The Sandpoint City Council on Oct. 15 approved a staff-drafted amendment to the city's open-container code that permits single-day, permitted alcohol service in a defined area at City Beach and at certain other city facilities, subject to conditions the council added including limits on frequency and who may apply.

Why it matters: The change is intended to give community nonprofits a way to host fundraisers and events within a controlled, permitted footprint while responding to public concerns about safety, noise and impacts to the beach and park resources.

The amendment originally proposed by staff would have authorized permitted alcohol service at the James E. Russell Sports Center, at two Lakeview Park buildings and in a distinct, barricaded area at City Beach for single-day events in June. After several hours of public comment and council discussion, the council adopted an amended version that: limits City Beach alcohol permits to beer and wine; allows one permitted alcohol event per month at City Beach from after Labor Day through June (the council asked staff to prioritize Sandpoint and Bonner County nonprofit applicants and to consider a lottery if dates conflict); confirms the one-day limit for alcohol service (permittees may still have multi-day set-up as needed by the event permit); directs staff to shrink the maximum mapped service area from the draft map and bring back a revised map for the formal ordinance; and asks staff to implement an 8 p.m. curfew for alcohol service through the event permit rather than by ordinance language.

Public comment shaped the debate. Representatives of the Sandpoint Rotary and the Chaif 150 ride argued the ride's economic and philanthropic benefits and urged approval of access to City Beach. "For nearly 20 years, we've been a source of pride, economic vitality, and more than a million dollars in direct support for local education, youth, and literacy," said Mariah Williams of the Chafe 150 organizing committee. The Greater Sandpoint Chamber asked the council to consider July as well so its Beer Fest could continue, and offered to work with staff on permit timing if June-only language remained. "If your opinion is either it's June or nothing, please approve June for Chafe," Allison Dunbar of the chamber told the council.

Council discussion focused on public-safety controls, preserving family access to the beach, the practicalities of permitting and enforcement, and the visual footprint of any fenced serving area. Councilmembers said they preferred the finer operational details (curfew, exact site plan, vendor requirements, restoration guarantees) to be set in the event-permitting process so staff could apply consistent conditions across events. Council members also asked that the final site map provide a clear buffer from the volleyball courts and other beach uses.

Police chief and parks staff said any alcohol service area must be fully barricaded, maintain unobstructed ADA access routes, and specify who is responsible for setup, cleanup and post-event restoration. Staff also flagged that the permitting process can include conditions such as security, trash collection, and damage deposits; council asked legal and parks staff to tighten contract language to allow the city to deny or restrict future permits if conditions are violated.

Action taken: Council voted to approve the staff draft as amended and directed staff to return an ordinance with the council's edits, a reduced mapped service area and implementing permit language. (The council vote was a roll-call approval; city staff will bring back the finalized ordinance for adoption at a future meeting.)

What remains: Staff will produce a revised site map, draft permit conditions (including an 8 p.m. alcohol-service cutoff implemented in permits), and proposed contract language requiring event applicants to cover restoration costs and to provide insurance and security as needed. Council asked staff to explicitly evaluate and report back on how the revised rules will be administered while the downtown hotel is under construction.

Council and staff said the ordinance was intended as a narrowly tailored route to allow a limited number of community events while preserving family access and minimizing unintended precedent for frequent or large commercial uses of City Beach.

Ending: Staff will return an ordinance and revised site plan for formal adoption at a future meeting; the council emphasized it expected to revisit the policy if the seasonal trial or permitting outcomes require further limits.