City examines ITD truck rules

SANDPOINT — Regulations over massive commercial truck routes led an otherwise straight-foward council meeting Wednesday.

City officials used the majority of the half-hour meeting to look over City Attorney Scot Campbell’s concerns regarding proposed Idaho Transportation Department trucking policies. They ultimately voted to forward Campbell’s comments to ITD, adding their own disappointment that North Idaho road and weather conditions hadn’t been properly considered in the planning process.

The decision concerned the public input process for ITD’s proposed rules governing 129,000-pound “heavy load” trucks. According to ITD officials, the subject is back under discussion following the completion of a 10-year pilot project begun in 2003. Hearings are now under way around the state to address the proposed regulations produced by this pilot program.

However, city documents indicate it’s unclear to what extent the ITD regulations apply to local governments. If the regulations don’t apply to local jurisdictions, city officials would want to establish their own permitting process or utilize some other method to protect city streets.

The ITD process begins with a business submitting a request for a heavy load truck route. Staff then review the proposal and establish the groundwork for engineering and safety standards. At that point, the request travels through the various subcommittees to until it reaches the full board for final approval.

Campbell, however, wasn’t entirely convinced the rules had been planned with North Idaho in mind.

“It was an interesting meeting, because there were a lot of questions they couldn’t answer,” he said.

His comments, now authorized by council members, focused on the different concerns a local permitting process would need addressed, including the need for special attention in areas with schools, pedestrian activity, street closures and more. The comments also call for a notification system when a request impacting local streets is filed.

In other local street concerns, council members also approved a permanent encroachment request filed by Red House LLC. The request is related to the restoration of the Belwood building, which is being converted into the Pend d’Oreille Winery’s new tasting room and bistro. According to business plans, two columns, a component of the building’s new overhang system, made city action of a necessity.