Sandpoint parks commission backs applications for state grants to upgrade City Beach RV park and boat launch

The Sandpoint Parks and Recreation Committee voted Dec. 11, 2024, to recommend that City Council direct staff to apply for two state grant programs to improve City Beach campground facilities and the nearby boat launch.

In separate motions that passed on voice votes, the commission asked the council to authorize applications for (1) the state waterways improvement fund grant and (2) the Recreational Vehicle (RV) campground grant administered by the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation. Committee members approved both recommendations by voice vote; the meeting audio records the ayes and the chair’s announcement that the motions passed, but individual roll-call tallies were not recorded in the transcript.

Why it matters: City staff said the RV campground — which the city acquired in 2021 and began operating in 2022 — has become the parks department’s second-largest revenue source and that upgrades would both improve visitor experience and help conserve or grow that revenue for parks projects.

What staff told the commission: Jason Welker described the campground and boat-launch proposals and said the Idaho…