John Beacham

The meeting commenced with the Pledge of Allegiance led by a representative from Girl Scout Troop 2472. An announcement was made regarding the removal of an ordinance concerning parades from the agenda. The CEO of Girl Scouts Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho, spoke to celebrate the 'Day of the Girl' and to acknowledge the Mayor's support for the Girl Scouts organization, including recognizing Gold Award recipients and providing cookies to first responders. Announcements included city hall closure dates for Christmas and New Year's Day, and an encouragement for citizens to apply for open seats on the City Council and the Urban Renewal Agency. The meeting included the swearing-in ceremony for the new Parks and Recreation Director. The agenda covered numerous items on the consent calendar, including approval of previous minutes, accounts payable, cash and investments, a street and road report, and multiple construction improvement agreements and final plat approvals for subdivisions such as Arrive Postfalls, Harvest Meadows, and Northplace East. Several ordinances were passed under suspension of the rules concerning the vacation of easements (Villa Point North, Northplace), annexation and zoning map amendments (Poll Line and Zoros, Echo Estates, McGuire, G2 Development), and the approval of the Fiscal Year 2026 budget amendment number one. The session concluded with the commencement of New Business, beginning with an item related to the Urban Renewal Technology District Plan amendment.

The meeting focused primarily on a public hearing regarding a zone change request (ZC25-2) for approximately 30.88 acres located at the southeast corner of Highway 41 and Prairie Avenue. The applicant seeks to rezone the area from Community Commercial Services (CCS) to Community Commercial Mixed (CCM) to allow for the construction of a medical campus, including a future hospital bed tower, which requires a maximum height allowance increase from 45 ft to 105 ft. The commission reviewed consistency with the comprehensive plan, noting the proposal supports economic growth, providing employment opportunities, and aligns with land use designations along the Highway 41 corridor. Infrastructure capacity for sewer service was confirmed, and traffic impact was assessed based on planned roadway improvements. The proposed development specifically excludes residential uses via a drafted development agreement. No demonstrable adverse impacts on service delivery were identified by notified agencies. Additionally, the commission acknowledged the final meeting of a member, Sir Walson, and discussed upcoming events, including a tentative joint workshop with city council regarding fiscal impact analysis for the comprehensive plan.

The meeting commenced with the Pledge of Allegiance and confirmation of quorum, noting the absence of two commissioners. A primary focus of the meeting was an update on the selection process for the new Parks and Recreation Director, Chris Ammerman, who will start on December 15th, and recognition of the retiring director, Dave. The Commission also heard a detailed presentation regarding the pursuit of CAPRA accreditation for the department, outlining the multi-step process, the shift in standards (from 150 to 68 standards), the importance of internal review, and the associated time commitment (two to three years for initial accreditation). Discussion also touched upon the value of the accreditation exercise in ensuring policies and procedures, like the encroachment policy, remain current, and the required cross-departmental collaboration with IT, Finance, and HR.

The City Council meeting included procedural items such as the pledge of allegiance and announcements congratulating recent election winners, as well as office closures for Thanksgiving. The council approved the consent calendar, which included minutes from the prior meeting, accounts payable, the ARK subdivision final plat approval, and the Early Dawn and Zoros annexation regarding rights-of-way and easements. The primary discussion focused on the public hearing for the Echo Estates annexation (ANNX-24-5) requesting annexation of approximately 9.72 acres with a requested medium density residential zoning (R2). Discussion covered consistency with the comprehensive plan, infrastructure capacity (wastewater), utility requirements, and significant concerns raised by the Post Falls Highway District regarding the structural adequacy of Echo Drive for construction and future traffic loads. The council debated the process of addressing off-site road improvements relative to annexation versus subsequent subdivision approval.

The meeting addressed the consent calendar, which included minutes from joint workshops and previous commission and finance/policy meetings, as well as monthly payables and financial reports as of November 30, 2025. Key discussions involved an update on the Prairie Shopping Center project in the Technology Urban Renewal District, noting construction progress and tenant negotiations, including a major supermarket tenant pending escrow closing. Updates were also provided on the Douglas property, where heirs are reportedly in litigation. The Commission considered and approved revisions to Agency Policy Number Seven, Addendum Number Three, which allows for up to 100% reimbursement of city-required costs related to the 2018 city center parking plan for eligible development projects; this revision was also applied to the 209 East Second LLC project seeking an owner participation agreement. Additionally, revisions to Agency Policy Number 15 were approved, which increased the plan fee from $15,000 to $25,000 for district creation/modification and established a $7,500 fee for plan amendments. Revisions to Agency Policy Number 16 were also approved, solely removing verbiage describing the circumstances of a prior revision.