McEuen update: Residents speaking out

After outlining the latest rendition of the master plan vision for McEuen Park, citizens serving on volunteer committees and city officials gave the floor to anyone wishing to address the City Council — in 3 minutes or less.

Throughout the evening, opponents of the plan held up protest signs every time they saw or heard something they didn't like, which was often. When architect Dick Stauffer showed a slide illustrating results of the McEuen Park survey, signs were hoisted, many were fluttered angrily and some folks in the bleachers at Woodland Middle School stomped their feet, trying to create a little thunder. There were shouts of "Vote! Vote! Vote!"

Maybe a vote will be forthcoming tonight. Council members and Mayor Sandi Bloem appeared nonplussed at most of the visual and vocal antagonism leveled their way, although the mayor took control of the gathering quickly after audience members shouted down Councilman Mike Kennedy as he attempted to add something to Council Chairman Ron Edinger's motion on Tubbs Hill. Bloem asked the audience to respect whomever was speaking by not interrupting them, and for the most part, audience members then complied.

As president, Edinger was the first council member to speak. He repeatedly drew cheers from the crowd that was largely against various aspects of the plan — and some of them seemed opposed to every aspect of the plan. Edinger posed as a question whether the council had already made up its mind ahead of time and tonight was merely bringing "citizens here to pacify them," and the crowd answered vehemently in the affirmative.

The first audience member to speak was Marlo Faulkner, who urged the council to embrace vision rather than react to circumstances. She called on the council to approve the master plan concept.

But it didn't take long for the "R" word to get dropped. The prospect of "Recall" was utttered by the second speaker, Lillian Lind.

Among the critics was state Rep. Kathy Sims, whose district encompasses all of Coeur d'Alene. Rep. Sims also drew cheers and a standing ovation from many when she accused several council and  urban renewal agency members of having a conflict of interest. She said she had notified Attorney General Lawrence Wasden and Kootenai County Prosecutor Barry McHugh of her concerns.

At least 25 more citizens had lined up to speak to the council. Among them were Todd Christensen, head of the Coeur d'Alene Chamber of Commerce, and Terry Cooper, president of the Coeur d'Alene Downtown Association. Near the back of the line was a woman with a guitar strung across her back. Some in the audience wondered aloud how she planned to deliver her message. - Mike Patrick