Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Historic Preservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sandpoint seeks state CLG grant to write historic-preservation standards; mayor reallocates arts liaison salary to hire an associate planner
Summary
City staff told the commission they applied for a Certified Local Government grant to fund historic-preservation planning and drafting of stronger downtown design standards; the mayor reallocated the arts liaison position, prompting commissioners to raise concerns about continuity and staff support.
At the Feb. 11, 2025 meeting, city planning staff briefed the Sandpoint Arts, Culture & Historic Preservation Commission on a Certified Local Government (CLG) grant application and broader plans to adopt historic-preservation standards in the city code.
Jason Welker said staff submitted a CLG application for $10,000 with a required $10,000 local match to support final development of standards intended to protect historic downtown character and strengthen downtown design guidelines. Welker said the work would help produce more descriptive guidance for both rehabilitation of existing historic buildings and for new construction downtown; the final product might include a booklet or appendix to the code that illustrates desired outcomes.
Welker described the planning division's capacity constraints: current planning and permitting work has consumed nearly all staff time, and Bill Dean, the senior planner, is handling day-to-day permitting. The city plans to budget the $10,000 local match in the FY2025–26 planning budget so the combined $20,000 could be used to contract with an architecture or planning firm to produce the design booklet and related materials. Welker said: “The grant, we should know about by summer,” and that contracting would likely begin no earlier than Oct. 1 when the new fiscal year starts.
Welker also explained a staffing decision that the commission discussed at length. He said the mayor chose to reallocate the salary for the arts/culture/historic preservation liaison position and instead hire an associate planner to increase capacity in the planning division. Welker summarized: “Heather did everything right in her role as arts, culture, and historic preservation officer and then planner. It's just that the direction that we're going as a city and the resources we have didn't allow for the continuation of a full time position in that role.” Commissioners expressed disappointment and asked for clearer communications and for the mayor to engage with the commission about the transition; Welker said staff expect to fill the associate planner position later in the year and that the new planner would likely serve as the commission's liaison during the historic-preservation effort.
Commissioners and staff discussed models other Idaho cities have used (examples included Pocatello and Ketchum) and options for hiring a consultant such as GGLO or similar firms to prepare standards and illustrative materials. Staff said Bill Dean will take a leading role in drafting the standards and will work with the commission in the coming year.
