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 Department of Parks and Recreation grant deadline is at the end of January. Welker said IDPR administers sizable funding and that the department believes Sandpoint is a strong candidate; he told commissioners the campground has generated nearly $300,000 in total revenue since city ownership and that nightly rates currently range about $50–$65 depending on length of stay and surge pricing.

Staff outlined deficiencies at the RV campground: a gravel, uneven surface; no restroom or shower facilities; limited electrical capacity (some sites lack 240-volt service); no sewer hookups; minimal landscaping; no camp host; and periodic management issues that generate public complaints on busy weekends. Public Works has staged equipment for an unrelated sewer lift-station replacement at the park’s northeast corner, staff said.

Grant scope and potential work: Welker told the commission that eligible work under the grants could include new restrooms and showers, upgraded electrical service, sewer hookups, landscaping, Wi‑Fi for the campground, and repaving or regrading of parking areas. Staff estimated the work could require a multi-hundred-thousand to multimillion-dollar application and noted a typical 5% local match requirement for IDPR grants; the staff report presented to council (and previewed to the commission) discusses match options including allocating parks capital funds in FY26.

Boat launch proposal and public safety rationale: staff also described a waterways-improvement project to improve launch access, replace or raise docks for winter moorage, and — depending on cost estimates — dredge a channel in Sand Creek to make the launch usable for more months of the year. Welker said local emergency responders requested improved access so sheriff and fire boats could be moored and launched closer to town; he named Bonner County marine deputy Doug Megeechee and Sandpoint Fire Chief Gavin Gilcrease as supportive of winter moorage and improved launch access. Welker said the city has begun outreach to local dredging contractors for ballpark cost estimates and emphasized that design, permitting and environmental approvals would be required before construction.

Grant funding context and timing: staff told commissioners that the state grant programs under discussion have varying funds available — the meeting transcript records both a statement that “almost $6,000,000” is available through one IDPR program this year and a later staff comment that the waterways-improvement fund typically disburses about $1.2–$1.5 million in a year. Welker said some counties with high boat-registration counts are strong contenders for waterways funding and that local legislators had encouraged Sandpoint to apply. The staff report and staff presentation will appear on the City Council agenda the week following the commission meeting.

Commission action and next steps: the commission passed motions recommending that City Council authorize staff to prepare and submit applications for the waterways-improvement fund and the RV grant program. The motions were seconded and passed by voice vote; staff will present the formal application request and staff report to council at its next meeting. If the council authorizes staff to apply and an award is offered, staff said further work would include conceptual design, permitting and environmental review before construction could begin.