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Cd’A considers coronavirus czar

by CRAIG NORTHRUP
Staff Writer | April 21, 2020 1:00 AM

COEUR d’ALENE — Staff at City Hall will ask the Coeur d’Alene City Council tonight to consider a COVID-19 czar of sorts: a temporary point person to handle all matters related to the pandemic.

“In the last few weeks, our normal business in the City of Coeur d’Alene has certainly changed as we continue to work as an essential employer while complying with the parameters of the current statewide stay-at-home-order,” city human resources director Melissa Tosi wrote in her report to council.

The primary duties of the COVID-19 project coordinator would be to manage pandemic-related projects that deal with city operations, as well as coronavirus issues affecting the community. The job will also require the coordinator to research how the virus and the city’s procedural responses will alter both city government and the city’s facilities, as well as manage coronavirus communication.

“COVID-19 is going to change the way all organizations operate,” Mayor Steve Widmyer said Monday. “It’s important that the city have a position to help guide the departments of our city, as well as provide a reliable source of information for our citizens.”

On March 25, Gov. Brad Little issued his stay-home order, shutting down non-essential businesses and forcing most essential businesses to either resort to curbside service or close altogether. As the virus is — for the time being — believed to have peaked, city leaders hope assigning a coordinator to rally Coeur d’Alene’s resources will help get things back to normal.

“I think it’s important for [the city] to have a point person on something like this,” said Councilmember Dan English, who added he would vote in favor of the position. “To have more organized information would be helpful.”

The job is scaled at $5,576 to $7,848. The recommendation comes with the tempered provision that funding for the position shouldn’t come from the general fund.

“We are hoping this position is temporary,”’ Widmyer said, “and that we can obtain grant dollars to pay for it.”

Between Little’s March 13 state-of-emergency declaration and Widmyer’s emergency declaration three days later, city officials believe disaster relief grant money will not be in short supply, but funding the position is only one question out of many the council hopes to answer.

“Because we declared the state of emergency, we get access to funding for things,” Councilmember Dan Gookin said. “So the questions we ask will be, ‘How much will it cost?’ ‘What the goal is?’ And, ‘What kind of work are they going to shoulder from other departments?’ These are the questions we need to ask going forward.”