Sandpoint council adopts annual fee schedule including parking passes despite downtown business objections

The Sandpoint City Council adopted a revised city fee schedule Aug. 20 that includes maximum rates for downtown parking passes and other new fees after public hearings and extended outreach.

The measure passed on a 4-3 roll call following vigorous public comment from downtown business owners who said the proposed parking management approach — especially metered street parking and new pass fees — could deter repeat visits from local shoppers and harm retailers who rely on a narrow high‑season revenue window. The vote approved maximum fee levels while staff said actual implementation of paid parking would come later as part of a separate parking-management rollout.

Downtown Business Association president Sherry (last name not specified in transcript) told council she represents 40 businesses and said the group’s response to the parking plan was “not positive.” She argued the downtown economy depends on locals during the off season and urged alternatives, including reinstating a 1% local sales tax, suggesting it could raise more funds than metered parking. Stacy Mueller, general manager at Cedar Street Bridge (representing 24 tenants), said many employees lack close parking and urged that any employee pass radius be extended so workers living outside city limits would not be disadvantaged.

City staff and planning director Jason Welker and others told the council that the fees approved in the schedule are ceilings. Welker said the new parking-pass fees apply only to a small number of products in the fee schedule (resident, nonresident and marina slip passes) and do not by themselves implement metered street parking. He emphasized the council would receive a detailed parking management plan later this year, and that paid parking on some downtown blocks is aimed at achieving a target 85% occupancy level to improve turnover during peak summer hours.

Council debate focused on timing and process. Several councilors urged delaying implementation or more outreach; others said adopting fee ceilings now preserves flexibility so staff can finalize technology and enforcement details without returning to a full new fee hearing. The council approved the fee schedule on a roll call: Councilors Schreiber, Councilor (name redacted), and Ruhl voted yes; Councilors Howarth and Duquette voted no; Councilor Spiro voted no; the mayor cast a tie-breaking yes (final tallies recorded at the hearing).

Action items tied to the fee schedule included setting the maximum annual downtown nonresident parking pass at $30 and $15 for Sandpoint residents, and defining monthly/annual pass categories that staff will later operationalize when a parking-management plan and vendor contracts are in place. The council asked staff to continue outreach with the Downtown Business Association.