Board approves FY27 transit program of projects after public hearing on notice and local match

The Kootenai County Board of Commissioners approved the FY27 Program of Projects (POP) for public transportation after a short public hearing during which residents questioned whether the required legal notice had appeared in the print edition and sought clarity on local match funding.

Doreen Combrecht of the transit department told the board the draft POP was published March 21, 2026, and that the office provided legal proof of publication online. Combrecht said the office had not received public comments before the hearing.

Public commenter Ron Hartman said he monitors the Coeur d'Alene Press and did not recall seeing the notice in the print edition, asking the board to defer the item so residents could review the projects and funding. Hartman later read language from the March 21 notice stating the proposed POP totaled $5,490,000, including $3,480,000 in federal funds and $2,010,000 in local matches, and asked where the match funding would come from.

County staff said most of the local match is in-kind contributions and city partner contributions; the inclusion of de minimis indirect cost recovery in the federal grants should recover a portion of operating overhead (staff estimated about 15% recovery toward operations). Board members discussed that capturing de minimis reimbursements and clarifying in-kind matches was a long-overdue practice that should help offset county costs.

Action taken: After closing public testimony, the board approved the FY27 POP. The record shows one commissioner voted against the motion; the motion nevertheless carried.

What’s next: Transit staff will proceed with the approved projects and manage required grant paperwork; commissioners asked that staff verify and, if necessary, document the publication page and continue transparent reporting on how local matches are provided.