SANDPOINT — A complaint against a Sandpoint Urban Renewal Agency member will go before the City Council next week.

Anita Aurit of Sandpoint filed the complaint against SURA member Tom Bokowy following the Sept. 7 City Council meeting, where she said Bokowy verbally “attacked” her.

Expecting Mayor Shelby Rognstad and City Council to address the complaint at the Sept. 21 meeting, Aurit wrote on her blog, “The View From Here,” that the city was “silent” in regards to the complaint.

City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton said a hearing has been placed on the Oct. 19 council meeting agenda and Aurit and Bokowy have been notified of the hearing. The city received the complaint on Sept. 12 and an internal review was initiated but not completed prior to the Sept. 13 deadline for placing items on the Sept. 21 agenda.

Bokowy was notified and indicated he could not attend the Oct. 5 meeting, of which Rognstad was absent as well, therefore the hearing was placed on the next meeting agenda in accordance with City Code 1-7-6 B.

Aurit filed the complaint after Bokowy addressed her during the public forum portion of the meeting. Prior to the meeting, social media was lit up by comments, on the “Sandpoint Watchdog” Facebook page in particular, after the $55.1 million school district levy had failed to pass the week before. The post that garnered much attention on the day of the City Council meeting stated that a local gas station owner received a phone call threatening a fine for levy sign clutter.

It was later stated by “Sandpoint Watchdog” in the comments that it was an anonymous phone call by someone representing themselves as a city official. Among other comments attached to the post, Bokowy wrote: “Then say it like that … not like it is a fact that the city called.”

At the City Council meeting that evening, Bokowy addressed the social media comments, stating that just because something is on Facebook does not mean it is accurate information. He said people should look at the source of the information rather than getting worked up over a “rumor.”

Aurit spoke in the public forum and did not address the social media comments, but Bokowy, who spoke after Aurit, addressed Aurit by saying “I believe what Ms. Aurit was referring to …” and proceeded to speak about the social media comments after some conversation with Aurit about the pronunciation of her name.

What Aurit addressed during the public forum prior to Bokowy’s comments was in regards to the Aug. 17 City Council meeting where a council member reminded the public of the upcoming levy vote, which Aurit said was appropriate for the council member to do.

“What was not appropriate was editorializing that promoted a vote for the levy,” Aurit said.

Though Aurit did not elaborate on which council member she was speaking about, during the Aug. 17 meeting, Councilman Bill Aitken reminded the public about the levy vote scheduled for Aug. 30.

“Businesses will tell you that getting good employees to town is an important issue and a lot of questions people ask when they get here is ‘how are the schools?’” Aitken said. “So, important issue in that aspect and also $55 million worth of infusion and construction to this economy would be a good thing as well, so educate yourselves and get out there and vote.”

Following the Sept. 7 meeting, Aurit alleges that Bokowy approached her and began arguing with her about things which “she had no knowledge of” and raising his voice, leaning toward her in a threatening manner until Sandpoint Police Chief Corey Coon stepped between them.

The hearing will take place during next week’s regularly scheduled council meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the at City Hall.