ignite cda accepting resumes

COEUR d'ALENE —The ignite cda board is seeking resumes from community members with strong financial backgrounds, who are interested in serving in a position recently left vacant.

Former commissioner Rod Colwell, who handled the urban renewal agency's finances, resigned from the board in March after serving for 16 years.

"I’ve decided to move on and allow somebody else the opportunity," he said at the March meeting. "I look around Coeur d’Alene and I feel pretty good about a lot of the things that we’ve been involved with in some small way."

Tony Berns, ignite cda executive director, explained the board has until July 1 to appoint someone to the position, otherwise the selection responsibility goes to the mayor and city council.

"Back in 2011, the Idaho Legislature gave the power to urban renewal boards to fill board vacancies," he said, adding as of July, the statute will return to where it was before 2011.

At ignite cda's meeting Wednesday, board members discussed the process they would follow to fill the vacancy.

Commissioner Deanna Goodlander said in the past, it was a matter of applications and interviews.

"That gives you a choice of more than one," she said.

Mayor Steve Widmyer, who is also a commissioner on the board, said he is interested in recruiting someone who would be a good fit for the job and named a potential candidate. However, he said he is fine with an application and review process.

"There likely will be some opportunities here," he said.

Since Colwell resigned after serving one year of his five-year term, whoever replaces him will serve the duration of the term.

Resumes and letters of interest received by the board will be discussed at its May 18 meeting at 4 p.m. in the Coeur d'Alene Public Library. If interested, email Berns at tonyb@ignitecda.org.