Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Spot Bus seeks continued Sandpoint support as partners weigh matching funds and service options
Summary
Spot (public transit provider) briefed council on system ridership, federal grant funding and the local matching requirement, seeking continued municipal support. The council took no funding action but discussed implications for the FY2026 budget and possible service reductions if local match shortfalls occur.
Representatives from Spot (Panhandle Public Transit) presented an update to the council on June 25 including ridership, federal grant funding structure, and the local matching needs for FY2026. No council appropriation was made at the meeting; funding decisions will be considered as part of the city budget process.
Donna Griffin, Spot executive director, said the agency’s recent performance includes expanded ridership and service and noted Spot’s grant reliance on federal formula funds that require local match. Griffin and board member Cliff Warren described fixed-route boarding patterns in Bonner County, noting that a majority of fixed-route boardings occur in Sandpoint. “When we have that fixed route service, our paratransit service…we are required by our federal funding to expand beyond that set of streets by three quarters of a mile,” Griffin said, explaining how fixed-route stops can create broader ADA obligations and service footprints.
Spot outlined its proposed FY2026 operating budget (presented in the meeting documents as approximately $1.28 million) and explained that local match commitments are used to draw down larger federal operating funds. Griffin and board members summarized partners’ contributions and the possible service impacts if local match amounts decline; they said reduced local support could force the agency to cut a portion of scheduled service, change fixed-route hours or convert portions of the city’s fixed route to demand-response operation.
Council members asked technical questions about fare collection, bike racks, revenue sources and the link between downtown parking revenue and Spot support. No funding vote was taken; council members noted the issue will be considered during the FY2026 budget process. Spot representatives said they would provide updated budget figures to partners and continued to request municipal support.
What’s next: Spot will continue budget discussions with partners; the council will consider funding requests as part of the city’s FY2026 budget process and may examine parking-management and other revenue options to support transit.
