Sandpoint swears in new city clerk, announces new business hours
March 25, 2026
By Zach Hagadone Reader Staff
Sandpoint City Hall announced some big administrative changes in the past week: first, that Meri Jane Bohn would take over as city clerk following the retirement of Melissa Ward from the position, effective March 26; and second, that city offices would be closed to walk-in traffic on Fridays beginning April 10.
The closure is intended to “enhance service delivery and provide more accessible hours for the community,” according to officials, including extended hours from 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
Utility payments can be made at any time using one of the two City Hall drop boxes — one located on the street and the other by the front doors — as well as at sandpointidaho.gov or through ACH, or dropped off during the new business hours.
Despite being closed to walk-in traffic on Fridays, staff is still available for appointments as needed by scheduling with the appropriate department. Contact information is available on the city’s website.
Police and fire services will remain available 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the year, and other city services will continue on the new four-day, 10-hour schedule with Parks, Building and Grounds working seven days per week and utilities and streets crews working Monday-Friday.
For general questions regarding the Friday closure, call 208-263-3158. To provide feedback on the schedule changes, contact Central Services Director Cheryl Hughes at 208-255-2657 or [email protected].
Incoming Clerk Bohn was sworn in at the regular March 25 meeting of the Sandpoint City Council, filling the role held by Ward since 2019, who also served 10 years as deputy city clerk.
New Sandpoint City Clerk Meri Jane Bohn. Courtesy photo.
Bohn comes to Sandpoint from Tonasket, Wash., where she served as clerk and treasurer. She also previously worked in municipal utilities in western and central Washington, as well as Rathdrum.
“Meri Jane, we are lucky to have your skills and your background and I work with the city clerk daily and it’s a super close position to the mayor and certainly supports the council and everything we do here to run the city,” Sandpoint Mayor Jeremy Grimm said prior to Bohn’s swearing in.
For her part, Bohn said she was “humbled and honored to be here.”
The clerk operates at the center of City Hall operations, encompassing everything from managing meeting agendas and minutes to processing public records requests, serving as the city’s risk manager and more.
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