Spirit Lake Council Rejects Annexation Of 358 Acres

Citizens applauded Tuesday as the City Council rejected developers’ request to annex 358 acres of home sites and an industrial park.

In a highly unusual move, the council also voted to reconsider the entire 1996 budget at a special meeting Friday night, after the city’s police chief protested that he’d had no say in his own department’s budget.

The annexation would have allowed hundreds of new homes to be connected to Spirit Lake’s sewer plant, a prospect that made residents nervous. Many also believe the industrial park threatens the rural character of the 790-person town.

Developers countered that the project would add tax money and badly needed jobs.

In an overflowing meeting room Tuesday, Councilman Rob Painter appealed for calm as the council prepared to vote.

“There’s going to be no more input on the annexation,” he said, holding up a hand.

About 10 people held up signs reading “No Annex.” One man had written it on his hat.

Councilmen Jeff Brown, Rod Erickson and Painter voted against annexation. Mayor Tina Spadt abstained because of a friendship with Sue Korman, who represents the developers.

After the meeting, Korman said she thinks the project’s opponents hurt no one but themselves.

“I think the city just made a decision that’s very bad for the city,” she said. “The industrial park will go ahead and develop, and they (the city) will not have the tax base.”

Earlier during the meeting, Korman faced off with city Police Chief Jeff Alexander. She had circulated an unsigned flier Tuesday saying the city is spending too much. The flier was highly critical of the Police Department’s budget, saying it has increased 72 percent in three years.

Korman said many residents are concerned by Alexander’s “lack of visibility” and officers’ slow response times. The small city can’t afford a big-city department, she said.

The flier appeared to backfire, however, as people rose to Alexander’s defense. Painter said the flier is “not totally factual.”

“We can’t expect volunteer policemen,” said Diane Berg. “Who’s going to put their life on the line for nothing?”

“I think she’s taking a lot of things out of context,” said Alexander. He said the salaries are comparable to police pay in other small cities.

Alexander said he thinks the flier was motivated by revenge. He pointed out that Korman’s husband, former Mayor Paul Korman, is under investigation for alleged misuse of public funds in office. The Spirit Lake Police Department took the initial complaint before turning it over to the Idaho Bureau of Investigation.

But Susan Korman said the flier has nothing to do with the investigation.

“I will call legal counsel on this!” she said as Spadt tried to restore order.

Finally, Painter moved to hold a special workshop to reconsider the budget with Alexander and other department heads. It is scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. in the Spirit Lake Senior Citizen Center.

“Labor Day weekend or not,” Painter said, “we have pressing business.”

, DataTimes