Tell council to just say 'no'

Sandpoint residents were decisive in choosing a new mayor and two new representatives to City Council. A major deciding factor for Jeremy Grimm, Kyle Schreiber and Pam Duquette being elected was their commitment to remove City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton from her control of city business. The level of frustration expressed by our city firefighters was the honesty that exposed her manipulative inner-workings to the community. 

On a recent Sandpoint City Council agenda is approval of final plans for downtown competition. Teed-up by Stapleton, it’s a rush to pass grandiose, pie-in-sky plans before new council members are seated. This item should have been tabled.

Both councilmen Justin Dick and Jason Welker were clear at the beginning of this competition project that a high-level of public input was needed. Several early dates were added to the scheduling, but they never occurred. I know because I entered them in my calendar and went to city hall. Only Stapleton’s selected “jury” with city staff were permitted to attend. 

You would think current council members might’ve learned their lessons over the terrible Travers Park fiasco. Their handwringing is nothing more than rhetoric if they move forward accepting these extensive downtown plans. Will Joel Aispuro, Justin, Jason or Deb Ruehle ever accept the damage caused when they refused to accept over 400 local park-users and 3,000 online petition signers, who only wished for the same consideration given to the local tennis-pickleball community? They know Stapleton packed the house for the final passage of the construction contract, which they now pretend cannot be modified. 

Community’s faith in these four council members is on-the-table. Insist they say “no” to anymore make-over plan that established residents do not want.

REBECCA HOLLAND

Sandpoint