08/02/11
Council Meeting
Mayor David Anderson called
the meeting of August 2, 2011 to order at 5:51 p.m.
Present for the meeting were Mayor
Anderson, Council President Chris Clark, Council
Members Mike Klaus, Connie Wells, and Tom Mayo,
City Administrator Stephen Boorman, Assistant
City Administrator David Sims, Clerk Kris
Larson, and Economic Development Coordinator
Mike Sloan.
Also present were Dave Gray and Jerry
Higgs.
The group reviewed the
enterprise funds for the fiscal year 2012
budget.
Dave Gray left the budget
workshop at 6:30 p.m.
The budget workshop ended
at 6:55 p.m.
Council took a break.
The regular meeting
convened at 7:05 p.m.
Jimmie Ball, Kevin Snyder, Carolyn Testa, Fire
Chief Pat Warkentin, Police Chief Rick Alonzo,
and Attorney Tim Wilson joined the meeting.
Jim Ball spoke to council
regarding electrical utility billing.
He has about 15 rental houses.
He said he has had tenants move out or be
evicted and he is being billed the entire time.
His request is to address the policies
that are in place in order to provide protection
for landlords.
A person moved into a rental and did not
put the utilities into his name and Jim was
billed for the utilities.
He was informed that there
are forms to be completed for the moving in and
out of the properties.
He was also informed that there could be
a disconnect fee and reconnect fee each time
there is a tenant move if the landlord wishes.
He will consider this.
Attorney Tim Wilson spoke regarding the
utilities and how landlords should tighten up
their contracts.
Jim will consider collecting the costs up
front for the reconnection of the utilities.
Jim will come into the city to discuss
the matter and get this straightened out.
Jerry Higgs spoke to
council.
He spoke regarding take home governmental
vehicles being used for other than governmental
business.
He said he has not seen this at the city
but has with other governments.
He said this should be part of the take
home vehicle policy.
Jerry also spoke regarding
fees to be charged to residents not following
city ordinances.
He gave the example of trees and brush in
the right of ways.
There is a responsibility of citizens not
to encroach on the city’s property so the city
does not have to bear the cost to clean up this
mess.
Rick Alonzo gave the police
report.
There were two crashes, one trespass,
three DUIs, two malicious injury to property
charges, one possession of methadone, one
battery, three thefts, a burglary, one driving
without privileges, door open at the high
school, and two code violations regarding weeds.
Rick said in the past the weed issues
have been cited under the nuisance property but
that only gives the person five days and another
code gives more time to clean up the mess so he
is using the other code.
The new Crown Vic has been repainted by
Riverside.
There is a new radio system
coming from Homeland Security for the Crown Vic.
Connie asked about the properties near
the Cedar Street Ally that needed cleaned up.
Attorney Tim Wilson said the property
owners have been notified but not formally.
Tim said we can do a formal letter this
week if Council chooses.
There are four properties that need to be
taken care of in that area.
Council wants this to be
taken care of.
Pat Warkentin gave the fire
report.
There were 11 call outs in July for the
fire department including a head on vehicle
collision.
The fire department received a grant
award from Idaho Department of Lands for radio
equipment in the amount of $6,500.
These radios will be P25 compliant.
Stephen Boorman gave the
Administrator report.
He spoke regarding the Columbia River
Treaty that controls the Libby Dam and the dams
on the Columbia River
system.
The focus is on flooding in Bonners
Ferry.
APPA has a reporter coming on
August 26, 2011
and will do an article on Bonners Ferry for the
APPA magazine.
Alderson Lane
is mostly completed but the lines need painted.
David said there is an issue with the
catch basins that were used on the
Alderson Lane project but
the Welch Comer engineer is coming to look at
them this week.
The wrong catch basins were specified by
Welch Comer when the project was bid.
The residents on
Alderson Lane
were very nice to work with during the project
and were very patient.
Stephen said the golf
committee met last week and the consensus was
that the course needed to be advertised more and
junior play should be encouraged.
Tom Mayo said Ralph at the golf course
did not have equipment needs for next year.
David said EPA inspected
the water plant and FERC inspected the dam and
Bonneville was also here doing an inspection.
Stephen said the FERC Part 12 inspection
is coming up and it costs about $50,000 and this
is required every five years.
David spoke regarding a
quote for a loader.
Rowand Machinery gave a price of $104,000
that is piggy backing under the State of
Idaho’s bid.
The buy back is $110,000 after 18 months.
David said this quote is a tier three
engine and they are not made any longer.
He gave the finance options to council to
review for the next meeting.
David will have the additional cost of a
snow plow for the loader for next week’s
meeting.
Mike Sloan reported that
Blackfoot Telecommunications was interested in
providing services for broadband.
Bill Squires from Blackfoot
Telecommunications attended a meeting with
officials from Bonner and
Boundary Counties.
The Blackfoot Telecommunications Board
will meet within 60 days to see if they are
willing to come to the area for services.
Mike said they are in
Missoula,
Montana and seemed to be interested in the
project.
Mayor Anderson said there is the question
of the public private providers.
Blackfoot Communications already has a
presence in Idaho
according to the Mayor.
He thinks Blackfoot will come forth with
a proposal.
Stephen said the written
legal description for the urban renewal district
submitted to the State of
Idaho
was incorrect and JRS Surveying sent the
corrected data to the State of
Idaho.
He said we may have to have a corrected
ordinance done in the future.
Connie Wells moved to add
the discussion of the Kootenai Tribe Contract
and also discuss the take home vehicle policy
for the Police Department to the agenda.
Mike Klaus seconded the motion.
The motion passed, all in favor.
Tom Mayo moved to accept
the consent agenda.
Connie Wells seconded the motion.
The motion passed – Mike Klaus “yes”,
Chris Clark “yes”, Connie Wells “yes”, Tom Mayo
“yes”.
Stephen said the employee
that has cleaned the visitor center for several
years has resigned and he did a stellar job.
He asked for approval to temporarily hire
Arnold Tuttle’s Cleaning Service until we can
find an employee or get a plan for cleaning.
Chris Clark moved to hire Tuttle’s
Cleaning until we can come up with a plan for
cleaning the visitor center.
Tom Mayo seconded the motion.
The motion passed – Mike Klaus “yes”,
Chris Clark “yes”, Connie Wells “yes”, Tom Mayo
“yes”.
Chris Clark moved to
authorize the Mayor to sign the BPA contract
revision based on staff’s recommendation.
Mike Klaus seconded the motion.
The motion passed – Mike Klaus “yes”,
Chris Clark “yes”, Connie Wells “yes”, Tom Mayo
“yes”. (Clerk’s Note:
the revision corrects the point of
delivery location description).
Mike Klaus moved to approve
the special event permit for the Pawsitive Works
Dog Walk and Carnival on August 27, 2011. Chris
Clark seconded the motion.
The motion passed, all in favor.
Item #8, contract with Ed
Minden for a test well, was tabled for executive
session.
David Sims gave council a
handout with an estimation of the taxes and
costs of a homeowner if annexation were to
occur.
The electrical base rate is higher for
residents outside the city limits but water and
sewer rates are the same for inside and outside
the city customers.
If a landowner has acreage of over five
acres in agriculture they can opt out of the
annexation. This could be a problem if we wanted
to go all the way out to the golf course.
Animals may be permitted if annexation is
to occur if the zoning allows or there is the
possibility of grandfathering.
David said there is the option of
bringing in the zoning as residential B in the
annexation area.
Stephen said the city should zone the
annexation area the way the people would like.
Chris Clark said annexation of the area
out to the golf course may be too large of a
bite.
The group discussed taking a smaller area
in for consideration this time than we did last
time annexation was reviewed.
David said there is an extension policy
that the city has adopted that says if a
propertyowner requests utility services that
they agree to annexation.
Council reviewed a map of the area that
may be considered for annexation.
Tom Mayo said he would like to see
annexation pursued to see how quickly it can be
done.
Tom Mayo moved to go forward with the
annexation process.
Chris Clark seconded the motion.
The motion passed, all in favor.
Mayor Anderson said he
would like to meet again next Monday at
7:00 p.m.
Mike Klaus moved to request
an increase of two percent for the Kootenai
Tribal Contract for
fiscal year 2012.
Tom Mayo seconded the motion.
The motion passed - Mike Klaus “yes”,
Chris Clark “yes”, Connie Wells “yes”, Tom Mayo
“yes”.
Council discussed police
take home vehicles.
Mayor Anderson said the police chief is
asking for clarification of the distance or
parameters of take home vehicles so he can work
on a take home vehicle policy.
Rick said he has written a take home
vehicle policy for the police department and
basically it is for travel to and from home with
no personal stops.
Rick said he is asking council if they
are going to allow take home vehicles because if
they are not then he will not waste his time
writing a policy.
Tom Mayo is not sure he is in favor of
take home vehicles.
Mayor Anderson said he is in favor of
take home vehicles as he would just as soon have
police vehicles in driveways in town as sitting
at the city.
Chris Clark said he is not opposed to
take home vehicles but would prefer having them
in the city limits.
Connie is not sure about it but wants
them to be in the city limits.
Chris Clark said he does not like to see
the police vehicles lined up on the dike in a
row as it looks decadent.
Tom Mayo moved to go into
executive session per Idaho Code 67-2345 (1)
(f).
Connie Wells seconded the motion.
The motion passed – Mike Klaus “yes”,
Chris Clark “yes”, Connie Wells “yes”, Tom Mayo
“yes”.
Executive session ended at 8:28 p.m.
No action was taken.
Mike Klaus asked staff if
they would like to move forward with a test
well.
David said we would like to go forward
and drill a test well. We have a quote from Ed
Minden for $5,725 based on a 100 foot well and
we would like authorization to go up to 140 feet
based on the same per footage cost as the 100
foot well.
Mike Klaus moved to go forward with the
test well.
Chris Clark seconded the motion.
Mike Klaus “yes”, Chris Clark “yes”,
Connie Wells “no”, Tom Mayo “yes”.
The meeting adjourned at
8:32 p.m.
/s/
David K. Anderson, Mayor
Attest:
/s/
Kris Larson, City Clerk
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