Month: October 2023

Pros/Cons

Mr. Albritton has a long tenure as a resident of CdA. He is running on a platform of limiting population growth and its impacts. However, after our review of his public comments here, here, and at a local campaign event, he ultimately fails to make a case against his opponent.  

When asked to give an example of council action he disagrees with over the past few years he cited the purchase of the SWAT vehicle. We covered the SWAT purchase here. Mr. Albritton claimed the vehicle purchase was 500k, much higher than published not only in our review but also here. Maybe he’d be a great council member. It just seems he hasn’t been paying attention. Maybe he will in the future. 

Perhaps Albritton’s achilles heel is the endorsement he proudly touts from a local political party. He is endorsed by the same organization that took over the NIC Board of Trustees and the Community Library Network. Both organizations incurred hefty and ongoing legal bills while facing increased insurance costs and suffering from contentious and disruptive meetings. The endorsement by Kootenai County Republican Central Committee (KCRCC) serves as a red flag to those who value civility and a balanced and measured approach to change.

Needless to say, in our opinion, he fails to grasp the issues at hand as his campaign website says: “Radical ideologies are taking grip, inserting tyrannical control wherever possible as global agendas are being implemented without local voice or scrutiny.” 

CdA News gives Clark Albritton, the candidate, a grade of: D.

Photo by Girl with red hat on Unsplash

After meeting with both candidates, The CdA News endorses Dan Gookin, flaws and all, for city council, seat #3.

The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

Has a record on which to run. While he has regularly, but infrequently (and not disruptively), opined and pushed for different outcomes, he has been ineffective in convincing his fellow council members to change their opinion on substantive matters. 

Approved council’s action regarding invocations to be open to all.* However, after one round of lottery he exercised his astute political prowess by letting invocations die on the vine. He claims to be a fiscal conservative but has overseen the bulging budget and spends money the city doesn’t have.

He has a temper and vulgar vocabulary which he isn’t afraid to use. As a public official, a little decorum would be nice and inspire the next generation to rise in civil discourse. He has degenerated to Trump-like politics with name calling and demonizing. He isn’t afraid of double standards. Evidence of this occurred when he stated that his “Rants” are his personal life and shouldn’t be considered in his council seat candidacy. However, publicly and privately, he has lambasted his opponent for issues in his “private life.” He also blocked a neighbor from posting to a neighborhood chat after said neignbor invited the neighborhood to meet and greet current candidates for city council.

Having said all that, he is responsive. He understands the city. He cares about the city. He tries to follow the law and work within the structure of the city council. He’s not perfect, but he’s not going to ruin the city. He’ll keep the sewers flowing and the water clean. And, he’ll get back to you. He previously committed to retiring from the city council citing belief in term limits.

 CdA News Grade for Dan Gookin: 

We at the CdA News team closely watched and scrutinized city actions directed by council members and mayors for nearly a decade. Our goal of kindness and positivity for this medium  frequently overruled by our mission to inform voters and hold elected officials accountable. Many articles explained in our view mis-steps of the public servants. It is clearly evident that our officials are not perfect and they make mistakes, usually with good intentions. We earnestly rubbed our hands together waiting for this day when we could campaign and cheer for someone better than the incumbents.

November 7th, residents of CdA will choose between re-electing public servants or their challengers backed by the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee (KCRCC). The KCRCC rates, vets, endorses, and heavily promotes candidates while discouraging participation from those who fail to receive their approval. Gone are the days when a concerned and engaged citizen can “throw their hat into the ring” to take a turn making sure the water and sewer are flowing in the right directions, the streets are clean and void of potholes, police and fire keep the public safe, and trash is collected regularly. Local elections, non-partisan elections, turned into a polarizing political battle over imagined issues best categorized as conspiracy and fear.   

Over the coming days, we will share our endorsements, and rationale, for CdA City Council and District 271.

In the thick of election season with deepening divisions in northern Idaho, CdA city staff and council members ignored the plea of volunteers to offer invocations for the past several months. Invocations occur at the discretion of the council who control the agenda. “Invocation,” listed on each agenda accompanied by a blank space to its right. 

The previous method of controlling invocations, where a pastor submitted a list of names to the city, was illegal and violated the rights of excluded citizens. Upon realization, the city created an inclusive lottery system for which they received a Defense of Religious Freedom Award. Now, perhaps fearing blow-back from far-right christian activists and opposition from non-religious, the city apparently abandoned invocations altogether. 

Local elections will have a significant turn out. This could bode badly for the more incumbents with voting records subject to scrutiny and significant opposition from the far right. Hopefully their careers in public service don’t transition from “living on a prayer,” to “dying on the vine” as did invocations.

Tomorrow, Thursday 26 October 2023, Trader Joe’s will hold a company wide meeting with a big announcement. Sources say announcement of a Coeur d’Alene store has a high probability. Previous rumors floated midtown Coeur d’Alene as the future location. Watch for it, here.

City council members failed to follow the lead of fellow council-member Kiki Miller last Tuesday resulting in a lose-lose-lose situation for Coeur d’Alene. Relevant issues include the comprehensive plan, the housing shortage and affordability crisis, and the definition of the term “adjacent.”

Background

Kaufman and his team appealed the two decisions from the planning commission, covered here and here, regarding his proposal to build twin homes on a two acre lot. Twin homes are two homes separated by a firewall and platted individually allowing two distinct owners per structure. Kaufman’s goal was to create entry-level home ownership options in the community. 

During the hearing council member Kiki Miller, a champion for solving the housing crisis, floated the idea of working with the developer to find amenable conditions for the project that would help ensure the homes remain affordable. None of the city council members entertained the idea of conditions with the developer and upheld the denial from the planning commission.

Analysis

The results are as follows: 

The neighbors lose. The developer can build eight duplexes with 16 units. This results in nearly the same density that neighbors oppose.  

The city/community loses: After months and years of developing a framework for development agreements and a future land use map, respectively, council members seemed to ignore guiding documents and focus on (mis)constructing the word “adjacent” to mean “abutting.” With so much opposition to building, it is hard to imagine where infill projects can occur in the future. 

The developer loses: Affordability is not achieved. Only up to eight owners can buy the properties and they must pay 700k-900k per duplex. Kaufman was hopeful that sixteen families could own their own entry-level home. Now 18 families will rent.
With such a bad decision, who wins? Landlords and incumbents. With no relief in sight through innovative and affordable housing options, many will be forced to continue renting. Higher demand will continue increasing rent price pressures. Council members currently running for reelection steered clear of constituent ire by denying this proposal. Neighbors of this project may gratefully vote for English, Gookin, and Wood next month.