DALTON GARDENS - City Councilman Joe Myers is running for a third term. He's one of three people running for two available seats on the council in this election.

"I am seeking re-election because I feel there are issues to which I can help contribute solutions," said Myers, 60.

He would like the opportunity to see the sewer project for Dalton Gardens' commercial district completed.

"As a follow-up to the recent sewer project on Government Way between Dalton Avenue and Hanley Avenue, there are some exciting opportunities the City Council will help facilitate," he said.

He'd like to see traffic-calming enhancements on Fourth Street.

The planning and zoning committee and City Council have a lot of work to do on updating ordinances, he said.

"I'd like to continue to be a part of these activities," he said.

Myers, who moved to the city in 1996, began his service to the city on the planning and zoning committee. He eventually became the chairman of the committee, establishing himself as a proponent of maintaining the family rural and agricultural community.

As part of his council responsibilities, he has been in charge of the Dalton Horse Arena, Dalton City Park and the upkeep of City Hall.

"I provided leadership for the construction of an arena picnic pavilion and upgraded parking, and have started a phased rebuilding of the fences," he said.

In his daily work, he manages an annual budget comparable in size to the city's.

"I bring an extensive agriculture and arboriculture knowledge to the city," he said.

He holds a bachelor's degree in forest management from Northern Arizona University and master's degree in forest science from Colorado State University.

If elected, he said he would champion the construction of a second gazebo in the City Park and continue to work with the county on potential open spaces and parks.

He has worked for the U.S. Forest Service in Coeur d'Alene during his entire career.

He started as a horticulturist for the Coeur d'Alene nursery and has been the nursery superintendent from 1986 to the present.

"I have been associated with the production of well over 500 million seedlings that have been planted on public lands throughout the Inland Northwest, with emphasis on North Idaho and Montana," he said. "This career has also provided me with the opportunity to work on international assignments and Native American tribal restoration projects."

He serves as chairman of the camping committee for the local Boy Scout Council. It's a volunteer position, working with the council camps and properties in North Idaho and Washington.

He and his wife, Donna, have volunteered as superintendents of the 4-H goat barn for the North Idaho Fair for a number of years.

He and his wife first moved to Dalton Gardens in 1978. They rented a small farm house on 15th Street. Prior to that they lived in Fort Collins, Colo.

They ended up buying their first house in Coeur d'Alene in 1979.

"When my wife and our three children expressed an interest in having farm animals and being part of 4-H, we moved back to Dalton Gardens in 1996," he said. "Our three children are now adults and have moved from the area."