CITY COUNCIL

AUGUST 5, 2015

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MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SODA SPRINGS, CARIBOU COUNTY, IDAHO HELD AUGUST 5TH, 2015.

MEETING CALLED TO ORDER AT 5:00PM BY JAMES R. SMITH, MAYOR.

ROLL CALL SHOWED THE FOLLOWING PRESENT: JAMES R. SMITH, MAYOR

MITCHELL J. HART, PRES.

LYNDA LEE

JON D. GOODE

ROBERT M. LAU

EXCUSED:

ALSO PRESENT: Mark Steele Alan Skinner, Director

Jon Bunderson Tausha Vorwaller, Clerk

Brian & Lynda Lewis Clyde Nelson, Attorney

Spencer Winzenried

The invocation was given by Spencer Winzenried, Mayor Smith then led everyone in the

‘Pledge of Allegiance’.

The Council reviewed the minutes from the last several meetings. Councilmember Goode moved to dispense with the reading of the July 15th regular and special meeting minutes and also the special minutes of July 23rd and July 28th, 2015 and approve them as written. Councilmember Lee seconded the motion. All in favor, motion carried.

The accounts payable and payroll for July, 2015 were reviewed. Councilmember Hart moved to approve the accounts payable and payroll for July, 2015, seconded by Councilmember Goode. Councilmember Goode asked about the school baseball team payment for umpiring and whose liability insurance covered the umpires. The Council discussed and it will be researched. A vote on the motion was called. All in favor, motion carried

(SEE ATTACHED PAYROLL & ACCOUNTS PAYABLE REGISTERS FOR DETAIL)

Recreation Director Winzenried reported on the softball and baseball tournaments held over the last couple of weekends. He estimated and reported on how much additional revenue was brought into the community due to the recreation event. The estimate was $70,000 to $80,000 brought into the community. The Mayor expressed his appreciation that the recreation programs are operated within the budget. The Mayor and Council expressed their support of the recreation programs and commended Mr. Winzenried for his efforts.

Mayor Smith recognized Brian Lewis for 20 years of service on the Planning and Zoning Commission and as Chairman of the Commission. The Mayor thanked Mr. Lewis for the incredible commitment to the City and presented him with a service award plaque. The Council expressed their appreciation for his service. Councilmember Goode commented that Mr. Lewis did a great job and it was a pleasure to serve with him. Mr. Lewis stated that he did not expect the recognition and thanked the Mayor and Council.

Director Skinner reported on the progress of several infrastructure projects and also mentioned that the new Parks truck will arrive the end of August. The Octagon parking lot has been started and the crew will begin removing asphalt from the three planned streets next week. Mayor Smith asked that the residents on those streets be notified of the City’s plan and the reason. Councilmember Lau asked if bids had been received on the asphalt work. Director Skinner reported that he has three bids that are within pennies of each other and it may come down to timing and availability. Osmose begun the second round of pole testing on August 3rd and they estimate three to four weeks to do all the poles. Cost to date for pole repairs is $58,000 from the first round of testing and as soon as the reports start to come in from the current testing the prioritized repairs will begin. Councilmember Lee asked what types of repairs are being done. Director Skinner explained that burnt insulators’ were replaced, there were bad Chance cutouts, loose guy wires and one or two cross arms were replaced. Rocky Mountain Power does the majority of the repairs, and Osmose can do banding approved by Rocky Mountain. Engineering for the Rose Avenue project is almost ready to be submitted to the Department of Environmental Quality. The crew will begin the 3rd West fire hydrant and line project and the Ledge Creek transmission line piping has been ordered and will be here within a week. Director Skinner presented a $6000 estimate for a refrigeration unit with a heater to put in the #4 Hydro plant to help maintain the rotor with positive air pressure inside the building and will also allow the heating of the oils if it had to be shut down in the winter. Councilmember Lee moved to approve the $6000 expenditure for the cooling and heating unit for the #4 Hydro Plant. Councilmember Goode seconded the motion. Councilmember Hart suggested exploring an evaporative cooler as a less expensive alternative. Access to potable water was discussed. Director Skinner will research the option. A vote on the motion was held. All in favor, motion carried.

The Mayor and Council reviewed the changes incorporated into the proposed weed and litter ordinance by Attorney Nelson based on the discussions of the last work session. Mayor Smith suggested providing the revised draft to the community for review and schedule a second public hearing. Councilmember Goode asked how to address the Pioneer Cemetery. The Mayor would like a small committee to work on defining “natural scenic areas” and possibly specifying natural scenic areas as a new zone category. He asked that Councilmember Goode, Director Skinner and Planning and Zoning Secretary JoAnna Ashley sit on the committee. The Council discussed at length how to address these types of areas in the City Parks and properties like the Pioneer Cemetery. Councilmember Goode suggested publishing the revised ordinance in color with changes noted. Attorney Nelson clarified that the new revised ordinance repeals section 10.16.020 which prohibited any parking on the street between 2 A.M. and 5 A.M. and added that street parking will be allowed from April 1st through October 31st unless it is determined by the Mayor, Council, or Chief of Police, that such parking presents maintenance problems for the city or constitutes a safety hazard. He explained that the dates coincide with the no parking requirements for winter maintenance. A second public hearing was scheduled for September 2nd, 2015.

Attorney Nelson reported on the formation of an Eastern Idaho Partnership to hire a Special Assistant United States Attorney to prosecute federal matters involving internet based crimes against children, gun and gang violence, drug trafficking, fraud and identity theft in Eastern Idaho. Blackfoot Mayor, Paul Loomis sent the City the memorandum of understanding (MOU) asking the City to join and participate financially. The City’s share would be $267.43 for fiscal year 2016. The program operates with $70,000 from the State and $30,000 from local governments. The program reduces the cost to the State for housing prisoners removing them from Idaho to a Federal prison with estimated savings to Idaho of $2.5 million annually. Attorney Nelson explained that the Federal Government is required to prosecute these crimes but they don’t have the man power and won’t devote the attention needed. Councilmember Lee asked if it will help or hurt our County jail. Chief Bunderson explained the County jail is not certified to hold federally charged offenders so the program does not affect the County jail. The Mayor, Council and Attorney Nelson discussed the date in the MOU which states it extends through September 2015, all agreed this date needed to be corrected. Attorney Nelson pointed out the 90 day withdrawal provision and the automatic renewal subject to availability of funds. Councilmember Lau expressed support of the program and moved to approve signing the MOU with the corrected term and authorizing the fiscal year 2016 amount of $267.43. Councilmember Goode seconded the motion. Councilmember Hart warned of the continuing trend that the Federal Government is passing costs off to local governments and private industry complaining that they are overworked and understaffed and to get anything done others are having to come up with the funds. A vote on the motion was called. All in favor, motion carried.

Director Skinner presented the final decision from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) for the rate increase that will be effective October 1st, 2015. The City’s purchased power cost will increase 6.89% and transmission costs will increase 2.3%. Calculated on the proposed budget it will be an increase in expense of approximately $61,095 with $64,000 included in the budget to cover it. A 5% power rate increase to the City users will bring in approximately $95,000 in additional revenue. The Mayor pointed out this will cover the increased cost and the other $30,000 in additional revenue will go toward power infrastructure projects.

Director Skinner reported that the City has been awarded a State Airport Grant of $20,000 which requires a 50% match from the City providing $40,000 for crack seal and slurry coating the Airport runway. The grant acceptance paperwork is due by Friday, August 7th, 2015. Director Skinner suggested moving ahead with doing both the main runway and the auxiliary runway with the current budget funds and the grant funds which will be available October 1st as part of the new budget. Councilmember Lau asked if there would be enough funds to work on an extended portion of the runway that he is proposing. Director Skinner stated that there may be. Director Skinner also mentioned that he applied for future grants for lighting and asphalt replacement of the taxi-ways. Councilmember Lau moved to approve accepting the $20,000 State grant to work on the Airport runway, seconded by Councilmember Goode. All in favor, motion carried. Mayor Smith thanked Director Skinner for his efforts to help stretch the City’s dollars.

The Council briefly reviewed the tentative budget that was published. Clerk Vorwaller pointed out that the budget included the adjustments to benefits for the proposed health insurance changes along with the health savings account contributions. The tentative budget also includes 5% rate increases to water, power and sewer and a 7% increase to the sewer bond rate. She also mentioned that the code book review and online costs were included and the new web-site costs could be absorbed by the five different departments that share the cost. The Council discussed the proposed rate increases and Councilmember Hart suggested decreasing the sewer bond rate increase to only 5% the same as the others. All agreed. Clerk Vorwaller will prepare new rate resolutions for the next meeting. The Mayor asked for history on the $30,000 reserve for the Fire Department. It was explained that the funds were set aside to go toward an eventual new building before the current arrangement to use the County building was made. Mayor Smith suggested that those funds be used to pay toward the Power Fund truck loan. All agreed. Clerk Vorwaller explained that it could not be added to the 2016 budget. The Mayor requested it be added if the budget is reopened or to the 2017 budget. The Council reviewed the proposed health insurance options and health savings account (HSA) contributions. Councilmember Goode moved to approve the Select Health options offering the City employees a choice of two plans and setting the HSA contributions at upfront onetime amounts of $750 for single and $1500 for couples or families and an additional matching contribution $1 for $1 of up to $750 for single and $1500 for couples or families and also making the HSA contributions available to all eligible employees on a qualifying high deductible plan. Councilmember Lee seconded the motion. All in favor, motion carried. The budget hearing is scheduled for August 19th, 2015.

Councilmember Goode moved to adjourn the meeting at 6:10pm, seconded by Councilmember Lau. All in favor, motion carried.

PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL THIS 19TH DAY OF AUGUST, 2015.

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James R. Smith, Mayor

ATTEST:

CITY COUNCIL

AUGUST 5, 2015

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Tausha Vorwaller, Clerk