PONDERAY — The Ponderay City Council heard the next steps it will need to take to use its Brownfields grant funds on Monday evening. 

Steve Gill, from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, spoke to the council and said it should issue a request for proposal for further work on the Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail. Gill said DEQ was working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Idaho State Historic Preservation office on a memorandum of understanding that will allow the project to move forward. 

“They are doing is entering a memorandum of understanding that will be between EPA or Army Corps of Engineers Idaho, SHPO. That meeting is scheduled to occur Jan. 28,” Gill said. “It looks like the MOU is really going to be about signage after the cleanup is OK. There's no nothing other than that the signage would acknowledge the history of the site.” 

Gill said construction on the trail could start as early as March, if the groups move quickly on the MOU, but that May is a more realistic target. Getting the project moving forward is a high priority for DEQ because Ponderay’s grant funds need to be spent by September 2026. 

The Brownfields grant comes from the federal Environmental Protection Agency and is intended to be used to clean up and reinvest in potentially contaminated properties for local communities. Alongside Sandpoint, Kootenai and Bonner County, Ponderay has been receiving funds from the grant to help renovate the Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail since 2008. 

In addition to next steps, the council also unanimously approved liquor licenses for seven businesses in the city, including the Sandpoint Elks Lodge and Farmhouse Kitchen BBQ. The council also had a brief discussion about a resident’s concern of music being played past hours at The Pond. 

Mayor Steve Geiger said the resident had made a similar complaint last year and that the police would stop by to see if the staff was playing music past 10 p.m. The council also directed city staff to turn off the music at 9:45 p.m. to avoid any further complaints. 

Ponderay Police Chief, Joesph Kaufman, provided a brief update on the department’s search for a new car. Originally, the department was looking to buy a slightly used car, but Kaufman said the savings were minimal, only around $1,000 to $2,000, compared to a new one. 

Kaufman asked the council if they were okay with him pursuing the new vehicle and received unanimous approval, although there was no action taken by the council. 

The next scheduled Ponderay City Council meeting will be held Jan. 5 at 5:30 p.m. in council chambers.