City looks at fee increases

SANDPOINT — As council members prepare for the coming budget process, city fees are undergoing their annual review.

To maintain services and bring in additional revenue, city staff are taking a careful look at the current structure of fees for licenses and services. As required by city code, a public hearing on all new fees or increases greater than 5 percent is scheduled for next month’s City Council meeting set for 5:30 p.m. on July 18.  

One new addition is the an invasive species maintenance moorage fee. Tailored for both residents and visitors, the new moorage fee will run $25 per season for long-term use or $5 per day for shorter

periods. Other more substantial increases include business registration and permits, dog licenses and community hall rentals.

Recreation fees in particular were a major conversation topic at the June council meeting. Non-resident usage fees for park events are one valuable source of income for the Parks and Recreation department. In fact, the fee structure brings in $13,000, a valuable source of revenue.

“That’s how we play for all our playgrounds,” department head Kim Woodruff said.

However, for many kids residing outside city limits and participate in organizations like Sandpoint Strikers Association or Sandpoint Baseball Association, those non-resident fees can become prohibitive. In fact, for one Strikers tournament alone, the costs added up to $7,500.

“These are organizations that don’t have tax dollar support and are helping a ton of kids,” Woodruff said.

According to Woodruff, the ultimate goal is to find a plan that can cut costs and divert revenue streams to the point where the city can still maintain playgrounds without hurting community-friendly organizations.   

Sports leaders offered one possible solution by volunteering team time to maintain parks and fields in exchange for reduced fees. Another possibility is adding additional fees for large-scale events like weddings or concerts — occurrences that Woodruff said were occurring with greater frequency as Sandpoint’s popularity grew.