When 2017 ends, Hammond's done

COEUR d’ALENE — His pink slip doesn’t look like most.

“When you beat cancer twice, that’s probably a pretty good sign that maybe you ought to go do something else besides work,” Jim Hammond said Friday in a phone interview from California. He was speaking from the home of a close friend who had just died.

Hammond is retiring as Coeur d’Alene’s city administrator at the end of the year. The many people who know him understand that he recently won another bout with cancer, a disease that runs in his family.

“It’s no secret and I think it’s good to try to get that message out to others,” Hammond said. “That is, you can’t just work all your life. You’ve gotta spend time with family and go see the world.”

In his rear-view mirror, Hammond, 67, will see plenty when the new year rolls ’round.

On the immediate horizon, he’ll watch with satisfaction as a number of projects he had a hand in during his three years as administrator come to fruition.

The $5.44 million Seltice Way road work might be done when he hangs up his laptop. A downtown parking garage is on its way, City Hall is getting a desperately needed facelift, the Four Corners area on the west end of downtown is being revitalized, and the purchase of 47 acres along the Spokane River for public and private use might be a done deal by then.

“These are all initiatives of the mayor and council,” Hammond said, deferring credit. “It’s just my job to help accomplish them, and we’re making some significant progress.”

Hammond will also be able to look back on significant progress throughout his career path. That trajectory looks something like this: public school teacher, elementary school principal, Post Falls city councilman, Post Falls mayor, Post Falls city administrator, and three-term state senator. He was recruited by Mayor Steve Widmyer to become city administrator for Coeur d’Alene in the fall of 2014.

Hammond said he’s particularly proud of city leadership expanding the police force by 10 to 12 officers over the past three years, saying it was critically needed to provide public safety for this growing community. He also said he’s enjoyed working with Widmyer on “creating more of a spirit of accountability” with city personnel while generating some efficiencies and cost savings along the way.

“Jim has served the citizens of North Idaho with great professionalism and class for several decades,” Widmyer said. “For the city of Coeur d’Alene, he was the right person at the right time. We wish Jim and Cyndie all the best as they make retirement their full-time job!”

On that point, Hammond said he’ll still be involved with his consulting firm, JH Benefits. The company helps public employers create sustainable and affordable plans for health care benefits, he said, and has more than 4,000 members.

Hammond said a national search will be done to find his replacement.