SANDPOINT — Public transportation across the nation has seen a dramatic decrease of ridership in the past few months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although Selkirk Pend Oreille Transit is at 50 percent and continually rebounding, Executive Director David Sims requested a 13 percent increase in funding from Sandpoint to provide more competitive wages for his drivers. The request was approved by all members except for councilman Joel Aispuro, who felt that SPOT was not doing enough for local businesses.

“Talking to businesses about SPOT, I have never heard anything positive, personally talking to business owners and quite often a lot of people,” said Aispuro, who is a business owner in downtown Sandpoint. He questioned if the revenue generated for the city by SPOT was producing desirable economic results.

SPOT started service in 2011 and overall ridership increased from 71,256 in 2018 to 103,222 in 2020. Sims offered to provide a 2016 shift report to the council and look into data involving local business feedback. He also pointed to the fixed Blue and Green routes as places to optimize ridership and profit.

“The routes were designed when SPOT happened and I think there can be improvements to help the tourists in town,” Sims said.

Councilwoman Kate McAlister said she once attended a mobility conference in Boise where the SPOT bus frequently received praise on how the community is working together.

“I think the original intent was maybe to get people downtown, but to move the people of Sandpoint and get cars off the road,” she said.

McAlister said parents in the community are appreciative of the SPOT buses for kids to ride around the city. In addition, McAlister has received numerous calls of tourists that will not visit a place without public transportation such as SPOT.

Councilwoman Deb Ruehle was also in support of SPOT, who believes it has been primarily positive for the senior and disabled community.

“That’s their only way to get out,” Sims said. He said sometimes people ride multiple times a day, just to get out of their house.

“5,000 rides, that’s a lot more than one a day, and you are speaking to a physical therapist,” Ruehle said.

Aispuro did not waver in his stance.

“I am not saying we don’t need to help our elderly or those in need, I just would like to see more positive feedback,” He said.

Ruehle suggested that SPOT buses could be better used during the tourism season, particularly for the roundabouts in City Beach that were proposed in the Parks and Recreation Master plan. She said this could be a solution to support the senior and disabled population and generate more money for the service and Mayor Shelby Rognstad was open to explore the idea further in future meetings.

Although the council granted a 13 percent increase, Sandpoint only needed to grant $67,500, which was a 10 percent reduction from last year. This decrease is due to the distribution of funds from the CARES (Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act.

“The SPOT Board has decided to use CARES Act funds to help offset our operating costs next year, reducing the local match amounts,” Sims said in a letter to the city council.

The 2021 budget is $889,000 and $594,000 was matched funding from grants. Sims said that with an increase in grant money, there was a greater local match requirement. Sandpoint paid $75,000 last year and would have paid $85,000 this year, without the funds from the CARES Act.

Sims said SPOT is receiving money for the CARES Act because of their food delivery services during the pandemic and he is hoping funding will last them somewhere between five to 10 years.

Aly De Angelus can be reached by email at adeangelus@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow her on Twitter @AlyDailyBee.