No headline

What an amazingly disgusting presentation took place in Sandpoint, Jan. 11, from 9 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. The meeting had been billed as an opportunity to discuss the Interstate’s Asphalt batch plant move from Sandpoint to Sagle.

Interstate was allowed to use the first 1 1/2 hours of the meeting that was scheduled for three hours. Interstate’s presentation included videos and discussion from the company’s lawyer and several of the Interstate involved participants. At no time was there any interruption from the commissioners.

The second portion of the meeting was from a variety of Sagle citizens who opposed moving the asphalt plant. Commissioner Glen Bailey stated that each of the speakers be allowed 3 minutes to testify and then systematically interrupted nearly every presenter, using up to 1 or more minutes of the presenter’s time. After the first 6 or 7 people were cut off by Commissioner Bailey the attendees started to become vocal about his shortchanging each speaker, and there was a perceptible deep current of frustration among those attendees.

In my opinion there was a tacit feeling that the decision to move the plant had been predetermined as Commissioner McDonald brought up the point of widening Highway 95 to four lanes at the outlet of the quarry road even before there had been any discussion of the merits or non-merits to the move of the batch plant.

I will remember this the next time there is a commissioner’s election!

JIM CORCORAN

Sagle