Meet Your LCDC!

The City's Pulse Issue #23 Aug 16, 2007 by Mary Souza
Meet Your LCDC! That tall building with the huge crane downtown is called Park Side Tower. Who made the decision to give $820,000 taxpayer dollars to this private condo building? And give more than $400,000 tax dollars to the Sherman Lofts luxury condo building with the faux brick exterior? And provide over $300,000 in public money to the upscale Ice Plant condos near City Hall? The people making these decisions about taxpayer dollars are the unelected board members of Lake City Development Corporation, our urban renewal agency. They are not usually in the spotlight but they make a big impact on our city and our pocketbooks. Please allow me to introduce your LCDC: Charlie Nipp: Chairman. Term: Charlie has been chairman of this board since LCDC started back in 1997. He’s been approved out to 2012. Employment: Charlie and his close business partner, Stephen Meyer, own the real estate development company of Parkwood Properties, which is one of the top 5 land owners in Kootenai County. Charlie and Steve are directors of Mountain West Bank and own a long list of other businesses. Many they own together, some they own separately. One that Steve owns on the side is InterMax, the company that employs CdA City Councilman Mike Kennedy. Charlie and Steve own a number of properties within the urban renewal district. Residence: Charlie lives outside of Coeur d’Alene. Paul Anderson: Board Member. Term: Paul has been a board member since the beginning 10 years ago. Paul’s term is up for renewal next month. Employment: Paul Anderson has been General Manager of the CdA branch of Avista Utilities for many, many years. He is near retirement now. Avista is also one of the top 5 land owners in Kootenai County. Residence: Paul lives outside of Coeur d’Alene. Dave Patzer: Board Member. Term: Dave has also been on the board since the beginning in ‘97. Dave’s term renews in 2009. Employment: Dave Patzer used to own Patzer Oil, that was purchased by Kerr Oil which Dave currently manages. Residence: Dave lives outside of Coeur d’Alene. Brad Jordan: Board Member. Term: Brad was appointed to LCDC a month after it started back in 1997, and his term is up for renewal in 2008. Employment: Brad owns GMAC Real Estate, located on NW Boulevard in a building leased from Charlie Nipp and Steve Meyer of Parkwood Properties. Residence: Brad lives outside of Coeur d’Alene. Jim Elder: Vice Chairman. Term: Jim has been on LCDC since 2002 and was re-upped this year for a term out to 2012. Employment: Jim is owner of Cricket’s Restaurant and building in downtown Coeur d’Alene. Residence: Jim lives outside of Coeur d’Alene. Dixie Reid: Board Member and City Council. Term: Dixie was appointed to LCDC back in 2000 and is set to serve until 2010. Employment: Dixie has her own Interior Design business called “Dixie’s Inside Connection”. She is the designer of choice for Mill River Development’s builders, Victory Homes, and many others within the URD. Residence: Dixie lives in Coeur d’Alene. Deanna Goodlander: Board Member and City Council. Term: Deanna has been on LCDC since 2002, and her term is out to 2012. Employment: Deanna comes from the old Coeur d’Alene family that owned Lee Ranch, a large tract of land in Northwest Coeur d’Alene, near Ramsey Road and the future Kroc Center. Some of the land is within the urban renewal district and remains in extended family ownership. Residence: Deanna lives in Coeur d’Alene. Rod Colwell: Board Member. Term: Rod was appointed in 2000 and his term renews in 2010. Employment: Rod is in upper management at Idaho Independent Bank in the Riverstone Development. Residence: Rod lives in Coeur d’Alene. Denny Davis: Board Member. Term: Denny is the newest member of LCDC, appointed in 2005. He is approved until 2010. Employment: Denny is an attorney in the law firm of Witherspoon, Kelly, et al. This is the law firm that represents the Cowles family of Spokane and their newspaper, the Spokesman Review. The Cowles family is also one of the top 5 land owners in Kootenai County. Residence: Denny lives in Coeur d’Alene. Tony Berns: Executive Director. Tony is the only full-time paid staff member of LCDC. He was hired in 2001. The LCDC Board has set Tony’s salary at $108,000 per year plus benefits and retirement. He makes more than the Governor of the State of Idaho. Residence: Tony lives outside of Coeur d’Alene. So there you have it. Whether you agree or disagree with the decisions of this board, these unelected people are making noticeable changes in our community. The only control we, the citizens, have over this board is through our Mayor and City Council. They are responsible for LCDC and answerable for all of its actions.

Meet Your LCDC!

That tall building with the huge crane downtown is called Park Side Tower. Who made the decision to give $820,000 taxpayer dollars to this private condo building? And give more than $400,000 tax dollars to the Sherman Lofts luxury condo building with the faux brick exterior? And provide over $300,000 in public money to the upscale Ice Plant condos near City Hall? The people making these decisions about taxpayer dollars are the unelected board members of Lake City Development Corporation, our urban renewal agency. They are not usually in the spotlight but they make a big impact on our city and our pocketbooks. Please allow me to introduce your LCDC:

Charlie Nipp: Chairman. Term: Charlie has been chairman of this board since LCDC started back in 1997. He’s been approved out to 2012. Employment: Charlie and his close business partner, Stephen Meyer, own the real estate development company of Parkwood Properties, which is one of the top 5 land owners in Kootenai County. Charlie and Steve are directors of Mountain West Bank and own a long list of other businesses. Many they own together, some they own separately. One that Steve owns on the side is InterMax, the company that employs CdA City Councilman Mike Kennedy. Charlie and Steve own a number of properties within the urban renewal district. Residence: Charlie lives outside of Coeur d’Alene.

Paul Anderson: Board Member. Term: Paul has been a board member since the beginning 10 years ago. Paul’s term is up for renewal next month. Employment: Paul Anderson has been General Manager of the CdA branch of Avista Utilities for many, many years. He is near retirement now. Avista is also one of the top 5 land owners in Kootenai County. Residence: Paul lives outside of Coeur d’Alene.

Dave Patzer: Board Member. Term: Dave has also been on the board since the beginning in ‘97. Dave’s term renews in 2009. Employment: Dave Patzer used to own Patzer Oil, that was purchased by Kerr Oil which Dave currently manages. Residence: Dave lives outside of Coeur d’Alene.

Brad Jordan: Board Member. Term: Brad was appointed to LCDC a month after it started back in 1997, and his term is up for renewal in 2008. Employment: Brad owns GMAC Real Estate, located on NW Boulevard in a building leased from Charlie Nipp and Steve Meyer of Parkwood Properties. Residence: Brad lives outside of Coeur d’Alene.

Jim Elder: Vice Chairman. Term: Jim has been on LCDC since 2002 and was re-upped this year for a term out to 2012. Employment: Jim is owner of Cricket’s Restaurant and building in downtown Coeur d’Alene. Residence: Jim lives outside of Coeur d’Alene.

Dixie Reid: Board Member and City Council. Term: Dixie was appointed to LCDC back in 2000 and is set to serve until 2010. Employment: Dixie has her own Interior Design business called “Dixie’s Inside Connection”. She is the designer of choice for Mill River Development’s builders, Victory Homes, and many others within the URD. Residence: Dixie lives in Coeur d’Alene.

Deanna Goodlander: Board Member and City Council. Term: Deanna has been on LCDC since 2002, and her term is out to 2012. Employment: Deanna comes from the old Coeur d’Alene family that owned Lee Ranch, a large tract of land in Northwest Coeur d’Alene, near Ramsey Road and the future Kroc Center. Some of the land is within the urban renewal district and remains in extended family ownership.
Residence: Deanna lives in Coeur d’Alene.

Rod Colwell: Board Member. Term: Rod was appointed in 2000 and his term renews in 2010. Employment: Rod is in upper management at Idaho Independent Bank in the Riverstone Development. Residence: Rod lives in Coeur d’Alene.

Denny Davis: Board Member. Term: Denny is the newest member of LCDC, appointed in 2005. He is approved until 2010. Employment: Denny is an attorney in the law firm of Witherspoon, Kelly, et al. This is the law firm that represents the Cowles family of Spokane and their newspaper, the Spokesman Review. The Cowles family is also one of the top 5 land owners in Kootenai County. Residence: Denny lives in Coeur d’Alene.

Tony Berns: Executive Director. Tony is the only full-time paid staff member of LCDC. He was hired in 2001. The LCDC Board has set Tony’s salary at $108,000 per year plus benefits and retirement. He makes more than the Governor of the State of Idaho. Residence: Tony lives outside of Coeur d’Alene.

So there you have it. Whether you agree or disagree with the decisions of this board, these unelected people are making noticeable changes in our community. The only control we, the citizens, have over this board is through our Mayor and City Council. They are responsible for LCDC and answerable for all of its actions.