Council to meet, host hearing

SANDPOINT — The Sandpoint City Council is holding its regular meeting tomorrow with several items of new business on the agenda. The highlight, however, is a public hearing that will determine whether the council’s proposed comprehensive plan is approved.

If the community endorses the document, a final draft of which was released July 1, the new comp plan will replace the 2009 version and act as a guide for future zoning decisions. 

Additionally, the council will examine an ordinance spearheaded by Mayor Jeremy Grimm that restructures the organizational and operating structure of City Hall. 

If approved, the ordinance will amend city code to remove the currently vacant position of city administrator and add the positions of public works director, central services director, and community planning and development director. 

According to Grimm, the ordinance represents a return to a prior structure of Sandpoint’s government. 

“Recognizing that the city of Sandpoint operated under this structure for all but a few years of our history, I believe the historical evidence supports these changes and will allow efficient management of all areas of city services,” Grimm said. 

Additionally, the ordinance aims to confirm Cheryl Hughes and Jason Welker, respectively, as the new central services director and community planning and development director. A recruitment effort is underway to fill the public works director position. 

Also included in the new business are action items for the approval of Sandpoint’s fiscal year 2025 preliminary budget and the review of changes to city fees. 

The sum of the preliminary budget is $50.5 million — a 4.7% reduction from last year. Sarah Lynds, city finance director, attributes the decrease to the dissolution of the Fire Joint Powers Agreement, a former unified system for fire response in the greater Sandpoint area. 

The preliminary budget anticipates levying $5.1 million in property taxes, a 7% increase from the prior year. 

For city fees, one of the major proposed changes is a 35.9% increase to all development impact fees, which Sandpoint charges to developers to help cover the costs associated with a rise in population. 

The proposed fee changes also include insight into the cost of membership at the soon-to-be-completed James E. Russell Sports Center. There will be no charge for kids (age 0-18) and the cost of membership for an adult Sandpoint resident will be $45/month. 

The council will aim to finalize the 2025 budget and the proposed fee changes in an Aug. 21 meeting. A public hearing will be held to facilitate community feedback. 

Tomorrow’s meeting will take place at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 1123 Lake St. The meeting will also be livestreamed on Zoom at www.sandpointidaho.gov/your-government/meetings.