Eight candidates seek three seats on Cd'A City Council

Soaring property values, an affordable housing crunch and tackling revisions of the city’s long-range comprehensive planning map are among the issues facing eight candidates seeking three positions on the Coeur d’Alene City Council.

Two incumbents and six challengers will square off on the Nov. 5 ballot. Longtime councilman Ron Edinger is not seeking re-election.

City clerk Renata McLeod said she is pleased with the number of people running for council.

“It’s great to see people interested in community involvement at the local level,” she said. “I think anytime you have an open seat, it raises the interest level.”

Seat 1 (held by councilman Ron Edinger)

Elaine Price

A self-proclaimed political outsider, Price said responsibly managing the city’s rapid growth should be a top priority of elected officials.

“My focus will include the development of a comprehensive plan,” she said. “It will provide direction for growth, development and management of sustainable community services such as parks, transportation, and workforce housing — housing that young adults or working adults can afford.”

Price, 50, said she does not believe citizens are appropriately represented by the current council and she would fill a void as an advocate for “the blue-collar, middle-class citizens of Coeur d’Alene.”

Price said she would act as a watchdog to curb density increases that are too frequently granted by the council.

“Property should be developed within the conditions and zoning attached to it when it was purchased, and developers should not be granted variance and zone changes,” she said.

Emphasizing a need to plan better for the future, Price said she will push for improved oversight and set goals to ensure visions like those endorsed by the nonprofit CDA 2030 come through to fruition.

“I call myself middle-class, because that’s what I am,” Price said. “I don’t feel the middle-class citizens have a voice or representation on the council and I want to take that torch. I will be the one asking how the decisions the city is making today will contribute to a better tomorrow.”

Price and her husband own and operate Spartacus Coins Bullion Collectibles on Sherman Avenue downtown. Price is a former bookkeeper and office manager and currently serves as a financial leader for her church in downtown Coeur d’Alene.

Born and raised in Iowa, Price moved to Coeur d’Alene in 1990. She has two sons, a North Idaho College graduate and an Army veteran.

Christie Wood

Retired Coeur d’Alene police sergeant Christie Wood is seeking to extend her commitment to public service. A former trustee for the Coeur d’Alene School District for eight years, Wood has been a trustee for North Idaho College since 2004 and currently serves as board chair.

“I believe these past and present positions demonstrate that public service is at the core of who I am,” Wood said.

“The voters and residents of Kootenai County and the patrons of the Coeur d’Alene School District have given me the honor and privilege to serve them in these important elected positions for several terms,” she added. “I would give the same dedication and time in this new role as a member of the Coeur d’Alene City Council.”

Wood said experience she has gained in her public roles, particularly in the areas of budget planning and management, will provide a solid foundation as a council member.

“I based my decision on becoming a candidate to my commitment as a strong advocate for public safety, strategic planning for responsible growth, maintaining a healthy park system and budget reforms,” she said.

A demonstrated sensitivity to the impact of public policy on taxpayers and using common sense in decision making are strengths that Wood said make her a viable candidate. With rampant growth over the past few years expected to continue, she added, the city is at an important crossroads.

“With the city funding a comprehensive plan update, this is the key time to get involved and really get down to the nuts and bolts of the plan and I really want to be involved in how that plan makes an impact,” she said.

Wood, 57, retired from the Coeur d’Alene Police Department in 2015 after 27 years, reaching the rank of sergeant. She also served as the department’s public information officer.

Seat 3 (held by councilman Dan Gookin)

Dan Gookin

Seeking his third term on the council, Dan Gookin said the two issues of top importance for the city are the comp plan update and termination of the urban renewal district that covers parts of downtown.

The city’s comp plan update was initiated this year and Gookin voted against including outside interests in the process.

“Unfortunately, the mayor and council approve having people other than Coeur d’Alene residents weigh in on our comp plan,” Gookin said. “I believe this move tilts the table in favor of developers and outside influencers who seek to maximize density.”

The city’s urban renewal agency, ignite cda, is slated to expire in 2021. When it does, Gookin said he will serve as a watchdog over how the city spends revenues of up to $3 million annually from new taxes created by urban renewal projects.

“I want to ensure that revenue goes back to the taxpayer,” he said, “not to pad employee salaries or have City Hall go on a spending spree.”

Gookin, 59, views his role on the council as supporting the citizens over special interests. He voted no on increasing the downtown parking fees and said he championed the Best Avenue food court by pushing for an ordinance to make mobile vendors legal in the city.

Calling himself a fiscal hawk, Gookin said he has never voted for a property tax increase.

“I will continue to do so,” he said. “Items are always available to cut in the budget, and I routinely offer budget cuts.”

Gookin has been a resident of Coeur d’Alene since 2002 and a county resident since 1993. He was first elected to council in 2011. Gookin is a self-employed author and online trainer. In 1991, he wrote the bestseller “DOS For Dummies,” which is the foundation for the entire For Dummies series.

Michael Pereira

Community activist Michael Pereira believes his fiscally-conservative mindset and passion for the people of Coeur d’Alene will provide refreshing change to the city council.

The No. 1 issue facing the community is getting a handle on rapid growth that is straining infrastructure and services. The comp plan update process offers an excellent time to address these issues, he said.

“We’ve experienced so much growth in recent years and we’re behind the curve,” Pereira said. “Building relationships, having common sense to handling issues facing the city and working together are keys to getting things accomplished and moving forward.”

Pereira, 41, has been involved with several community organizations and their boards, including the city’s Design Review Commission, Coeur d’Alene Area Chamber of Commerce, Impact Club, Leadership Coeur d’Alene, the Coeur Group, CDA 2030 and Idaho Drug-Free Youth.

“We are at a critical juncture in our community with growth and changes and a lot of strategic decisions and plans need to be made that will affect our community well into the future,” he said. “I feel my background, experience and the strong relationships I have created over many years will allow me to make the right decisions for the long-term viability of our community.”

A risk-assessment analyst for Umpqua bank, Pereira has been employed in the consulting, construction, engineering and banking industry for the past 20 years and has been a small business owner. He relocated to Coeur d’Alene in 1992 and is a Lake City High School and University of Idaho graduate.

“Giving back and being involved is a very important part of being in this community. If you want to make a difference and create change, you must be the change and get involved,” he said.

Pereira has four children and is married to Jenn Pereira, a lifetime resident of North Idaho.

Seat 5 (held by councilman Dan English)?

Dan English

Lifetime Coeur d’Alene resident Dan English has spent most of his working career engaged with local nonprofits and other public service roles including elected office as Kootenai County clerk for 15 years and trustee for the Coeur d’Alene School District for five years.

Seeking a second term on the city council this time around, English also served on the council in 1994-95, leaving office early after being elected county clerk.

“I’m very engaged with the community and most of my positions have been centered around leadership responsibilities,” he said.

The city faces very big challenges in the areas of growth, traffic and quality of life, English said.

“I’m enthusiastic to continue to help meet those challenges and also to be a part of exciting opportunities for major improvements to our community including the new Atlas site and park, the renovation of Memorial Field and grandstand and improvements to midtown in partnership with ignite cda.”

English, 68, said he enjoys public service even though it can be stressful at times.

“I like the process of engaging with people, even the controversial ‘hot potato’ issues,” he said. “People have passions and different points of view and you need to put that all together and thread the needle to make decisions based on the best interests of the people.”

English said he is “kind of puzzled” with suggestions that the council has rubber-stamped issues surrounding growth and higher density proposals. “As a council, we look at each project on its own merits,” he said. “It’s not my experience that we have given special favors to developers.”

In addition to serving on the council and the board of ignite cda, English is the council liaison to the Parking Commission.

English, who recently retired as Area 1 director for Area Agency on Aging, lives in Coeur d’Alene with his wife, Cory. They have nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Roger Huntman

Unhappy with recent decisions made by the city council involving issues including development and parking, political newcomer Roger Huntman said it’s time for a change on the council.

“They seem to have lost touch with the common citizen,” he said.

Recent changes to the parking fee structure downtown, Huntman said, will pose an unfair financial burden to motorists who visit and work in the city’s business district.

“When they propose to charge Joe Public extra to park and those (motorists) aren’t making any extra money that’s not right,” he said. “It’s going to price lower income people right out of downtown.”

Huntman also takes issue with the council’s actions involving proposed development along the Spokane River west of the Riverstone development.

Earlier this year, the council denied a proposed high-density development on 47 acres that was previously the Atlas mill site. The developer has since submitted plans for a lower-density project that includes 28 high-end riverfront homes that will mostly block public access to the water. That use is permitted under current city zoning laws.

Huntman said neither plan is acceptable and the council needs to work on other options more suitable for the unique property.

“It doesn’t seem like (council) was interested enough in looking for a third solution,” he said. “They got caught up in the either/or.”

Huntman said aside from a stint as treasurer in high school, he has never been involved in politics.

“I would be in touch with the people and bring back a sense of community, rather than business as usual,” he said. “Decisions need to be made with a sense of what the people want.”

A middle school teacher at Developing Mind Montessori School in Post Falls, Huntman, 47, is an author of 19 books published on Amazon. He writes books on therapy, horror and role playing.

Lacey Moen

Lacey Moen said there is a disconnect — a generation gap — between the city council and the citizens of Coeur d’Alene.

“I have a real hard time with politics in Coeur d’Alene right now because I don’t think the council is communicating with the people or speaking their language,” she said.

At 36, Moen said she would offer a fresh perspective and high energy on the council while helping to significantly improve communication.

“The median age in Coeur d’Alene is 36.4 years and if you look at the demographic on the council it does not represent who is living here right now,” she said.

With little experience in politics, Moen sees herself as a communicator and a quiet observer who is able to connect with the younger generation.

“I feel like the middleman getting and sharing accurate information,” she said. “I don’t want to be an influencer, I want to be an informer.”

With a huge social media following, Moen believe she can better connect with citizens and keep them informed about the important issues facing the city. In today’s fast-paced world, Moen said she would support new ways of sharing information like 30-second online council meeting recaps that explain city happenings in a more palatable forum.

“I would support more nontraditional avenues of communication like social media to connect with people,” she said. “It would be really nice to be able to get more and more and more people involved with consistent and understandable information.”

A 2001 graduate of Lake City High School, Moen launched Earthly Beauty Bar in 2011, an esthetician business located adjacent to Tubbs Hill. After eight years, her business continues to thrive.

“I am passionate about people,” she said. “I see more than 300 clients a month and have had over 12,000 people in my chair over last eight years.”

Moen is a single mom to her 10-year-old daughter, Zoey.

Tom Morgan

While he appreciates the public service of the current city council members, Tom Morgan said he would offer a voice for the people of Coeur d’Alene who feel they aren’t represented.

“The rapid growth we are experiencing — while creating opportunities for some — is leaving others behind,” he said.

Morgan operates Lake City Bicycle Collective, a nonprofit that repairs and donates bicycles to kids who can’t afford one. To date, he said, the business has donated more than 700 bikes and hundreds of helmets to the under-privileged.

“My interactions with families that come to the bike shop is a big part of the reason I have chosen to run,” he said. “I want to see all citizens of Coeur d’Alene have the opportunity to live the best life possible.”

A member of the city’s Ped Bike Committee, Morgan said he has worked closely with elected officials and believes they are receptive to the citizens. However, more could be done to control a community that’s “growing, growing, growing.”

“I think we need to tap the brakes on this bus and take a pause,” he said.

Morgan, 51, said it’s a critical time to update the city’s comp plan and the council must consider public input from all sectors as part of the process.

Working in the heating and air conditioning industry for more than 30 years, Morgan said he is “squarely in the middle” of the income bracket and believes he would provide a strong voice for the blue-collar sector.

“I think every person on the council, including the mayor, cares about the city,” he said. But more can be done to control growth and to enhance the community’s livability for people from all walks of life.

“I don’t own any property. I rent a house,” he said. “And the way things are headed, homeownership is getting tough. For local people to get into a home right now is a real stretch.”