Council approves two‑year parking enforcement agreement letting LCSC regulate adjacent streets

The Lewiston City Council voted to approve an intergovernmental parking agreement with Lewis‑Clark State College (LCSC) that authorizes the college to enforce permit parking on specified city streets directly adjacent to campus during school hours.

City Attorney Jennifer Tingano summarized the agreement and its limits: enforcement would typically run Monday through Friday during the academic year and stop at about 5 p.m., special events would be exempt, and the program would not regulate parking in front of residential properties. Tingano said the first‑year revenue share to the city is 25%, increasing to 30% in year two, and the parties can revisit or terminate the agreement with one calendar year’s notice.

Andrew Hansen, LCSC’s vice president for student affairs, said the college’s objectives are twofold: to encourage permit holders to use campus lots rather than neighborhood streets and to fund continuing campus security services that currently rely on permit revenue. "By expanding the number of parking slots and the number of permits sold, we will be able to keep the cost of those permits at a reasonable level," Hansen said.

Residents and neighborhood representatives raised concerns in public comment about notice, the net benefit to the city, and the potential for displaced parking. Kathy Johnson, a church board member near campus, said the church and neighbors were not alerted before the resolution appeared on the agenda and warned that converting 123 curbside spots to permit parking would remove free parking used by residents and churchgoers; she estimated the city’s share at about $2,900 based on $95 permits and 123 spaces.

City staff and LCSC said the mapped areas are limited to locations abutting college property or where the college controls both sides of the street; they emphasized that residential frontages are excluded. Staff also noted practical complications with license‑plate based residency exemptions: a resident may live in Lewiston and pay Lewiston taxes but retain an out‑of‑county plate, which complicates an automatic exemption tied to plate origin.

The council approved Resolution 2025‑40 authorizing the mayor to sign the intergovernmental parking agreement. The two‑year agreement allows either party to terminate with one year’s notice and requires the parties to evaluate program effectiveness at the end of the initial term.

Next steps: LCSC plans to phase enforcement consistent with the agreement’s hours and to use revenues partially for campus safety and potential street‑side improvements (striping, crosswalks, signage). Council and staff said they will monitor neighborhood impacts and can revisit the arrangement if it displaces residents’ parking or creates public safety issues.

Ending: The council’s approval sets a two‑year trial period; neighbors and councilors were urged to document any unintended consequences so the parties can adjust terms or terminate the agreement.