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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Minutes - November 6 , 2019_unbound Mayor Jerry Merrill Council Members: Christopher Mann Jordan Busby Mikel Walker Tisha Flora Brad Wolfe Sally Smith City Staff: Stephen Zollinger – City Attorney Matt Nielson – Finance Officer Keith Davidson – Public Works Director Alan Parkinson – Planning & Zoning Administrator Scott Johnson – Economic Development Director Deborah Lovejoy – City Clerk 6:30 P.M. City Hall Council Member Wolfe said the prayer Scout Troop led the pledge Roll Call of Council Members: Attending: Council Member Flora, Council Member Mann, Council Member Walker, Council Member Wolfe, Council Member Busby, Council President Smith and Mayor Merrill. Public Comment: not scheduled on the agenda (limit 3 minutes); issues may be considered for discussion on a future agenda. Please keep comments on point and respectful. James Linton requested one page flyers with information about the recent City Council Candidates. Bret Sampson requested the City Council Meeting Agenda items to be more detailed. This will help prepare the citizens planning to attend the meeting understand the subject matter being presented. He also requested that the visual aids being presented at the meetings be large enough to see the information clearly. Carson Smith commented he recently visited Smith Park and noticed there were several tiles broken off of the Veterans Memorial Monument. The tile was one of the larger ones with many names on the tile. He said he reported the broken tile to City Hall. David Mackey expressed his concerns with the middle freeway exit off of Main Street. He said it is difficult to make a left turn on to Main Street due to the amount of traffic traveling east to west. He asked if the city has plans to address this issue. Mayor Merrill explained the City’s Public Works Department has submitted several requests to the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) to implement traffic calming measures to both the South and Center Rexburg freeway exits. He said ITD has agreed to add traffic lights to both of these exits; however, not until the year 2024. Introduction of New Employee: Brady Grover – Information Technology Department Mayor Merrill asked Brady Grover to introduce himself. Brandy Grover said he was born and raised in Rexburg and attended BYU-Idaho where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in information technology. After, graduating he started a job with the school district in Tooele Utah for four years. He is married with three children and is excited for the opportunity to work for the City of Rexburg. Presentations: Eagle Scout Project Reports Brandon Spencer – Flag Retirement Ceremony at Eagle Park Brandon Spencer said he collected worn United States Flags and State of Idaho Flags from businesses and community members. He explained the process and purpose used to retire worn flags. A video of the Flag Retirement Ceremony was viewed on the overhead screen. / Flag Retirement The United States Flag Code, Title 4, Section 8k states-“The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem of display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.”   Flag Retirement is the term used to define the proper, dignified way of destroying United States flags that are no longer fit to serve the nation.   How do you know your flag should be retired? Sometimes your flag will only need to be cleaned to restore its original appearance. Regular cleaning of your flag can extend its life considerably. Flags can be machine-washed with a mild detergent in cold water. Flags should be hung to dry or laid flat. Do not fold the flag if it is damp.   If it is possible, mend a tattered flag at early signs of wear. The edge furthest from the staff, known as the "fly" end is usually the first part of the flag to show wear. The fly end may start to unravel due to weather conditions.   It is really up to you to decide when your flag is ready to be retired. If the flag is unable to be repaired or is too tattered then the flag should be retired.   There are many local organizations that will take your flag for proper retirement. Mayor Merrill said he attended the flag retirement ceremony. He commended Brandon Spencer for gathering the flags from local organizations and citizens to properly retire the flags. Colby Fogh – Duck Shelter at Nature Park Colby Fogh said he had noticed the roof of the old duck shelter was starting to collapse when he visited Nature Park with his family. He thought it would be a good idea to build a new duck shelter for his Eagle Scout project. Colby said after receiving approval from the city to build the new shelter he collected money donations to purchase the material needed for the shelter. He also recruited family members and friends to help build the shelter. / / / David Anderson thanked the Mayor and City Council for the opportunity to present on the Cube Cyclocross Race. He explained Cyclocross involves cycling on all different kinds of surfaces including road, dirt, rock, and grass. You also encounter obstacles along the course that require you to get off your bike and carry them over barriers and other obstacles that maneuver around on your bike. The race took place at Nature Park and the weather was unpleasantly cold. He said the number of participants that signed up for the race this year was about 70. The participants enjoyed the race. He and his partner look forward to organizing the race next year with the city’s support. Council Member Busby questioned the number of race participants that live out of town. Mr. Anderson said he is not aware of the exact number of participants from out of town; however, there have been participants from Pocatello, Jackson and Sun Valley. He believes about half of the race participants live outside of the Rexburg area. Some of the participants are members of the local Mountain Bike team. Council Member Busby asked if there are other cyclocross races sponsored by other organizations. Mr. Anderson replied yes there are other races sponsored by other groups. The Cube Cyclocross many not be the largest race in number of participants; however, it is has been in operation the longest amount of years. Mr. Anderson gave a brief history of when and who started the Cube Cyclocross. Council Member Busby asked how many miles are in the race. Mr. Anderson explained there are a number of laps each participant races around the course and the laps are timed. / Council Member Busby questioned the entry cost for the race. Mr. Anderson said the entry costs are $10 for the kid’s race, $15 for the high school students and $30 for the adults. The entry fee is to cover the cost of the race which averages about $1,400 a year. Mr. Anderson said when the race makes a profit those funds are donated to a local charity. Council Member Busby challenged the City Council Members to participate with him in the cyclocross race next year. Staff Reports: Community Development: - Bret Stoddard Building Official Stoddard reviewed the October Valuation Report for the Building Department. / Building Official Stoddard reported Madison County has hired a building inspector. The City Building Inspectors will continue to assist Madison County with their building inspection until the new inspector is able to take over the inspections. Finance: Matt Nielson Budget Adjustment – Police Department Management eForce Mobile Police Chief Turman explained the history of the record management systems and computer automated dispatch system the Rexburg Police Department utilizes. / / Chief Turman reviewed the current issues and reasons Madison County Sheriff’s Office is moving forward with implementing the new systems. / / Chief Turman explained the benefit of the geo fencing the new system offers. The geo fencing will track where each patrol vehicle and sheriff vehicles are located enabling safety for the officers and citizens. / / Chief Turman reviewed the cost of the hardware the new system will require and the savings in the new eForce system compared to the old FATPOTS system. The new system also has savings in man power. / / / Council Member Busby questioned if the funds received for the 911 system can be used to pay some of the costs of the new system. Chief Turman said the 911 funds will help pay for the Computer-aided Dispatch (CAD) system. Council President Smith asked if surface pros were used with the old system. Chief Turman replied not all of the police vehicles are equipped with surface pros. In the future when funding is available he would prefer all of the police patrol vehicles to have surface pros. Finance Nielson Officer explained the budget adjustment needed for the Police Administration Fund. He is recommending the funds be take for the contingency fund. Council Member Wolfe mentioned the purchase of the eForce System is a benefit for the safety of the community. / Council Member Busby moved to approve the Budget Adjustment of $54,500 from the Contingency Fund for the purchase of the items discussed; Council Member Flora seconded the motion; Mayor Merrill asked for a vote: Those voting aye Those voting nay Council Member Flora None Council Member Mann Council Member Wolfe Council Member Walker Council Member Busby Council President Smith The motion carried Budget Adjustment – Customer Service Host Compliance Service – Short-term Rentals Finance Officer Nielson explained the budget adjustment for the Host Compliance Service Software for the Short-term Rentals. Council Member Mann said if his understanding is correct the Host Compliance Service will assist with the Airbnb issue. The city has identified 190 Airbnb’s operating in the city that has not registered with the city. He believes it is important when a city ordinance is passed, the ordinance be enforced. It is important for the Police and Fire Departments to be aware of where the Airbnb’s are located in the city. A life safety inspection is also required to operate an Airbnb in the city. Mayor Merrill said he spoke with the mayor of Garden City in Bear Lake regarding the host compliance program the city will be using and they have been pleased with the service. Council Member Mann said for the safety of the city’s guest, residents, police and fire personnel the Airbnb’s operating in the city need to be registered with the city. / / Council Member Busby moved to approve the Budget Adjustment of $9,300; Council Member Walker seconded the motion; Mayor Merrill asked for a vote: Those voting aye Those voting nay Council Member Flora None Council Member Mann Council Member Wolfe Council Member Walker Council Member Busby Council President Smith The motion carried Budget in Brief Fiscal Year 2020 Finance Officer Nielson reviewed the Highlights for the 2020 Budget in Brief. / / Finance Officer Nielson explained the Utility Rate changes and the Major Street Construction projects. / / Finance Officer Nielson continued to review the Major Construction Projects and explained the Total Expense Budget graph. // Finance Officer Nielson explained Total Revenue Budget graph. // Finance Officer Nielson reviewed the Property Tax Levy graph. The blue bar indicates the amount of tax money the city receives and the red bar indicates the amount of tax money the county receives. // Finance Officer Nielson expalined how the property taxes are divided per taxing district. // Finance Officer Nielson explained the City Property and Sales Tax Revenue graph. The City of Rexburg has some of the lowest property tax rates compared to other cities in Idaho. He said the utility newsletter and the city’s website are resources for more budget information. Public Works: Keith Davidson 1. Procurement of Grant Administration Services Public Works Director Davidson reviewed the Procurement of Grant Administration Services for the city’s wastewater system improvement project with The Development Company. Council President Smith moved to approve the Procurement of Grant Administration Services with The Development Company; Council Member Mann seconded the motion; Mayor Merrill asked for a vote: Those voting aye Those voting nay Council Member Flora None Council Member Mann Council Member Wolfe Council Member Walker Council Member Busby Council President Smith The motion carried Public Works Director Davidson reported the contractor is moving forward with the construction of the well houses. The Street Department is preparing for winter by picking up the yard waste residents have put out on the street curb. Council Member Flora asked about the large pothole on the road between Maverik and the Quality Inn. Public Works Director Davidson replied the road is a private road. He said he is not sure which business is responsible for that section of road way. He will contact both the Maverik and Quality Inn owners to inform them of their responsibility to fixing the pothole. Council President Smith asked for the capacity of the new reservoir by the Burton Elementry School. Public Works Director Davidson replied the water resevoir has the capacity of holding 2.5 million gallons of water. Mayor’s Report: Council Member Mann mentioned the Veterans Day Program on November 11th at the Madison High School. The program will begin at one o’clock, he encouraged everyone to attend. Mayor Merrill read Proclamation 2019 - 04 Small Business Saturday November 30th 2019. Proclamation 2019 - 04 Small Business Saturday November 30th 2019 PROCLAMATION No. 2019 - 04 SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY NOVEBMER 30, 2019 Whereas, the government of Rexburg, Idaho, celebrates our local small businesses and the contributions they make to our local economy and community; according to the United States Small Business Administration, there are 30.7 million small businesses in the United States, they represent 99.7 percent of all firms with paid employees in the United States, are responsible for 64.9 percent of net new jobs created from 2000 to 2018; and Whereas, small businesses employ 47.3 percent of the employees in the private sector in the United States; and Whereas, 94% of consumers in the United States value the contributions small businesses make in their community; and Whereas, 96% of consumers who plan to shop on Small Business Saturday® said the day inspires them to go to small, independently-owned retailers or restaurants that they have not been to before, or would not have otherwise tried; and Whereas, 92% of companies planning promotions on Small Business Saturday said the day helps their business stand out during the busy holiday shopping season; and Whereas, 59% of small business owners said Small Business Saturday contributes significantly to their holiday sales each year; and Whereas, Rexburg, Idaho supports our local businesses that create jobs, boost our local economy and preserve our communities; and Whereas, advocacy groups, as well as public and private organizations, across the country have endorsed the Saturday after Thanksgiving as Small Business Saturday. Now, therefore, I, Jerry Merrill, Mayor of Rexburg, Idaho, do hereby proclaim, November 30, 2019, as: SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY And urge the residents of our community, and communities across the country, to support small businesses and merchants on Small Business Saturday and throughout the year. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the City of Rexburg to be affixed this 6th day of November of the year of our Lord two thousand nineteen. APPROVED: _____________________________ SEAL Jerry Merrill MAYOR ATTEST: ______________________________ Deborah Lovejoy REXBURG CITY CLERK Council Member Wolfe moved to ratify Proclamation 2019 - 04 Small Business Saturday November 30th 2019; Council President Smith seconded the motion; Mayor Merrill asked for a vote: Those voting aye Those voting nay Council Member Flora None Council Member Mann Council Member Wolfe Council Member Walker Council Member Busby Council President Smith The motion carried Public Hearings: – NONE Items for Consideration: Calendared Bills and Tabled Items: “LAND USE ACTION” – Bills Recommended/Approved in a Land Use Public Hearing Procedure (Recommend Suspension of the Rules): – NONE Second Reading: Those items which have been first read: NONE Third Reading: Those items which have been second read: NONE Mayor’s Business: Mayor Merrill reported he will not be able to attend the November 20th City Council Meeting. Mayor Merrill reported during the election campaign the question regarding transparency was discussed. He asked the City Council Members for their opinion regarding live streaming the City Council Meetings. The cost to live stream the meetings could range between $800 and $7,000. Discussion regarding the different options to live stream the City Council Meetings. A BYU-Idaho student in the nursing program asked if there are any health issues affecting the community. Council Member Flora asked him to contact the Madison Cares organization they have information regarding mental health issues in our community. Madison Memorial Hospital also sponsors the Health Fair and may have information regarding health issues in the community. Council Member Busby mentioned the upgrades to the wastewater plant are some of the items the city works on to provide a healthy environment. Council Member Flora also mentioned the High Five Grant from the Blue Cross Foundation to promote health in our community. The grant funds were used for Park Street Park, Kidsburg, funding for items used during the winter activities at the Teton Lakes Golf Course and the cost of the Park and Trails plan. As City Council Members we desire to continue to provide opportunities to improve the health of our community. Consent Calendar: The consent calendar includes items which require formal City Council action, however they are typically routine or not of great controversy. Individual Council members may ask that any specific item be removed from the consent calendar for discussion in greater detail. Explanatory information is included in the City Council’s agenda packet regarding these items. Approve Minutes from October 16, 2019 meeting Approve the City of Rexburg Bills Council Member Mann moved to approve the Consent Calendar containing the October 16th minutes and city bills; Council Member Walker seconded the motion; Mayor Merrill asked for a vote: Those voting aye Those voting nay Council Member Flora None Council Member Mann Council Member Wolfe Council Member Walker Council Member Busby Council President Smith The motion carried Adjournment 7:55 P.M. APPROVED: ____________________________ Jerry Merrill, Mayor Attest: _______________________________ Marianna Gonzalez, Deputy City Clerk