Training Drill -

On August 7, from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., there will be an Active Shooter Training Drill held at Malad High School. Please be aware that the drill is being conducted for training of emergency agencies in Malad City and Oneida County to practice the necessary skills and communications that are needed in critical incidents. This is just a drill, so please do not be concerned if you see emergency vehicles coming from the High School to the hospital, or other activity taking place on that day around the high school or Search & Rescue Building involving emergency teams.

Grants –

Malad City is the recipient of two grants where work will be conducted at the Malad City Walking Path. 

The first grant is a U.S. Forest Service Grant. A bid was approved from R.S. Jobbers to construct a new gravel walking path up the center of the current walking path, install a sprinkling system on the north half of that path, install 137 new trees around the current walking path, and install a drip system to each of the new trees. Work has already begun on this grant and should be finished within 45 days.

The second grant is a FEMA grant for a new stormwater drainage area. The city owns property northwest of the current walking path. A bid from Reeder Excavating of Malad was recently approved for construction of the new stormwater drain. The entire field will be excavated, with a berm constructed around the drainage area. In addition, a sledding hill is planned for the northeast corner. For the rest of this year, the drainage will continue in the current area in the walking path at the park; and the new stormwater drain will tie into the city’s stormwater drain when the Bannock Street Reconstruction project is completed in 2026. Hess Pumice, Oneida County, and the Malad City crew will be busy removing a lot of dirt from the field and taking it to the IDAWY landfill. Expect to see a lot of trucking taking place during the month of August. Bush Avenue may be busier than normal.

After the construction of the stormwater drain, Phase II of the Forest Service grant will take place. R.S. Jobbers will then install a gravel walking path on top of the berm, a sprinkling system will be installed, grass will be planted, 263 trees will be planted, and a drip system will be constructed to each tree. 

At some point, the city will plant grass in the north half of the current walking path. These will be used for non-regulation size soccer fields. The field in the stormwater drain will be equipped with a system to help drain the water off faster, and regulation-size soccer fields will be constructed in that area.

Bannock Street Reconstruction Project -

As indicated, construction on the Bannock Street project will start in 2026. A contractor will be chosen this fall. There have been some questions regarding the Bannock Street project, which can be answered here. If anyone has further questions, there will be a public meeting held before the project begins.

Question – Why can’t the city just do the work and resurface Bannock Street?

Answer – There are multiple problems with Bannock Street that the city does not have the expertise or equipment to fix. The first problem is with the stormwater drainage, which is not adequate to take care of heavy flows. Flooding occurs on many lots and homes on the east end of Bannock Street. The second problem is that there is not adequate road base on Bannock Street to accommodate the heavy truck traffic. For this reason, the entire road will be cut down and a new base built. The third problem is the high crest on Bannock Street. This will be removed when the road is cut down. 

Question – I replaced my own sidewalks. Now you are going to put in new sidewalks and charge the homeowners through an LID. Why do you have to replace my sidewalk?

Answer – It is not possible to remove some sidewalks and leave others. Most of the sidewalks along Bannock Street have not been maintained, causing dangerous situations for many people. The city is required to pay a small percentage as match for the grants, which will be paid through the LID. The LID will be spread over a ten-year period, allowing a homeowner to either pay the cost in full, or pay yearly at a low interest rate. In addition, there will be sidewalks provided beyond the current sidewalks on Bannock Street to the railroad tracks. 

Many cities had to turn their federal grants back because they were not signed in time or were not far enough in the planning stages that they were accepted when President Trump reduced federal funding, including federal grants. All three of these projects are federal grants. It may be very difficult in the future for small cities to obtain federal funds for infrastructure. These three projects will help immensely with much needed road work, storm water drainage, and beautifying and adding amenities to the park.

Recent water crisis –

Did we learn anything because of the recent culinary water shutdown in the city? The Public Works Department has set additional alarms and implemented additional protocols to make sure this problem does not happen again. Hopefully some residents realized the importance of signing up for 911 and the city’s new text subscription program, as well as putting in place a water storage program for emergencies. Thank you, everyone, for your understanding and support during this incident. 

Note: After the preparation of this newsletter, we received news that FEMA may not be ready for us to start the Stormwater Project. We will keep our citizens posted of any changes that may occur because of this delay.