Sandpoint sustainability committee maps planning steps, seeks resources and university help

The Sandpoint Sustainability Committee on Oct. 28 agreed to focus its next meeting on producing materials to take to Sandpoint City Council and to begin developing a one-year planning process toward a city sustainability or resilience plan. Committee Chair Christine Moon said she met Oct. 21 with Mayor David Grimm, who endorsed the committee’s work and suggested showing council an example plan the committee would adapt for Sandpoint.

Why it matters: committee members framed the effort as groundwork for a plan that would guide future city and community actions, and they discussed seeking limited city funds in the next budget cycle for technical work such as a greenhouse-gas inventory.

Moon said the mayor “suggested that we bring our intention and maybe an example of an existing plan…to city council and let them know what we're up to.” She told the committee that council-level buy-in could help secure staff time or budgeted items in the city’s March budget process.

The committee discussed whether to label the effort a “sustainability plan,” a “climate action plan” or a “resilience” plan. Committee…