SANDPOINT - The public got a glimpse into the state of regional cities at a Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce luncheon Thursday afternoon.

Ponderay Mayor Carol Kunzeman and Sandpoint Mayor Marsha Ogilvie each gave a rundown of their respective cities, current public projects and plans for the future to chamber members.

Kunzeman took the floor first to explain the details of the business-oriented community. A town with 250 businesses and a few small residential areas, Kunzeman described the area as a commercial hub for the region.

With large stores like Walmart and Big R, the city hosts a hefty amount of business while itself operating on a comparatively small $1.6 million budget. Kunzeman used some of her time to defend choices made in that financial plan like the $600,000 spent on the Ponderay police force.

"I love my police, and I hope you do, too," she said.

Addressing concerns that the police merely existed to generate ticket revenue, Kunzeman said Ponderay makes no money from traffic citations, which amount to 200 per year spread across six officers. Instead, the police force exists primarily to protect the local stores and ensure that business goes on as usual within the community.

As far as projects are concerned, Ponderay is still an active participant in financing the SPOT bus system, which officials anticipate contributing $75,000 to next year. They also have big dreams for the appropriately named Field of Dreams, which they hope will one day house soccer fields, baseball diamonds, batting cages, swimming pools and other great community amenities.

"I hope to see this happen within my lifetime," Kunzeman said.

Next, Ogilvie presented an overview of recent happenings within Sandpoint. The city underwent a rough few years as a result of the recession with hefty use of reserve funds and substantial staffing cuts. However, Ogilvie said the situation is steadily and slowly improving. Between January and October, 17 new homes have been built, new businesses have started up and unemployment has fallen from more than 12 percent to 10.3 percent.

"Things still aren't where we'd like them to be, but they're getting better," Ogilvie said.

New projects have come along to save money and cut costs. A hydroelectric generator project is planned for the new water plant, while a bioenergy machine funded entirely through federal stimulus money saves the city about $40,000 in utility costs a year. The city also has big infrastructure improvements coming down the way, including the Curve, a fiber optic data network and the downtown street redesign.

City Planner Jeremy Grimm also outlined the city's expanded Geographic Information System, which can overlay data from several different public records into one convenient map. This service is now available to the public through the city website.

"If you're a Realtor or business owner, this is a really invaluable tool for you," Grimm said.

Grimm also applauded the innovative businesses in town, including TransluSense, the owners of which expect to see big returns from stylishly designed and easily disinfected keyboards for medical professionals. Future employment opportunities combined with affordable housing construction projects added up to a hopeful situation for Grimm.

"We don't want this town to become another Aspen, Colo., or Jackson Hole, Wyo.," he said.