Setting the record straight: Facts about Sandpoint's parking program

Over the past year, since it was adopted in June of 2025, our community has engaged in a spirited discussion about Sandpoint's new parking management program, which will finally be implemented beginning July 1. I appreciate the many residents, business owners, employees and visitors who have shared their questions, concerns and suggestions.

Unfortunately, the public conversation has recently taken a troubling turn. Some online discussions have included increasingly hostile rhetoric and references to violence against government officials and destruction of public property. Let me be clear: there is no place for threats, intimidation or glorification of violence in Sandpoint. We can disagree passionately while continuing to treat one another with respect and civility.

Equally concerning is the amount of misinformation being shared online. A number of posts circulating on social media present opinions and speculation as fact, and in several cases contain statements that are simply inaccurate. Residents deserve factual information, not rumors or misinformation. For that reason, I want to address several of the most common misconceptions about the new parking program.

First, existing on-street time limits are not changing. Most downtown streets will continue to have the same two-hour, three-hour and four-hour parking limits that exist today. What is changing is that in designated kiosk areas (the 2-hour zone), motorists who need additional time will have the option to extend their stay for a fee rather than risk receiving a citation for overstaying the posted limit. This provides greater flexibility than the current system. Drivers will continue to receive their first two hours free by simply entering their license plate number at a kiosk or through the mobile app. This check-in process will take no more than 30 seconds of drivers’ time, and with a minimum of two kiosks posted per city block, there will a check-in location no more than 150 feet from every parking space in the 2-hour zone.

And let me be extremely clear; neither the kiosk nor the mobile app technology allows the City or the company providing parking services to “track” residents. The only data entered at a 2-hour kiosk is the license plate number, and when you leave a parking stall, we have no way of knowing where your vehicle went next. Resident permit holders will never have to check in at a kiosk or via app when parking in a City parking lot, and around 75% of downtown street parking remains available for 3-hour, 4-hour or unlimited free parking without any check-in required.

Second, affordable all-day parking remains available. Prior to 2016, the city's downtown parking lot charged $25 per month, or $300 annually, for employee parking. Under the new program, city residents may purchase an annual permit for just $20, while Bonner County residents may purchase an annual permit for $35. These permits provide access to all-day parking in designated city facilities for a fraction of the historical cost.

Third, free all-day parking remains available downtown. In addition to the City's annual parking permits, there are more than 200 free all-day parking spaces available in the area between Lake Street and Poplar Street, along with additional unrestricted parking throughout the community. Employees and visitors who prefer not to park in time-limited spaces continue to have free parking options within a short walk of the downtown core.

It is also important to keep this discussion in perspective. For city residents, an annual parking permit costs just $20 per year — less than $2 per month for unlimited parking in designated city lots. Reasonable people may disagree about public policy but given the modest cost and the significant benefits of improving parking availability and helping maintain our public infrastructure, this conversation should be grounded in facts, perspective and respectful dialogue rather than misinformation or inflammatory rhetoric.

Finally, it is important to understand why the city is implementing parking management.

Sandpoint's downtown, City Beach, parks and waterfront are among the community's greatest assets. They are enjoyed not only by our residents, but by thousands of visitors from throughout the region each year. We welcome those visitors. They support our local businesses and contribute to our community.

At the same time, visitors’ use of these public facilities often means locals’ ability to enjoy the amenities they serve is diminished. Anyone who has tried to park at City Beach on a weekend in July knows that oftentimes well over half the vehicles occupying that lot are from out of state. Additionally, these facilities require ongoing investment. Parking lots, sidewalks, lighting, landscaping, snow removal, pavement maintenance, enforcement and technology all carry significant annual costs. Historically, those costs have been borne almost entirely by city taxpayers, even though many of the people using these facilities live outside the city limits.

This program creates a fairer balance by asking those who regularly use these public amenities to contribute modestly toward their upkeep, while keeping annual permits for city residents at just $20 per year (enough to administer the local-vehicle registration system required to know who pays to park and who parks for free). It helps ensure that the responsibility for maintaining these valued community assets is shared more equitably rather than falling almost exclusively on Sandpoint property taxpayers, while improving availability and access to parking where people need it, when they needed, with locals given priority over visitors.

Like any new program, we expect there will be adjustments. We will continue listening to feedback, monitoring the results and making improvements where appropriate. That is how good local government operates.

I encourage everyone to review the official program information, maps and frequently asked questions at sandpointidaho.gov/parking before relying on information shared through social media.

Thank you for taking the time to stay informed, engaged and respectful of one another.

JEREMY GRIMM

Sandpoint mayor