The City Council meeting for May happened to take place during a widespread power outage.  The outage, which was most likely tied to a downed power line near Nucor, affected over two thousand residents of the Malad Valley.  Due to the power outage, the meeting was held with additional light from a lantern provided by former Boy Scout Terrill Schwartz.

John Christophersen and Shelly Williams were not in attendance.

Parade Specifics

This year’s 4th of July Parade theme will be “America 250” to correspond with the national observance of same.  The council announced the Grand Marshals as Larry and Wendy Thomas.  The Honored Pioneer will be Helen Lewis.  The Honored Veteran is selected by the American Legion, and the Volunteer of the Year is generally announced at the July 3rd festivities. 

The Parade Route will be different this year as a result of construction.  A map is included with this report.

Councilman Firth noted the time capsule is set to be opened on the 4th, right at the park at 12 before the kid races.

Budget Hearing

A meeting to discuss an amendment to the budget was held.  A transfer from the State Treasurer account LGIP (Local Government Investment Pool) will be used to pay for additional water rights the city recently purchased, which total just over $500K.  The water fund will retain nearly a million dollars after the purchase.

In previous meetings, the significance and need for the water shares had been discussed.  These had become available to the city through a private individual, and were considered well worth the cost to pursue, as they will help the city deal with its water demands through the summer months especially.  As members of the council noted, the value of water shares does not tend to decrease over the long term. 

The LGIP is where reserve funds from the water/sewer account are held, but since the budget has already been approved for the budget year, a meeting is necessary in order to make the transfer and underwrite the purchase of the water rights.    

The hearing was closed without any members of the public choosing to comment.

$541,950 was approved for the water purchase and infrastructure on a unanimous voice vote.

Sheriff Williams

Despite the power outage, Williams was able to provide print copies of his monthly report because the sheriff’s office has a generator, as do the Event Center and Hospital.

Monitoring of the City Park was discussed.  Since the new playground equipment has been put in, members of the city crew, police, and citizens have reported some potentially destructive behavior on the part of teenagers and adults who are too old or large for the equipment, primarily after dark.

“I’ve been watching and it’s using up too much of my brain,” Councilman Tripp laughed.  The sheriff said that he would encourage his officers to patrol the park more often.

A recent hire in the department quit soon after being hired.  “He was a really, really good candidate, but it’s where we are now.

Issues related to the potential Data Center in Box Elder County were discussed.  Sheriff Williams focused on the potential impact the increased population in the county might have.  “They’re predicting that will be up to 10 thousand construction jobs and afterward 2 thousand permanent jobs.  Probably a lot of new growth out in that area.  There’s going to be very slow responses as a result.  Prepare for that – I’m trying to prepare,” he stated.  The location of the center will likely make the less restricted and cheaper areas of Idaho prime targets for developers to house the labor force.

The increase would further put a strain on the resources of the department.  “I don’t know what to do guys,” Williams said.  “I’m truly worried about the staffing.  We’ve had two or three DUI related deaths. It makes me angry.  Safety, schools, and churches are the main concerns people have when they move here.”

The current contracts make it such that the Sheriff is able to be flexible with the budget.  “I try to do the right thing.  It’s something I’ve always been taught since day one, which is that public funds are a delicate area that you don’t want to play around with.”  

The council and the sheriff continued to talk about the current contract the sheriff’s office has with the county, with is part of a tripartite contracting arrangement with the city.

Councilman Neal stated, “our hands are just as tied as yours.  I’m willing to do whatever we can to keep you going, but need to know what to do.  We want to help.”

Terrill Schwartz noted that even though the parks and the schools are in the city, they affect most of the county employees as well.  He also noted that a raise above other county employees would cause complaints, but he also pointed out that the hours and situations that police work is different.  “It’s not Mayberry anymore,” Schwartz said.

Williams discussed some options for thinking about the contract with the council.  One idea was that the contract should be monthly, and the city could choose what level of enforcement it needed, and Williams could adjust the charge based on the force he was able to provide.  The budgeted funds are set based on the assumption that the sheriff’s office is fully staffed, but it hasn’t been for years.  

Councilman Lance Tripp raised the idea of a workshop with the county commissioners to work on the issue.  

“I know I’m a county sheriff, but I’m just trying to protect people, and fairly,” Williams said.

“Any time we can negotiate that contract is good.”

A meeting is tentatively scheduled for June 3.

Tyler Webster noted that a lot of dangerous driving has been happening around the Bannock street construction.  

Recreation Scott Ray

Director Ray stated that the 25th of May is when rec baseball starts.

He said that they interviewed people to run the concession stand and decided to hire Krishelle Smith.  “We feel like she would do a good job,” he said.

Councilman Tripp explained the responsibilities.  In addition to the services in question, the job also requires a food handlers permit.  A motion to hire Smith  for the concession was passed.

Ray noted that at the pickleball area, “we are ready to plant sod.”  They are planning to put grass about twenty feet around the pickleball court.  The funds are from a grant.  Councilwoman Melissa Firth wondered if it might be a drain on the city’s water, and that this might not be a good year for it.  “I see grants as a renewable resource, but I don’t see water as such,” she said.

Ray noted that “the kids are going out and sinking into mud and bringing it onto the really nice court.  To be all ready to sod and let it go, I don’t know.”

Tyler Webster suggested that as far as water allocation goes, “We ask people to cut back on water, but here’s what I’ve been thinking.  I can’t go over to your house and play on the grass, necessarily, but everyone can come over to the park. Everybody can use that.  On a private lawn, only you get to use that.  We need to conserve, and that requires us to only needfully water.  I think that the reason the sod was chosen was so that we don’t have a mudhole. We’ve got a huge investment with the pickleball court, we should be able to use a little bit of water for that.”

City Superintendent Tyler Webster 

“I got some bad news and good news,” Webster said.  The booster station started to fluctuate from 30 to 60 lbs.  The main one was trying to hold, but it couldn’t which causes the second one to come on.  “We lost pump number 1,” he said.  Pump 2 is leaking badly.  He thinks they both need to be replaced.  He is getting a bid from Gwen’s.  

The power outage is putting stress on the well, because of the generator and pump issues.

Councilman Neal asked whether the city should ask people not to water until the power comes back on.

Attorney Brett Evanson

The idea of allowing home burial is going on at the county commission right now.  The county ordinance will allow it in the city, so they would need to draft an ordinance to prohibit burial on private parcels if they wanted to do so.  There are a couple counties in ID that do allow this, but there is an issue of policing the policy.

The gentleman who restored the Harkness Hotel in McCammon in very interested in the Co-op building, though he is not interested in a lot of restrictions.  The city can donate the building to the Urban Renewal Agency.  This would be created by voters.  Then they could donate the building to the individual to restore it.  The agency would be registered to the state.  This has been done in Rupert.   

The building was purchased for $199K in 1998, and the council would like to sell it for $300K.

The developer would like to put in short term rentals in the building.  The most expensive part is having a person at the desk.  Downstairs there would be retail.

The landowners who own the land next to the cemetery are looking to sell it, but the potential buyers are requesting that the water sharing agreement they have with the city be extended across the freeway.  Attorney Evanson noted that once the land is sold, the new owners probably would not maintain the water rights.

Mayor Hawkins

LT has an idea for how to set up the next room in the council chambers.  There is space next to the council room, and the council thinks expanding would be a good idea.  The $300K from the Co-op would cover it.  They would not be able create the Urban Renewal Agency until November.

Bannock Street Trees

LHTAC had at one point believed that the trees outside the clinic were protected.  The contractors are worried, because 1/3 to ½ of the root system has been taken out.  The green ash trees that face Bannock street are in the city right of way.  They are not in good condition, and have never been trimmed.

LHTAC has told him that now the city can remove them.  A bid to Preston Arbor works was approved for $8540 for removal.

Bannock Street LID Resolution

There are 6240 feet involved in the part of Bannock in consideration.  An 80 foot lot would run $4400 for sidewalk, curb and gutter improvements.  Treasurer Schwartz is confident that you couldn’t replace sidewalk and curb and gutter for anywhere close to that as a private citizen.  The property owner is responsible to maintain the sidewalk.  Schwartz doesn’t think there are any prop owners that paid for the original sidewalk still on the relevant property.  There is a hearing that will be held to discuss this matter for the people involved.  

The LID requires a resolution to announce the LID, then they have to publish for the public hearing, and then after that they decide if they move forward.

Res 20260513 was approved.

Misc

4CASI funding.  Molly Besaris requested an additional $500.  This is what she has asked for in other cities to make up for funding shortfalls at the state level.  Councilman Tripp stated that “I feel like she’s done more for us than we’ve seen in the past.” 

The city has a lot of unclaimed and excess property, like old stoplights.  Mayor Hawkins wants to talk to the museum first.

Hydroseeding is delayed.

Councilman Neal asked about hiring a fulltime sextant, or someone to help out with the work at the cemetery.

Terrill Schwartz said, “The cemetery is sacred ground, as far as I’m concerned.  And it should be taken care of.”

Councilwoman Schwartz thinks that fire hydrants need to be on the agenda for next time.  They will get an update on that next time.