Idaho Mill and Tree Services

A business license for Idaho Milling and Tree Services that had been introduced last month was granted.  There had been some concern among council members about whether the business was commercial, preventing it from being housed within a residential zone without a variance.  It was determined that the business was commercial, rather than industrial, and it was also noted that there had not been any complaints about the use of the saw in the six or so years it had been operating privately on the property.  A motion to accept the BL for Idaho Mill and Tree Services, LLC passed.  

Tyler Webster  

Webster raised the issue of leaking water lines.  The city will need to shut off the water outside Hess Pumice under the road.  The replacement will need to be chlorinated, pressure tested, and etc before it is then connected.  Hess will have a week notice before they do it.  This is an emergency situation, and the bid came back for $89,480.  By statute, in an emergency situation the city can take whatever bid there is in order to fix the problem if it isn’t reasonable to pursue another process.  The choice of only one bid needs to be published.  A meeting will be held on Friday in order to make an emergency resolution to fund the water line replacement.  

The Splash Pad is back up and going.  The tubing inside the system was leaking.  It’s running “fantastic right now.”.     

Sheriff Doug Williams

Calls about a person potentially bathing at the splash pad had been coming in.  An individual was reported to potentially be living in a vehicle near the property.  “He’s not breaking the law.  I don’t know if there’s an ordinance that would cover it,” Williams said.  There is a park ordinance in the works.  The individual is not on the registry, or in possession of warrants.

May saw 176 total reports.  24 warnings were issued in the city, 4 in the county.  

Security is allocated for the Welsh Festival and 4th.  

The issue of how the city and county approach the sheriff’s budget was again raised.  “I try to be an active sheriff.  I go to all these meetings.  People seem to agree that any contract that involves money has to be approved by the commissioners,” Williams said.  

Jaime Olsen agreed.  “The county sets your budget.  Yes, our [city] money goes to it, but the county is essentially the main budget.  Our money is just so that we get those services.  We are paying the county a fee so that we can have those services. The county pays for you guys to be there, and we pay them so that we can access your services. It doesn’t matter what we give the county, then they set the budget to whatever they want.  That’s the way I look at it.”

Councilmember Lance Tripp asked about whether the city could see where the funds from the city go in the budget.

Mayor Hawkins said, “This gives us something to talk about, and we will.  We’ll put this back on for July.”  

The question of whether residents who are in the city (and therefore by necessity in the county) were paying for services twice (through taxes) was raised. 

John Christophersen 

Code Enforcement reported that  “I have been busy with watering, sprinklers.  It’s not a perfect science.  Our flyer says that timers are the only exception, but it doesn’t specify night or day.  This does not apply to new sod.  The hospital waters in the day, and was served.”  

A resident who has possibly set up a trust to build a dog pound is still interested.  JC thinks there is probably a cheaper way to do it.   

Rec

Rec updated the council on the last rec committee meeting.  They approved a 9U team, which should be in place by the tournament for this summer.  The older tourneys will have precedence.  They talked about plans for next year, as well as a more visible disability notice.  There was one participant who pulled out of Tball due to not being able to be accommodated by the rec league.

The council approved the All star teams to attend the Chubbuck tournament this summer.  They also discussed the partnership between the Hawks and Rec league soccer.  T Hawks will be allowed to store stuff in the city shed.

Pickleball—all the lights are fixed and working. 

“We have an amazing rec board right now—they’re all involved,” CM Lance Tripp noted.

Brett Evanson

Evanson and the city are still working on a Park Ordinance.  Evanson emailed samples of other ID cities.    

“I think we’ve gotten a lot of good input on the ordinance,” Evanson said.  “I think it makes the most sense to do a tree section inside a park ordinance.  The current ordinance either needs to be updated, or replaced and need rules for the firepit, as well and Splashpad usage.”  

Other issues such as alcohol use in the park are already covered in other code.

Allowing people to stay in trailers overnight during tournaments was considered an important thing to continue.

Ellen Mallonsen

Lives on 90th S near the apts. owned by Brian Martin.   

JC thinks that the sheriff is the authority that should be on it.  They should be dealing with domestics, noise, etc.  “Yes, there’s ordinance against this, but they should be addressing this immediately, as it’s happening.”

Julie Bell

Julie Bell spoke to the council about people who have committed to the National Night Out for the July 25 event.  She brought in flyers to be hung up around the area.   

Ideas for the event were discussed, including a contest to see who the best party, with pictures in the paper.   CM Tripp pitched the idea of a neighborhood to neighborhood water balloon fight, which sounded awesome.

A dance may potentially be  added to the mix, which will be on the same night.

Playground

A committee has been working on raising funds and finalizing plans for changes to the City Park playground.  [in this week’s paper, Dotty Evanson writes about the project in Grandparents Only.  When we have more details, we will bring you an update with plans, ways to help, and so on.]

The committee decided on a design, that will be through Taggert Castleton, Great Western Recreation.   

A variety of option were discussed at the council meeting.  The popularity of  ziplines was noted by both parents and grandparents in the room. 

The playground will be  set up in sections from young to middle to older, with a variety of climbing structures. 

The city will take out the backstop and move it to the field where there is grass.  It goes through a co-op, so it doesn’t need to go through a bidding process, according to information presented.  

Donations are from individuals, and businesses can sponsor a piece of equipment that will get a plaque.  “I really feel good about these guys,” CM Tripp said of the organizers.  

The group is trying to get it done for next year, and the city will try to cushion the project with budget room next year.  

The committee already approved the design and the bid, but the council also needs to.  The approval just lets them start raising money.  It is on city property.  

The city approved the basic design, though obviously some specifics could change.  Great Western Recreation design plan.  Approved.  $249,017.48 is the total noted.