Political newcomers join incumbents in council race
SANDPOINT — The field is now set for Sandpoint’s City Council election, but voters will only see three new names on the ballot come November.
All four incumbents up for election — council members John Reuter, Helen Newton, Michael Boge and John O’Hara — have entered the race, with all but Reuter seeking four-year terms. Reuter will run uncontested for the sole two-year seat on council.
Three political newcomers have also joined the race. Justin Schuck, Jaime Davis and Marsha Ogilvie are all vying for four-year seats on the council.
Davis, 33, has spent the past six years working as a water quality resource conservationist with the Idaho Association of Soil Conservation Districts, but recently took a position with the Coeur d’Alene Tribe in its Lake Management Department.
Davis said her natural resource background, which includes working with Sandpoint’s Lake Assist program, will add a new perspective to the many growth issues facing the city. She singled out the upcoming overhaul of the city’s zoning laws as an issue she would like to address.
“It presents a unique opportunity to create a vibrant and resilient community in the future in a way that’s responsible and protects the natural resources that make Sandpoint not only a destination but a great place to raise a family,” she said.
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Like Davis, Ogilvie does not have a deep history in politics, but has a wealth of experience in both the public and private sectors. With a background that includes more than a decade as board president of Kinderhaven and having founded and been the longtime chair of Women Honoring Women — among other accomplishments — Ogilvie believes she has the skill set needed to help run the city.
“My community involvement over the past fifteen years and my management skills provide me with the knowledge and experience necessary to help guide Sandpoint through the challenges that lie ahead,” she said. “I will bring fair and balanced decision making to the process of protecting and enhancing Sandpoint’s excellent quality of life.”
Appointed to fill former Councilman Doug Hawkins’ seat in June, O’Hara’s tenure began with the city’s now-infamous June council meeting that lasted nearly nine hours. Despite the rude introduction to council, O’Hara said he was compelled to seek a full term after seeing the number of important issues coming down the pipeline.
“The zone changes that essentially support the comprehensive plan are definitely going to be critical going forward, and those will be the big issues in the next year and a half to two years,” he said. “And if they weren’t, then the city would have, I think, done a disservice to the citizens who’ve been involved in the process.”
Now seeking his fifth term, Boge is the senior-most member of council, as well as its president. After a somewhat shaky start to his fourth term that included a drawn out battle over sidewalks and the resignation of two council members, Boge said he is most proud of the way the council has come together to solve problems.
Like many of his colleagues, Boge said the long process of implementing the city’s comprehensive plan will be the biggest challenge facing the council in the coming years.
“What I’m hoping for is that we can get a good grasp, as far as zoning, on directions we can take that will retain the character of Sandpoint,” he said. “It’s a great town and we’re known nationwide. We’ve got something special. What we need to do is grow, but retain that character that makes Sandpoint so special.”