Blakey always ready to see what’s behind the next door

Bob Blakey is a believer in the old adage: “When one door closes, another opens.”

The two-term Lewiston city councilor is uncertain if he will seek a third term, but with more to do, Blakey is pondering that decision and his next move. Is it time to close one door in his life and see what other doors have to offer?

An often outspoken member of the City Council, Blakey will, no doubt, have much to say regardless of which door he enters next.

Craig Clohessy: Where are you at with your decision to run or not run again for City Council?

Bob Blakey: I’m still undecided. I believe there are several unfinished projects that I would like to see finished in the city of Lewiston and I think I still have some value to give to the city of Lewiston.

CC: When will you decide?

BB: Give me two weeks.

CC: What are you weighing in the decision-making process?

BB: This would be my fifth political campaign. And to be honest, I’m worn out asking people for money. This would be my third City Council race and two other races — state legislator and county commissioner. I think people would be surprised that it costs $3,000 to $6,000 just to have a well-run local campaign. I’m not sure I want to go out and raise the money again and ask people for that.

There’s no doubt in my mind, though, people will support me. I have never had a problem raising money for a campaign. ...

If I don’t run for reelection, I’m very interested in waiting to see what next door opens for me. ... My life has been a series of doors opening and closing, but I’ve never gotten stuck in the doorway.

CC: Voters will be asked in November if they want to transition to a strong mayor form of government. Do you think voters should support the change or continue with the current city council, city manager form of government?

BB: First of all, I don’t know who came up with the words strong mayor. They’re asking for a change in the form of government and in the United States right now the city manager form of government is growing and it’s worked just fine for the city of Lewiston. I like the idea of having a professional at the helm. One that we can remove at any time and not have to wait three or four years for the voters to remove. So, my bias is toward having a manager form of government.

CC: And you’ll vote as such in November?

BB: Absolutely.

CC: The City Council discussed this week a proposed homeless shelter in Lewiston owned and operated by Union Gospel Mission out of Spokane. One of the hang-ups is the city has in place a limitation of no more than 50 residents per facility and Union Gospel Mission would like to exceed that number. Do you support what Union Gospel Mission is wanting to do?

BB: I support the premise of what they do, yes. As I mentioned (at Monday’s) City Council meeting, I had a chance to go up and spend some time in two of their facilities and spent quite a bit of time walking around the facility, talking to the people who operate it, talking to their clientele and then spending more time just observing the outside of the operation — what’s going on on the city streets during the evening hours. At first I thought we should let them learn how to walk before they know how to run, but it’s obvious to me that they know how to run. They have a well-run organization up there and so I don’t think we have to give them training wheels.

CC: Is Snake River Avenue — the proposed site — the right location for such a shelter?

BB: I don’t know if there’s any right location. I don’t know anybody who wants anything in their backyard other than gardens, parks and flower beds. This is a hard decision. No matter where we put it, somebody’s not going to be happy. ... I’d prefer it to be in a location that our police department can keep an eye on it and regulate it. Snake River Avenue is a high-visibility neighborhood, so there’s benefits there.

CC: COVID-19 is making a resurgence. At one point the city of Lewiston put a mask mandate in place. Do you see the stomach for doing that again if the need arises?

BB: Personally, I would vote for one. Do I see the stomach for one? No. We need to have state leadership behind us on this. It’s one thing to have national leadership but we need a governor and a state legislator who will stand behind this and I don’t see that happening in Idaho. (Blakey later added that the health district also needs to take a more active role in decisions such as mask mandates.)

CC: When you’re not serving as a city councilor, what do you do for fun?

BB: I enjoy bike riding. I bought an electric-assist bike, an e-bike, and hands down it is the best thing I’ve ever purchased. It allows me to get exercise every day, 20-30 miles. It allows me to ride around the city and see what’s going on and watch my city from the front of my handlebars. It allows me to go out into the countryside. It allows me to ride from my house to the levee without the hardship of hills. And it’s opened avenues for so many people who can now ride bikes who would not be riding bikes.

I’m also an avid (participant in) what we call cowboy shooting. Cowboy shooting is a form of target shooting using old guns from the 1860s and ‘70s — modeled after those guns. We dress up and we shoot competitively.

Clohessy is managing editor of the Lewiston Tribune. He may be contacted at cclohessy@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2251.