City extends BID contract

by Mary Malone Staff Writer
| January 5, 2017 12:00 AM

SANDPOINT — City Council members approved a Business Improvement District contract extension with the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce Wednesday.

While the future of the BID remains uncertain, the chamber will continue its role of BID administration and management through March 31 while city officials decide whether to continue the BID or dissolve it.

City officials have been working with Boise State University's public policy and community and regional planning graduate programs to review the structure and organization of the BID, as well as develop a survey, which was administered to businesses and property owners in the BID in December. The extension with the chamber will allow time for city officials to determine the findings of the review and survey.

Jennifer Stapleton, city administrator, said city officials hope to have the BID survey results back from the students by the beginning of March. Results will then be presented to council members. The contract with the chamber was already extended once from October through Dec. 31. City officials had expected survey results sooner, but ran into a delay when the survey through the university's institutional review board for approval.

The city established the BID in 2000, allowing city officials to contract with an outside agency to manage operation of the BID. In October 2015, the city entered into a contract with the Greater Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce for administration and management of the BID. The chamber employee assigned to manage the BID operations resigned in August, after which the city and the chamber held a meeting to discuss the future of the BID and whether or not the chamber wished to continue with the agreement.

During that meeting, chamber officials agreed to continue its role through the end of the year in order to ensure the continuance of some fall and winter programs, such as flower basket maintenance, tree lighting and decorations.

The BID is a public and private partnership in which property and business owners collaboratively contribute to the maintenance, development and promotion of the commercial district, which is bounded from Superior to Larch streets, and First to Sixth avenues. Some of the services include holiday lighting, spring clean-up, creation and maintenance of the BID website.

Some capital improvements are included in the bid as well, such as mutt mitt dispensers and SPOT bus stops and bike racks. Businesses and property owners are subject to an annual fee by the city to cover the services provided.