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11142013CouncilMinutes CITY OF AMMON CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - WORK SESSION THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013 AGENDA: CITY OF AMMON 2135 SOUTH AMMON ROAD CITY COUNCIL AGENDA – WORK SESSION THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2013 – 4:30 P.M. DISCUSSION ITEMS: 1.Bonneville Metropolitan Planning Organization (BMPO) – Bike/Pedestrian Trail Presentation 2.Wage Scale Presentation 3.Sweeto Burrito – Business Request For Drive Through Lane 4.Sidewalks - 6200 Triumph Drive 5.Misc. EXECUTIVE SESSION: 1.Personnel Evaluations - Idaho Code 67-2345 (1-b) 2.Real Property Acquisitions - Idaho Code 67-2345 (1-c) 3.Pending Litigation - Idaho Code 67-2345 (1-f) MINUTES City Officials Present: Councilmember Rex Thompson Councilmember Brian Powell Councilmember Sean Coletti Councilmember Russell Slack Councilmember Brad Christensen City Attorney Scott Hall (Arrived at 5:00 p.m.) City Clerk/Administrator/Planning Director Ron Folsom Deputy City Clerk Rachael Brown City Engineer Lance Bates Parks Director Ken Knoch Public Works Director Ray Ellis City Officials Absent: Mayor Steve Fuhriman Councilmember Dana Kirkham City Treasurer Jennifer Belfield DISCUSSION ITEMS: Councilmember Powell opened the meeting at 4:30 p.m. at the City Hall building located at 2135 South Ammon Road. 1. Bonneville Metropolitan Planning Organization (BMPO) – Bike/Pedestrian Trail Presentation: Ron explained that Brad Cramer and DaNiel Jose are here to present the BMPO Bike/Pedestrian Trail information. Brad Cramer, City of Idaho Falls Planning Department, and Bike/Pedestrian Trail Committee member for the BMPO said he and DaNiel attended a Bike/Pedestrian conference in Long Beach, California. He is an avid bike rider and one of his responsibilities with the City of Idaho Falls is to help develop the City’s bike/pedestrian plan. He has shared the presentation with the City of Idaho Falls, BMPO, and now the City of Ammon. The presentation is designed to give the Council ideas for developing a bike/pedestrian plan for the City of Ammon. The lessons learned at the conference were; you do not need a high end, expensive bike to get out and bike. The success rate should be based on how many average people, how many kids, and families feel safe out biking. Make simple plans based on the needs for your own city. A bike/pedestrian facility does not need to cost a lot of money; some examples of inexpensive bike/pedestrian facilities are painting a line for a bike lane, or updating an existing bike lane with separate biking and pedestrian lanes, a sign showing bicyclist safe routes and distance of routes, or a bike rack at a central location. A good bike/pedestrian network and a creative use of the right away can be conducive to economic development. The Snake River Landing is 13 City Council Minutes 11.14.2013 Page of a local example of a development that had the foresight to layout the infrastructure for a bike/pedestrian facility. Brad’s last lesson from the conference was completing the projects. Do not let them sit on the desk. The best educational campaign is to build. DaNiel Jose, Bicycle/ pedestrian Coordinator for the BMPO, said her task is to implement a brand new bike pedestrian plan. The State of Idaho is number three in the United States for cycling to work. We need to be aware there are people in our community that would like to cycle to work. The BMPO campaign “Connecting our Community” has hired a consultant to prepare a need assessment for the first portion of their plan. The City of Idaho Falls’ Parks and Recreation director has received a grant for the second portion of their plan for the Idaho Falls area. DaNiel distributed a copy of the needs assessment to the Council for them to review. DaNiel said the BMPO received over one thousand responses to their survey. DaNiel explained the survey findings, and said the final results were that if a good access to facilities was provided people would be riding more often. There have been requests to be able to ride bikes to the shopping district in the City of Ammon. DaNiel explained the existing conditions map given to the Council, and said the challenge is to fill in the gaps that are indicated on the map. They would like to see a connection from the existing John Adams bike lane into the City of Ammon. They want to link the neighborhoods together along with the parks, schools and churches and shopping areas. Councilmember Christensen said there are two groups of cyclists; the casual rider that would like to ride in their neighborhood or to school or the park, and the serious rider such as those on Sunnyside Road riding to Bone Idaho. DaNiel said they take their lane on Sunnyside Road and that it is legal for them to do so. Councilmember Christensen said it is legal, but not safe. He has had many people approach him about the safety issue. He had a friend hit a pot hole and broke an expensive bike in two. He worries something awful could happen leaving us to wonder what more could we have done. DaNiel said we will never be exempt from hazards, and the goal is to make the bicyclist safer and more comfortable on our system. DaNiel returned to the responses from the BMPO survey, and said that 45th E was identified as a road to connect the Cities of Iona, Idaho Falls and Ammon. Lincoln Road was identified as a road that could connect between the Cities of Ammon, Idaho Falls and Iona. DaNiel said she also has sat down with Ken Knoch to look at different options for using the canal system, and Ken has compiled them on a map. DaNiel explained that bike sharing is also big nationwide. The bike sharing program in Washington D.C. is that for $100 per year a person can check out a bicycle to ride around downtown, run errands, and then check the bike back in at the station. The stations are all over the place. DaNiel would like to work with Ken and Ron and the Parks Committee to move forward with the second phase of the BMPO plan. Councilmember Christensen asked if the grant the City applied for from the BMPO is available to use in the section east of Hitt Road. Ken said that would be behind Ammon town center. DaNiel explained that nobody in the area received those grants, but said the City needs to revise and re-apply for the grant. Discussion ensued. Councilmember Thompson asked if it was illegal to walk or bike along the canal banks right now. Ron explained in the Progressive Irrigation District the ditch is owned by the adjacent property owners. If you are walking on the Progressive part of a canal bank you are on private property. The area that could be used is from the tow out which is a fifteen foot easement. We still have to negotiate with the property owners and with Progressive Irrigation. Ken explained that the bike path system could be done in phases. Councilmember Powell asked Ken approximately how long it would take for a committee to gather information and review everything. Ken estimated once they received approval they could start right away getting the committee together. Councilmember Christensen said this is an opportunity to show the City of Idaho Falls the City of Ammon’s willingness to work together, and his recommendation is to include a member of the Idaho Falls committee on the Ammon bike/pedestrian committee and vice versa. The Council is all on board to move forward with the Bike/Pedestrian Path implementation. 2. Wage Scale Presentation: This discussion was tabled to be held at a later date. 3. Sweeto Burrito – Business Request For Drive Through Lane: CouncilmemberSlack said he doesn’t like the idea of a drive through for a mobile business. Ron said the reality is that the drive through will eliminate the parking issues.Ron said staff fought the parking issues all summer long, even after the parking lot was striped. Ron said the business owner has requested to install a drive through, order station. Ron told Jarom Christensen, the owner of the Tesoro store, that if the City approves the drive-thru request, no other itinerant merchants would be allowed. Councilmember Christensen said the drive through would become a problem as the City grows. Councilmember Slack said if the business is busy enough to need a drive through, then they should get a building. Ron said his franchises are buildings, and this is the only mobile unit. Councilmember Powell said if you need to build infrastructure for a mobile unit, then they need a permanent structure. 4. Sidewalks - 6200 Triumph Drive: Ron explained this property is in Founders Point. Ron said Charlie Allen came to him asking how the Council would want to handle this situation. The house was built and received a certificate of occupancy in 2008. This was before the City began requiring sidewalks to be in before the property received a certificate of occupancy. The original owners have moved away, and the current owners have not put in sidewalks. Charlie would like to send a letter requesting the current 23 City Council Minutes 11.14.2013 Page of owner put in sidewalks. Ron is requesting the Council’s approval. Councilmember Powell asked how much it would cost to put in the sidewalk. Councilmember Christensen said approximately $3,000. Councilmember Christensen said everyone that lives in that area was required to install sidewalks. He has spoken with the owner and he is aware the sidewalk needs to be installed.Discussion ensued. Scott said if the CC&R’s (Conditions, Covenants & Restrictions) require it then the HOA (Home Owners Association) could enforce it. Ron said in the past we have sent letters that tell them to do it, or the City will and then they will be billed. The Council directed Ron to send the letter giving him the two options. Ron said we would send the letter this fall and give him until spring. 5. Misc.: Lance said he has been talking with some developers and the City of Idaho Falls regarding sewer and flow charges for sewer on the 14th N area, and the 1st Street Suitter property. He would like the Council to be aware that in the future he will coming to Council with some language for some agreements to get this to work. The City of Idaho Falls did install a sewer stub into John Adams when they redid Hitt Road. Councilmember Thompson said this was done so they could go up and down the side of the canal. Lance said they could if there was an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) that stated it will be serviced by the City of Ammon. Lance said it is one of those things that are out there, they could be looking at some unusual solutions, and he wanted the Council to be aware. Ron said Robert Suitter’s family owned the property, the City of Idaho Falls widened the road, and as part of the negotiations Robert requested a letter giving permission for him to connect temporarily to the sewer saying they will sewer the property on the west side of the canal until the City of Ammon has sewer available in that area. Ron will talk to Chris to find out if the letter exists.Councilmember Christensen said the policy should always be whichever City can service it more efficiently. Ronsaid he wanted to let the Council know that James Billman the owner of Billman’s, is negotiating for the Game World building. They already held the Freaker’s Ball there on November 1st. Ron said that James is negotiation for long term lease, and plans to use it as an event center. Ron explained that Charlie Allen sized the property, and the building can hold 900 people, and the only issue is the parking. Ron said both the City of Ammon and the City of Idaho Falls need an event facility. This Saturday James is hosting a drag show. This event drew 800 people to the Shilo Inn last year. Ron said it is actually a dinner show, and his only concern was if it would be indecent; but they wear more clothing than you would wear to church. Ron said the only indecent part maybe the language, which you will not hear outside. Discussion ensued regarding the catering permit. Councilmember Powell said he thinks this is a good thing for the City of Ammon. Discussion ensued regarding the parking issues at that location. Councilmember Powell said Willow Canyon Drive is terrible and would like Ray to look at it. Ray said there are eight or ten miles just like it within the City. Discussion ensued regarding the roadway. Ray said garbage collection is the 4th deadliest profession. Ray explained that Dan was picking up trash at Eagle Pointe Drive on Wednesday when the school had early release. There were some kids near the truck and Dan asked them to stand back, because he did not want them to get hit by the can. The kids stood back, he dumped the can, and as he is getting ready to drive off he looks in his rear camera and realizes one of the kids is gone. Dan found that the child had crawled under his truck to fetch a ball. That was a close call to a deadly disaster. Ray said this is the kind of thing our drivers deal with. EXECUTIVE SESSION: 1. Personnel Evaluations - Idaho Code 67-2345 (1-b) 2. Real Property Acquisitions - Idaho Code 67-2345 (1-c) 3. Pending Litigation - Idaho Code 67-2345 (1-f) Councilmember Powell moved to adjourn into executive session pursuant to Idaho Code 67-2345 (1-b). Councilmember Slack seconded. Roll Call Vote: Councilmember Powell – Yes, Councilmember Slack – Yes, Councilmember Thompson – Yes, Councilmember Christensen – Yes, and Councilmember Coletti – Yes. The motion passed. The meeting adjourned at 5:49 p.m. _________________________________________________ Steve Fuhriman, Mayor _________________________________________________ Ron Folsom, City Clerk 33 City Council Minutes 11.14.2013 Page of