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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997.12.03 CITY COUNCIL MINUTESDATE: (120397) MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING 12/03/97 7:30 P. M. State of Idaho) County of Madison( ss City of Rexburg) Present were the following: Mayor: Nile Boyle Councilmembers: City Clerk: Attorney: Finance Officer: Pledge to the flag. Introduction of Scouts. Farrell Young Kay Beck Glen Pond Marsha Bjornn Nyle Fullmer Bruce Sutherland Rose Bagley Stephen Zollinger Richard Horner A motion was made by Nyle Fullmer and seconded by Farrell Young to approve the minutes. All Aye Members of the Employee Committee attended the meeting. RE: REOUEST PAGERS OR CELL PHONES FOR THE STREET DEPARTMENT WHEN ON CALL TOPIC: (21,123,,, STREET DEPT.,CELL PHONES,SANDING) Sheila Foster attended the meeting to request pagers or cell phones for the Street Department Crews on call for the sander. They are on call from November to March of each year. Now they have two sanders and they are on call two days a week. While they are on call they have to be at home by the phone and they have to be careful not to be on the telephone because dispatch can't get in touch with them. It is inconvenient even though it is part of the job. It would be nice if they had a pager or cell phone so they could be contacted and not have to worry about using their home phone and being home all the time. The employees receive two hours on call on the weekends, but during the week when they are on call they don't receive any compensation which would not be so bad if they were able to leave their home. In the water department, those employees that are on call have a cell phone to take home and also a vehicle to take home while they are on call. It would be an advantage for the employee to have a pager or a cell phone but it would also be an advantage for the city also, because if the employee is in town and able to be contacted right away they could be paged by dispatch and be able to go to the sander immediately. She had bids from four different businesses in town that tell the prices of the cell phones and pagers. She gave a handout to the council and explained them. (on file) She explained that it is cheaper to sign up for the phone or pager for a whole year. There is two people on call at a time on the sander that would need pagers or phones. Nyle felt it would be a good thing and it is unfair for us to expect them to sit home on the phone. Glen agreed and suggested that pagers would be a better way to go. Kay asked if we have any phones that are not in use and possibly they could use them. Marsha suggested that if the street department only needed them in the winter, that the parks department could use them in the summer. A motion was made by Nyle Fullmer to recommend that we authorize either the phone or pager for the street department for those on call and that the mayor and treasurer decide on either the pager or phone. Seconded by Bruce Sutherland. All Aye RE: WEST MAIN SNOW REMOVAL REQUEST TOPIC: (21,124,,, 2ND W,4TH W,SNOW REMOVAL) The mayor told the council he had a petition for snow removal on West Main from 2nd West to the canal 4th West. (copy on file) They would like the snow to be plowed to the middle of the street and then hauled away because it is such a wide street. If this cannot be done they asked that the city take their front-end loaders and remove the tremendous amount of Hard -Packed Snow from this 6 lane wide street out of their driveways with their loaders. The petition is signed by several businesses and residents on that street. The council discussed where you determine where to stop and in what areas you need to do the same. You can't haul snow all over the City. They discussed if we have a big snow fall and stack it in the middle of the road, it could be left there for a while and then people can't cross the road into their driveways and would have to go clear to the corner and turn around. Discussion on other areas in the city. No motion was made and issue died for lack of a motion and the snow removal will stay as it is on Main Street. RE: SNOW REMOVAL TOPIC: (21,124,,, STREET DEPT.,SNOW REMOVAL,SANDING) Glen brought up snow removal based on the last snow storm, he had a lot of comments particularly from other communities coming into Rexburg saying how we can't take care of our roads when other cities do. He felt we should use sand or salt and use it on all of the road instead of just the intersections. Kay stated that he felt we took care of the snow removal and sanding just as good as other communities that he had talked to or been in. Some cities do nothing. Glen stated one good way to find out is to talk to a U.P.S. driver because he drives in all the communities. (discussion on snow removal and sanding) Nyle Fullmer stated maybe the city does take a little bit a conservative approach to plowing and he agreed with Glen. He didn't think we get out as often as what we should. Kay said Idaho Falls got out twice last year and Rigby and St Anthony don't get out very often. The mayor stated that we did have another problem during the last snow storm and it will be taken care of by Farrell. The sanders wasn't out in the early evening until the mayor got called. Bruce felt the sanders should have been out sooner, however we are the only city built on a hill. Marsha asked why the city can't plow during the day. Kay explained that it is hard because of the traffic, so they plow at night. Stephen stated that some cities do plow the center traffic lane during the day. (discussion) Nyle stated that over all the street department do a good job, but we can keep working on it. RE: NOISE ORDINANCE ENFORCED TOPIC: (21,124,,, NOISE,POLICE DEPT.) Discussion on a noise ordinance. The mayor and council received a copy of a newspaper article on a noise ordinance from Terrell Arnold. Stephen stated that we do enforce noise now to a degree. (discussion) RE: WATER DELINQUENCY PROTEST TOPIC: (21,124,,, WATER DEPT.,WATER BILL,DELINQUENT NOTICES) Water Delinquency Protest- We have had some complaints because when water bills are delinquent and the water is shut off we charge a $35 deposit and a reconnect fee of $25. Some property owners don't feel they should have to pay a deposit if they own the property. (discussion) It was felt by the council that we should leave it like it is in our procedure. RE: AMENDING OF CURFEW ORDINANCE 789 TOPIC: (21,124,ORD,801,CURFEW,POLICE DEPT.,MINORS) Ordinance 801 an ordinance changing some of the wording on the Curfew Ordinance 789. AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CITY ORDINANCE NO 789, WHICH CREATED THE ORDINANCE; DEFINING TERMS; CREATING OFFENSES FOR MINORS, PARENTS AND GUARDIANS OF MINORS AND FOR BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS CONFLICT THEREWITH; AND PROVIDING WHEN THIS ORDINANCE SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE. A motion was made by councilman Bruce Sutherland and seconded by Kay Beck that the rules requiring an ordinance of a general and permanent nature to be read on three occasions be dispensed with and that said ordinance be numbered 801. Those voting aye: Kay Beck Farrell Young Glen Pond Bruce Sutherland Nyle Fullmer Marsha Bjornn Those voting nay: None Ordinance 801 was then placed before the council. the mayor then called for the voting for final passage of the ordinance, and the motion was made by Bruce Sutherland and seconded by Kay Beck that ordinance 801 be passed. Those voting aye: Marsha Bjornn Nyle Fullmer Bruce Sutherland Glen Pond Farrell Young Kay Beck Those voting nay: None The roll showed all councilmen present voting "Aye" carried, the mayor declared that the majority of all the members of the city council had voted for the passage of said ordinance was duly and regularly passed. Mayor Boyle declared the motion carried. RE: BEER LICENSES TOPIC: (21,125,,, ALBERTSONS,MAVERICK) The mayor read the applications for the beer licenses for Maverick 169, Maverick 195, Albertsons. A motion was made by Nyle Fullmer and seconded by Bruce Sutherland to approve the beer licenses. All Aye RE: FIRE DEPARTMENT LIGHTING TOPIC: (21,125,,, FIRE DEPT.,BUDGET,UTILITY BILL) Glen told the council Spence Larsen talked to him about changing the lighting at the Fire Department. They had a study done and it was going to cost about $12,000. They got most of the work done except in the bay areas. They have a little over $3000 to come up with. One of the local utilities had agreed to lend them some money on their billings. After talking to Richard it was felt that because of the small amount the city should ahead because of the savings in the utility bill in a year and half. The amount they needed to finish the upgrade on the lights which is $3180. He recommended that we go ahead and fix those. A motion was made by Bruce that we allow them to go ahead and fix the lights and that the city pay the additional $3180. Seconded by Nyle Fullmer. All Aye Marsha commented how nice the Nature Park is with the paved paths. Meeting adjourned. Mayor, Nile L. Boyle' City Clerk, Roses 8agl y