SANDPOINT — In a narrow 3-2 vote, the Sandpoint City Council approved a parking management system from IPS Group on Wednesday evening.

The decision allows the city to enter a contract with the company which will be providing and installing 43 kiosks across downtown and at City Beach. Councilors Joel Aispuro, Josh Torrez and Deb Ruehle voted in favor of the contract, with Aispuro being the most vocal supporter of the plan. 

"The threats are, we're not going to shop at Sandpoint anymore. Well, guess what, Sandpoint is still here, how many years later. After all the threats, we're still here, and we're going to be here,” Aispuro said. “The people that don't want to come to Sandpoint to spend their money. Guess what? That's now an open spot for somebody who do want to spend money here.” 

Councilors Pam Duquette and Kyle Schreiber voted against the contract; both said they wanted more time to get feedback from the public and test the system before entering a $220,000 contract. Duquette described the plan as “too much, too fast” and said she felt like the plan went against the feel of Sandpoint. 

“I understand people that come from big cities here might understand all of this. I'm thinking, I'm glad I walk and ride my bike everywhere, because I can't imagine doing this,” Duquette said. “I guess where I'm really coming from is this is just a big change for a little old Sandpoint, and I think it needs to be done gingerly.” 

Aispuro pushed back on the “little old Sandpoint” mindset and noted that the city had paid parking in city lots up until 2016. He said parking has always been subsidized by somebody, but currently the burden is on the taxpayers.  

Schreiber proposed the idea of a phased rollout, in which the city would only place kiosks downtown during the summer so the city could gather feedback about progressing further. Russell Robert, a representative from IPS Group, said the city could opt for a phased approach by activating the machines at different times. 

“The part of the parking management plan that I've heard the most support from the public, from is City Beach,” Schreiber said. “My preference is, let's start with City Beach and get people used to having paid parking at Sandpoint, and then roll it out.” 

The current iteration of the parking plan will give drivers several different options based on residency and where they are parking. On-street parking will remain free for a certain amount of time, with the option for parkers to buy additional time to avoid the potential of getting a citation. 

The city will charge an hourly rate to park in off-street lots, which will be set by the council when it sets the city’s fee schedule in May. Welker said the goal of the program was to create incentives for people to park away from prime spots and drive turnover. 

“A two-hour limited time zone without effective enforcement is not effective,” Welker said. "The kiosk system places a small burden on the parker for the very great benefit of parking in a premium spot and creates a disincentive to abuse that.” 

For city and county residents, the city is offering passes for $15 and $30 a year, respectively, which would allow a vehicle to stay parked in an off-street city lot for eight hours, according to Community Planning and Development Director Jason Welker. Those pass holders would still be held to the time limits when parking on street on First and Second Avenue.  

The city is also offering passes for downtown employees and residents, which are $40 and $80 a month, respectively. Welker said those pass holders will be allowed to skirt the time limits, and employees will receive 12 hours of parking, while residents will receive 24-hour parking. 

The final pass offered by the city will be for marina slip holders and cost $100 a year. Welker said this pass allows for unlimited, including overnight, parking at the Dock Street and City Beach.  

The parking passes will be completely tied to a vehicle's license plate, meaning they are nontransferable between cars, Welker said. 

“We are not requiring it," Welker said. “Slip holders may choose to pay the hourly rate in these lots. They could just use their city resident permit and park for eight hours in those lots. If they're a county resident, they can use their county resident permit and park for eight hours in those lots. It's purely optional.” 

When parking on the street during enforcement hours, drivers will need to register their free time session either at a kiosk, using IPS’ mobile app or a system called text to pay. If drivers do not register for their session, Welker said they will be at risk for a ticket. 

In his presentation to the council, Welker estimated that in year two the parking passes would bring in around $200,000. Mayor Jeremy Grimm called the approval of the plan a “momentous step” for the city and said he looks forward to the revenue going toward repairing the City Beach parking lot. 

The estimated income from parking passes and fees allows the city to draw from a $1 million line in the budget reserved for grant revenue and expenses to pay $220,000 for the kiosks, according to Sarah Lynds, the city’s financial director. 

With the kiosks the city will also be introducing boat launch fees, which will also be set by the council in May. Welker said a representative from the Idaho State Parks and Recreation told him it was hurting their chances of receiving grants. 

“When I applied for waterways Improvement Fund grant last year, which we did not receive, one of the questions was, ‘Are you charging boat launch fees at City Beach?’ I said, ‘No.’” Welker said. “They said, ‘Well, you should be, because we don't want to put money into a public marina where you're not paying for its maintenance through boat launch fees.’” 

Welker told the Daily Bee that he is going to begin making education packets for residents to be informed before an implementation. Welker said at the meeting the city’s goal is to have the kiosks up by the Fourth of July, although the implementation has yet to be decided by the council. 

The entire meeting and discussion can be found on the city’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/@CityofSandpoint. 

    The optional passes available for city and county residents.
  

    A layout of where the kiosks would go in downtown Sandpoint.