SANDPOINT — Turmoil continues to plague the Festival at Sandpoint.

Its entire paid staff — three full-time staff and one part-time employee — abruptly quit the nonprofit last week, raising doubts as to whether the show will go on in 2020.

The annual waterfront concert series’ director, Dyno Wahl, was fired after she was arrested and charged with drunk driving. The festival also drew criticism — and legal challenges — for prohibiting firearms at the Festival at the request of performing artists.

Toni Fournier Lund, the festival’s assistant production manager, resigned after more than 20 years, citing a lack of leadership in the organization after Wahl’s termination. Fournier Lund said in her letter of resignation that there has been no communication with donors and sponsors, many of whom expressed concern about Wahl’s firing.

“These people are extremely important to the Festival’s survival. They deserve to have been given some explanation and reassurance that the Festival will remain a worthy cause for their continued support,” Fournier Lund wrote.

Fournier Lund said staff were left in the dark about what the Festival intends to do to move forward. She also accuses board Secretary Amy Bistline of scrutinizing their salaries and benefits. She claimed funding for salaries dried up when they need to be raising funds and selling season passes.

“I could not in good conscience be a part of any fundraising or season-pass sales efforts while these issues were unresolved and nobody seemed to care,” Fournier Lund wrote.

Tamara Verby, accounts manager for the Festival, also resigned.

“The Festival board did not adequately consider the consequences when taking action concerning both the executive director and the staff,” Verby wrote.

Bistline said there was nothing sinister about evaluating compensation.

“We have a duty as a board of directors to ensure we’re in compliance and that had not been done,” Bistline said.

Bistline said the Festival was struggling financially, partly due to the cancellation of Kool & The Gang because of a lightning storm.

“The cancellation from Kool & The Gang has been a really significant financial hit,” she said.

The Festival offered vouchers to Kool & The Gang ticketholders that would have granted them admission to a show during next year’s lineup. Some ticketholders, however, demanded full refunds, which Bistline said cost the Festival more than $20,000.

“It was basically the perfect storm,” Bistline said of Wahl’s departure and Bonner County’s lawsuit against the city concerning the firearms prohibition.

The city, meanwhile, is slated to make a decision on whether to keep the grass turf at Memorial Field or switch to artificial turf. She said the Festival’s preference is natural turf.

“We will work with artificial turf if that’s what we have to work with,” Bistline said.

Bistline said she was disappointed with the manner in which the staff resigned, but said the show will go on in 2020.

“I’ve heard speculation that the festival won’t exist or they’re not going to have a Festival this summer, which is a misconception,” Bistline said.