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Commissions, parks and arts: urban forestry launched, sustainability committee work and painted plows unveiled
Summary
Councilors and staff reported on several non-controversial items: the new Urban Forestry Commission held its inaugural meeting, the Sustainability Committee continued work on a checklist and the Arts, Culture & Historic Preservation group unveiled five painted snowplows with community-chosen names.
Councilors used part of the Dec. 4 meeting for brief updates from committees and staff on parks, commissions and an arts project.
Councilor Kyle Schreiber reported that the newly formed Urban Forestry Commission held its first meeting; members introduced themselves and the group elected officers and received briefings on open-meeting requirements, ethics and Tree City USA certification. Schreiber named several inaugural members and noted discussion topics included pruning and removal permits in the public right-of-way and exploring revenue streams to expand the program.
Wayne Benner, chair of the Sustainability Committee, provided a summary of a Nov. 26 meeting: the committee continued work to define a main focus and develop a sustainability checklist tied to the city’s comprehensive plan, and members agreed to present draft checklists at future meetings. The committee briefly discussed the wastewater-treatment-plant project and will meet again in January after canceling the Dec. 24 meeting.
Staff and the Arts, Culture & Historic Preservation Commission presented “Paint the Plows,” a community art collaboration in which five City of Sandpoint plows were painted with donated paint and community volunteer assistance. Ellie Sussness, chair of the arts commission, and historic preservation planner Heather (last name not specified in the record) described a public-nomination and voting process for names. The five plows were given community-chosen names including “Darth Blader,” “Han Solo,” “Fleetwood Mac,” “Clara Pathra,” and “Sweet Dog.” Staff said Miller Paint Bucket donated paint and that the program will continue as a model for community-driven public art.
Parks and recreation updates included progress at the James E. Russell Sports Center, which staff described in detail during the meeting: floor polishing and court striping were finishing, curtains and separation nets scheduled for installation, equipment unboxing and a public opening schedule with the first public events planned the week following the meeting; staff also said monthly memberships went on sale and 17 monthly memberships sold in the first two hours. Parks staff described playground safety surfacing installation, a skate-park lighting grant (Idaho GEM grant) nearing completion, and a planned concrete pour for a splash pad in mid-December.
