Community invited to talk with Coon

SANDPOINT — A sparse City Council agenda will be augmented Wednesday with an informal meet-and-greet introducing the public to interim police chief Corey Coon.

Scheduled for 4:30 p.m. at Sandpoint City Hall, the open house and roundtable discussion will be a chance to meet with Coon. Attendees will have a chance to discuss the current status of the police department and possible improvements to emphasize as local law enforcement transitions into new leadership.

While a majority of council members will likely attend this discussion, they won’t be making any decisions regarding the police force that evening. Instead, this will provide an opportunity for city officials and attending residents to learn what Coon has focused on during his first few months as interim police chief and what changes and improvements he would like to see if given the job on a permanent basis.

The roundtable discussion is a step toward increasing Coon’s community visibility while getting the ball rolling on a public discussion regarding the style of police force the community would like to have. Based on previous council discussions, it’s possible that a public forum regarding the police department could follow if members decide to pursue the idea.

In addition to the roundtable discussion, the event will serve as a meet-and-greet with Coon. Residents who have not yet met the interim chief and would like an opportunity to have a word or some questions with him are encouraged to drop by. In addition, Coon said those who are unable to attend the meeting but nevertheless have questions or concerns are welcome to contact him at the police department by calling 265-1482.

Following the roundtable discussion, the regular council meeting will commence at 5:30 p.m. Council members will probably be wrapping up business fairly quickly based on the current agenda. The only item not in the consent calendar gives council members the opportunity to revisit a decision six months ago allowing street performers. Council members approved the measure unanimously in July with the conditions that street performers request permission from adjacent businesses and that the decision be reviewed after six months to ensure it caused no problems.