Hayden mayor workshop Monday
DEVIN WEEKS | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 years, 2 months AGO
Former Hayden City Council President Roger Saterfiel is seen here at a meeting in 2018. A special meeting to decide on the process for appointing interim Hayden mayor will be at 4 p.m. Monday.
JUDD WILSON/Press File
Devin Weeks is a third-generation North Idaho resident. She holds an associate degree in journalism from North Idaho College and a bachelor's in communication arts from Lewis-Clark State College Coeur d'Alene. Devin embarked on her journalism career at the Coeur d'Alene Press in 2013. She worked weekends for several years, covering a wide variety of events and issues throughout Kootenai County. Devin now mainly covers K-12 education and the city of Post Falls. She enjoys delivering daily chuckles through the Ghastly Groaner and loves highlighting local people in the Fast Five segment that runs in CoeurVoice. Devin lives in Post Falls with her husband and their three eccentric and very needy cats. | April 1, 2022 1:07 AM
HAYDEN — The Hayden mayoral saga will continue at 4 p.m. Monday in Hayden City Council Chambers.
A special meeting will be held for city staff to present Council members with a draft outlining mayor applicant requirements, as requested by Council members at the March 22 regular meeting.
"After Monday, we may have a process on how we can move forward with receiving interest from the citizens on being the mayor,” Hayden clerk Abbi Sanchez said Thursday.
Hayden has been without a mayor since Steve Griffitts resigned in February. Discord has settled on the remaining Council, which has at times struggled to come to consensus or make decisions with no mayor to break ties and is experiencing infighting through the process to appoint a new mayor.
At the last meeting, Council President/Acting Mayor Matt Roetter and Councilwoman Sandra White shot down longtime City Councilman Roger Saterfiel's opportunity to be appointed interim mayor from within after a contentious cross-examination of Saterfiel by Roetter.
Saterfiel, who was unable to discuss his extensive experience as a public servant at the time, has prepared a My Turn piece that is featured in the local section of The Press today. Saterfiel said he still plans to submit his application to be appointed interim mayor.
"I’m disappointed in that I wasn’t given an opportunity to present my credentials, but I'm also very very grateful and enthused,” he said. "I’ve gotten so many phone calls, emails, etc. in support, and that support comes from the people of Hayden and ex-commissioners, ex-senators, a lot of people that are very prominent citizens.
"I am very humbled by the outreach to me by the general public," he said.
While his My Turn offers some criticism for Roetter and White, he said he hopes it will also serve as "an olive branch" to his colleagues so Hayden can move forward.
"Maybe, just maybe, there might be a change of heart to do what’s right for the city," he said.
For Councilman Ed DePriest, it all comes down to experience.
"We need an experienced person with qualifications and proven abilities to lead cities and examples of how they've had successes, and with knowledge of how cities operate," he said.
Hayden City Hall is at 8930 N. Government Way.
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