Sandpoint assesses new police and fire impact fees for residents and businesses

The Development Impact Fee Advisory Committee meeting held on June 10, 2025, in Sandpoint focused on proposed adjustments to impact fees for police and fire services, reflecting the city's growth and infrastructure needs.

Key discussions revealed that the average single-family home in Sandpoint will incur a police impact fee of $249 and a fire impact fee of $494. For non-residential retail space, the fees will be $436 per thousand square feet for police and $882 for fire services. These adjustments are part of a broader strategy to align fees with actual service demands and projected growth over the next decade.

The committee projected that the city could generate approximately $482,000 from police fees and $962,000 from fire fees over the next ten years. However, anticipated expenditures for these services are expected to exceed revenues, leading to a funding gap of $100,000 when considering existing impact fee fund balances.

A significant factor in the fee adjustments is the removal of vehicle-related charges from the fee schedule, which was made to better reflect the actual needs of the community. This change has resulted in a decrease in fees compared to previous assessments, positioning Sandpoint competitively among neighboring communities.

The meeting concluded with plans to gather further comments and input from committee members before moving forward with the study's validation and subsequent recommendations to the city council for review and adoption. The committee emphasized the importance of these fees in supporting the city's infrastructure as it continues to grow.