FACILITY: County bought a good building
Kootenai Electric Cooperative (KEC) moved into its Hayden headquarters on Dakota Avenue in 1979 and operated from it for 44 years. By 2020, it outgrew that facility and began designing and constructing a new one in Rathdrum. Kootenai County purchased the Hayden headquarters in 2020 and leased it to KEC for three years as the Rathdrum facility was completed.
Recently, some have alleged that the Hayden headquarters acquired by the county contained asbestos, PCBs, and below-ground fuel storage tanks. They further allege the building was in poor repair and had uncorrected electrical hazards. Finally, they claim the county failed to perform any due diligence to ensure these risks were not present and blindly accepted a one-sided purchase contract heavily tilted in KEC’s favor.
As KEC’s General Manager, I find these allegations wholly inaccurate, insulting and harmful to our good reputation in the community we serve.
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