SANDPOINT — Sometimes, a breath of fresh air can come in the form of a little girl who’s passionate about free items at a dump.  

Poppy, an elementary aged girl from Bonner County, was that fresh breath at Tuesday’s business meeting.  

For the past month, commissioner meetings have been tense, with community members sharing concerns about recent moratoriums, meeting violations and the meaning of transparency.  

However, this meeting was different as little Poppy brought together the community through her appreciation of the “free table” at Colburn Solid Waste Site.  

Poppy’s public appearance came after Director of Solid Waste department Bob Howard brought forth a recommendation to disallow the public free table at the Colburn waste site. The table served as a place where the public could leave and pick up items for free, promoting the reuse and reduction of waste.  

Since the remodel of the Colburn waste site — completed May 22, 2024 — the free table hadn’t been re-established due to location and liability concerns. Howard offered an alternate location for the free table but noted that it hadn’t been approved by a safety auditor. 

The recommendation to disallow the table brought with it a variety of public disagreements, including Poppy’s.  

“The free table has been a part of my life. When my dad goes to the dump, I get so excited because I know the free table is there,” she said. “I remember once we got a telescope there and we saw the stars. It’s just a really good experience.”  

Poppy’s genuine support for the table earned her a round of applause and recognition throughout the rest of the meeting as community members aimed to treat their problems in the same way that Poppy treated hers, calm and composed.  

With a handful of other community members in support of keeping the table, county commissioners agreed to place the free table in the alternative location that Howard had mentioned to the board.  

As part of the motion made by Commissioner Ron Korn — later coined the “Poppy Motion” — the site would be required to hang a sign over the table, informing the public of the potential risk of picking up items on the table.  

Howard also requested the board's approval of dissolving the Solid Waste Advisory Committee. According to Howard, the committee has struggled to find sufficient public participation to meet committee requirements.  

Commissioner Asia Williams, in favor of the dissolution, quickly addressed the community on the matter by stating that the committee had adjusted the qualifications of the solid waste board in an effort to gain more public participation. Nonetheless, there still wasn’t enough public engagement to justify the necessity of the advisory committee.  

Howard suggested that a monthly check-in with commissioners during a Tuesday business meeting would suffice in place of the committee’s original meetings.  

The dissolution of the solid waste advisory committee was approved by all county commissioners.