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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL COUNTY SUGAR CITY JOINT MEETING MINUTES AUGUST 11, 2004 CITY OF REXBURG CITY COUNCIL/MADISON COUNTY/SUGAR CITY COUNCIL MINUTES August 11, 2004 Draft 6:00 P.M. STATE OF IDAHO ) : ss. County of Madison ) Madison County Commissioners – 2004 Present were the following: Commissioner Reed Sommer 356-6548 Commissioner Roger Muir 356-0394 Commissioner Brooke Passey 356-6058 Rexburg Mayor & City Council – 2004 Mayor Shawn Larsen Council Member Rex Erickson Council Member G. Farrell Young Council Member Garth R. Oakey Council Member Nyle Fullmer Council Member Paul Pugmire – absent Council Member Donna Benfield - absent Sugar City Council – 2004 Mayor Glenn Dalling Council Member Tim Kershaw Council Member Harold L. Harris Council Member Walter Deitz - absent Council Member Brent Barrus Official minutes are available at the County Clerk’s Office. County/Rexburg & Sugar City Transportation Plan Draft Commissioner Muir opened the meeting and explained that Keller and Associates had been invited to the meeting to review the Transportation Plan. Commissioner Passey asked for a few minutes to review the history of the effort for this current Transportation Plan. He gave a short history of the past three years. 1 Commissioner Passey explained that John Millar, Rexburg City Public Works Director, requested that the County begin a Transportation Study to include Rexburg and Sugar City. Rexburg was already involved with State Wide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). John felt like it would be difficult for the City to get a second project (study) funded. Therefore, Rexburg and Sugar City and Madison County requested a joint Transportation Study from the State Department of Transportation. Keller and Associates submitted an application to LTAC. That first year this request was number thirteen on the list and only 11 projects were funded. After a review meeting with ITD in Rigby and an update of the application, the Madison County Transportation Plan study was approved for that first year. This was also expedited due to another project being delayed due to environmental study. The application was moved up about five years due to change in the status of the project. The County, Rexburg, and Sugar City only had about two weeks to put the scope of work together to make the current budget year. After the scope of work was completed, the Transportation Study meetings began on a monthly nd basis, every 2 Tuesday at 7:00 a.m. in the Commissioners Office. The School District was involved with the Cities in this meeting. The draft study was completed in June of 2004. After a 30 day review process with the Cities of Rexburg and Sugar City, the final study was presented for adoption. In that process a couple of questions came up concerning a second overpass south of Rexburg and tourism being left out of the scope of work. ITD did not include a second overpass due to the absence of a projected need for a seconded overpass. Commission Muir indicated that Keller and Associates has completed their scope of work for the project. He mentioned that their may be a possibility of including language to the effect of a possible need for a second overpass south of Rexburg. Sugar City Mayor Dalling had some concerns about Sugar City access in the draft study. Jim Keller from Keller and Associates explained that the ITD (Idaho Transportation Department) began looking at the Corridor between Rexburg and Rigby in 1999 and 2000. They contracted with a firm out of Oregon to do a Corridor Study for that stretch of road. In that Corridor Study, there was a need identified for two overpasses between Rigby and Rexburg. One overpass would be needed at Lorenzo and a second overpass would be needed north of the Madison County line. ITD looked at nine locations for those interchanges. They narrowed the field down to four locations after a period of time conducting public hearings in 2002. Jim explained that this is how the ITD gathers data and public input before a decision is made on a project. In order to change the decisions of ITD after this information gathering process and public hearings, one would have to put forth information that would be obtained by similar public participation (input) process. In 2002, ITD contracted with another firm to do a location design and environmental study. The four locations are being reviewed in this process. The two locations north of the Snake River are one close to Bear World and one north of Thornton. The final hearing on this current study will be this year in late November or early December. Jim indicated that if you want changes to the study, you would have to have public representation before, during, and after this hearing sufficient to cause ITD to change the recommendations of the study. Jim indicated that the group could make recommendations or preferences in the final Transportation Plan concerning a second 2 interchange and the preferred locations for the interchanges. It would take a six month public input process and then have the County and the Cities as a whole prioritize the results of the public meetings by a matrix analysis. Then present the results of that process to ITD for a requested change in this study. Jim mentioned that the current Transportation Study could include language that would indicate a need for more than one interchange south of Rexburg. Maybe the farming community would need one and tourism would need one. They do no mind putting that in the report; however, that does not give you a priority today with ITD. There is only funding to do one interchange south of Rexburg at this time. Commissioner Passey mentioned that this Transportation Study used the existing road system and the projected growth. He mentioned that in the Comprehensive Plan for the County, they could mention the need for a future north/south connector on the east side of nd Rexburg to help with the 2 East traffic. Council Member Erickson from Rexburg indicated that the Cities and County would like language in the plan that stated their recommendations concerning the future transportation needs of the Community. Commissioner Muir concurred with Council Member Erickson’s comments. He recommended putting language into the document that looked 10 to 30 years down the road for the possible need for a seconded interchange South of Rexburg. He recommended adding the same language to the County Comprehensive Plan. Discussion on the future needs of the County for a second interchange. Jim Keller indicated that the transportation numbers do not justify a second interchange south of Rexburg at this time. The wording would have to be done very carefully to avoid any misrepresentation of the facts to ITD. A consultant to ITD can not compromise the engineering study facts to ITD or the public. Jim indicated that they could make a statement that “politically” the governing bodies recommend having a second interchange south of Rexburg because things could change in twenty years. Commissioner Muir indicated that they could back up the recommendation because Rexburg is the fastest growing City in Idaho and Bear World is growing at a double digit growth rate. Jim Keller indicated that they used a five (5) percent projected growth rate for the County. At that rate the County would grow to 2.6 times as many people living here in twenty years as there are living here today. That is very aggressive. The University’s public growth numbers at 3.8% do not indicate a lot of growth after the three track system is put in place. This growth rate would take the University from 10,200 students to 21,400 at any one time during a school year in twenty years. Then tourism traffic was incorporated into the study by doubling the number of cars that did not have a final destination to a location in the County (shopping malls, etc.) that passed through the County for the twenty year projections. 3 Council Member Erickson indicated that these numbers have never been addressed in the meetings he has attended. Jim mentioned that these numbers were never explained in the presentations to the public concerning the draft Transportation Study. Tourism was not specifically identified in the Study. Discussion on adding this information to the Study. Jim Keller requested specific growth possibilities from the County and Cities to help them put together some possibilities for growth into the future. He indicated that this draft Transportation Plan is a dynamic model. Results from other studies can be plugged into the model to update the results of the Transportation Study. This model would identify the location of future transportation improvements for the County. Commissioner Passey indicated that the ITD had funded access at Lorenzo and an interchange in the Thornton area 10 years ago. They have transferred $3,000,000 in funding from these projects to another interchange project at County line Road. The County and Cites can remind ITD that in their own planning they planned for two interchanges in the Thornton area. He indicated that the County could put the interchange locations in the County’s Comprehensive Plan. The group discussed the need to update the Transportation Plan on a periodic basis. Jim Keller reviewed the process for counting cars that pass through the County and the number of cars that would stop at a Mall or Bear World through a Transportation Model. The discussion covered the possibility of closing accesses along Highway 20. They nd reviewed the history of the 2 access at Sugar City due to existing funding 20 years ago nd and the need to add on/off ramps for the 2 interchange. The on/off ramps were added through public support. Jim Keller indicated that the numbers in the study support only one interchange south of Rexburg. Commissioner Passey reviewed the process for the ITD public hearing in November or early December concerning the location of the Thornton Interchange at Thornton or at 4700 South. They will accept public testimony and then allow 30 days for the County and Cities to comment on their proposal for the location of the Interchange. Both locations have passed the Environmental Study; however, the Reed Canal may have some historical significance, so they are reviewing the historical aspects of that canal before the Public Hearing late this Fall. Council Member Oakey and Commissioner Passey mentioned that the preferred location will depend upon the reference point of the different groups of people. Archer people would prefer the Bear World location, the Lyman residents and Commercial Businesses would prefer the 4700 South location and the tourists may prefer a different location. Council Member Harris asked a study that may indicate the financial reasons for placing an interchange in a particular area. 4 Jim Keller reviewed the issues of closing the access roads and the need to get political support for the new access roads to connect to the new interchange. Commissioner Passey mentioned that ITD loves to have partnerships with other entities to work on Transportation issues. Sometimes they prefer to go it alone on their own highway systems and buy the right of way, etc. to make improvements. Mayor Dalling request language changes in the plan to address the access to Sugar City. The group discussed the idea of having a beltway built to provide additional access to the City of Rexburg. Commissioner Muir asked Mike Ferguson to speak to the group on his issues. He is concerned with having the Interchange located in the wrong area that would negatively impact his Bear World Business. Mike indicated the Yellowstone Park sends customers from Yellowstone Park to Bear World to see bears. This added traffic in Madison County has increased the retail sales for fuel and overnight stays. Mike indicated that the Transportation Plan does not address the 6 month period for the middle of April to the middle of October on tourism. He mentioned that his business has grown in double digit numbers (28%) since it opened. The see 200 to 300 cars a day now and they anticipate 700 to 800 cars a day in twenty years. Mike predicted that other businesses will eventual locate in the Bear World area as the tourism grows. He was concerned with the lack of a tourism segment in the proposed Transportation Plan. He wanted the local businesses to be involved in the Transportation Plan. It is not a correct transportation plan without a tourism segment in the plan. Jim Keller asked Mike how much growth he anticipated for Bear World if it multiplied 20 times. That would mean between 1,500 to 2,500 vehicles per day visiting Bear World. Jim indicated that this traffic could be accommodated by one interchange. Jim reviewed the process of adding information to the model and getting new results based on the input into the model. Mike Ferguson continued to insist on having more tourism input in the Transportation Plan. Sheila Barney commented on the East Belt Route on the map for the Transportation Plan. She was concerned with the location of the proposed road location on the map. Jim Keller will provide the County and Cities some additional information on costs for the next joint meeting. Bike Path to Sugar City: Mayor Dalling indicated that Keller and Associates have been solicited to be the Engineers for the project. They are working through the paper work to get Keller and 5 Associates started on the project. The project has already been funded. The path would go from Sugar City to Rexburg. The County will participate in the construction of the path based on their prior commitments to the project. Joseph West will provide Keller and Associates the details on the scope of work to be presented to the County Commissioners, the Cities, and ITD. Rexburg Animal Shelter Mayor Larsen reviewed the progress with the plans to enlarge the Animal Shelter. He spoke of a $4,000 grant to help upgrade the proposed expansion of the facility to accommodate County participation. Commissioner Passey requested some coordination on the plans for the expansion of the facility. The County recognized the need to have bigger facility for the City and the County to use as an Animal Shelter. He asked the City to provide some numbers to review on the cost of upgrading the facility. Commissioner Muir concurred with the need for the County to be involved with the project. Council Member Oakey asked if there could be a per animal use cost to those who took animals to the shelter. He reviewed the problem of having animals dropped off close to the shelter. Mayor Larsen indicated that the Bob & Bobbette Carlson Family wants to change the image of the shelter from a dog pound to an Animal Shelter where animal adoptions are possible and better animal care is provided. Commissioner Passey mentioned that a good animal display area would help with animal adoptions. There could be another area in the facility where other animal care could be offered. Commissioner Muir indicated that the Fair Grounds has been used recently as a large animal control area for horses or other larger animals that need special care or treatment. Tri - Planning and Zoning Meetings Commissioner Muir mentioned that the County Clerk has been getting inquiries concerning permits. Should they be done the same in the Impact Zone as they are done in the City for annexation purposes? Should sidewalk and curb and gutter requirements be the same in the Impact Area as they are in the City of Rexburg? How should the Impact Zone be handled as the new Comprehensive Plans are being rewritten? These issues need continuing discussion with the Planning Commissions (Boards) from the three governing bodies. The group discussed the need to have a central plan for all of the Comprehensive Plans in the County. 6 Council Member Young asked the Commissioners to make their planning map available to the three Planning Groups for their joint meetings. He indicated that it was a very good map. Mayor Larsen asked the Commissioners to provide some direction for the North interchange area growth plans from the County’s perspective. Council Member Tim Kershaw e xplained that the Salem residents have been communicating their desires for the growth of that area to the Sugar City Council. They are transitioning their thinking on growth of the area as properties are being sold or offered for sale. The group discussed business development outside the City of Rexburg which includes being outside the location of City services. The City of Rexburg has property available for expansion of the Waste Water Treatment facility up to double its current capacity. Mayor Larsen mentioned that the City of Rexburg has invited a group of 22 people (sponsored by the Association of Idaho Cities) for a general review of the City. They th th will spend the 08and 09 of September speaking to citizens and visiting sites of interest in the City before preparing a report on their visit. Thursday, September 16, 2004 will be the next combined meeting for this group at 6:00 p. m. at the County. Commissioner Passey mentioned that the next combined Planning and Zoning meeting needs to be held as soon as possible to coordinate these Planning issues. Adjournment 7 8