Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCITY COUNTY SUGAR CITY JOINT MEETING MINUTES SEPTEMBER 15, 2005 JOINT MEETING CITY OF REXBURG SUGAR CITY MADISON COUNTY 6:00 p.m. Magistrate Courtroom September 15, 2005 Present: Madison County Sugar City City of Rexburg Roger Muir, Chairman Mayor Glenn Dalling Mayor Shawn Larsen Brooke Passey Walter Dietz Councilmen: Ralph Robison Harold Harris Rex Erickson Brent Barrus Irma Anderson Nyle Fullmer Donna Benfield Bike Path from Sugar City to Rexburg Dick Dyer reported that Railroad agreement has been signed and the final plans for the bike path are done. Work is being done on the final coordination on the lighting for the railroad crossings and the Madison County Road Department Idaho Department of Transportation match. As it is difficult to determine costs for the Road and Bridge Department, work is being done to switch from matching a certain dollar figure to an agreement based on an agreement to complete amount. The request for bids will go out in November so the County can construct their portion of the bike path in the spring and be finished for use by next summer. It should be noted that the bridge is also included in the contractor’s bid and the contractor will provide the culverts. Highway 33: A letter was received from Tom Cole of the Idaho Department of Transportation, District 6, concerning Highway 33 going through the City of Rexburg and Sugar City. A resolution was passed in 1997 that would allow the Local Highway Technical Assistance Program (LHTAC) to act as a facilitator to look at local options for the cities. Lance Holstrom, Deputy Administrator of LHTAC has offered to be a facilitator. It was agreed the City of Rexburg, Sugar City and Madison County will meet with Mr. Holstrom to discuss the local highway issues and options. Commissioner Passey will set up the meeting. Impact Areas for Rexburg & Sugar City: Commissioner Muir opened the discussion regarding the Madison County Commissioners proposal for the impact areas for Rexburg and Sugar City.The Commissioners have taken the proposals from each City Council, responses received from landowners and research from public hearings to arrive at a proposed plan for the impact area. As the plan evolved we have tried to eliminate leapfrog planning so we can have a continuous growth pattern. It is important to understand that Madison County can achieve planned development and growth if it is not driven by individual projects. We need to Page 2 September 15, 2005 Joint Meeting work together in a cooperative effort for development of an impact area for the greater good of the community in effective planning. We must be flexible and have good working relationships between the cities if we are to achieve our goals. Each city has presented an impact area plan that overlaps the other, so each city should consider changes in their proposals for the best interests of the community, meaning the community and the County as a whole. Impact area decisions must be made in the larger context and should not be driven by individual City interests alone. Commissioner Robison : Each commissioner took a map home and colored in the areas they felt were in the best interests of the cities for the impact areas. Each Commissioner then came back to a meeting and talked about why they chose the area they did for the impact area. They discussed their decisions and negotiated to come up with a proposed map. This proposal is the start of a good working document that could lead us to a consensus. Commissioner Muir showed the map of the existing impact areas and discussed the growth potential within it. Then an overlay map was shown of what both cities are requesting. The major area of concern was the overlap area south of the North Rexburg exit on Highway 20. He went on to explain the map agreed upon by the commissioners. (Members of the audience attending the meeting expressed concern about the zoning being consistent from one impact area to the next). Commissioner Passey explained the county has been dealing with this question for several years. When an agreement is reached then the zoning issues can be addressed easily. He discussed his reasons for recommending this proposed plan for the Impact Areas. As he came to a decision on the proposed plan he had studied cities infrastructure, private owners concerns, and growth patterns for each of the cities and entry ways into each of the cities. Lines were then drawn to allow both cities room for development. (Commissioners werequestioned as to who would be providing services.) Commissioner Muir explained the sewer agreement between the City of Rexburg & Sugar City and where the lines run currently. He pointed out that it would be a major financial undertaking to develop this new area and the developer would pay the lion’s share of that. Discussion among the City Council members summarized that the major interchange at Highway 20 and the Salem Highway was a prime commercial development corridor and wanted to know who would benefit from that development. Page 3 September 15, 2005 Minutes Joint Meeting Commissioner Muir reminded the group that the commissioners did not look at individual cities regarding who would get the commercial development or who would get the tax revenues. We looked at a direction of entry into these communities, growth patterns and made an unbiased decision not based on money. Gaylene Bean felt that the line drawn at 3000 North and the Salem Road going west would divide the Salem Community and this was not a good division. She also stated that they had added homes into the Sugar City impact zone without future commercial opportunities. Commissioner Muir clarified that the line only went from the corner, down 3000 North to the edge of Alice Hegsted’s property. Harold Harris stated that the triangular area to be traded for the area around the interchange was not an equitable trade and does not represent the request from the Salem area people northwest of the interchange who have petitioned to be in the Sugar City impact area. This issue is a great concern to the Sugar City Planning and Zoning Commission. Mayor Dalling asked if the City and County Planning and Zoning Commissions have been correlating their plans. He asked about the agreement between the City of Rexburg and City of Sugar City sewer system. Sugar City is now a part of the Rexburg sewer system and that Sugar City is now held hostage by the Rexburg sewer system. Jan Gallup quoted from Title 67 in the case of an Impact overlap. She asked when property owners would be allowed to vote on the proposal if the cities do not come to an agreement as per Title 67. Commissioner Muir clarified that we do not have an impact area overlap. We have existing impact areas that abut against each other. We are now trying to realign the impact areas and this proposal does show an overlapping. The only way to make changes with the existing impact zones is with mutual consent of both cities. If you want to continue with a discussion to change these areas it can be with consensus of the Cities involved or with a committee of nine or it goes to Judge Moss and he makes the decision. Gaylene Bean asked if the landowners had any say. Attorney Stephen Zollinger answered Mrs. Bean’s question by saying the decision of the landowners is through their elected officials. Page 3 September 15, 2005 Minutes Joint Meeting Commissioner Passey told aboutother areas of the State facing the same issues. He told of an area between Eagle and Star that has gone to a committee of nine and then down hill ever since. The Eagle community went door to door for citizens to sign a petition to be annexed into Eagle city limits and this has caused bad relations with the Star community. It was recommended that it not go any further than this level. Commissioner Muir said the only way to move an impact area boundary is by mutual consent between entities. He advised each entity to go back to their councils and discuss it. Title 67 applies to areas that do not fall into an impact zone. The councils may seek legal counsel and he suggested that those present go back to individual councils and communities and come up with a presentation for the meeting scheduled in a month. He also explained how the committee of nine works and what would happen if it failed. Attorney Stephen Zollinger felt the designated impact area should be put into the City of Rexburg Impact Zone because when you get off the North Interchange a person is headed into Rexburg not Sugar City. It is known as the North Rexburg interchange. Commissioner Passey clarified the fact that one of the options is the Commissioner’s have is to reject all impact area expansions and do nothing, but the areas are going to grow. He stated that it would be nice to have the impact areas in place so we can do some coordinating with specific zones within those impact zones and know where these corridors are going. Commissioner Muir stated that in conclusion, this is the only way to appease two cities that are trying to change their impact area boundaries. The conclusion may be to not make any changes but the County is trying to mediate the requested changes as each City has presented in their Comprehensive Plan updates. Hopefully, an open dialogue can continue so we can plan for an orderly growth. Mayor Dalling made a motion to adjourn at 7:15 p.m., Mayor Larsen seconded. Approved: _____________________________ Roger Muir, Chairman _____________________________ Mayor Shawn Larsen, Rexburg ________________________________ Mayor Glenn Dalling, Sugar City