Aitken selected for council post

SANDPOINT — Former City Council candidate Bill Aitken may be gaining a seat on the council after all.  

Mayor Marsha Ogilvie has requested the City Council approve Bill Aitken as her appointee to fill a vacant council seat. Council members will vote on the nomination at their Wednesday meeting 5:30 p.m. at Sandpoint City Hall.  

“I’m excited for the opportunity,” Aitkens said. “I’m sure it was a tough choice for (Mayor Ogilvie).”

A candidate for a council seat in the November election, Aitken finished fifth among nine candidates, with Shannon Joy Williamson, Shelby Rognstad, Bob Camp and Bill Litsinger edging him out for votes. As the top three candidates, Williamson, Rognstad and Camp ended up with terms for the council, which will begin early next year.

However, a new wrinkle appeared in late September when Councilman Aaron Qualls announced he was resigning from the council to accept a position as a Sandpoint city planner. With Qualls stepping down following council approval of his resignation, Ogilvie began considering candidates to complete the remaining two years of his term.

An individual with a long career in recreation and small businesses, Aitken is the owner of Aitken Construction and Development, LLC, which specializes in lighting, consulting, design and project management. He also is a member of the Sandpoint Historic Preservation Commission and a board member of Sandpoint Recreation and Community Center.

In the run-up to the general election, Aitken expressed a particular interest in promoting downtown revitalization, a topic he has a personal stake in as a downtown business owner himself. He is one of the leading voices in organizing a proposed Sandpoint community center. As a parent with kids in the school district, he also helped lead a recall drive of Steve Youngdahl following the school board chairman’s proposal to arm school staff.

The proposed appointment will likely not please everyone. Following the election, some residents expressed hope through letters to the editor and online comments that Ogilvie would recommend fourth-place candidate Litsinger for the open seat.