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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1987.02.04 CITY COUNCIL MINUTES.f Meeting Adjourned Mayor John C. Porter ~,~; ~,~, City Clerk, Rose Bad- y SPECIAL MEETING FOR AUDIT February 4, 1987 Those Present: ~~layor: John C Porter Councilman: Sander Larson Bruce Sutherland Bruce Casper Glen Pond Nile Boyle Also Present: Rose Bagley, City Clerk Richard Horner, Treasurer Joe Call, Auditor Brad Reed, Auditor Joe Call explained the Audit Report. Mayor Porter told the council that because of the extra costs on the New Building of $34,000, we would levy for that amount when we do the next budget. He suggested that we transfer $50,000 form the utility fund to the general fund. This could be done by resolution. In doing these two things it would help take care of the deficit in the General Fund. Glen Pond said he thought that it would be okay as long as we didn't run the Utility fund short. We have that money in the utility because of the depreciation. The mayor said we could take some that is in cash, but not enough to hurt the fund. Richard Horner suggested that we charge more for services in the administration. He said the Sanitation is showing substantial profit. He felt that we could reduce the bin rates about 5% and then see how it goes for a year. Joe Call told them that all the other funds are in the black. The Mayor discussed a meeting with the County, it was decided it would be held Tuesday, February 10, at 7:00 P. M. d t%.,,,.--~ May o C Porter ~J' City Clerk, Ros, gl ~~IINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING February 4, 1987 State of Idaho) County of Madison( City of Rexburg) A meeting of the City Council for the City of Rexburg, P~adison County, held February 4, 1987, at the City Hall. Present were: Mayor: John C Porter Councilman: Glen Pond Bruce Casper vile Boyle Sander Larson 3ruce Sutherland Councilwoman: Darlene Blackburn Also Present: nary Smith, City Attorney Rose Bagley, City Cler'< Richard Horner, Treasurer A metier was made by Glen Pond and Bruce Casper to approve the minutes. All Aye. RE: ~1C DONALDS 100 FOOT SIGN Shirley Segar fro:a Segar Sign Cor~pany in Idaho Falls, Idaho, !gas a} the meeting they want to install a sign at Plc Donalds 10;3 feet in the air. It has 'been approved by the landlord. They need to re~auest a variance to have the sign 100 feet in the air. The mayor said we looked up ordinances for signs in the city and we haven't got anything on height. There is a 100 foot high sign in Blackfoot. Those blinder lights that are on the College stadiu,r, are 120 feet hig°~. This would be 20 feet lo~~aer than that. Pals Segar said they vrant the sign to be visable from the freeway. The mayor called up Idaho Falls to see what their regulations were, their don't allow any signs over 60' high. In the new zoning ordinance there will be ay sil~n ordinance in i-. A motion ~~das made by PJile Boyle and seconded by Darlene Blackburn to app~'~sve the Pic Donalds sign to be 100 feet high. All Aye. The mayor told the council that we have two city employees Jack J. Shipley and Dave A. Thibault who have received certificates from the state for completing courses and passing the examination for VJasterrater Operator and bJater Distru'~ution Operator. Jack Shipley received the certificate for Wa~,er Distruibution Operator Class 1. Nile Boyle, Chairman of the ~Jater :and ~Jastewat2r presented the certificates. RE: RUDD ~ CJ~~PAPdY REiIIEL~J JF AUDIT Joe Call from Rudd & Company was at the council meeting to present a review of the audit that they had completed. ~-le told the group that the city has made a remarkable imp~'ovement in its financial situation since last year. :Mayor Porter said we have been able to reduce the nu~7ber of employees in the Sanitation Department, and t~~e d~?~arur~,~nt see~ris tc, be r~unrsi ng more efficiently. We rai s:ad the bi n rate t~,ao years agcy now the operation is running just as it should be. It was suggested that we reduce the bin rate 5%. A motion was made by Darlene Blackburn and seconded by Glen Pond to reduce the bin rate 5%. All AyG~. A motion was made by Nile Boyle and seconded by Bruce Sutherland to except the audit report as presented. All Aye. RE: STUDENT HOUSING Off Campus Association was at the meeting. Ross Farmer acted as spokesman. Last year there was a substantial amount of housing added to the inventory available to students. Right now the off campus. housing has a vacancy rate of somewhere between 15% and 20%. There ~[s concern about the ability Ito :'candle additional housing, as we understand the enrollment at the college is at the maximum enrollment. ~~lerth Kidd, President of the association has put togather a packet of materials, ~~rhich he passed out to the council (on file). They also had a proposed resolution (on file) which they ask the council to consider. They said they were not going to ask the city to stop building or stand in the way of progress. ~Je are here to ask the council to wave a red flag to put potential developers on notice that we do have a problem in Rexburg now and the additional housing is going to compound the problem, unless something changes, possibly if the college would decide to change its enrollment. He requested that the council consider and act upon the resolution. Sander Larson- In the resolution on the #3 that the association be noticed by the city, then what happens. ~'Ir. Farmer-members of the association could act as individuals to discourage the building. We would prefer a method where we could try and stop new construction prior to that time. With the vacancy we have property owners cannot afford to upgrade housing. We have apartments with substantial vacancy. It is in the ocmmunity's interest to try to maintain a balance between the number of students and the amount of housing that is avialable. Sander Larson- If the information is made available to people when they come for building permits, and they can look and make a determination, vrouldn't that be sufficient? We could pass this resolution but so what? Mr. Farmer told him at least you are. warning them that there is too much student housing in Rexburg, and and that we have a limited market here. Bruce Sutherland said he has a problem with the resolution, because if we pass it, it will stay in the files and if there is a change in the sitution at Ricks College, and a few years down the road someone researching finds the resolution, they will wonder about it. It is like the council is telling people we don't want you to come in and build. Mayor Porter told him that when they come in to get a building permit, they have al- ready made up their mind to build. Anyone that is going to spend several thousand dollars, has already done his research, before he comes in to get a building permit. The mayor said for us to try to discourage anyone from building except for just saying there is enough housing, but to have a resolution going on record saying for the next 5 of 6 years we are going to discourage everyone that comes in to build student housing. I don't know if it would be legal or not. Mr. Farmer, said if the city were to pass the resolution, it could be for a certain period of time and reviewed annually. The mayor compaired the housing problem with the fast food businesses, but we can't discourage them. The mayor said passing the resolution is not the way. Any businesses of the same kind could come to us and ask that we do the some thing. Nile Boyle- I would not be adverse to looking at it. I do not like the word dis- courage in the resolution. Mayor Porter said we could have a fact sheet to hand out. Bruce Sutherland- When someone wants to go into business in Rexburg, he will come into Rexburg and look around and decide he wants to open a business of a certain type. Rexburg can only support so many food stores or so many of any other business. I think we are leaning on people's free agency, if we say the City of Rexburg has a resolution discouraging building. I don't deny the fact that we should get the facts out to people, I don't know if the City of Rexburg can do that. Instead of going to the mayor or council when they want facts about building, they will go to the College or Financial Institutions. I can see us preparing a fact sheet. I don't think it is in the spirit of free enterprize. This is not the business of the city council to pass the resolution. Merth Kidd- 1 year ago we went through this same thing before Dean Ricks built his unit, at that time we had 500 vacancies, and we now have 1160 vacancies. When you get empty buildings from vacancies you get a deteriorated town, you get a sick town. She said they would take it upon themselves to give us an updated fact sheet. Nile Boyle said we need to work on getting the facts. LJhen they come after building permits, it is probably too late. ~~ayor Porter said he thought that a fact sheet wo~1d be about all we could do. Bruce Sutherland ask if they had contracted the Chamber of Commerce. Gary Olsen said they would have the information sheet available. Planning & Zoning would be given the information sheets. Mayor Porter suggested giving it to the banks. Mayor Porter said the publicity that they were getting tonight would help. The council decided that they would have a committe from the Chamber of Commerce study the issue and report back to the city council on the best way to handle it. He said he did not feel comfortable about passing the resolution. David Rasmussen- I am a student housing owner in Rexburg. It may not be a popular opinion here, but I am opposed to any type of resolution .that hinders the free enterprize system in the country. That is the thing that has made this country the greatest country in the world. Certainly a person coming into this town, that has any experience in business, is going to study the facts and weigh the facts and determine for himself if it is a wise thing to do. We have that right to make that decision for ourselves. As a city council, I don't feel anything should be done that would hinder a person's free agency. I may want to expand someday. I will have to take the facts into consideration. RE: PLANNING & ZONING MEETINGS ~~ayor Porter told the coucil that we have been through a series of Zoning Meetings. The Planning & Zoning want to meet with them at their next meeting to start on the next phase. He said he had been thinking about the various hearings that we have held. There is a number of changes in the zoning that has generated very little opposition. I~ think we should lump those together and just have one official meeting and hearing and get those taken care of. The ones that we know are going to be controversial hold those one at a time. In the mean time I am working with Rose to get everything put together and get the map updated. RE: REXBURG-SUGAR SEWER TREAT~~ENT PLANT f~layor Porter discussed Rexburg and Sugar City agreement for their sewer to go into our sewer treatment plant. They have been haying a lot of problems with ground water, so there is actually more water bing dumped into the treatment plant than would normally gererate. The state department of health is making a survey now to try to determine the. amount of ground water and tihat ca,n be done about it to stop it. In iaEa.e mean time we decided on a certain sum, and we have been charging that. Richard has been working with them to try to work out an equable charge. When we entered into the agreement with them we were supposed to charge them for every 1000 gallons in the system. We were discounting to a certain amount. Richard worked out the cost to operate the sewer treatment plant. Our population is about 12,000 and theirs is about 150 and he has prorated it according to the population. The mayor ask the council to give Richard the permission to continue with the neg- otiation. When he gets it all done the council will go over it. At the present time they will have to pay about $4000 or $5000 more on last years. Richard is working that all out with them now. RE: WASTEWATER INSPECTIONS We hive to go out and make inspections of wastwater from all the industrial users of our sewer system. We sent in quite a few of the inspections and we have it down to about 15 places in Rexburg that we have to make inspections every 6 months. We will have to determine the cost that the owner will pay for the inspection. We can do some of it with our equipment, but some of it has to be sent in to the State. De Lynn is going to try to keep and accurate cent of a resolution putting that onto the cost of the service we provide for the people that have to have it. RE: PERMISSION TO DUMP IN REXBURG The mayor told the council that there is an area in Rexburg by the Fair Grounds that the county use to own. There is a gravel pit on the property. The people are dumping things in the pit that the people are not allowed to dump in the city. It is a mess. This property is next to property Rose and her husband owns, someone put some dry wall in it last summer and it smelled, so they went to quite a bit of expense to fill it and make it look nice. The mayor called the public health department about it and he will have Mary write a letter. The mayor said it looks like a landfill. Any dumping in Rexburg, they have to get permission to dump. RE: FORSGREN PERKINS SURVEY ON RIGHT-A-WAY The mayor said he had Forgren Perkins going out to survey the corner on 2nd West and 4th South and see how far back the .right-a-way is and mark it. Anyone that parks on our right-a-way, we can immediately move them off. The City of Pocatello is trying to do something about parking wrecks around town, and they are trying to find an ordinance to stop that. If they find anything they will send it to us. Mary Smith told the council that she is working on an ordinance. RE: MAYOR DISCUSSED BILLS THEY ARE WORKING ON Mayor Porter told the council that he had been in Boise to an Legislative meeting with AIC. He discussed the bills that they are working on. He told the council that since the last meeintg on the road, a new man is in that department. He thought we should have a formal hearing. The mayor had taken all the correspondence and a formal copy of the minutes of the meeting we hid over to Boise. He had given it to Dick Davis and Sessions. Dick called the mayor after he got home and told him everything was straightened out. They have got to get the bill passed in Washington before we can get the money. A motion was made by Sander Larson and seconded by Bruce Sutherland to pay the bills. All Aye. A motion was made by Bruce Casper and seconded by Nile Boyle to adjourn. All Aye. ,~-.- ~ John o ~~layor T a.. t, c.. ~~~ - „L-.,-ems ~./ ,.-- Rose Bagley, City C1