Issues dominate candidate forum

By KEITH KINNAIRD

News editor

SANDPOINT — Candidates’ stands on city issues took center stage Wednesday during a well-attended forum at Panhandle State Bank.

Six candidates, three of whom are incumbents, are in the hunt for three of the council’s four-year seats.

Incumbent John Reuter is a shoo-in for the single two-year seat up for election on the council since he’s running unopposed.

All of the candidates were asked to state their position on the following issues during the Keokee Publishing/Blue Sky Broadcasting forum:

• Water treatment bond

Voters have already torpedoed this $12 million proposal to expand the city’s lakeside treatment plant to increase the amount of drinking water, but it’s back on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Incumbents Michael Boge and Reuter said the voters have already spoken on this matter and indicated they do not support the measure, while Jamie Davis, Justin Schuck and incumbent John O’Hara said they are favorable to the proposal.

“This is up to the voters,” said incumbent Helen Newton, explaining that her vote is as private as any other resident’s.

Marsha Ogilvie said she would respect the wishes of the voting public, but added that she would likely vote against it. Davis also advocated for water conservation measures.

•  Water service area boundaries

Schuck felt the existing boundaries are sufficient, while Ogilvie,

Reuter, Boge and Ogilvie supported expansion with the general caveat that it should not be done on the backs of existing users. Reuter said it expansion should be limited to incorporated cities.

“The boundaries should be expanded with caution,” Davis said, referring to potential financial impacts to current users.

Newton and O’Hara advocated for a regionalized approach to expanding water service.

•  Sidewalk improvements

Under the current rules, landowners who make substantial improvements to their property could be required to install sidewalks. All the candidates agreed pedestrian infrastructure needs improvement, but views differed on how that should be accomplished.

Schuck contended the city should install the facilities and landowners should be tasked with maintaining them, while Davis felt consistency in city policy is paramount. Ogilvie expressed discomfort with the financial burden installing sidewalks could have on existing property owners, but agreed new developments should have to foot that bill.

Given the nail-biting economy, Boge questioned the fairness of asking financially struggling landowners to pony up on an expense the city also can’t afford.

“If we don’t have the money, why should they have to ante up?” he said.

Newton asserted a citywide local improvement taxing district is likely the fairest alternative, an option O’Hara said he was also open to. Reuter felt a hybrid local improvement district was fair since some landowners have already been saddled with a sidewalk LID tax.

•  Sandpoint Airport

Candidates unanimously voiced support for this county-owned and operated facility beset with funding woes related to Federal Aviation Administration grant assurances.

Ogilvie, Newton, Davis and Boge counted it as an important asset in the community, as did O’Hara, who said some of the airport’s struggles could be sidestepped through better communication with the county. The facility has helped create good-paying jobs at Quest and facilitated local commerce, candidates said.

“It’s nearly as important as the Long Bridge in the scope of things,” Schuck said.

Reuter also voiced support for the airport, but contended the fly-in/fly-out community being developed there catered more to the well-heeled than the public at large.

• Downtown streets

Control of some downtown routes will revert back to the city upon completion of the U.S. 95 bypass, a positive development in the eyes of each candidate.

“We should aim for vibrancy,” said Reuter.

Schuck and O’Hara said two-way traffic could be restored and pedestrian amenities, including cafe seating, could be enhanced.

Boge pointed out that the reversion won’t happen until the Fifth Avenue/U.S. 2 coupler is done. But Ogilvie urged reversion planning as soon as possible.

“I don’t believe we have the time to wait,” she said. “I think we need to start working toward that goal.”

Newton said improving the well-worn highway routes, utility relocation and broadband improvements should not be forgotten.

•  Affordable housing

Support for this issue was also unanimous, with Schuck and Newton noting that the allowance of accessory dwelling units are a step in the right direction. O’Hara and Ogilvie said the city comprehensive plan does also. Davis and Newton also highlighted the diversity-through-higher-density approach.

Boge and Schuck advocated against reserving large tracts for lower-income housing to avoid segregating those of modest means and preserving the eclectic demographics of Sandpoint’s neighborhoods.