OpenGov
will share your response with the City of Sandpoint staff. Do you also want your response shown on this website?
Yes -
show it with my name
Sign in and be yourself
Sign in and let others know who you are and what you think. You can sign in now or after you submit your response. You'll be able to read your response on this website and change it if you change your mind.
Read more about privacy >
Yes - show it without my name
Sign in and be someone
Sign in and let others know what you think. Only OpenGov will know who you are. You can sign in now or after you submit your response. You'll be able to read your response on this website and change it if you change your mind.
Read more about privacy >
No - just show it without my name to staff
* required
Be anonymous
Even though your response will be shared with staff, it won’t be shown on this public website so other community members won’t have the opportunity to see it.
Concerned about sharing your contact information with OpenGov?
Read more about privacy >
Read more about privacy >
What is a disruptive statement?
A statement
containing personal attacks, profanity, commercial advertising or content which is entirely off-topic, and/or
from a user who has falsified their registration information with the intent to post multiple statements in one topic or to misrepresent their city of residence.
Why does Open Town Hall monitor for disruptive statements?
OpenGov is a non-partisan company dedicated to building public trust in government and broadening civic engagement. Many people will not participate if the forum has disruptive statements.
Does Open Town Hall find many disruptive statements?
No. Disruptive statements are quite rare - less than one in a thousand statements are disruptive.
What does Open Town Hall do if they find a disruptive statement?
Open Town Hall
moves the statement to a different web page,
describes the problem in an email to the author, and
invites the author to change the statement.
Does Open Town Hall ever edit or delete statements?
Never. Only the statement's author can edit or delete a statement.
If I disagree with someone, can I post my opinion?
Yes. Open Town Hall encourages open dialog which, by necessity, includes disagreements.
How do I know if my statement is a 'disagreement' or a 'personal attack'?
Personal attacks are disparaging remarks which impute motives to a person's action. Statements of fact, or of your own opinion are generally not personal attacks.
Here are some examples of statements which are, and are not, personal attacks.
Personal Attack
Not A Personal Attack
He lied.
He said he did X, but in fact he did Y.
She misrepresented the truth.
I don't trust her.
He is greedy.
He is making plenty of money.
It is merely a power play on her part.
She will announce her candidacy soon.
Open Town Hall has two participation channels :
The Registered Channel: Sign in before or just after you submit your response. Either way, Community Feedback will show your response on this website.
The Unregistered Channel: Don't sign in and remain anonymous. Community Feedback will just share your response with Sandpoint staff.
Note: The first time you sign in, you'll need to register (establish an account on Open Town Hall). Registration is free.
The City of Sandpoint has contracted with Community Feedback to monitor responses shown on this website.
To prevent any single user from dominating the forum, the City of Sandpoint restricts the number of responses any one user can post on selected topics. Registration helps Community Feedback enforce this restriction.
Users, staff and government leaders often want to know the neighborhood from which a response is posted. Community Feedback uses registration to show the neighborhood next to each response (not the address).
If a user posts a response that does not meet the City of Sandpoint guidelines for civility , Community Feedback uses the user's email address to invite the user to resolve the issue.
Community Feedback will get your contact information. The company is under contract with the City of Sandpoint to hold it in strict confidence per their privacy policy .
Since you'll see your own response on Open Town Hall, you'll be able to confirm that your response was posted as you intended.
You'll be able to change and/or delete your response as long as the topic is open.
Yes. Sign out, then set your privacy preference to be "No - just show it without my name to staff". You won't need to register.
While no authentication procedure can perfectly detect every fraudulent registration, Community Feedback is able to secure the registered channel against systematic fraud : cases where users submit enough statements with fraudulent registrations to sway the overall interpretation of the feedback.
Community Feedback is unable to secure the unregistered channel against systematic fraud, because unregistered users are anonymous.
Neither the registered nor the unregistered channel represent a certified voting system or ballot box - and that caveat is footnoted on every page of feedback. Instead, both are additional channels for feedback to government.
Users can participate on the registered channel (by signing in) or on the unregistered channel (by remaining anonymous). The City of Sandpoint offers both channels in order to broaden participation and maximize decision makers' insights.
The registered channel enables users to assure decision makers that their feedback comes from a real person in a specific neighborhood. It also enables users to participate in a public discussion on the website, as well as manage their own response after posting it.
The unregistered channel is for users who want to provide quick feedback without registering, and/or whose privacy concerns would prevent them from participating if required to register. Because many users with valuable insights will only share them anonymously, this channel gives decision makers the option to consider those insights in their deliberations.
OpenGov is a non-partisan company whose mission is to broaden civic engagement and build public trust in government. The City of Sandpoint has contracted with OpenGov to administer Open Town Hall.
Part 1
The following are goals identified in the Arts, Culture, and Historic Preservation Master Plan. Below you will be given the opportunity to rate the goals on a scale of one to five, with one being "Low Priority" and five being "High Priority." You can review the draft Arts, Culture, and Historic Preservation Master Plan by visiting sandpointartspreservationplan.com .
Goal #1: Support more collaborations in the cultural and preservation community.
Sandpoint's arts and cultural sector will be stronger by working together to leverage resources and realize goals. Local efforts will not silo arts and historic preservation efforts in separate disciplines but work together to enhance and empower each other. New partnerships and collaborations will help weave arts and culture into the community's social fabric and civic life.
Goal #2: Enhance Sandpoint’s identity as a unique cultural destination in Idaho.
Participation in Sandpoint's arts and cultural life will grow beyond the core of local and longtime supporters to attract more underserved communities and residents from throughout Bonner County and the region. Community partners outside the arts and other departments within the City will serve as gateways to make arts and culture more accessible and more broadly valued.
Goal #3: Undertake more preservation and arts education, placemaking and outreach efforts.
Sandpoint will be better known as a unique cultural destination and more attractive to regional visitors with hyper-local and unique events that enhance the Sandpoint brand.
Goal #4: Support Sandpoint’s economic development through arts, culture and historic preservation.
Telling the local heritage story to wider audiences builds local appreciation in Sandpoint’s history, knowledge in preservation practices, and support for more encompassing, catalyzing preservation initiatives.
Goal #5: Integrate and promote historic preservation as a tool for achieving broader community planning goals.
Arts and culture will be a key economic development element and the return on investment measured, reported, and clear. Sandpoint and its cultural sector will have strong case-making data for arts advocacy and relationship building.
Goal #6: Pursue the documentation and landmark and historic district designation of Sandpoint’s important heritage.
The Sandpoint community will support local transformative initiatives focused on adaptive use, business development, the reuse of upper floors, and façade and storefront rehabilitations. Making new incentives and tools available to implement such transformative initiatives will be key.
Goal #7: Create and adopt new tools that promote careful stewardship and protection of Sandpoint’s historic resources.
Preserving historic buildings and places often starts with documenting and evaluating their architectural and historical importance to the community. For Sandpoint, recent survey work points to opportunities in designating individual resources rather than districts in the National Register of Historic Places.
Goal #8: Enhance local arts leadership.
Sandpoint currently lacks the means and methods in which to protect and preserve buildings into the future. To adopt and implement such tools, consensus-building will be necessary for gaining support from Sandpoint stakeholders.
Goal #9: Build local historic preservation expertise.
The City of Sandpoint will take the lead on cultural development working closely with and providing support to its non-governmental partners. When it comes to cultural development the City will strive for a culture of "yes" to encourage more civic participation through the arts, investment in public-private partnerships to support arts, culture and historic preservation, and strengthen the capacity of cultural non-profits.
Goal #10: Diversify participation in cultural activities.
Achieving far-ranging success in historic preservation will require gaining experience and expertise in the different tools and methods in preservation-based economic development, education and advocacy.
Please rate the goals on a scale of one to five, with one being "Low Priority" and five being "High Priority."
Goal #1: Support more collaborations in the cultural and preservation community.
Goal #2: Enhance Sandpoint’s identity as a unique cultural destination in Idaho.
Goal #3: Undertake more preservation and arts education, placemaking and outreach efforts.
Goal #4: Support Sandpoint’s economic development through arts, culture and historic preservation.
Goal #5: Integrate and promote historic preservation as a tool for achieving broader community planning goals.
Goal #6: Pursue the documentation and landmark and historic district designation of Sandpoint’s important heritage.
Goal #7: Create and adopt new tools that promote careful stewardship and protection of Sandpoint’s historic resources.
Goal #8: Enhance local arts leadership.
Goal #9: Build local historic preservation expertise.
Goal #10: Diversify participation in cultural activities.
Part 2: Arts, Culture, and Historic Preservation Vision
Arts, culture, and historic preservation are central to Sandpoint’s identity, prosperity, and well-being. Sandpoint is known as one of America’s most vibrant places that celebrates both its arts and architectural heritage. It is also a community that uses the arts and preservation to ensure the vitality of its historic downtown district and its traditional neighborhoods that contribute to its history and community character. Sandpoint preserves its heritage legacy through thoughtful stewardship and by engaging local stakeholders on preservation’s power to transform buildings and places into vital and creative spaces. Sandpoint’s diverse arts and culture scene is the result of committed, transparent support and collaboration between the City of Sandpoint and its local artists and arts organizations — all dedicated to creating accessible cultural experiences that add to the quality of life for each Sandpoint resident. Sandpoint celebrates, champions, connects, and preserves the unique qualities of Sandpoint’s arts, culture and historic resources for the benefit of all.
Do you feel that the proposed Arts, Culture, and Historic Preservation Vision represent your values and priorities? (1=Do Not Agree, 5=Highly Agree)
Do you have suggestions that will align the Vision with your values and priorities?
Do you have suggestions or comments on the draft Arts, Culture, and Historic Preservation Plan? You can view the draft Plan by visiting
Part 3: Tell us about yourself.
Do you work in a creative industry?
Using the numbered areas in the map above, identify where you live. If you do not live in the Sandpoint city limits, please select the city or area in which you live.
Tell us a little about your relationship with the City of Sandpoint. Check all that apply:
What is your annual household income?
Less than $25,000
$25,000 - $34,999
$35,000 - $49,999
$50,000 - $74,999
$75,000 - $99,000
$100,000 or greater
What is a disruptive statement?
A statement
containing personal attacks, profanity, commercial advertising or content which is entirely off-topic, and/or
from a user who has falsified their registration information with the intent to post multiple statements in one topic or to misrepresent their city of residence.
Why does Open Town Hall monitor for disruptive statements?
OpenGov is a non-partisan company dedicated to building public trust in government and broadening civic engagement. Many people will not participate if the forum has disruptive statements.
Does Open Town Hall find many disruptive statements?
No. Disruptive statements are quite rare - less than one in a thousand statements are disruptive.
What does Open Town Hall do if they find a disruptive statement?
Open Town Hall
moves the statement to a different web page,
describes the problem in an email to the author, and
invites the author to change the statement.
Does Open Town Hall ever edit or delete statements?
Never. Only the statement's author can edit or delete a statement.
If I disagree with someone, can I post my opinion?
Yes. Open Town Hall encourages open dialog which, by necessity, includes disagreements.
How do I know if my statement is a 'disagreement' or a 'personal attack'?
Personal attacks are disparaging remarks which impute motives to a person's action. Statements of fact, or of your own opinion are generally not personal attacks.
Here are some examples of statements which are, and are not, personal attacks.
Personal Attack
Not A Personal Attack
He lied.
He said he did X, but in fact he did Y.
She misrepresented the truth.
I don't trust her.
He is greedy.
He is making plenty of money.
It is merely a power play on her part.
She will announce her candidacy soon.
Goal #1: Support more collaborations in the cultural and preservation community.
1Goal #2: Enhance Sandpoint’s identity as a unique cultural destination in Idaho.
1Goal #3: Undertake more preservation and arts education, placemaking and outreach efforts.
1Goal #4: Support Sandpoint’s economic development through arts, culture and historic preservation.
1Goal #5: Integrate and promote historic preservation as a tool for achieving broader community planning goals.
1Goal #6: Pursue the documentation and landmark and historic district designation of Sandpoint’s important heritage.
1Goal #7: Create and adopt new tools that promote careful stewardship and protection of Sandpoint’s historic resources.
1Goal #8: Enhance local arts leadership.
1Goal #9: Build local historic preservation expertise.
1Goal #10: Diversify participation in cultural activities.
1Do you feel that the proposed Arts, Culture, and Historic Preservation Vision represent your values and priorities? (1=Do Not Agree, 5=Highly Agree)
2Do you have suggestions that will align the Vision with your values and priorities?
I know there’s some artsy people here, but reading this survey shows we have some creative writers here as well.
Do you have suggestions or comments on the draft Arts, Culture, and Historic Preservation Plan? You can view the draft Plan by visiting
Do you work in a creative industry?
Using the numbered areas in the map above, identify where you live. If you do not live in the Sandpoint city limits, please select the city or area in which you live.
Tell us a little about your relationship with the City of Sandpoint. Check all that apply:
What is your age?
What is your annual household income?