Sandpoint council votes to repeal and replace city nondiscrimination ordinance after hours of public comment

Mayor Jeremy Grama opened a packed Nov. 19 meeting and framed a proposed rewrite of Sandpoints nondiscrimination ordinance by citing a recent locker-room incident at the YMCA that he said exposed "confusion, uncertainty, and concern" for businesses and families. The council set rules for public comment, prioritized city residents, and allowed roughly three hours of testimony that drew well over a hundred in-person speakers and many online commenters.

Supporters of changing the ordinance told the council the YMCA episode exposed a loophole that could let biological males access womens locker rooms and urged clearer rules to protect privacy and the safety of women and children. As one swimmer and parent said, "We should not allow people's imaginations or purported imaginations to affect public safety." Bonner County Sheriff Darryl Wheeler urged repeal, saying state and federal…