HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Minutes - September 14, 2022
Mayor Jerry Merrill
Council Members:
Robert Chambers Jordan Busby
Mikel Walker Tisha Flora
Colin Erickson Bryanna Johnson
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
City of Sugar City
Mayor Steven Adams
Council Members:
Joy Ball
Catherine Nielsen
Madison County Commissioners
Douglas Smith
6:00 P.M. City Hall
Roll Call of Council Members:
Attending: Council Member Flora, Council Member Johnson, Council Member Chambers, Council President Busby and Mayor Merrill
Mayor Merrill welcomed everyone to the meeting. He explained many community members have shown interest in a recreation center; however, to build a recreation center, a Recreation District
needs to be created to fund the center. The Recreation District would operate like the existing taxing districts such as the Library District, Cemetery District, etc.
Madison Recreation District and Recreation Center Study Information Update and
Recreation Director Crowther explained he would first review the timeline of the feasibility study for the creation of the Recreation Center. The presentation will include:
Timeline Review
Community Need Prioritization
Program Spaces/Concepts Design
Next Steps
The timeline was as follows: a Recreation District Campaign in the early 2000’s, the Envision Madison – 2014 then a Parks Plan Study in 2017 and now the Recreation Center Feasibility
Study. The initial campaign in the early 2000’s did not pass; however, the community’s interest in a recreation center did not decrease. In the Envision Madison Study it was determined
there was a great need for indoor recreation in the community. The Parks Plan Study in 2017 indicated a more evident and specific need for an indoor aquatic/recreation center. He said
recognizing the community member’s desires for a recreation center; however, not knowing the costs of funding a recreation center and if the community was, willing to pay for the costs.
City Staff sought out some of the best recreation consultants in the country to bid on the study. The Pros Consulting Group was awarded the bid of the Recreation Center Feasibility
Study.
Recreation Director Crowther reviewed the timeline for the feasibility study. In the initial survey, the community members were asked which amenities and programs, they would like in
a potential recreation center. They were also asked, are the current recreation programs meeting their needs. The next survey will determine the costs of a recreation facility and the
costs everyone will pay in property taxes to fund the facility and recreation district.
Recreation Director Crowther reviewed the top priorities for investment for an indoor recreation center amenity based on the priority of investment rating chart.
Recreation Director Crowther reviewed the top priorities for investment for aquatic amenity based on the priority of investment rating charts.
Recreation Director Crowther reviewed the priority program spaces in the recreation center.
Recreation Director Crowther reviewed the conceptual design for the recreation center.
Recreation Director Crowther reviewed the program spaces of the proposed recreation center.
Discussion regarding the size of the proposed pool. The pool would only be eight lanes so not quite the size of a competition pool.
Recreation Director Crowther reviewed the concept building form and massing.
Recreation Director Crowther reviewed the next steps to complete the feasability study and the proposed project completion schedule.
Recreation Director Crowther asked the community organization members to have internal discussion with their leadership group regarding their concerns, questions, and the role they would
like to have in supporting the creation of the Recreation District with the intention of building a recreation center. The city will hold another meeting to address the community organization
member’s questions and concerns.
Council Member Flora said there is confusion among the community members because the City of Rexburg is sponsoring the feasibility study to create a recreation district. The feasibility
study was the city’s way of responding to the community’s request of an indoor pool/recreation center. She said the creation of a recreation district would be a Madison County District;
therefore, it would include all county residents.
Discussion regarding the percentage of votes needed to create a recreation district and to pass a bond to fund the recreation center. To pass the creation of a recreation district it
would require 50% of the votes and to pass a bond a two-thirds majority.
Mayor Adams said there are some aspects to consider such as the financial impact on private businesses and citizens, they may face with the building of the recreation center. He said
he is in favor of the type of recreation centers using a model that fund themselves. Mayor Adams asked if it is the role of government to provide a recreation center. There would be
a group of people wanting to tax themselves and then another group of people that do not want taxes to increase. He said we must ask the moral and ethical questions, is it ok for the
majority to force everyone to pay for something they want. He foundationally and principally disagrees with this concept; it counters the whole purpose of the form of government that
we have as a country.
Mayor Adams said the request for citizens to fund a recreation center is like the request recently received from the Idaho Falls Mayor stating the need for letters of support to build
an Amtrak from Pocatello, Salt Lake, and Boise. He said at first the building of an Amtrak sounds appealing; however, considering the costs to build the Amtrak and affect it will have
on a private business operating in Sugar City, it may not be as appealing after all. This business already provides transportation to these locations and beyond. He said considering
our community members there are private swimming lessons provided in the city and they fund the pool themselves. When asking your neighbor to pay for a recreation center, he believes
they will strongly oppose.
Mayor Adams said there are private investors that would desire to build a private recreation center; however, when a government entity talks about building a recreation center, the investors
do not want the risk of the government shutting them down. He said he has an issue with the proposed location because it is in the middle of town and further for the county residents
to travel to this location. He suggested a location near a highway to cut down on travel time to different schools for tournaments needing to use additional facilities. Mayor Merrill
said there are private businesses that still thrive where there is a recreation center.
County Commissioner Smith said there are other pressing financial matters regarding infrastructure such as the wastewater treatment plant and the city’s water system upgrades. The city
may need to ask for a bond to upgrade these systems. These items should take precedence over a recreation center.
Mike Svetz said he asked the citizens who took the first survey, if they would be willing to take the second survey and out of the 600 citizens who took the first survey, 400 of them
said they would be willing to take the second survey. He collected cell numbers and emails from the citizens who said they would be taking the second survey. The ETC Institute will
send the second survey directly to these citizens to complete online. The survey is demographically and geographically representative of Madison County.
Council Member Flora explained the ETC Institute distributed surveys to residents in Rexburg, Sugar City, and Madison County; they needed a percentage from these areas to represent the
whole of the community. The city and county divided the survey results per geographic area and there were no differences in the responses.
Mayor Merrill said the city is trying to determine the level of interest among residents to fund a recreation center. The city is open to different proposals such as a private investor
willing to build a recreation center. Mayor Adams said there is tyranny of the classes and the masses and when it is the tyranny of the masses,
the majority begins to force the minorities. When it is in the realm of property and the right to pursue life as one sees fit as an individual, we can quickly lose a free society.
Council Member Flora said a recreation district is like a library district as citizens we came together to create a library district. There is no feasible way to make profit on a library
so as a community we decided to create a library district. The citizens agreed to pay a monthly amount to have a library in our community. Mayor Adams replied because the majority ruled
and forced everyone else. Council Member Flora said in Mayor Adams view the creation of the library district was unethical. Mayor Adam said libraries were funded through philanthropy
which is the right way to not burden the community. Council Member Flora said it is ok to disagree on points of view. Mayor Adams said there is a difference between freedom, socialism,
and communism.
An Audience Member said there are high costs associated with operating a pool. In the city he lived in, they shared the pool with the school district. The costs were too high that they
decided to fill the pool and planted grass. Council Member Flora said they are considering the operational costs of the recreation center including the cost to build the center in the
study. She said it is important to keep in mind this is a feasibility study. The actual creation of the recreation district and building of the recreation center will be voted upon
by the citizens.
Mayor Merrill explained the feasibility study is an opportunity to receive the community member’s feedback regarding the desired programs and amenities in a recreation center and the
costs associated to provide those services. The city is open to different funding ideas for a recreation center.
County Commissioner Smith asked when Pros Consulting will present the operational and building costs to fund the recreation center. Council Member Flora said they will present their
findings on November 2nd.
Discussion regarding the entrance fee for the new facility. Mayor Merrill said Madison County residents would pay a discounted entrance fee then non-Madison County residents. County
Commissioner Smith asked if Rexburg Rapids charges a different fee for non-city residents. Mayor Merrill said currently, Rexburg Rapids charges the same fee to all patrons. Mike Svetz
with Pros Consulting will determine the entrance fee based on the Performa study.
Finance Officer Nielson said Rexburg Rapids draws many people in from other counties. He said about 50% of the patron are non-Madison County residents. A recreation center would draw
patrons from other counties. Mayor Merrill said the Madison School District has a swim team and the Sugar Salem school District is interested in creating a swim team; however, there
is not a facility where swim teams can compete in the city or county. The Madison Swim team travels to a swimming facility in Idaho Falls to practice. There is not a good pool facility
to hold swim competitions on this side of the state. A recreation center with a pool for swim competitions will help bring people into the community and create revenue.
Council Member Flora said in response to why the proposed location is being considered for the building of the recreation center. The city would donate the land saving the cost of purchasing
land. The location is central to both the Sugar City High School and Madison High School.
Discussion regarding land near the Madison High School that the property owner is interested in donating for the building of the recreation center. Mayor Adams said he has spoken to
several developers who would donate the land for a recreation center. Mayor Merrill asked for the names of the developers willing to donate the land for the building of the recreation
center so city staff can contact them.
Adjournment 7:10 P.M.
APPROVED:
________________________________
Jerry Merrill, Mayor
Attest:
_____________________________
Marianna Gonzalez, Deputy City Clerk