FAQ
| Building Permits | City Attorney | Drainage System Utility |
| Job Openings | General | Mayor/Council |
| Snow Removal | Street Signs | Streetlights |
| Streets | Traffic Signals | Urban Forestry |
| Water |
What are the names of the Mayor and Council?
Mayor Sandi Bloem, Council President Mike Kennedy, Councilman Ron Edinger, Councilman Dan Gookin, Councilman Deanna Goodlander, Councilman Steve Adams, and Councilman Woody McEvers. If you need to contact the Mayor or Council, please call Victoria Bruno at (208) 769-2204.
When does the City Council meet?
The City Council meets two times a month in regular session, on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of each month beginning at 6:00 p.m.
What is the population of the City of Coeur d'Alene?
The total population of the City of Coeur d'Alene is 46,054.
Do I need a permit to cut down a tree?
Permits are not required for trees growing on private property. However, permits arerequired before planting, pruning or removing trees that are growing within the public right-of-way.
The permit system allows the city to provide abutting property owners with information on how to do the tree work correctly if they are doing it themselves. The exception to needing a permit would be routine pruning done by a city-licensed tree service, since they are familiar with city pruning standards. The permit system also allows the city to maintain current records on the size and condition of Coeur d'Alene's urban forest.
There is no charge for a tree permit. Apply to the Urban Forestry Coordinator at the Parks Department office at City Hall, 710 E. Mullan Avenue, or call 769-2266. Please click here to view and print a permit application.
How can I tell if a tree is growing within the right-of-way?
The public right-of-way is the portion of property set aside for public use. This is where streets, alleys, sidewalks, and utilities are located. Any tree whose trunk is 50% within the public right-of-way is a public tree.
There is no rule-of-thumb for right-of-way width. It varies from street to street, and sometimes from block to block. If you have a tree growing close to the street, you can call the Urban Forester at 769-2266 to check on the right-of-way width and to see if the tree is on the inventory of public street trees.
Can I plant a tree in the street-side swale?
Planting of trees within the street-side drainage swales is allowed. Trees can even assist in storm water management by intercepting rainfall and "pumping" water from the swale through transpiration. However, it is important to select a species of tree that is well-suited to having "wet feet" and withstanding oils and salts from roads and parking areas.
You can obtain a list of trees approved for planting within swales and a free planting permit from the Urban Forester at the Parks Department office at City Hall, 710 E. Mullan Avenue or by calling 769-2266. Please click here to view a list of trees approved for right-of-way planting.
I am building a new house, and there are existing trees on the property that I would like to save. What can I do to protect the trees during construction?
There are steps that can be followed to help facilitate the survival of the trees.
- The first step should be in the design and planning phase of the project. Work with the architect to identify the trees you would like to keep, and then "design with nature."
- The second step would be to avoid any damage during construction by:
- Communicating and working with the builders and contractors by letting them know which trees that you would like to save.
- Flagging the trees to be saved.
- Erecting physical barriers that extend beyond the drop line of the tree to protect the root zone from being used for storage of materials, concrete mixing, paint brush cleaning, parking, etc.
It is also important to be aware of the damage that can happen to the trees below ground as well as above ground including:
- Soil compaction - this may be solved by using big diameter mulch around the drip line of the tree
- Severed roots - prevent this by tunneling rather than trenching lines (irrigation, sewer, etc.)
- Grade changes - don't bury the trunk over the original grade
- Drainage changes
- Change of soil pH - find a location for cement washouts as far away from trees as possible
The Parks Department has publications available on this topic and many others. For more information go to the publications list or contact the Urban Forester, or visit the International Society of Arboriculture web site.
I have planted a new tree on my property. How much should I water to help ensure its survival?
Providing supplemental water is very important to get new trees established. An important thing to remember is that the tree lost a lot of roots in the transplanting process and all its remaining roots are in a very restricted area. It is important to concentrate your watering efforts on this "root ball," although it is also helpful to water the surrounding area to encourage new root growth beyond the root ball.
If natural rainfall equals an inch of water every week, additional water may not be needed. However, when natural rainfall drops below that amount, start giving the tree some water. Don't just rely on lawn sprinkling to provide adequate water to your young trees - it usually does not water deeply enough. A good rule of thumb to follow is to provide 5 gallons of water per week for every inch of stem caliper (trunk diameter measured 6 inches above the ground on young trees).
There are several techniques for proper "deep-watering" of trees including:
- Installation of a drip irrigation system
- Building up a berm around the outer edge of the root-ball to provide a "well" area. Fill it up with water that will slowly soak in.
- Coiling soaker hoses over the root-ball area.
- Allowing a garden hose to slowly trickle water onto the target area.
- Filling and placing a five-gallon bucket, with four very small holes drilled into the bottom, over the root ball.
A method of preserving soil moisture is to provide a 2" - 3" layer of mulch over the root area. Taper the depth of mulch so that there is no mulch around the tree trunk. A planting diagram showing a mulch layer can be found at http://www.cdaid.org/urban/urbanforestry/planting_planting.htm.
Keep the soil moist but not constantly soaked; over watering will cause leaves to turn yellow or fall off. Water trees deeply at least once a week, barring rain, and more frequently during hot weather. Watch your tree's "body language." When leaves droop and wilt, a tree is telling you it does not have enough water available to the roots. Continue watering until mid-fall, tapering off for lower temperatures that require less frequent watering.
The Parks Department has publications available on this topic and many others. For more information on this topic go to the publications list or contact the Urban Forester.
Is there a requirement for Street Trees in new residential construction?
Yes. City ordinances require the planting of one street tree per street frontage for new construction of duplexes and single-family dwellings. A $300 fee is collected when a building permit is issued. For more information on this question, please click here.
In a snowstorm, when will be street be plowed?
The city's arterials, collectors and bus routes are plowed first, and residential streets are plowed last. Crews commence arterial plowing after an accumulation of over 2 inches. Crews will commence plowing residential streets only after an accumulation over 5 inches. When citywide plowing is warranted, our goal is to complete the citywide plowing within 40 hours. Generally, neighborhoods north of Appleway Avenue are plowed at night and areas south of Appleway are plowed during the day.
What are the city's snow removal policies?
By City Code, citizens are requested to keep their sidewalks free of snow and throwing or snow blowing of snow into the street is illegal. City plow crews use "snow-gates" to reduce the amount of snow left at driveways on residential streets (except on arterials and streets plowed under agreements with the highway districts). Snow gates only reduce, not eliminate the magnitude of snow berms. Snow deposited from plowing operations at mailboxes, parked cars and sidewalks generally cannot be avoided and are the citizen's responsibility to remove. Special requests are considered only as time warrants upon a compelling circumstance.
The Street Maintenance Department will immediately respond to spills and hazards. City arterials are swept once per week (seasonally) and the Downtown area is swept twice per week (seasonally). Residential streets are swept a minimum of 5 times per season. Due to scheduling, it is difficult to deviate unless it is a compelling circumstance. Specific requests will be considered upon calling the department.
I wish to report a pothole, who do I call?
It is our goal to keep city streets free of dangerous/damaging potholes 100 percent of the time. Any dangerous/damaging potholes are temporarily patched the same day as reported. Contact 769-2234.
How often are stormwater systems maintained?
It is our goal to clean all catchbasins annually. Pipes and manholes cleaned as needed.
Who is responsible for maintaining swales?
In accordinance with the City's Stormwater Ordinance, maintenance of swales remains the responsibility of the abutting property owner. Please refer to section 13.30 of the City Code.
Who do I call to report a burned out street light?
Please click here to fill out a Non-Working Street Light form, or call 769-2300.
Who maintains signs and signals?
The Street Maintenance Department maintains signage and signal lights. Our goal is to immediately respond to signal light or signal failures (unless Police determine otherwise) and to immediately respond to critical traffic control signage. Crews stripe (paint) all traffic lines twice per year (spring and fall).
Who do I contact about a new sign?
Contact the Engineering Department at 769-2228.
Does the City Attorney give legal advice to the general public?
No, you will need to contact a private attorney or Idaho Legal Aid at 667-9559. Please click here to visit the Idaho Legal Aid web site.
Is there a fee to speak with a prosecutor?
No. However, if defense counsel represents you in the matter you wish to discuss, the prosecutor will not be allowed to speak with you.
Defense Counsel does not represent me. Can I discuss the case with a prosecutor?
Yes, but keep in mind that the prosecutor can only provide you with options and cannot tell you how to plea in the case.
Can you recommend an attorney to represent me?
No. However, you may call the Idaho State Bar at 1-800-221-3295 and they may be able to assist you with a list of names to choose from.
Someone has committed a crime against me. Can I file a report with your office?
No. All reports are initiated through the Coeur d'Alene Police Department before we can take action.
I am the victim in the case and do not wish to press charges against the defendant. Will the prosecutor drop charges at my request?
No. It is at the prosecutor's discretion as to whether the charges are dropped. You may express your concerns as to why they should be dropped; however, the prosecutor is not obligated to do so, and won't for certain cases.
Do you prosecute all the cases that occur within the city limits of Coeur d'Alene?
No, the Kootenai County Prosecutor's Office handles:
- All felony cases (unless conflicted out)
- Juvenile cases (unless conflicted out), with the following exceptions:
- Driving Under the Influence
- Infractions
- Drug Charges
- Possession of Tobacco or Alcohol
- Cases initiated by Kootenai County Sheriff Deputies and Marine Division
- Cases initiated by Idaho State Police Officers
Are there any job openings within your office?
The Human Resources Department lists the current job opportunities available as well as positions that are open on a continuous basis.
Where does our water come from?
The City gets water from the Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer.
What does the City do to purify the water?
The Water in the aquifer is pure. Chlorine is added at the wells to maintain purity as the water travels throughout the distribution system. A residual level between .20 and .30 parts per million of chlorine exists in the system.
Is fluoride added to the water?
Fluoride is not added to the City of Coeur d’ Alene water.
How can I find out what is in my water?
The City of Coeur d’ Alene takes approximately 40 bacteria tests per month at random sites through the city. We also periodically take samples for numerous chemical compounds as directed by State and Federal regulations. Results of these tests are available at our offices at 3820 Ramsey Road.
Why are there times when I don’t have enough water pressure?
Due to the inherent nature of the water system structure the water pressure will vary throughout the city. There are many variables that can influence your water pressure. Elevation, season of the year, time of day, well pumps running or not, increased development in your area are some of the things that can affect your water pressure. We are not able to “adjust” pressures.
Does the City still use lake water?
No. We exclusively use ground water. We have a facility near the base of Tubbs Hill that can pull Lake Water into the system but it has not been used as a source since the mid-1980's. It is maintained as an emergency source only.
Which well provides the water that comes to my house?
We do not have wells tied to specific neighborhoods. The source of the water at your house depends on which wells are running at the time as well as other variables.
How do I contact Water Department personnel?
During normal working hours call the office at either 769-2210 or 769-2211. Our Email address is: jimm@cdaid.org. After normal working hours or on weekends call 755-9729.
In extreme emergencies where significant property damage is being sustained call 911.