In brief: Post Falls beefs up security

After two raucous incidents this spring at Post Falls City Hall, city officials are beefing up security to ensure civility and safety at public meetings.

“While people (may) say, ‘Hey, this is the second incident in 15 years or a decade,’ our world is changed. People are willing to go to great lengths to get their point across,” City Administrator Eric Keck said this week. “I would rather be proactive than reactive.”

Post Falls police now will make an appearance at planning and zoning commission meetings when a potentially controversial topic is addressed, Keck said. The new City Hall building, expected to open in spring 2008, also will be equipped with security cameras, he said.

In the last few months, two Post Falls residents caused disturbances at City Hall. One man threatened Keck with a blade while discussing his water bill. Another was escorted out of last week’s City Council meeting after refusing to leave the podium and continuing his profanity-filled complaint about a commercial development.

“There are a lot of issues that people get passionate about,” Keck said. “I can empathize with that … you just have to approach it in the most civil way you can.”

City Hall entrance closes

Getting to Post Falls City Hall has gotten a little trickier.

The Spokane Street entrance closed permanently last week, due to construction of the new City Hall, city officials said.

The current City Hall will remain open during the yearlong construction project and can be reached from William Street and Fifth Avenue or Idaho Street and Fifth Avenue.

The utility payment drop box has been moved to the east side of the building.

When the new City Hall opens, the entrance will be at Fourth and Fifth avenues, according to the city.

Construction began last week on the $7.1 million, 41,000-square-foot building.

Watch on Web as City Hall grows

Interested in the step-by-step process of building a city hall? Post Falls city officials have pulled the curtain aside this week to let the public watch the construction by webcam.

The up-to-the-minute video is available on the city’s Web site: www.postfallsidaho.org.

“We just all thought it was a great way for the citizens to get to watch daily, if they want to,” city spokeswoman Kit Hoffer said. “It’s just kind of a nice thing for people to do.”

The city mounted a camera on top of the Parks and Recreation Department building on Spokane Street for a full view of the construction site. City staff can swivel the camera to capture activity from Spokane to Fourth Avenue, Hoffer said.

— From staff reports