Pocatello's new mayor hits the ground running with town halls, video series and a cleanup push

TAYLOR S. CALDER tcalder@journalnet.com

Pocatello mayor Mark Dahlquist.

Sarah M. Carpenter Photography

POCATELLO — The Gate City's new mayor campaigned last fall on promises of economic transformation, accountability and a City Hall that treats everyone like a trusted neighbor.

Two months into his tenure, Mark Dahlquist plans to deliver on that vision through new initiatives and a culture that connects city officials with everyday citizens.

Within weeks of taking office, Dahlquist launched a monthly web series called "Mayor's Minute," where he highlights various city projects, programs, events and services via short online videos — explaining how they work and how they benefit the local community.

Following the introductory episode in January, Dahlquist spotlighted the Pocatello Police Department's new Know Me file for February's video — a voluntary and confidential program designed to help first responders assist vulnerable populations. The initiative allows participants to submit detailed information about medical conditions, behavioral triggers or other details that may be critical in an emergency.

The third Mayor's Minute, set to debut in about a week, will focus on community curb appeal.

Dahlquist has also moved the public comment section — normally held at the end of City Council meetings — to the beginning.

"We've actually had some good dialogue take place because of that, and I'm happy we made that change," Dahlquist said.

The mayor is also working to restore and reconfigure town hall meetings, with the city eyeing either March 31 or April 23 as a start date. All City Council members would attend, and the first meeting would open with an overview from the city's planning and development director before residents would have a full hour to discuss issues and offer feedback.

Dahlquist's push for transparency stems from his time on the campaign trail, where constituents told him the city was not listening to ordinary residents.

"I heard a lot of comments that 'The city doesn't listen to me, that I don't have a voice,'" Dahlquist said. "'There are things happening that I don't have control over.' I'm trying to give as many opportunities as I can. Tell me what's on your mind and maybe I can address those things in one of the Mayor's Minute topics. A lot of people talk about transparency and being able to connect with your city. It's an effort to have better two-way communication with everyone. I heard that message when I was out there — 'I'm isolated, I want to be more in the know. I want to be part of the process.' Being more open and engaging is what we're after."

Dahlquist said he has also spent his first seven weeks getting to know city employees and department directors and learning everyone's priorities.

"There's a lot that I've been doing to inform myself about city operations," Dahlquist said. "Economic development is a big thing on people's minds, so we've been talking a lot about that, but it's been a busy first six or seven weeks for me."

Dahlquist said he wants to build a strong workplace culture and has been meeting with department directors to discuss how to keep staff motivated.

"We've got a robust city staff, so they need to know what my goals, priorities and philosophies are," Dahlquist said.

From Idaho State University to economic development groups and business and community leaders, Dahlquist said he is exploring multiple avenues to help the city grow.

One involves beautification. Dahlquist has already worked with Union Pacific Railroad to repair damaged fence lines across from Pocatello City Hall and secured permission to clear debris and garbage that had accumulated there.

"One area where we can start is with our main corridors and thoroughfares," Dahlquist said. "A lot of people talk about the city entrances and how they're not up to a really high standard, so we're focusing more of our efforts there. I do strongly feel that good community curb appeal is a piece of the puzzle with economic development. The cleanup is one thing, from the city's behalf, that we did to step up to the table. It's going to take all of us to get that going."

Dahlquist and City Council members have already taken part in initial planning sessions for the city's 2040 comprehensive plan and are moving forward with their collective priorities and goals.

"There's a lot of people out there who are really passionate about the success of Pocatello, and I've been really enthused by all of that," Dahlquist said. "I really feel like we have the fundamentals in place to make Pocatello more economically vibrant. I'm going to do everything I can to be a leader and bring those groups together so we're all working toward the same cause. We have great, dedicated people here. It makes me feel optimistic about our future."