With the soon-to-be-closed Third Street boat launch and the McEuen Park construction in the background, community leader Mary Souza announced her intention to file as a candidate for Mayor in the November 2013 Coeur d’Alene city election.

Souza was introduced to a crowd of approximately 60 people by Coeur d’Alene City Councilman Dan Gookin.

Speaking both extemporaneously and from prepared remarks, Souza pledged to conduct respectful and professional meetings and to listen to the citizens.  She also promised that citizens would have a vote on major issues that concern them.

Near the end of the event, Councilman Dan Gookin wryly observed that in the half-hour or so since people had started to arrive,  three boats had been launched at the  “underutilized” Third Street ramps.  (more…)

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For those who are planning to attend the June 4, 2013, Coeur d’Alene City Council meeting and offer any public comments, well, be prepared to sit through the entire meeting first.

The Agenda for the June 4 meeting posted today on the City’s website shows that public comments have been moved to the end of the meeting.

ADDENDUM 05-31-2013 @12:20:  Apparently in response to OpenCdA’s post, the Agenda for the June 4 meeting has been modified to include public comments on the two most controversial items.

In a just-concluded telephone conversation, former Coeur d’Alene City Council candidate Jim Brannon confirmed to OpenCdA that he had filed the necessary campaign treasurer notification papers with the Coeur d’Alene City Clerk’s Office.

Brannon also confirmed what he had put in a comment on OpenCdA’s post titled “Daddy?”, that he is formally announcing his candidacy for Coeur d’Alene Mayor in the November 2013 City election.

Is it fair and accurate to characterize Coeur d’Alene’s McEuen Park parking garage as the Son of  River Park Square (RPS) in Spokane?

I believe so.

They were both funded by using as much public money as possible for projects which would primarily benefit a few developers and businesspeople.  They both depended heavily on key local government officials being fully controlled by the developers.  And they both have depended heavily on the developers’ abilities to carefully control and manipulate the information the public received about each project. (more…)

According to the Shoshone News Press, the Silver Valley understands how urban renewal has been abused in the wake of bad legislation in Idaho and by a failure of the Legislature to correct the opportunities for abuse.  On Tuesday the Shoshone County voters voted down a proposal to create an Urban Renewal Agency.

Here’s an interesting excerpt from the online article:

“—take out this paragraph if voted down—-> The creation of the URA means the County Commissioners will now set about appointing a board with one or two responsible, business-oriented citizens with financial knowledge before the newly-appointed board goes about outlining the district and attempting to secure funds for the planned projects — including improving the infrastructure in the Big Creek area by installing sewage and fiber optic lines under a new, stronger road capable of holding much heavier loads of metals.”

(Apparently the online editor of the Shoshone News Press missed that instruction.  Oops!)

The creation of this URA was heavily promoted by the salesmen who make piles of money as consultants touting tax increment financing but then leave the local citizens to deal with the abuses.   On the other hand, Coeur d’Alene Representative Kathy Sims, Coeur d’Alene City Councilman Dan Gookin, and local real estate representative Sharon Culbreth traveled to the Silver Valley at their own expense to help inform the voters of the realities of the urban renewal scam in Idaho.   Looks as if the Silver Valley voters are more astute than many in Coeur d’Alene.

The Coeur d’Alene Press says it’s this.

The Boston Globe says it’s this.

People with too much time on their hands want to know.

The rest of us don’t really care.