COEUR d'ALENE - Charlie Nipp resigned Wednesday from the Lake City Development Corp. Board of Commissioners.

Nipp was appointed to the urban renewal agency board at its 1997 formation and elected chairman that same year. He resigned as chairman in 2008, replaced by Denny Davis, but continued to serve as a board member until Wednesday.

Nipp said the time felt right to step aside after 15 years of volunteering for the economic development board, and that he is leaving the commission in good hands.

"It has been a pleasure to serve on Coeur d'Alene's urban renewal commission alongside such an outstanding group of committed citizens who volunteer their time to make our community a better place," Nipp said in a press release issued by the agency. "Their integrity, insights, skills and passion for Coeur d'Alene has enabled this commission to accomplish many of its strategic goals for our community."

The resignation is effective immediately. Nipp will not be at the agency's next board meeting April 20.

Mayor Sandi Bloem will recommend an appointment to fill the vacated board seat, with final approval needed by the City Council. Bloem said Wednesday she didn't have anybody to recommend yet. She called Nipp's leadership during the agency's formative years "critical," a sentiment shared by Davis.

"How fortunate we are to have an individual like Charlie whose vision and commitment make our area such an enjoyable place in which to live," she said.

Among the projects the agency accomplished during Nipp's 15 years are revitalizing the downtown, and a redeveloped Midtown. He helped the agency support the construction of the Coeur d'Alene Public Library, Kroc Community Center, and Chamber of Commerce building.

The agency has also been instrumental in planning efforts for possible redevelopment plans for the education corridor and McEuen Field.

Urban renewal agencies collect increment property tax monies inside their districts and use that money to spur economic development by paying back developers certain amounts from the increased tax revenues those projects create.

In the release, Tony Berns, LCDC executive director, said Nipp has always been an advocate of public and private partnerships, which are key partnerships to the long-term success of a community. He said Nipp had discussed stepping down beginning in 2008, and Wednesday's announcement wasn't a surprise.

"I think sometimes people forget these guys and gals are volunteers, trying to make the community better," Berns said of Nipp's 15 years of service.

Nipp had been investigated by the Attorney General's Office and cleared of criminal wrongdoing in 2008 for not having disclosed he was both chairman of the LCDC board and on the Mountain West Bank board of directors from 2003-2006. The office said Nipp didn't do so purposely, and had not personally benefited. The news was a polarizing political topic around Coeur d'Alene at the time, with some in the community calling the investigation a slanderous attack on Nipp.

"They're volunteering their time for the good of the community and I think sometimes that doesn't show through," Berns said.