Hammond calms the waters

COEUR d'ALENE — Jim Hammond has been a teacher, a principal, a planning and zoning commissioner, a senator, a mayor and a city administrator.

So, you would figure he has dealt with pretty much every situation and encountered every kind of person that comes with being in charge in public posts.

Not quite.

His first year as mayor of Coeur d'Alene was an awakening.

"It started out quite challenging," Hammond said.

In January, the Coeur d’Alene City Council voted to accept $8.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds. Several people opposed it and weren't shy about letting the council know it. About 20 people who attended a city ARPA Jan. 4 workshop were described as loud and disruptive.

"People from all over North Idaho came to Coeur d'Alene to tell us how we ought to govern ourselves," Hammond said.

The 72-year-old supports people sharing opinions with elected officials, but is firm that it be done respectfully.

So when some in the crowd yelled during council meetings, or tried to talk over council members, Hammond made it clear that was unacceptable behavior.

“We did not interrupt you when you spoke. You need to let the council express their thoughts as well without interrupting them,” he said during a Jan. 18 council meeting. “There is some common courtesy expected here. We afforded you that courtesy. We ask you to please do the same for us.”

There were other meetings when Hammond threatened to have people removed if they insisted on talking out of turn. And, in one case, he did so.

But things subsided, and by summer, the meetings were generally peaceful.

Another key issue before the council in 2022 and coming up in 2023 is Coeur Terre.

The Kootenai County Land Company is planning about 2,000 housing units, businesses, shops and restaurants, 18 acres of parks, 4 miles of trails and land for two public schools.

The property is north of Interstate 90, south of west Hanley Avenue, east of Huetter Road and west of Atlas Road.

Many residents of neighboring Indian Meadows oppose it and shared their concerns with the City Council.

Hammond said they were respectful about it.

"I very much appreciate that," he said.

He said the issue of short-term rentals in the city is another example of people on both sides being respectful and offering solutions, rather than being combative.

"That's all we ask," Hammond said. "We want to hear people's opinions and to be involved in governance, but in a respectful manner."

In his previous experience running for public office, opponents could still be friends.

But his campaign for mayor of Coeur d'Alene included what he referred to as some "nasty occurrences," with accusations and name-calling.

"That was a bit disheartening," Hammond said. "I never expected that."

He said coming in as Coeur d'Alene's mayor, he was perhaps "a bit more naive than I should have been."

Good governance, he said, requires civility. So shouting and snide remarks during council meetings were strongly discouraged by the mayor.

"If you tolerate that kind of incivility, you can't really govern properly," Hammond said.

But he finds balance and avoids overreacting.

When one person leaving a council meeting referred to Hammond as a tyrant, he smiled and chuckled.

His experience made the difference, as he was a calming, steadying influence.

"Some of it's just my temperament," he said.

Hammond said the city’s opening of invocations before council meetings to all faiths, rather than continuing the long-running tradition of Christian faith pastors only, was an important move.

"If we truly are a Christian community, that means we don't reject certain people," he said.

"The welcoming of anybody into the community has come a long way from last year," he added.

Hammond said the city needs to find an answer to the growth of short-term rentals, as some city blocks have multiple STRs.

Those with STRs want to keep them, but he said the city needs to maintain the integrity of neighborhoods.

"That's got to trump everything else," he said.

The city in 2022 concluded tough negotiations with both police and fire unions that Hammond said will enable it to keep and attract first responders.

A big focus has been affordable housing and he expects that to continue in 2023.

"We've got to attract more young people in our community," he said, adding they are needed to fill open jobs in the city and surrounding areas.

"We're attracting too many old people, like me," he added, laughing.

As mayor, Hammond often talks of community. There's a reason for that.

"If you have a strong sense of community, then you're going to be supportive of what's going on in that community," he said.

That leads to support of schools, businesses, churches and looking out for each other — even if you differ on politics and faith.

Hammond believes government's role isn't to resolve every problem, but it shouldn't be an obstacle, either.

"If we can respectfully disagree, then we can still work together," he said. "That's just essential."