Our focus at Malad City has been on the Wastewater Treatment Plant for so long, it seems strange that we can say that, finally, it is complete – well almost complete! We have some aerators that need to be replaced, but it has been running through 2024, and all is working well. The next step with the Wastewater Project will be to decommission the old ponds, dry them out and decide what to do with that land. It will take a few years to complete this phase.

Our focus has now turned to Bannock Street. That is the other big project that the city has been working on for a number of years – since 2017. We are excited that in 2025 that project will be completed. It will mean a mess for the city residents during the year, but the result, we believe, will be worth it. 

In looking back at the past year, the city has several areas of concentration, as follows: 

• Cemetery - The city crew has worked hard in the past year raising graves that have sunken over the years. There are still graves that need to be raised, and that work will continue in 2025. The sunken graves are being filled with a good fill dirt, and then new sod is placed on the top after the graves have had a chance to settle. Voles are still a huge problem at the cemetery. Removing some of the old fill from those graves that have settled will solve some of the problem. The crew will continue to bait the rodents to try to keep them under control. 

For years, there has been a problem with certain noxious weeds at the cemetery. Again, efforts have been, and are continuing, to resolve that problem. Some of these issues take time, and we appreciate the patience of the public in resolving these problems.

• Park and Walking Path - The second area is the park and walking path. The city obtained a $1 million grant, requiring no match, from the U.S. Forest Service. That means the city has been gifted one million dollars, free and clear; and yes, we understand that grants come from taxpayers. If our city doesn’t get the money, some other city does. Some of the plans for the use of those funds had to be modified by the city because of restrictions, but during the four more years that we have to spend the funds, we will plant another 400 plus trees with a second, gravel, walking path on the north of the current walking path. 

Many will question why a second walking path and why is it gravel? We want the area to be used and enjoyed by the public. Restrictions in the grant requires that it be gravel, but after five years, the city can asphalt the path. In the center of the walking path will be located the city’s new stormwater drainage (which is being built as part of the Bannock Street project). That area will be converted within the next few years to soccer fields, along with the north half of the field where the existing walking path is located. The city’s youth soccer program is robust. They are currently playing on any spot of grass available. 

Included in the grant budget will be a sprinkler system and a drip system for the trees for the new area (called the north park) and the north half of the existing walking path area, and the ability to hire an arborist. The city has a well located at the park, which will be used only for the park watering so that water is not being taken from Deep Creek or from the city’s culinary wells.

Many of the trees in the current walking path area need professional help. We lost several trees last year because of insect infestation, and other trees were dying. We have a large investment in the trees at the park. The city has a contract with arborist Trevor Robbins, through the Forest Service grant. Trevor lives in Malad. He has already started working on the current trees, and he will oversee the planting and care of the new trees.

• Water Infrastructure. Water and Wastewater studies were completed by the city’s engineer, J-U-B, during the past year. We know that our water and wastewater pipelines are old. The city council has chosen to concentrate on long-term goals, as follows: to detect leaks in the lines and repair those leaks; upgrade Wells #2 and #3 to resolve source capacity issues or to replace the wells with a reliable redundant source; repair or replace wells #2 and #3 to fix issues identified in a 2022 Sanitary Survey; loop watermains to address low pressure zones in the city; construct booster pump station to use existing spring water rights for the secondary irrigation system which in return would offset demands on the drinking water wells during the summer. In addition, other long-terms goals would include new, upgraded, water meters. 

The Public Works Department is working with a company to repair or replace water hydrants throughout the city. They have also been uncovering manholes that have been paved over.

In addition, the city has joined with Deep Creek Irrigation Company in submitting a grant request to upgrade the Deep Creek pipeline infrastructure from the dam, including the existing city infrastructure for secondary water. 

As always, we encourage citizens to feel free to express your concerns or questions to the proper city authority. For issues concerning the cemetery, parks, streets, water, or sewer, please contact Tyler Webster, our Superintendent of Public Works. He has an excellent crew of men in Gaylen Garrett, Pat Werk, Clint Price, and Quincy Asay. During the summer, local high school students are hired to help during that busy time, giving them work experience. 

For questions regarding your water bills or other such concerns, please contact the Malad City Clerk, Susan Wittman. Susan, along with office assistant Machelle Neal, takes care of the city records. She also is the person to see regarding utility payments, licenses, park reservations, city council and planning and zoning information, cemetery, and a lot of other general information. She and Machelle are valuable city employees.

John Christophersen is the Malad City Ordinance Officer. His responsibilities are to enforce the Malad City ordinances; and he is authorized to give citations if those ordinances are being violated. 

Your mayor and city council are Mayor Joan Hawkins, Council President Lance Tripp, and council members Larry Thomas, Tyrell Neal, and Jaime Olson. Their contact information, along with those of other city personnel, can be obtained from the Malad City website, maladidaho.org under the “Government”/“City Government” tab at the top of the page. In addition, the city’s telephone system will direct you to either the office or public works department when calling during working hours.

We consider it an honor to serve you. We welcome questions and even complaints! Please let us know how we can better serve you.