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The Colville Tribes are interested in purchasing the community building in Coulee Dam that houses the old movie theater, bowling alley, restaurant, fire station, and more. 

At Coulee Dam’s April 14 city council meeting, the Colville Tribes Natural Resources Director Cody Desautel, who also oversees the tribes’ Real Estate Services program, asked the city council if they were interested in selling the building.

Asked by Councilmember Merv Schmidt how the tribes might use the building, Desautel replied that it would be used similarly to its current use, with the possibility of expanding its use in the future. He didn’t provide further details. 

Desautel did say that the location, being close to the tribally owned Coulee Dam Casino, is beneficial and that the tribes are currently working on purchasing the Coulee House Motel in the same area.

Schmidt also mentioned the importance of the fire department being in that building, and the possibility of the tribes leasing that space to the fire department were they to buy the building.

Councilmember Fred Netzel said that if they were going to sell the building, they’d need to let the public know so others could bid on it.

The council decided they would like to talk about the building in executive session, in private, at a later date.

However, the state Open Public Meetings Act, would only allow them to talk about a sales price.

Whether they want to sell the building at all, and other concerns about the building, would need to be discussed in public. 

State law allows such closed sessions to take place “to consider the minimum price at which real estate will be offered for sale or lease when public knowledge regarding such consideration would cause a likelihood of decreased price. However, final action selling or leasing public property shall be taken in a meeting open to the public.”