Sandpoint declares emergency after North Boyer culvert failure; council authorizes emergency procurement

Sandpoint councilors on Wednesday declared an emergency and authorized immediate procurement and repair work for a failing culvert on North Boyer Road after field inspections found the culvert deforming and the roadway losing support.

Public Works Director Holly Ellis reported that the city began monitoring the culvert after notification from the county on June 5 and found rapid deterioration by June 11. Photos included in the staff report showed a pronounced dip in the driving surface, deformation of the metal culvert and apparent loss of supporting soil. The culvert is on a city‑owned segment of North Boyer Road and provides critical access for residents, Schweitzer Mountain traffic and emergency responders.

Ellis asked council to declare an emergency under the city’s procurement authority so staff could immediately engage engineering services (civil and geotechnical), buy replacement pipe (self‑procurement to save lead time) and contract a local contractor with culvert experience for expedited construction. She said permitting (Army Corps and Idaho Department of Lands 404/401 processes) would run in parallel with procurement and that the county and Idaho Transportation Department had already issued approvals for detours and road closures.

Council voted unanimously to declare the emergency and authorize the mayor to execute necessary expenditures. Ellis said the city’s next steps are to finalize design and geotechnical work with JUB engineers, order the pipe if available from stock and schedule construction with a contractor familiar with culvert projects of this size.