in this community.”
The library bond will help build a two-story, $6.6 million library across from Coeur d’Alene City Hall. Davis said the city hopes to break ground this year and have the library completed in 2006.
At 42,000 square feet, the library will allow the city to double the number of books and other materials, add 24 computers and provide more programs and services. The bond will be paid off over 20 years.
The next step is to sell the current library building on Harrison Avenue to raise money to help with construction costs.
The Harrison Avenue library outgrew its space about 15 years ago and has 13,000 more volumes than there’s room for in the cramped building. Yet the library is actually short 41,000 volumes, according to national library standards.
The public safety bond will allow the Coeur d’Alene fire and police departments to build a training center, including a four-story metal tower where firefighters can practice rappelling and rope rescues.
Next to the tower will be a house with a full basement, the perfect scenario for both fire and police to practice their techniques. The money will also help buy fire trucks and equipment and remodel fire stations 1 and 2.
The city also will pay off the debt for the new fire station on 15th Street and the police station on Kathleen Avenue, freeing up about $2 million that could be used to hire staff for the police and fire departments.
“We start the planning process tomorrow morning,” Fire Chief Kenny Gabriel said while trying to talk over the celebration at the Caddy Shack.
The training center is the fire and police departments’ top priority, and Gabriel expects to break ground at the corner of Kathleen Avenue and Ramsey Road this summer.
“This will be an awesome addition to our city,” police Capt. Steve Childers said.
A record number of absentee voters cast ballots in the citywide election, Kootenai County election officials said earlier in the week. As of Friday, 1,106 people had requested absentee ballots.
The public safety bond campaign was much smaller than the organized push to pass the library bond.
As of the Jan. 25 campaign finance report, the fire and police political action committee had raised $6,400 for the campaign, mostly from individual employees. Many of those city workers stood on street corners this week holding red signs reminding people to vote.
Citizens for a New Library had $23,000, mostly from donations to the Coeur d’Alene Public Library Foundation. The group also did an election day push, including phone calls, reminding Coeur d’Alene citizens to vote.