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07/19/11
Council Meeting
Mayor David Anderson called
the regularly scheduled council meeting of
July 19, 2011 to order at
7:00 p.m.
Present for the meeting were Mayor
Anderson, Council President Chris Clark, Council
Members Mike Klaus, Connie Wells, and Tom Mayo,
Clerk Kris Larson, City Administrator Stephen
Boorman, Assistant City Administrator David
Sims, Police Chief Rick Alonzo, Fire Chief Pat
Warkentin, Water Treatment Operator Doug Ladely,
Economic Development Coordinator Mike Sloan,
Head Lifeguard Jasmine Robertson,
and Attorney Tim Wilson.
Also present were Jerry Higgs and Robert
Rasmussen.
Jerry Higgs spoke to
council regarding last year’s budget discussion
with Deputy Chief Minor concerning high mileage
vehicles and police vehicles being assigned to
an officer.
He asked that council consider looking at
merging the city police force with the county.
He said the cut of the pie that the
police department takes out of the city budget
is huge.
He thinks the resources and assets could
be pooled for law enforcement.
He said it seems that the police
department has better equipment than other
departments and it may be time for the other
departments to get their share of the pie.
Robert Rasmussen works with
the Trust for Public
Land and he is working with Stimpson
Lumber Company on a conservation easement in the
southern end of
Boundary
County and northern
Bonner
County on about 6850 acres.
It is an opportunity for the land to be
held as working forest lands and will maintain
access for recreation.
The easement would prohibit the land to
be subdivided.
Support has been garnered from
Boundary County
and Kootenai Valley Resource Initiative and they
are asking for support from the City of
Bonners Ferry.
There are 15 entities that have signed on
for support.
The Forest Legacy Program will build
protection for the property and provide
opportunities for wildlife movement.
Tom Mayo asked who stands in opposition
to this project.
Robert said no one that he is aware of.
Mayor Anderson said support is high for
this Legacy Program and one of the goals is to
de-list the grizzly bear and open the forests
for additional uses.
Rick Alonzo gave the police
report.
There was a malicious injury to property,
two accidents, one possession of marijuana, one
unattended death, five DUIs, four agency
assists, one providing alcohol to a minor, one
minor in possession, four warrant arrests, one
burglary, one attempted burglary, one battery,
and one malicious injury to property.
The speed trailer was purchased with ITD
grant funding.
The Crown Vic is almost up and running
and the police department is looking to get a
donation from Riverside Auto to paint the top of
the vehicle so it does not look like an
ISP vehicle.
The fire department has had
nine call outs since the beginning of the month.
The 1923 REO Speed Wagon is now at the
museum and will be displayed for public viewing.
Kid’s Day at the farmers market is this
coming weekend and the Bonners Ferry Fire
Department will participate.
Stephen said the concrete
work is done on the Riverside
sidewalk and asphalting is being looked at.
The concrete and paving is scheduled to
be done next week on
Alderson Lane.
He said the department heads do look hard
at finding good prices for the supplies they
purchase and gave the example of Doug Ladely
shopping for chlorine tablets and getting them
cheaper for the City.
Mike Sloan said Blackfoot
Communications is coming to look at the area for
the broadband project.
There is a meeting at the Panhandle State
Bank in Sandpoint on Friday to speak with
representatives from Blackfoot Communications.
He said Mike Naumann’s business is now
serving beer.
Jasmine Robertson updated
council about the swimming pool.
There is an adult lap swim each morning
and afternoon, swim lessons, open swim and
family swim on Monday through Friday.
Saturday the pool is open in the
afternoon for open swim.
There are 300-400 kids that take lessons
each summer.
Family swim is each evening and there are
generally 35-40 people attending.
There is an adult aerobics class twice a
week.
Jasmine also teaches a Mommy and Me Class
also.
She just certified nine people for
lifeguarding in a class that she taught.
The pool is also available to rent to the
public on off hours and on Sundays.
Mike Klaus moved to approve
the consent agenda.
Connie Wells seconded the motion. The
motion passed – Mike Klaus “yes”, Chris Clark
“yes”, Connie Wells “yes”, Tom Mayo “yes”.
The consent agenda contained the
following:
roll call; approval of payroll and
accounts payable; approval of June 1, 2011 and
July 12, 2011 special council meeting
minutes, and July 5, 2011 regular council meeting minutes.
Connie Wells moved to read
the sign ordinances by title only.
Tom Mayo seconded the motion.
The motion passed – Mike
Klaus “yes”, Chris Clark “yes”, Connie Wells
“yes”, Tom Mayo “yes”.
Attorney Tim Wilson read Ordinance 524
and Ordinance 525 by title only.
Tom Mayo moved to repeal
Chapter 14 of the Zoning Ordinance by adoption
of Ordinance 524.
Mike Klaus seconded the motion.
The motion passed - Mike Klaus “yes”,
Chris Clark “yes”, Connie Wells “yes”, Tom Mayo
“yes”.Connie Wells moved to adopt Ordinance 525
amending the Zoning Ordinance with a new
SignChapter.
Tom Mayo seconded the motion.
The motion passed - Mike Klaus “yes”,
Chris Clark “yes”, Connie Wells “yes”, Tom Mayo
“yes”.
David Sims said after
looking at the steel tank further, it may be
best to have the roof of the tank repaired and
he has estimated the cost to be about $25,000.
The tank is needed for operations and it
has been filled.
The tank will be drained in September or
October and the repairs will be made.
The tank has had condensation on the
outside and it may be leaking.
David does not think there will be a
catastrophic failure due to the way the tank was
built.
Connie asked if the tank will last ten
years.
Stephen said there will be leaks that can
be repaired.
Mike Klaus asked if the tank repair can
be included in the amendment to the water master
plan.
David said we may not want to use USDA.
Trevor Cushman has looked at the tank and
has a crane that he may be able to use for the
repair.
Council thanked staff for their
exploration of the tank solution.
Mayor Anderson said the
KVRI is whole heartedly behind the conservation
easement on
Stimpson lands in the
McArthur area.
He said it will tie two bear units
together, helps with wildlife movement, keeps
forest programs open, keeps development in areas
that it more belongs, and gives Stimpson some
breathing room.
Chris Clark moved to authorize the Mayor
to sign a letter of support for the conservation
easement on the Stimpson property in the
McArthur area.
Connie Wells seconded the motion.
The motion passed – Mike Klaus “yes”,
Chris Clark “yes”, Connie Wells “yes”, Tom Mayo
“yes”.
Change order #2 for the
LHTAC grant on the
Alderson Lane project
is to change the completion date of the project.
Mike Klaus moved to authorize the Mayor
to sign change order #2 for the LHTAC grant for
the Alderson Lane
project.
Chris Clark seconded the motion.
Tom Mayo asked what the date is changing
to.
We were not sure but it won’t affect the
project.
The motion passed – Mike Klaus “yes”,
Chris Clark “yes”, Connie Wells “yes”, Tom Mayo
“yes”.
Connie Wells moved to
approve the special event permit for the barrel
races at the fairgrounds on
August 6, 2011.
Tom Mayo seconded the motion.
He asked if there is a need for a cleanup
fee.
No cleanup fee is necessary since it is
at the fairgrounds. The motion passed, all in
favor.
Chris Clark moved to
approve the special event permit for Kid’s Day
at the Farmers Market on
July 23, 2011.
Connie Wells seconded the motion.
The motion passed, all in favor.
Jasmine Robertson left the
meeting at 7:38 p.m.
The water master plan
amendment was briefly discussed.
Tom Mayo moved to approve the water
master plan amendment.
Connie Wells seconded the motion.
The motion passed – Mike Klaus “yes”,
Chris Clark “yes”, Connie Wells “yes”, Tom Mayo
“yes”.
Roofs for the power plant
buildings and water filter plant building are in
desperate need of repair.
We would like permission for seeking
quotes for the roof repairs.
David said there are two other small
roofs that may need to be done when these
repairs are done.
One is the chlorine room and the other is
an uninsulated roof.
Chris Clark moved to authorize up to
$18,800 to replace the roofs at the water plant
and power plant.
Mike Klaus seconded the motion.
The motion passed – Mike Klaus “yes”,
Chris Clark “yes”, Connie Wells “yes”, Tom Mayo
“yes”.
David said he is still
waiting for the final amount for Ed Minden for
the District 2 well.
He is asking for council approval for
spending up to $6,500.
Mike Klaus moved to sign a contract with
Ed Minden for the district 2 well not to exceed
$6,500.
Connie Wells seconded the motion.
The motion passed – Mike Klaus “yes”,
Chris Clark “yes”, Connie Wells “yes”, Tom Mayo
“yes”.
The asphalt patching quotes
were discussed.
David said we got quotes from Interstate
and Woods.
Woods quote is $6,782.
This is the quote we are asking approval
for.
The crossing and the other area is about
$1,400 and the total is less than what we were
anticipating.
The crossing and parking lot patch would
be electric funds and the sidewalk asphalt
repair would be street funds.
Connie moved to approve the quote of
$6,782 from Woods Crushing and Hauling as
recommended by staff. Tom Mayo seconded the
motion.
The motion passed – Mike Klaus “yes”,
Chris Clark “yes”, Connie Wells “yes”, Tom Mayo
“yes”.
David said the amount is based on a
surface square footage.
A take home vehicle policy
was discussed.
The policy is a starting point of how we
address take home vehicles according to Stephen.
Rick Alonzo said the only thing he may
have a problem with is the five mile limit.
He said there is a fifteen minute
response time in the personnel policy, a mileage
limit, or the city limits and these may be other
considerations for council.
Rick said the only reason that a mileage
limit other than five miles would be a concern
is because one of our k-9 officers lives seven
miles outside the city limits.
Stephen said the call out time of 15
minutes is for all crews of the city.
Stephen said if an employee
lives outside the five mile limit then the
policy addresses the issue by the employee
compensating the city for the mileage over five
miles.
Connie said she is not sure she is in
favor of the take home vehicles.
Rick said the benefit is to the citizens
of Bonners Ferry and he gave the example of
winter time response.
Mayor Anderson gave an example of a small
riot in the small town he grew up in and the
need for shortened emergency response time.
Tim Wilson said the presence of police
vehicles are a crime deterrent as well as
shortening the response time.
Chris Clark said in the minutes of the
past meeting, Rick said he would like the
officers within the city limits to have a take
home vehicle and he has learned this evening
that there is a police officer that lives
outside the city limits that is taking a police
vehicle home.
Rick said the k-9 officers take vehicles
home.
Stephen said IRS
rulings are specific to the types of vehicles
that are taxable.
He said take home vehicles are a benefit.
Mike Klaus said he is the recipient of a
take home vehicle with his employer.
He thinks it is a good thing to allow
from a safety standpoint.
Mike Klaus asked Rick what would work for
his department.
Rick explained that the council should be
able to make exception to the policy for an
officer such as Don Moore with the k-9 unit.
He is called out often on traffic stops
at all hours of the day or night with the dog
and these stops are time sensitive due to case
law according the Attorney Wilson.
Mayor Anderson said Don Moore will be
leaving soon so this problem will not be there
any longer.
Chris Clark moved to table the take home
vehicle policy until the next meeting.
Tom Mayo seconded the motion.
The motion passed, all in favor.
Mike Klaus said at the last
meeting he gave some of his opinions on the
police department and he apologized for that
when Rick was not present.
Rick thanked Mike for his apology.
The group discussed the
next budget workshop and set the date for July
26 at 6:00 p.m.
Mayor Anderson said council
will review the expenditure side of the budget.
Chris Clark asked for the department
heads to submit their budgets before the
meeting.
Stephen said there has traditionally been
the operating budget for the personnel and
supplies and then there is a separate budget for
capital items.
Stephen said in the past we reviewed the
capital list about mid-year to see how the
revenues were coming in.
David said the other piece is where
council wants to see the contingency.
Connie moved to go into
executive session at 8:15 p.m. per Idaho Code 67-2345 (1) (f).
Chris Clark seconded the motion.
The motion passed – Mike Klaus “yes”,
Chris Clark “yes”, Connie Wells “yes”, Tom Mayo
“yes”.
Executive session ended at 8:35 p.m.
No action was taken.
There being no further
business, the meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m.
/s/
David K. Anderson, Mayor
Attest:
/s/
Kris Larson, City Clerk
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