Happy to see the people win for once against this arrogant crew.

Thank you to all involved.

I like watching from the sidelines and reading the emotional connections when it comes to certain landmarks and places in this area. While I am native to Idaho, I am not native to Coeur d’Alene, however, I recognize any emotional attachment one develops when they have been raised here or lived here for years as well as coming back to the community they are from. Coeur d’Alene was the big city for me in the 70′s when we would stop at the drive in – where Les Schwab is now on Government- for a burger on the way home from Worley after the football games. Of course Government Way is nothing like it used to be.

It’s easy to figure out that Person’s Field is a piece of town that refused to go down the road of progress and development and it gives me special satisfaction when the people win something because they fought the good fight.

Congratulations!

I have alot of memories of Persons Field. My aunt and grandfather took me to CDA High School football games from the late 60′s to early 70′s. I also, played football there in the late 70′s. It’s great that Persons Field will remain a public park.

I am not privy to any special memories of Person Field, but it is is easy to see how important this parcel was to the community above any other acquisitions or projects. People can breathe a little easier, now. Some of those bigger pills might be easier to swallow.

As you correctly pointed out, it was Dan Gookin’s motion at the last council meeting that forced the reluctant Mayor and other council members to do their jobs.

Motion by Gookin, seconded by Kennedy to direct staff to arrange a meeting between the School District and the City Council to be televised for the purpose of settling the acquisition of Person Field. Motion carried.

It also forced the Trustees to do theirs.

Bloem is worthless. After announcing that the audience would not be allowed to address the combined boards, she sat idly and compliantly by when Edinger directed Gridley to read a letter from some local resident named Burchell into the record. It was, I believe, the right decision for the boards to agree there would be no public comment, but for Bloem to then allow that to be violated so flagrantly was a face slap to the people who packed the room.

Overall, the Trustees came across as far better prepared and informed and far more businesslike and professional.

Kudos to CdA City Councilman Dan Gookin who worked hard to make this public, televised meeting happen. He pushed at both last week’s city council meeting and at Monday night’s School Board very long meeting (no one else from the council took the time to attend). Without Dan’s persistence, this gathering would never have happened. And without this public, televised meeting, the elected officials (egos) in both groups would never have agreed to the terms of this deal. It’s a Win, Win, Win for City, School Board and Public! Thanks to you all.

They have a tentative agreement subject to the appraisal of the Bryan property. I watched and recorded it, and as I understand it, the District will get more than the City’s cash offer and closer to the appraised value of Person in real dollars. The exact amount will be determined by the appraisal on Bryan playfield factored in to the City’s original cash only offer. The Northshire Park property is off the table and will likely be sold outright by the School District if it gets an acceptable offer. The use of District property by the City will be negotiated separately.

The thing I’m most unclear on but what I hope will be put in place is an airtight deed restriction that forces the City to maintain the entirety of Person Field as a city park in perpetuity. Such a restriction must unequivocally keep the City from dividing the Park, selling part of it to a developer, and then leaving the neighborhood with a smaller park or none at all. The City needs a separate zone specifically for City Parks. Right now, parks are zoned R-something, I think R-1.

Also, Bruce MacNeil did not offer to personally make up any difference. What he said was that the amount of the difference was so small that the City should make it up out of its seemingly bottomless “rainy day” fund, and he said that as a Coeur d’Alene taxpayer, he would be happy to make [his part] of that payment to keep Person Field in tact.

Bruce and Linda MacNeil and Susie Snedaker have been battling our loopy mayor and City Council for at least seven years. It looks as if their tireless and persistent efforts have paid off for the benefit of the community.

Kageman,

The school board of trustees have thus far fulfilled their legal obligations and have made every effort to keep the Park as public land. As I believe Superintendent Bauman said tonight, the Trustees are responsible to all their constituents, including those in Dalton, Hayden, etc., and they have an equal moral and legal responsibility to those people as well. In other words, the Trustees can’t favor people simply because they live in Coeur d’Alene. It seemed to me the Trustees fulfilled their obligations tonight.