Council faces light agenda

SANDPOINT — If the agenda is any indication, the Sandpoint City Council meeting tonight will be short and sweet.

According to the council agenda, only the approval of Councilman Aaron Qualls’ resignation and the authorization of the consent calendar require council action. The meeting begins 5:30 p.m. tonight at City Hall.

The most prominent item of the evening is the resignation of Councilman Aaron Qualls. After accepting a job as an city planner working under Planning and Zoning Director Jeremy Grimm, Qualls turned in his resignation to avoid conflicts of interest. Council members will vote to accept that resignation, making his council seat officially vacant.

“I look forward to this opportunity not only so that I may remain in Sandpoint but also that I may continue to contribute to our community,” Qualls said in his resignation letter to the council.

According to City Attorney Scot Campbell, he can think of no reason why council members wouldn’t accept Qualls’ resignation. After they do so, Mayor Marsha Ogilvie will begin considering candidates to replace Qualls. The individual she nominates will then be vetted and approved by council members. Until then, the City Council will simply operate as a five-person body.

All other evening matters are set to be approved through the consent calendar, and the only calendar item of note is authorization for the destruction of temporary legal records. Their approval will allow the legal department to clear out temporary records that have exceeded their minimum retention — typically regarding criminal cases closed before Dec. 31, 2010.