Wayne Benner
Benner
Office sought: Sandpoint City Council
Education: BSME and 23 years city/county work
Occupation: Retired
Family: Wife, 2 daughter and a son
I want to use my education, background and experience in the public and private section to assist the city of Sandpoint with their evolution.
I have been a city administrator (nine years), responsible for utility operations, and also served on a planning commission. I am a retired senior citizen and have been on numerous board and commissions.
Comprehensive plan with long-term vision; housing, affordable and workforce; and infrastructure, making sure sewage treatment upgrades continue.
No. 1: Plan, get a planner hired and make updating codes a priority/
No. 2: Get planning in place that will encourage housing and bring to people's attention when developers say $500,000 is affordable.
No. 3: Support infrastructure upgrades as high priority.
Meet with all staff and listen to their concerns and issues.
Electric (toys) bikes, skateboards, scooters, etc. No helmets, ridden by underage and yet 20 mph and in traffic or on bike trails. I support them but am very concerned that someone is going to get seriously hurt.
A city council member can only work with other council members to get anything accomplished. So elections council members that may not agree but are willing to seek compatible solutions should be a high priority.
Yes and I am running no to change, but to bring improvement.
Who really are you and what are your objectives and agendas? I have no agenda, my objectives are to share my background, experience, and education with the city as it expands in its evolution of growth. And I see the glass always as half full.
Get planning and zoning in place to help with housing and partner with business. And watch Kootenai and Ponderay as they are solving the issue.
The city: 1) needs to buy the land the sewer department owns and convert it to tiny home rental programs. 2) The city Neds to partner with business to create housing. 3) And most important, the city needs to plan and create guidelines that provide for affordable and workforce housing.
Block partners, which were very successful, all last year and this year.