Hearing pending for Bowman's trespass appeal

SANDPOINT — A hearing regarding Dave Bowman’s appeal of a trespass notice he received in January barring him from county property is in the process of being scheduled following an undisclosed oversight by county employees.

During a Jan. 26 meeting, Bowman — along with fellow county resident Rick Cramer — were both notified they were being trespassed from the Bonner County commissioners’ meetings as well as from all county property.

While both men were verbally notified of their trespass as well as notified via email, a copy of the official trespass notice — with the directions on how to appeal — was sent only 10 days before the deadline to appeal. Because it was sent via regular mail, the men did not receive the letters until roughly March 25, eight days before the appeal deadline.

Despite comments from county officials that Bowman had not filed an appeal at all, he had sent a copy of his 34-page appeal to the county via email the same day he received the trespass notice in the mail. It is unclear why Bowman did not receive a hearing date to consider the appeal while Cramer — who didn’t file his appeal until a week later — had a hearing promptly scheduled.

“I am unsure whether the oversight was a mere error in communications in Bonner County or whether there was intentional obstruction, but, the result is the same — my client filed his appeal prior to Mr. Cramer, and Mr. Cramer has already had his hearing,” said Bowman’s legal counselor, Kinzo Mihara in an email. “It is my understanding and belief that Mr. Cramer’s appeal was patterned after Mr. Bowman’s and incorporated many of the same elements.”

A hearing for Bowman’s appeal is being scheduled but a date has not yet been announced. Mihara said he looks forward to scheduling a time that works well for all parties involved so the issue at hand can be discussed promptly.