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Sandpoint committee names representative for downtown Phase 3 advisory group; project manager, schedule and funding outlined
Summary
The Sandpoint Sustainability Committee selected a member to join a new advisory group for the downtown revitalization Phase 3 project. Public Works and city staff described the project scope, a rough $3 million Urban Renewal funding level, a design schedule tied to a council contract award and a five‑meeting advisory commitment.
The Sandpoint Sustainability Committee voted Sept. 23 to nominate Diana Duke as the committee’s representative to the downtown Revitalization Phase 3 advisory group, a group city staff said will meet with engineers and stakeholders through design work and into preconstruction.
The advisory group will advise on outreach and design decisions for the project area, described by Public Works Director Holly Ellis as extending “from Church and First Street as far south as we can make it” and possibly to Superior. Ellis said the project is funded by the Sandpoint Urban Renewal Agency and that the city’s “rough number” for available funding at this stage is about $3,000,000.
City staff told the committee the advisory group will include city staff, the engineering design team, downtown businesses and community partners and that the city is seeking one representative from each citizen commission or committee. The commitment staff described is five formal advisory meetings and additional touchpoints between now and August of next year.
“This is a public works project…we’ll have both Jason Welker, our community development director, involved, as well as Bill Dean, our city planner,” Ellis said. “The commitment we’re looking for the advisory group is 5 formal meetings, 5 touch bases between now and August.”
Ellis said the city has an engineering RFQ under way and expected the contract award to come before the City Council on Oct. 15; once the contract is awarded the design team would set milestone dates. She said staff is targeting a kickoff meeting in mid‑October but that dates are contingent on council award and the engineer’s schedule.
Committee Chair Christine Moon introduced Duke’s nomination during the meeting; Duke accepted and the committee approved the selection by voice vote. The meeting transcript shows a voice vote of “Aye” with no roll‑call tally provided and no recorded second on the motion. The committee’s selection will be forwarded to the mayor for appointment, per the packet language the city circulated to committees.
Staff emphasized likely downtown impacts and outreach needs, listing pedestrian and bicycle connectivity, traffic calming, underground utilities and lighting among likely design topics. Ellis also noted potential business disruption during construction and said the advisory group will help build early buy‑in.
Project manager Eric Bush is named in staff materials as the city’s point of contact for the project; staff said Bush would lead coordination once negotiations and the engineering contract are under way. The city described the advisory group as a bridge between the project team and downtown stakeholders, with staff and the engineering team setting the design schedule.
Mayor Grimm, community development director Jason Welker and city planner Bill Dean were identified by staff as involved city stakeholders. Staff said final advisory group dates and detailed scope will be available after the council award and when the engineering team establishes milestone deliverables.
The committee’s nomination and staff’s schedule and funding outline conclude the committee’s role in naming a representative; the advisory group itself and the contract award will be handled through staff and council processes.
