City Beach fee proposal defeated

SANDPOINT — A controversial proposal to charge non-residents a fee to park their vehicles at City Beach during the summer sank on a split vote on Wednesday.

The City Council voted 4-2 not to put the matter up for a public hearing, effectively killing the proposal. The council deadlocked on whether to table the fee question, but council procedures prevented from Mayor Gretchen Hellar casting a tie-breaking vote on a motion to table.

Councilwoman Helen Newton proposed a $1 or $2 parking fee for beach users who do not reside within the city limits as a response to a standing challenge at City Hall to identify new streams of revenue.

Newton said the concept has been discussed by city officials for decades, but it never went anywhere because of a dearth of political fortitude to act on it.

“We can find dozens of excuses not to do this and I expect we will,” Newton predicted during her opening remarks on the proposal.

The fee proposal has raised the hackles of the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce, which conducted a poll among its membership to gauge support or lack thereof. Of the 162 respondents, 84 percent opposed a fee at City Beach.

“Consensus is that it will discourage tourism and alienate others who live nearby. The general outcome will be fewer visitors to Sandpoint, thereby less money spent at our businesses downtown and throughout the Greater Sandpoint area,” Amy Little, the chamber’s executive director, said in a letter to the council.

The Downtown Sandpoint Business Association urged the council to table the matter.

Councilman John Reuter took exception to the notion that a lack of political guts kept the concept from gaining loft. He said it never went anywhere because it’s a terrible idea.

“Obviously, this would be a stupid thing to do. It would be bad for Sandpoint,” said Reuter, who contends fees, no matter how small, can have a very influential effect on people.

Although a fee for out-of-town visitors could be viewed as a perk for living in the city, Councilman Michael Boge said it could create the wrong impression. He was also concerned it would inspire neighboring political subdivisions to begin charging visitors to use their amenities.