Transit Center Letter To Kootenai Commissioners
*Editors Note: The request for a public hearing on the Riverstone Transit Center has been denied. It has been reported that Commissioner Fillios rejected the request saying he’d “already made up his mind”, and Commissioner Bingham declined because people should have known about this sooner.
May 22, 2017
Dear Kootenai County BOCC Chairman Eberlein,
As an active participant in local government, I have received numerous phone calls from concerned citizens regarding the proposed Transit Center at Riverstone. In addition to the fact I am not qualified to answer their questions, there has been inconsistent and conflicting information coming from the GMO and BOCC. I am making a request for a public hearing on the Transit Center.
The contradictory information makes a public meeting necessary. For example, on March 15th, Jody Bieze told Ignite CDA that she contacted Greyhound and other regional transit authorities to make the Riverstone Transit a Hub. On April 14th, Kimberly Hobson stated that the county has not approached Greyhound, and on May 13th, Commissioner Fillios stated there were no plans for Greyhound or Spokane Transit.
Additionally, there is more than one version of the size and purpose of the building itself. Will it be the 400 Sq. Ft. building that will be patrolled by CDA Police and endorsed by Balance North Idaho, or is it the 2000-2500 Sq. Ft. facility with offices, storage, restrooms, etc.…? Will the CDA Police patrol the center, or will they, as Chief White said, come when called? These are just a few examples of the discrepancies making our residents, including myself, question what is going on with the Transit Center at Riverstone.
The citizens of Kootenai County have a right to know what the exact plan is for the Transit Center. The BOCC has an obligation to provide that information. A hearing with a detailed presentation of the current plan, public comment, and opportunity for the BOCC to adopt, revise, or reject the plan would go far to help alleviate the confusion between the staff and the public.
Respectfully submitted,
Rebecca J. Funk
Coeur d’Alene, ID
