Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season. When your elected representatives return in the new year it will be to swear in two new council members and select a new council president. The city also has three new planning and zoning commission members that were approved by City Council last week. I thank the council for confirmation of their appointments. These groups have important work ahead as we move into the Comprehensive Land Use Plan Revision and manage the region’s unprecedented growth. I’m confident our elected leadership team and the P&Z commission are the right team to preserve the best of Sandpoint while managing challenges brought on by growth.

As the new year kicks off I will be appointing eight members to the new Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation Commission. This commission is a merger between the former Historic Preservation Commission and the Arts Commission. Last year the City approved its first ever Arts, Culture and Historic Preservation Master Plan. It puts forth a compelling vision and provides the spark for imagination and creativity to make Sandpoint a compelling destination for heritage and the arts. Convening the Commission and implementing the plan is critical at this time as Sandpoint sees new residents and growth pressures which bring change. The commission will be instrumental in helping to preserve our local culture and heritage so that we retain the best of who we are in the face of these changes.

I’m thankful council approved two funding requests I brought forward last week. I have served in the Academy for Community Health for the last year. This is a mayor’s program created by the Blue Cross Foundation of Idaho to empower mayors to improve community health across Idaho. As a participant, BCF awarded me $20,000 which I will apply toward improving workforce housing in Sandpoint. This funding will provide needed staff support for the Workforce Housing Task Force and provide for a land use study to support the Comprehensive Land Use Plan and manage growth into the future.

The second request for $2,000 is the city’s contribution toward representation in the state legislature. Currently, resort cities don’t have a persistent voice at the statehouse and as a result our interests are often overlooked. This funding will provide for Sandpoint, along with other Idaho cities, a lobbyist that advocates for our interests in the legislature.

We have a lot to be thankful for in Sandpoint. I want to share my gratitude for our city staff, who have gone through a very challenging year with COVID, a major remodel at city hall among other challenges. Our dedicated city staff work so hard to keep our streets plowed and provide the services we all expect.

I want to thank the Bonner Community Food Bank, their staff and volunteers who work hard to help feed those in need through this holiday season. Winters can be long and cold and there are hungry people in our community. I also want to thank those that have donated to the Bank and other charities. Your generosity makes our community stronger. I encourage everyone this holiday season to donate time and any resources that you can to the food bank to help those most in need.

Lastly, I want to thank mother nature for delivering plenty of fresh powder and a very white Christmas. I always appreciate the beauty and joy that snow brings to us locals. I wish you all the happiest of holidays!

There will be no Mayor’s Roundtable discussion this week due to the holiday.

Shelby Rognstad is the mayor of Sandpoint. He can be reached at mayor@sandpointidaho.gov.