Sandpoint leaders push slower, public process for parking policy while dark‑sky enforcement remains limited
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Summary
City officials described an early-stage parking policy that will go through commissions before council action, said dark‑sky violations lack enforcement bandwidth, and planning staff announced a departing permit technician.
Sandpoint Mayor Jeremy Grimm and city planners told the City Council on Feb. 5 that a citywide parking management policy is in early development and will move slowly through commissions before the council considers any regulatory changes.
The mayor said the policy will begin with public input through city commissions and committees and then return to the council for action; he does not expect implementation before the summer of 2026. "This policy will eventually come to the city council for action," Mayor Jeremy Grimm said, adding that staff have been instructed not to engage on Facebook when speaking for the city.
Planning and Community Development Director Jason Welker said the parking management plan has been revised since an initial draft and is scheduled for detailed review by the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Pedestrian‑Bicycle Committee and Planning & Zoning. "Next up for public engagement will be the parks commission. It's the entire 90 minutes is gonna be devoted to getting feedback on this proposal," Welker said, noting upcoming meetings where the plan will be discussed.
The council also discussed related project design issues. Councilman Kyle Schreiber asked about lane widths on the Cedar Street project after reviewing 75% design drawings; Welker said HMH Engineering recommended 12‑foot lanes for Cedar because it is a collector road with truck traffic and nearby industrial uses, and because shared‑lane (sharrow) guidance recommends no less than 11 feet. "Their recommendation is 12 foot lanes based on the type of road, the classification it is," Welker said. He said the preliminary design will come to council for formal review.
Welker and the mayor described public notification improvements: a new subscription signup on the city website allows residents to receive email notices by topic (for example, planning, land use, parks, Ped‑Bike). "You can subscribe to topics of interest... and you will then get push notification via email with the agenda and the links and the meeting minutes," Grimm said.
On night‑sky rules, Welker reviewed Sandpoint Municipal Code Chapter 8 — the Sandpoint Outdoor Lighting Code — and said the code's purpose includes protecting the ability to view the night sky and preventing light trespass. He told the council the code includes an enforcement penalty of up to $100 but that the planning and building division currently lacks the bandwidth to conduct broad enforcement of existing nonconforming lighting. "The enforcement component requires bandwidth. It requires capacity, and that's just not something we have in the planning team right now," Welker said, adding that new development applications are being reviewed for compliance.
Welker also announced staffing changes in his department: building permit technician Olivia Shoemaker will leave the city on Friday after roughly two years; the city posted the position the same day as the meeting.
Public comment raised related parking concerns. Jennifer (Jen) Cox of Clark Fork asked the council to explain a prior decision to accept an in‑lieu parking fee for a downtown resort project at 56 Bridal Street and requested transparent documentation of how the fee was calculated. Cox told the council she reviewed Title 9 of the municipal code and believes the in‑lieu fee paid — which she said was $400,000 — was lower than the code would otherwise require. The city did not provide a response during public comment other than to note the matter would be addressed in later materials and correspondence.
Why it matters: Parking and curb management affect downtown circulation, tourism amenities and nearby residential neighborhoods. The council's repeated references to extended public engagement and commission review indicate officials plan to prioritize outreach before any regulatory change.
The council did not take a policy vote on the parking plan during the Feb. 5 meeting; the mayor and Welker said the council would see a formal proposal for review in coming weeks or months.
