Mayor Jeremy Grimm, new council members sworn in at Sandpoint City Hall

By Zach Hagadone
Reader Staff

The regular Jan. 3 meeting of the Sandpoint City Council ushered in a number of big changes at City Hall, with the swearing-in of Jeremy Grimm as mayor and new Councilors Pam Duquette and Kyle Schreiber. Councilor Deb Ruehle, who won reelection to a third full four-year term in November 2023, was absent.

It also saw the last meeting with Shelby Rognstad as mayor, who ended his second four-year term Jan. 3, as well as Council President Kate McAlister, who relinquished her seat after one four-year term following an unsuccessful campaign for mayor against Grimm in the most recent election. 

Finally, City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton officially resigned from her position, effective at the end of the meeting, bringing her eight-year tenure at the top of the City Hall staff organizational chart to a close.

Outgoing Sandpoint Mayor Shelby Rognstad swears in Jeremy Grimm as Sandpoint’s newest mayor, with Grimm’s daughter, Phoebe, by his side. Photo by Ben Olson.

Prior to the swearing in, during announcements, Councilor Joel Aispuro asked City Attorney Fonda Jovick, “Is there any insight you can give us if the city can appoint a temporary city administrator?”

Jovick told Aispuro that the council would need to schedule that discussion and agenda item for a future meeting to address hiring an interim administrator.

Councilor Jason Welker agreed with Aispuro that such a discussion should take place at the next regular council meeting, Wednesday, Jan. 17.

“That should be a discussion we have as soon as possible,” he said.

During the public forum section of the meeting, Ponderay Mayor Steve Geiger wished the outgoing officials well, and thanked them for their past collaborative spirit while hoping that it continues under the new mayor and council.

“Sixteen years ago, as I signed on as council, our communities were pretty much at odds,” he said, adding, “Since then, in the last eight years, I think we’ve had a great working relationship with the city. …

“I just want to express that working together in this community is very important for us all to do,” he said, going on to say that he would miss Stapleton and wishing the new officials luck going forward.

“There’s a big job ahead of them,” Geiger said.

 Following that, Rognstad thanked the citizens of Sandpoint, as well as members of city staff and current and former councilors for the “privilege of my life,” serving not only as mayor for the past eight years but looking back on a total of 14 years of public service, which has included stints on the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council.

“This has truly been an honor and I’m very proud of what we have all done collectively,” he said. “The mayor is often seen as where the buck stops, if you will, but nothing that happens at the city is the result of anything but a tremendous team effort.”

Pam Duquette stands with family after being sworn in for her term as Sandpoint city councilor. Photo by Ben Olson.

Rognstad noted the difficulty of the job of serving in public office, describing it as “sitting up here and taking a lot of arrows.”

“There are no easy decisions up here,” he said, later adding, “Every single issue that we face up here is way, way more complicated than it appears from that side of the dais,” referring to the audience.

“Everybody up here cares,” Rognstad said. “Nobody is up here for any ulterior motives. I just want to be clear about that.”

McAlister also expressed her gratitude to the outgoing mayor, her council colleagues, city staff and citizens — emphasizing the difficulty of the job and highlighting the importance of staff to incoming councilors.

“Until you get up here and serve in this seat, you really have no idea what it’s like,” she said, adding later, “The staff is amazing — their expertise in the areas they serve is invaluable.”

To the council, McAlister said with visible emotion: “You are incredible human beings and you have made a difference in my life.”

Finally, she echoed Rognstad’s comments regarding the spirit of service that motivates those who run for and attain local public office.

“I know there’s been a lot of stress in the community, but I want you to know that up here, again, we have no ulterior motive,” she said. “We don’t do it for the fame and fortune, for sure. We do it because we care about the community.”

Sitting Councilors Joel Aispuro, Justin Dick and Jason Welker all commended both Rognstad and McAlister for their service and their collaboration and leadership over their terms in office.

Following the valedictories, Rognstad swore in Schreiber, Duquette and Grimm in turn, asking them to recite the oath that they would support the constitutions of the United States and state of Idaho, and “faithfully discharge” their respective duties to the city of Sandpoint “to the best of your ability.”

Installed on the dais, Grimm, Duquette and Schreiber — as well as the absent Ruehle — will begin four-year terms, joining Aispuro, Dick and Welker, the latter three having taken office with four-year terms in January 2022.

Incoming Councilor Kyle Schreiber is sworn in at the Jan. 3 Sandpoint City Council meeting. Photo by Ben Olson.

Duquette spoke from her new council seat first to state that she came with “mixed emotions right now,” stemming from a previous agenda for the Jan. 3 meeting that would have placed the swearing in toward the end of the meeting, clearing the way for the previous council and outgoing mayor to vote on items under “old business” pertaining to the James E. Russell Sports Center and Travers Park playground and splash pad, both of which have sparked considerable public controversy in recent months.

In an 11th-hour change to the agenda of the Jan. 3 meeting, Welker made a motion to reorganize the items under consideration related to the swearing in of new councilors and the mayor — moving the oaths of office and presentation of certificates of election to the beginning of the meeting, rather than after “old business,” as the previously posted agenda had indicated. Dick seconded the motion.

While councilors voted unanimously to amend the agenda, undertaking the swearing in at the top of the meeting, Duquette said, “I feel like disrespect was shown to myself and the mayor [Grimm] and Kyle Schreiber” through the prior order of agenda.

“I earned this spot,” she said, adding later, “I’m an equal. I expect to be treated as an equal.”

Duquette concluded by saying she looked forward to working together with fellow councilors and staff; and, to the public, “Call me out when I’m not doing what you want, but let me know what you want.”

Schreiber thanked the community for its support at the ballot box in November “and for trusting and believing in me to represent you up here.”

He acknowledged Rognstad, the former council and Stapleton for “getting the city of Sandpoint to where it is today,” and extended an “olive branch” to those who may have felt “attacked” by his past comments as a member of the public during previous testimony before council meetings. 

“Conversation is always better than an angry letter,” he said, quoting from former-Councilor Andy Groat, who resigned his seat in October amid controversy over the James E. Russell Sports Center and its siting at Travers Park, which he came to regret over the emotional toll it put on the Travers family, for whom the park is named and where the remains of several family members had been memorialized on grounds and in trees that have since been removed and turned over to make way for the new indoor tennis and pickleball facility. 

Grimm, who served as Sandpoint city planner from 2007-2015, followed by a career as a development consultant, campaigned on a platform of slowing the pace of city initiatives, prioritizing the completion of the Comprehensive Plan, increasing public participation, and eliminating the city administrator role in favor of reinstating department heads and reinvigorating citizen advisory committees. The latter plank resulted in the resignation of Stapleton, which she announced to city officials in a Dec. 21 letter.

Speaking to the audience at City Hall on Jan. 3, Grimm said, “We are so blessed. We truly have more that binds us than divides us,” specifically referring to love for the Sandpoint community.

“I am so humbled and honored to have earned your trust,” he said, later adding, “A house divided will fall and we are more capable, stronger and resilient working together than in opposition.”

Directing his comments to city staff, Grimm said, “As a former employee I know the challenges, dedication and hard work that it takes to provide services to our residents. … I will tirelessly support you in your roles as we face the innumerable challenges ahead.”

He also appealed to the public to maintain its engagement, even on issues that don’t appear to be particularly dramatic or divisive, asking that community members “lean in” to “learn, become informed.”

Finally, Grimm spoke to his family from the dais, thanking them for their support and saying that, next to his role as a parent, “this is some of the most important work of my life. Now let’s do this.”

Later in the meeting, the council voted unanimously to establish Welker as its president, with Aispuro nominating and Dick as the second.

“He’s proven to me to be a good leader,” Aispuro said, noting Welker’s previous experience on the Planning and Zoning Commission.

“I’d be honored to serve as council president,” Welker said.

Duquette voted in favor of the motion, though in her discussion remarks said, “I was hoping that it would be the most senior councilor who would hold that position,” referring to Ruehle, who entered her third four-year term on Jan. 3, with her initial appointment to the council coming in 2014. 

The council voted unanimously to confirm Welker as president.

Concluding the portion of the meeting devoted to swearing in new officials and appointing others, the council voted to appoint Schreiber to serve as the city of Sandpoint representative on the Selkirk Fire Joint Powers Agreement Board — which coordinates local fire services — with Welker serving as the alternate.