SANDPOINT— The Sandpoint City Council voted Wednesday to revert to the city’s original free two-hour parking system, with citations issued if motorists exceed the time limit. 

"If those kiosks are gone, then there's no confusion about what the use of those kiosks are," said Councilor Kyle Schreiber. "If we want clarity in our community, that's how we accomplish that." 

The decision to remove the city’s new parking kiosks follows a three-week halt to the downtown parking program that began its rollout at the beginning of July. The kiosks were installed as part of a new parking plan approved by the council last March. What came after were several weeks of controversy and complaints — and a possible recall of Sandpoint Mayor Jeremy Grimm and council president Deb Ruehle. 

Two weeks after the program's implementation, the council voted to limit paid parking to Sandpoint City Beach and city lots, while keeping parking kiosks in free two-hour zones disabled until the council could discuss the issue Wednesday to come up with a possible solution. 

At Wednesday’s meeting, the council voted 5-1 to approve a motion by Councilor Kyle Schreiber to remove on-street parking kiosks. The motion also calls for city staff to administer free annual passes for residents, and hardship passes for county residents beginning in 2027 as well as reinstating the Sandpoint Parking Committee. 

Ruehle voted against the motion, saying that the original decision to install kiosks was so individuals had another option to pay for parking aside from using a smartphone. 

"From my perspective, businesses need to be in business to make money, not educate people on how to work parking meters," said Councilor Joshua Torrez, who voted in favor of the motion. 

Since purchasing additional time via kiosks will no longer be an option, individuals can extend their parking session remotely via text or through the ParkSmarter mobile app.  

Signage will be updated to accompany the change, with a scannable QR code giving drivers the ability to pay for additional time. 

Although all on-street parking kiosks will be removed, kiosks at the Sandpoint City Beach and city lots will remain, with some of the removed kiosks being repurposed for those locations. 

Councilors shared their thoughts about the downtown parking program, with chief concerns being a difficult rollout and immediate impact on downtown businesses. 

Some councilors said several business owners and community members they spoke with had no issues with the program. 

"I actually found plenty of businesses that aren't having an issue with this," said Councilor Pam Duquette. 

Councilor Joel Auspiro noted that City Beach Organics owner Bob Edmondson was in favor of keeping the kiosks and had requested that his email conveying that support be presented to the council. Edmondson added that other local businesses held similar views. 

However, other councilors had different experiences talking to the community. 

"I was concerned this whole time that we were going to see backlash that people didn't want to visit downtown," said Schreiber, adding that the rollout began as the city is already in the middle of an economic downturn. 

Although Schreiber said the kiosks made enforcement easier, he disagreed with the notion that issuing citations is a positive, saying that people should "enjoy their visit and walk away without a ticket." 

"What we do want is turnover in those spaces," said Schreiber. "Offering people the ability to buy more hours defeats that purpose." 

Community and development planner Jason Welker noted that past data collected from a 2025 parking satisfaction community survey suggested a need for parking management. 

"86% said they were very or somewhat concerned about future parking challenges as Sandpoint grows," said Welker. "All that points to the fact that it's time to develop a parking management plan for Sandpoint." 

The paid parking program has been controversial, with questions and concerns pouring in from downtown business owners and residents. 

Shery Meekings, owner of Carousel Emporium, said that as someone serving on the frontline of Sandpoint's downtown community, she spoke for "many types of people doing life, shopping and visiting many different types of businesses in the parking meter zone." 

"The consensus I am here to report is that our community, they don't want the parking meters," said Meekings. "90% of our local shoppers downtown say no to meters." 

Meekings said sales data from the downtown core reported a 20% loss of sales so far this year, adding that those numbers could be devastating for many businesses. 

Among the individuals who voiced their frustrations, some remained in support of the program. 

"I really think that it's something we need to do," said Sandpoint resident Tari Pardini. "I'm one of few, but I do support it." 

Mayor Jeremy Grimm said Sandpoint residents pay city taxes that upkeep amenities for not only the city's population but also a broader community of 50,000 people, including county residents who do not pay those taxes. 

"That just doesn't seem fair or right to me," said Grimm. "I was raised to believe you pay for what you use, and you contribute when you can." 

Grimm said most of the public comments he has received concerning the parking program were from county residents, not city residents. 

In contrast, Grimm said he has received roughly a dozen emails from constituents, city residents and city taxpayers showing their support. 

Bonner County residents countered Grimm's argument, saying that their voices still matter. 

"I'd like to remind people that a large number of Bonner County residents are the multi-generational families of Sandpoint's history. Many of our families were a part of the beginning of Sandpoint," said Bonner County resident Tara Brady. "Just because we choose to live outside of city limits does not mean that this is not still our hometown."