Story has been updated and corrected for errors.

SANDPOINT— City council candidates for Dover, Priest River and Kootenai tackled a wide variety of issues facing the community at the virtual forum hosted by the Bonner County Daily Bee.

For the Dover council races, in attendance were Kimberly Bledsoe, Merlin Glass, Amy Lizotte and Mark Sauter.

Those in attendance who are seeking a seat on the Priest River council was Billy Mullaley. Sean Schneider and Candance Turner were unavailable to attend.

In attendance running for Kootenai council was David Sundquist. Robert Rutan was unable to attend.

Dover

Kimberly Bledsoe is a lifelong Idahoan and has been in the county the past 26 years. She said her experience in health care, education, administration and running a business make her an excellent candidate.

Bledsoe’s top three things for the community was the Culver’s Crossing development concept, bringing University of Idaho or North Idaho College back into the community. She said this would bring in more housing and more work opportunities to the area. Bledsoe emphasized the need for infrastructure, bike paths and pedestrian safety as well as emergency preparedness for Dover to create a safety exit plan in the event of a forest fire.

Bledsoe said when it comes to growth and expansion Dover should look to its comprehensive plan that had been “painstakingly” put together and work with its consultants.

Merlin Glass said that his unique fire service approach to problems and plans for disaster relief from working with F.E.M.A give him an edge. He is a current member of Dover Urban Renewal Agency.

To fight against the current divisive political climate, Glass said that the key is to break down the problem, address the desire and balance all sides. On housing, Glass said that the issue isn’t a new one and advocated for a target approach to community needs.

Amy Lizotte said that she would be a good fit for the council because she is up to date on the issues due to attending council meetings. In regards to the lawsuit between Dover and Dover Bay Property Owners Association, Lizotte said that the community needs to come together and that communication is key.

Lizotte’s top concerns were the traffic on the highway, pedestrian safety, sustainable development and the need to update wastewater treatment.

Mark Sauter said he would be a good fit for the council due to his past fire service experience and master’s degree in public administration. He has a good perspective and is even minded and finds solutions for the whole community, he said.

Sauter agreed with Bledsoe that Dover needs to return to its comprehensive plan and come up with solutions. He said the U.S is a county of law and regulations and Dover should follow suit.

Sauter’s three major concerns were that the city clerk was the only city staff member and that the council needed to chip in more for administrative purposes. He also said more infrastructure needs to be put in.

Priest River

Billy Mullaley, born and raised in Priest River, previously served on the council for eight years and was mayor for four years. While he sees things happening that he might not like seeing or agree with, his focus is on the community and what’s best for its residents. Mullaley said he is an open book and likes to hear from both sides before he focuses on what needs to be done for the betterment of Priest River.

On growth and developments Mullaley said that the city can’t handle what is coming in, listing multiple developments coming into the area and said that developers need to pay what they are putting in.

He advocated for finding ways to bring more business into Priest River since it is the road to so many attractions in the county.

Kootenai

David Sundquist, a 18-year incumbent, said the changes he wants to see in his community are paving the ditches on the Highway 200 corridor, high speed internet and utilizing the city’s open space for recreation. He said his years of experience at the city give him a good perspective of the issues and the community.

In order to fight against the current political divisiveness Sundquist said that folks need to respect each other and treat others as they expect to be treated. On housing he said that Kootenai should be that place that focuses on housing the workforces for cities like Sandpoint.

The live stream is available on Bonner County Daily Bee Facebook page and will be available on the the Bee’s website under the 2021 Elections tab “Meet the Candidates.”