Jeremy Grimm

Background

Profession: Professional Land Use Planner

Educational background: University of Denver, Denver, CO BA Geomorphology, Muskie School of Public Service, Portland, Maine, MA Community Planning & Development

How many years as a Bonner County resident: 16

Marital status: Married 20 years to Nichole Grimm

Family: Two, son is senior at Sandpoint High School and daughter is in the 7th grade attending Idaho Gem Prep.

Questions

1. • Pause all non-essential planning projects, studies and consultant contracts to assess any available revenue for allocation towards street maintenance. • Review the administrative and organizational structure of City Hall and determine what changes can be made to enhance levels of service and opportunity for improved public engagement. • Establish neighborhood advisory groups with “Captains” and begin meeting with them to improve the flow of information to and from City Hall. • Survey City employees to understand the root cause of the absurdly high turnover and suggestions to improve morale.
2. • The deteriorating state of city infrastructure including roads, public spaces, sidewalks, and our utility systems. Our roads are falling apart, and other basic infrastructure is failing due to lack of investment and proper planning. • Growth and resulting challenges associated with the Sandpoint Multimodal Transportation Plan. The impacts of growth are felt with each new house, apartment or accessory dwelling unit. We need to recognize and respond to these issues. • Lack of public confidence and frustration with meaningful citizen engagement and participation on important city projects. It is the responsibility of the government to listen to the people.
3. • Get back to basics and ensure that we take care of our existing infrastructure before embarking on new projects. We need to pause nonessential projects and studies and begin funding the backlog of deferred or ignored maintenance. • Engage with neighborhoods, listen to concerns, and discuss opportunities and solutions. Prioritize residents over tourist. Focus our resources promoting quality and sustainable housing for the residents of our community. • Allow citizens to speak and share concerns, feedback and suggestions at City Council meetings. Rescind the apparent prohibition on public comment currently governing procedures at council meetings.
4. Residents and business owners should not only be allowed but ENCOURAGED to share their desires and concerns with the City. As a father of two teenagers in a busy household, I understand the importance and challenges of authentic communication and the need for respectful dialogue. On a community level, understanding one another’s values, hopes, and concerns is the foundation of effective communication and a pillar of excellent leadership. To better engage residents, I would personally meet quarterly with neighborhood groups to hear and understand neighborhood-specific concerns and be a liaison between the residents and those who work for them.
5. I have grave concerns about the direction of the City. Whether intentional or not, there is frustration with the lack of transparency, access, and engagement with the public on city projects. I cannot understand why we are prioritizing spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on plans and studies for new projects that will cost millions of dollars to construct while our most basic infrastructure is crumbling before our eyes. Finally, after eight of operating under a city administrator format, I would like to explore the benefits of transitioning back to a department head lead administrative structure at City Hall.
6. It is critical for the public to understand which mayoral candidate has the skills and experience to lead Sandpoint forward. As a professional land use planner and through my previous role as Planning Director for the City I have a strong foundation of understanding and appreciation for the requirements of a productive city administration. I have been in dozens of public hearings in many local and regional government jurisdictions and have extensive knowledge of public process. My leadership and understanding of economic development has led to positions in which I assist the Governor and Idaho Commerce on state-wide economic goals.
7. Lack of attention and prioritization of infrastructure needs. I realize that providing water, sewer, decent roads and related services is not a sexy platform to run for mayor upon. This sort of “meat and potato” work certainly is not resume building for city staff and lacks the promotional fluff that catches headlines. It is however the foundation that our community depends on. I will address our infrastructure needs by cutting “cotton-candy” projects like the Downtown Re-Design effort from the budget and redirecting all available revenue toward the backlog of street maintenance and related essential service needs.
8. It is imperative to show respect for others' voices and opinions. As mayor, I would lead an effort to eliminate the restriction currently in place regarding public comment at City Council meetings. Leadership requires trust and respect to be earned, not demanded. Instead of restricting public comment which builds frustration, divisiveness, and resentment, I will welcome transparency, public comment, and community engagement. A cornerstone of my education in land use planning was to understand how to cultivate belonging, purpose and meaning in a community. I seek to enhance the capacity for connection and engagement and ensure inclusivity of all residents.
9. My favorite thing about Sandpoint are the residents in it - friends, neighbors, coaches, teachers, musicians, artists and the friendly faces that I interact with each week as I go about town or hike on our trails. We are all privileged to live in such a place of astounding beauty with access to wilderness, clean water, and outdoor recreation. People make me feel connected. I love the fact that I can run into someone I haven’t seen in years and pick back up like a day never passed.
10. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, fly-fishing, cheering on the Sandpoint Bulldogs, and hiking local trails. I love skiing, hiking, fishing, hunting and golfing. Each winter I challenge myself by learning a new skill or craft to keep entertained during the long evenings. During this season of my life, I find cheering on the Sandpoint Cross Country Team especially fulfilling.
11. Absolutely. One issue was the topic of Sandpoint having a City Administrator. As a previous Sandpoint Department Head working under four different mayors, I witnessed the seasonal transition between administrations and noticed that department heads often paused strategic efforts or significant projects, awaiting the outcome of an election to determine if a new mayor would support and continue forward. I originally thought that a city administrator would ensure continuity between elections but now believe that having an unelected person in this position yields too much power in a single seat and is not in the best interest of our community.
12. Without a doubt, my wife of twenty years, Nichole Grimm, has had the biggest and most positive influence on my life. One hundred words is not enough to scratch the surface of this answer. Her passion for life and enormous heart for others impacts everyone she interacts with. She makes me a better person everyday, reminding me that relationships are the most important thing in life, and that the real mark of greatness is shown through loving others. I will be forever grateful for her love, friendship, and support of my purpose and aspirations.
13. Humility. As was famously stated by John Dalberg-Acton in 1887, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Humility strengthens connections with others by prioritizing others’ needs and broadens your perspective on yourself and the world around you. Being humble in actions, conversations, victory, defeat, policy-making and administration of our laws is the most important characteristic for a mayor.
14. Why do you want to be Mayor of Sandpoint? The truth is I don’t “want” to be Mayor in the sense of desiring a status or position. I am running for this position because I deeply care about this community and the residents that make it an amazing place to live and raise our families. I believe that I have the skills, leadership qualities, and understanding of city workings to be an effective leader to guide our town with financial responsibility to ensure a strong future for our community.
15. Voters should choose me because a vote otherwise is to accept the status of things as they presently exist. If you believe in genuine citizen engagement, support responsible spending, desire to see our streets maintained, seek accountability at City Hall, and want to live in a town that puts the needs of residents first- I humbly ask for your vote and look forward to a future serving the needs of Sandpoint.