COEUR d’ALENE — Locals spending their holidays fighting over that last parking stall won’t have to fight quite as hard next year.

The city of Coeur d’Alene announced Thursday afternoon that residential parking permits for 2020 are now available, giving Coeur d’Alene residents and Kootenai County residents a breath of relief after a nearly yearlong battle between city officials and residents clamoring for financial relief.

The new permits allow one two-hour parking session per day at either the McEuen Park or Memorial Field parking lots. Coeur d’Alene residents can pay $10 for the yearly permit, while Kootenai County residents living outside the city limits can pay $20.

Residents may purchase the new permits by visiting the city’s public parking website at www.cdaid.org/parking and following the links, or by calling Diamond Parking at 1-800-828-4197. Locals will need to have their vehicle’s license number available, and they will be asked to provide both their vehicle registration and a utility bill for proof of residence.

A 4-3 vote last February to raise parking fees sparked a public backlash that culminated in a July council meeting showdown between some enraged citizens and their elected officials.

“When local, free two-hour parking was eliminated at these prime tourist locations, it felt like the parks were taken away from us and given to the tourists,” said Keith Boe. “It feels like they were stolen. It feels like we’re not welcome anymore in our own town.”

“I think of the promises made by city government,” Coeur d’Alene’s Roger Garlock told the City Council, speaking about political promises made prior to the Febrary vote not to raise parking fees. “... As one of those locals, you feel isolated from downtown. We want to appreciate this part of Coeur d’Alene as much as anybody, but I already feel isolated from downtown.”

Despite a rate of $1 for the first hour of parking at McEuen and Memorial passing through the council, the July hearing that harkened a massive public response led Mayor Steve Widmyer to come up with an August compromise — one that gave a deep discount to Kootenai County residents and a deeper-still break to residents within Coeur d’Alene’s city limits.

“We believed it was important to recognize Coeur d’Alene residents from Kootenai County residents,” Widmyer said, further explaining that a simple license plate reader couldn’t differentiate from the trademark “K” on Kootenai County-issued plates who lived inside or out of Coeur d’Alene.

The new permits — and enforcement of the new fees — take effect Wednesday, Jan. 1. The permits will be logged electronically; no paper permits will be issued.