Sandpoint's leaders need to decide on vision for the city
Sandipondokooteray has a certain ring to it but truth be known, it probably won't happen.
As you will recall, Sandpoint City Councilman Michael Boge suggested recently the cities of Sandpoint, Ponderay, Dover and Kootenai could all merge to save money.
My name for this combined city would be a very lyrical Sandipondokooteray.
Boge suggested by merging water, sewer and presumably police and fire services, taxpayers all of the entities would benefit.
In a Sunday editorial, we stated that the Sandpoint City Council needed to get its act together before it would make any sense proposing anything with its neighbors. Neighbors, quite frankly, who have their civic acts together better than their big brother.
In fact, we predict Ponderay and Kootenai will continue to expand faster than Sandpoint and in the next 20 years, Ponderay's population will far exceed Sandpoint's.
We don't even have to mention where the business base is moving. All a person has to do is look at all of the businesses either opening in Ponderay or pulling up stakes in Sandpoint and moving to "The Little City with the Big Tax Base."
Sandpoint Furniture started the exodus to Ponderay about 15 years ago.
Owners Gunter, Jeffres and Sheffler needed to expand and have more parking.
Look at that business now. Now look directly behind that business to see a huge expansion. If you look around you still might find those last names running the place, but this is the next generation.
Radio Shack is the most recent business to leave Sandpoint to head north. The reason? They need more parking.
Sandpoint's elected leaders need to decide if the county seat is going to welcome new residents or businesses or not.
Sandpoint's leaders have to decide on what their vision is for this town. Voters then have to decide if they share that vision.
The time is now for Sandpoint leaders to lead, follow or get out of the way. The future of Sandpoint is too valuable.
? David Keyes is publisher of the Daily Bee.