The Sandpoint City Council appointed Ed Eitzman as mayor on Monday following a 4-2 vote. The decision fills the top executive role for the city government in Bonner County.
Councilman Bud Benoit moved to appoint Eitzman, with Councilman Harold Huff seconding the motion. The procedural format drew immediate pushback from Councilwoman Emma Lou Hook, who objected to the use of an appointment motion rather than a nomination process.
City Attorney Roger Hanlon clarified that the action constituted an appointment under Idaho Code, not an election. Despite the legal guidance, Hook and Councilman Steve Klatt voted against Eitzman’s elevation to the mayor’s office.
Eitzman said he would “do the best job I can” in the new role. His former council seat is now vacant. The council must approve a recommendation by majority vote to fill the vacancy.
Local Business and Community Notes
Roy Collins has taken over as manager of Anthony’s Dry Goods in Sandpoint, replacing Randy Rebel. Collins brings decades of retail experience to the position. He previously worked for C.R. Anthony Co., handling visual merchandising at northern stores.
Collins began his career with W.G. Woodward Co. in 1941 and opened his first store in Redfield, South Dakota, in 1951. The C.R. Anthony company purchased the chain in 1957. Collins resides in Sandpoint with his wife. His eldest son manages the C.R. Anthony Store in Boise, while another son lives in Australia and a daughter resides in Seattle.
In local hunting news, Muriel Linscott of Kootenai and Warren and Forest Reynolds of Priest River returned empty-handed from Lolo Pass country. Of approximately 100 hunters checking out that day, only two secured an elk.
Public Safety Restructuring
Mayor Floyd Gray announced a plan to combine the city’s fire and police departments to improve manpower utilization. The restructuring places a fire department member on dispatching duty at City Hall to handle calls and shortwave radio communications.
This shift frees police officers for street duty, particularly between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., when demand is highest. Under the new plan, police officers will receive training as firefighters, including resuscitation techniques. Firefighters will also undergo training in police work to create a more versatile emergency response team.
Military Furlough
Pfc. Franklin Hull, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Hull, has been transferred from Okmulgee, Oklahoma, to Edwards Air Force Base in California. Pfc. Hull is scheduled to arrive on Nov. 1 for a 17-day furlough.