Park controversy, recalls top city, school news

SANDPOINT — Maternity wards, geese, Travers Park, recalls, and resignations all have one thing in common — they all made significant city and education headlines in Bonner County in 2023.

In March, Bonner General Health announced the closure of its labor and delivery services saying that loss of pediatric coverage in the area, changing population demographics, and the state's legal and political climate made the unit’s operations challenging.

While plenty of other stories kept residents entertained, the hunting and euthanization of geese at City Beach garnered a great deal of attention last summer. Because of the large amount of goose poop near Lake Pend Oreille, high levels of E. coli bacteria could concentrate in the waters near the park, city officials said. Due to a likely denial of a relocation permit caused by a recent outbreak of the Avian flu, the city was given the option of an euthanization permit.

Sandpoint officials said they had tried everything possible, from specially trained dogs to its first controlled hunt in December 2022. Finally, in June, USDA Wildlife Services staff rounded up the geese under its statewide degradation permit and euthanized them. Twice last year the city opened City Beach to goose hunts on selected dates by permit, something which angered many citizens.

Similarly, Travers Park gained regional attention as some residents took a strong stance against the city’s new playground and sports center — and subsequent removal of 20 of the park’s trees. Some residents participated in protests and chained themselves to a tree in the park to demonstrate their stance.

While many issues have gained the title “hot topic” in Bonner County, Travers Park protests were the first the area had seen in a while of such a determined nature. The city held a groundbreaking ceremony for the center in October.

In the same month, Sandpoint city councilor, Andy Groat, publicly resigned during a city hall meeting after stating he “could not in good conscience ask [the council] to reconsider” an alternative property for Travers Park upgrades.

His primary comments revolved around controversy regarding the council’s decision to renovate Travers Park, an area originally named after Frank Travers. The decision involved the removal of 20 trees to make room for an indoor sports facility made possible by a $7.5 million donation from Jim Russell and his mother, Ginny.

However, in a statement later issued by the city he said his decision was not about the trees.

“My decision was based on being conflicted over the legacy of the long-standing Travers family name and the future needs of our community,” he said. “… And in no way align me and my action with those that chained themselves to trees and those that disrespected the Russell family.”

In West Bonner County School District, two trustees, Keith Rutledge and Susan Brown, were recalled in November following claims that the pair failed to uphold their oath. The controversy, along with the hiring of controversial former superintendent, Branden Durst,  gained the attention of many and galvanized the community.

Community members launched the recall campaign in mid-June, saying the two trustees did not have the “first and greatest concerns for the educational welfare of West Bonner County School District students attending public schools.”

Within two weeks, recall organizers crafted two petitions that gained enough signatures to get the recall election on the ballot. The group of parents and community members spearheading the efforts titled their mission “Recall, Replace, Rebuild.”

Residents involved in the recall created signs, attended meetings, wrote letters, designed a website, set up social media pages, collected donations, and hosted events to accomplish their goals. Those against the recall also campaigned on social media and hosted town hall events.

Sandpoint residents also elected a new mayor, two city council members, and a new school board trustee. On the county’s west side, WBCSD residents reelected Troy Reinbold and Margaret Hall, and elected Kathy Nash, to the school board. They will take office in January.

The city of Sandpoint also voted to approve a final Downtown Waterfront Design Report after selecting a final team during a nearly year-long competition.

GGLO Bernardo Willis, selected as the finalist, has been in the process of refining designs based on input provided during stage three of the competition.

Their design includes a rewilded Sand Creek corridor, improvements at City Beach, native plants, new artwork, and interpretive displays, expansion of Farmin Park, and other projects to reflect and illustrate a tapestry of Sandpoint’s history. The updated designs are more definitive about zoning recommendations, keep the Statue of Liberty in its current place, define more ADA parking, and include modest modifications to the Bridge Street bridge. The report also includes refinements to the next steps and implementation process.

The city opted to go with a competition to craft its vision for the downtown waterfront because it looks at the whole picture, City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton said in January when the design was first launched. She told the council to look at the concept as a continuation of what it has already done, encompassing existing master plans that impact the downtown — from arts and culture to transportation, to parks and recreation, and everything in between.