A Bright Future

January is a time of reflection. We look back at our accomplishments, achievements and struggles. Many of us begin to set goals for the New Year. Perhaps we vow to become more focused at work, start or add to our family, shed a few pounds or save a little more of that hard earned money.

As a community we can do the same goal setting. The greater Coeur d’Alene area continues to see visitors flock to our area in droves after the recession. The biking community is creating safer routes for pedestrians. The Riverstone development, once struggling, is thriving and expanding, and new businesses are opening up all over town thanks to strong support from a community that supports their own. Our art and theater community continues to entertain us with incredible work and more people are becoming aware of these talented artists under the support of organizations like Arts in CDA.

It seems just about every day we are reading or hearing about a local business stepping up to support local sports, arts and nonprofits, or a selfless volunteer who is working tirelessly to make the lives of the less fortunate better.

While most will agree the positive aspects of living in North Idaho far outweigh the negatives, there are areas in which we would all like to see our community improve. We recently reached out to Mayor Steve Widmyer to reflect on 2015 and also to look ahead at what he would like to see in our community, not just over the course of the next few months, but how changes and areas of emphasis might shape Coeur d’Alene for future generations.

Here are some highlights of our conversation:

Q: Describe your experience and how life has changed for you since being elected mayor of Coeur d’Alene.

A: Prior to being mayor, my wife and I led a pretty quiet, private life concentrating on raising our family. Now it’s a public life meeting new people every day. It’s been enjoyable.

Q: What accomplishments are you particularly proud of in 2015?

A: Working with our fire and police departments to pass a Safety Bond with 85 percent of the vote.

Increasing our funding for police and fire so we can build Fire Station 4 and man it with nine firefighters. Also, we added six new patrol officers. Public Safety is priority number one, and we are investing to make our community safer.

We did this without increasing property taxes.

Q: What are the major areas of focus for your office in 2016?

A: (We will) continue our focus on public safety.

We will also continue working with private property owners along our newly purchased BNSF railroad right-of-way to promote developing that property while enhancing the public access to the waterfront.

We will also work on the planning of reconstructing Seltice Way. This is going to be critical to the development of the old mill sites and other property along this corridor. There is a tremendous amount of potential there.

Q: What are some of the long term challenges you see Coeur d’Alene facing over the next decade?

A: We need to properly manage growth. People want to live here so they are coming. We need to provide for that but also keep our quality of life.

Q: What projects or organizations would you like to see the community get more involved in or continue to support?

A: We must get behind our educational system, both K through 12 and our colleges, to make sure our kids have the finest education anywhere.

Q: What is your favorite thing about calling Coeur d’Alene home?

A: The generous and friendly people. I have lived here 53 years, and we still have that friendly, small town feel.

Q: How would you describe Coeur d’Alene to someone who has never visited?

A: We are an outdoor recreational paradise with the friendliest people you will meet.

Q: 2016 will be a successful year for the city of Coeur d’Alene if ...

A: We can enhance our community as a great place to live, work and play.

In closing, Mayor Widmyer was asked if there was anything he would like to add. His response echoed the gratitude that many in this community feel towards our first responders.

“On May 5th our community suffered a great loss when Sgt. Greg Moore’s life was taken,” said Mayor Widmyer. “We must always remember and never forget the sacrifice he made protecting us. We need to keep his family in our thoughts and prayers.”

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