Loading...
02102011CouncilMinutes-WS CITY OF AMMON CITY COUNCIL MINUTES – WORK SESSION THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2011 AGENDA: CITY OF AMMON 2135 SOUTH AMMON ROAD CITY COUNCIL AGENDA – WORK SESSION THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2011 – 4:30 P.M. DISCUSSION ITEMS: 1.VA Business License (Leslie/Scott)* 2.Strategic Plan 3.Misc. MINUTES DISCUSSION ITEMS: 1. VA Business License (Leslie/Scott)*: Councilmember Kirkham asked Leslie if they needed to get Scott on the phone for this issue. Leslie said Scott told her to brief them on the situation. Leslie said this same issue concerning the State Liquor Board had previously been addressed and paid. Leslie’s suggestion is to exempt State and Federal from Business Licensing. The City has had to constantly work at enforcing this law with the dispute being the constituents are the ones paying the fee to a government bureau and they argue the law states this can’t be done. Councilmember Thompson inquired about the fees for business licensing and what it covers. Leslie said it covers our time to process the business license and verify they are still current with the City laws. Councilmember Thompson asked Leslie if we were going to refund to the State Liquor Dispensary. Leslie said no, she would just go forward with it. Councilmember Coletti said to leave the State alone and just apply it to the Federal, until we have to do something with it. She said no she wants to go with both, because it is a fight every year and doesn’t reflect positively on the City. Councilmember Bean said he doesn’t agree with it and wants to speak with Scott. The fee pays for our costs of administration. He is not willing to give up quite that easy. Leslie said it hasn’t been easy. She and Scott have been working on it for a month. Councilmember Bean said he still wanted to speak with Scott. Councilmember Coletti said he would be surprised to find a case that says you can’t charge a business license fee to a federal entity. Leslie said the VA attorney has already contacted the Utah Attorney General, the Idaho Attorney General and is now talking to Washington DC. Councilmember Slack suggested just billing them. Leslie said the VA’s attorney had told her if we did that, he would take us to Federal Court. Leslie will have Scott contact Councilmember Bean and have this placed on the agenda next week for a decision. 2. Strategic Plan: Councilmember Kirkham stated the meeting with Idaho Falls has been cancelled as a rd group. The facilitator wants to meet with each City separately. He would meet with Ammon on the 23 and Idaho Falls at a separate date and then he would meet with both groups together. The mediator, who is out of Twin Falls, was recommended by Ken Harwood from AIC. Councilmember Coletti said there are several people who would do this on our time schedule and not delay the scheduled meeting. Councilmember Kirkham informed Council the cost is $150 per hour, which would be split between the two Cities. Council decided to have Councilmember Coletti get three names and Councilmember Kirkham will submit them to the Idaho Falls Council. Councilmember Kirkham said the Council needs to identify the most important items for the City. She is proud to say that most of the items from the last strategic session had been accomplished. Councilmember Kirkham said she feels roads are the top priority. Councilmember Slack asked all of the Council to go through what their departments see as important. Councilmember Slack said the Fire Department needs SCBA masks, gas tanks and an air refilling station.Next year they might need $40,000 for the air refilling station. We have had two firefighters go down with the last fires, due to the tanks. Leslie said this impacts workmen’s comp. Councilmember Slack said Mountain View Hospital might help pay for a Quick Response Unit within 2 – 3 years. Councilmember Kirkham asked since City Council Minutes 2-10-11 Page 1 of 3 the growth has stalled, do you agree that another fire station is not needed. Councilmember Slack said yes. Councilmember Kirkham asked about a ladder truck. Councilmember Slack said we don’t have a building big enough to warrant one, which is why we can’t get a grant. Councilmember Slack said Parks & Recreation would like a larger swimming pool. Councilmember Kirkham said what about the Senior Park. Councilmember Slack said they have submitted a grant to try and get the funds from outside the City budget. Councilmember Coletti said he would like to preserve the green space in our parks and doesn’t want it used up. Councilmember Kirkham said she feels McCowin Park has been used up enough. Councilmember Thompson asked about Tiebreaker Park that has 4 acres that have not been developed. Councilmember Slack said Ken lives on a small budget now. Councilmember Slack said Ken isn’t trying to add any more green space and is trying to work on the pool. Council discussed how the shallow end of the pool could be doubled. Councilmember Powell said a square rectangle pool is the cheapest way to build one. Councilmember Slack does not see adding any unusual recreational activities for the recreation section of the parks. Councilmember Thompson said the Building Department has let Allen and Jane go. Greg and Charlie will now man the office. Councilmember Kirkham said there isn’t a lot of strategic planning for the Building Department. Leslie said the office needs secured storage space that is fire proof for historical records. Councilmember Kirkham asked Leslie what this would entail. Leslie said she didn’t know of an option, right now. At one time it was discussed about the City Building and the Fire Department Building being connected and possibly adding this space in there, but this has not been discussed for a while. Leslie said we could use offsite storage. Leslie said at this time, we have storage in a section of the Fire Department that is secured. Councilmember Powell said I.T. would be getting the fiber in the ground between the City buildings and then to the cell towers. This can be done hopefully later this year or next year. This will help to assist School District 93 to connect their buildings, which could enable one teacher to teach at every building simultaneously. Councilmember Coletti said he hasn’t had an opportunity to meet with Law Enforcement. Councilmember Kirkham said we are satisfied with the Ammon Police Department, with the County, for the next five years. The question would be if we aren’t going to continue using the County, then we need to start saving for our own police dept. Council agreed now is not the time. Councilmember Thompson said when he ran the numbers 16,000 people was the breakeven point, for us, to have our own Police Department. Lance said as part of the fiber the railroad has asked for more enforcement of ATV’s and no trespassing. Councilmember Powell said the City would be able to use the utility poles at no charge and dedicate the franchise fees to street improvement. Councilmember Bean asked if it was going to be required upon development that they have to install the fiber. Councilmember Powell said he spoke with Scott about forming a Fiber District, that way they pay for the conduit; we will install it to make sure it is done properly, but the district is responsible for their portion of the fibre system. He will be the first connection to see how everything works. Councilmember Powell said for phone, computer, and television all on the fiber will cost him a total of approximately $50 to $70 with a 50 meg connection. Councilmember Coletti said on the public safety front, Sheriff Wilde said there was a promotion opportunity and Kevin might be applying for a new position and if he gets it then he would have to leave the Ammon force. Councilmember Kirkham said Public Works needs to identify roads that need to be widened. Council th st agreed 17needed it first. Lance said 1 Street is by far more important. Councilmember Kirkham said anything we own with another government agency needs to be bumped down the list. Councilmember Coletti said most st people say that 1 and Ammon Road is the most dangerous. Councilmember Bean said they would probably put in a round-a-bout. Lance said no, it would have to be an offset roundabout, since two corners are already developed. Councilmember Powell asked about Welcome to Ammon entrance signs, so the public can identify where the City limits are. Lance said the true difficulty is in where you place the signs. Councilmember Thompson said th Ammon Road South is dangerous. Councilmember Kirkham said she feels 25 and Target is more important. Councilmember Slack said the City’s contribution to this project would cost approximately $30,000. th Councilmember Bean said the intersection of 17 and Hitt also needs to be addressed in the future. Councilmember Slack said Jay Danielson asked about the parks having a baker monitor hand pump. It is a well pump for emergency facilities. Lance said we have backup up generators from the wells. Councilmember Powell said we have the well in Quail Ridge. Councilmember Slack said if we put one in the park for emergency purposes, it would cost $60 – 80,000 for a 200 foot well. It was also suggested to put in a RV dump in the City. City Council Minutes 2-10-11 Page 2 of 3 Lance said as far as an RV dump, you have a large diameter sewer main where a RV station could be put in. Council is unsure about the RV dump. Councilmember Powell said he would like to get the franchise fee in and dedicate the funds to the th road department. He would like to get 17 Street done and pay for it with the franchise funds. Councilmember Bean said the City could use the funds to pay for roads with a judicial confirmation. Lance said he would like to plan for the full width on roads, but only stripe for three lanes until more were actually needed. Councilmember Powell asked what development will be in 10-15 years. Lance said there is a possibility of a belt route with Crowley and Sunnyside Roads becoming a super arterial. You will have 5 lanes out to Crowley Road. Councilmember Coletti asked why don’t we look at the long-term plan and then create short-term plans to build the roads. Lance said he had a conversation with the Railroad and Idaho Transportation Department and they are looking at the thth railroad crossing on 17. Councilmember Coletti said if we are looking at 17, then we need to look at sidewalks. Councilmember Powell said he still wants to look at the equipment that rebuilds the road surfaces. Lance said this is still being looked into. ththst Councilmember Kirkham said the first priority would be 25 and Target, 17 and Hitt, 1 Street and th Ammon Road Intersection, widening 17 Street, Ammon Road South of Sunnyside, and the stoplight by SpeediMart. Councilmember Kirkham said the City needs to start acquiring water rights. Original Ammon water lines and water meters will also be major issues. Councilmember Kirkham said sewer concerns would be the equipment and manpower for EIRWWA. Lance said we need to start mapping the sewer system of the City. Councilmember Powell asked about the IBSD customers running through our lines and vice versa. Discussion ensued on where the sewage goes between the two entities. Lance thinks there are approximately 200 customers affected by this. Councilmember Kirkham said the School Board vote tied on the easement decision, which made the motion fail. It is being put back on the agenda for the next meeting. Council decided for the Council to be at the next School board meeting. 3. Misc.: Leslie advised the Council that there is an issue with the Change Order 4 that was voted on the last meeting. Forsgren had submitted Change Order 4 previously in September 2010 and the vote was passed. Lance said Forsgren didn’t have the contractor sign it, so they destroyed the papers. She will have this on the next agenda for the Council’s vote as to how to handle the situation. Councilmember Kirkham motioned to adjourn. Councilmember Powell seconded. Roll Call Vote: Councilmember Kirkham – Yes, Councilmember Powell – Yes, Councilmember Thompson – Yes, Councilmember Bean – Yes, Councilmember Coletti – Yes, and Councilmember Slack – Yes. The motion passed. The meeting adjourned at 6:07 p.m. _____________________________________ Steve Fuhriman, Mayor __________________________________ Leslie Folsom, City Clerk City Council Minutes 2-10-11 Page 3 of 3