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Sandpoint council adopts replacement for nondiscrimination ordinance after three-hour public comment
Summary
After more than three hours of public testimony on a proposed amendment to City Code 5-2-10, the Sandpoint City Council voted to repeal and replace the city—s nondiscrimination ordinance and adopted the mayor—s replacement ordinance under suspension of the reading rules.
Mayor Jeremy Grama opened the council—s Nov. 19 meeting by saying recent events at the Sandpoint YMCA had "created confusion, uncertainty, and concern for both business and families," and announced a proposed ordinance to amend City Code 5-2-10, the city—s nondiscrimination ordinance. He framed the change as a way to "mirror state and federal law" and to reduce local controversy while respecting the dignity of all residents.
The council allotted extended public comment for the item and limited each speaker to two minutes. More than 100 in-person speakers and dozens of online commenters addressed the council. Speakers opposed to changing the ordinance repeatedly cited privacy and safety concerns for women and children after what they described as a YMCA incident; many urged immediate amendment or repeal. "We should not allow people's imaginations or purported imaginations to affect public safety," one resident said. Several speakers, including the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force, argued the existing ordinance fills protections that state or federal law does not and warned that repeal would remove local safeguards for LGBTQ+ residents. "The human rights task force opposes any efforts to weaken or eliminate the NDO," the task force representative said.
Council members debated legal and practical implications after public comment closed. City legal counsel outlined the process under the current city code for complaints (jurisdiction review by the Human Relations Review Board, a mandated mediation phase, an investigation, and potential referral to the city attorney or prosecution). Counsel said the city code as written is "very deferential to state law and federal law" and that repealing the local ordinance would not eliminate state or federal protections for protected classes.
The council then proceeded to act. After reading the proposed ordinance by title, the council held a roll-call vote that produced a tie; Mayor Grama cast the deciding vote to allow first reading by title. The council next moved to suspend the three-reading rule and pass the ordinance in full; that motion again resulted in a tie and Mayor Grama broke the tie in favor of adoption. The council adopted the replacement ordinance amending City Code 5-2-10 under suspension of the rules.
The new ordinance, as summarized at the meeting, states the city will "adopt and incorporate by reference all applicable federal and Idaho civil rights law" governing nondiscrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations and provides revised definitions and enforcement language. The mayor said the intent is to bring local code into alignment with state and federal standards and to reduce the city—s involvement in a national cultural debate so staff can focus on infrastructure and other priorities.
Supporters of keeping the existing local NDO argued the ordinance provides additional local protections not covered by state law, and that a repeal or weakening could leave residents vulnerable to discrimination in small workplaces and public accommodations. Opponents emphasized safety in intimate spaces and urged the council to act quickly to close what they called a loophole that a person could exploit to enter women—s locker rooms.
Council members split on the policy merits; several said they favored postponement for more study and public engagement, while others said immediate action was needed to protect privacy and public safety. Following the vote, the council also moved to table separate items, including a discussion about appointing a city administrator for a later meeting.
The ordinance passed under the suspension of the rules; the city clerk will publish the ordinance summary and the council indicated follow-up work and possible future refinements could return for council action. The council adjourned at about 10:13 p.m.
Ending: The council adopted the replacement nondiscrimination ordinance after a lengthy public comment period and legal review. Council members and staff said future sessions could address technical edits, enforcement procedures, and potential outreach to businesses and community groups to explain how the revised code will be implemented.
