City Council

MARCH 7 , 2016 The City Council of the City of Idaho Falls met in Special Council Meeting (Council Work Session), Monday, March 7, 2016, at the City Council Chambers in the City Annex Building located at 680 Park Avenue in Idaho Falls, Idaho at 4:00 p.m. There were present: Councilmember Barbara Ehardt Councilmember Ed Marohn Councilmember Thomas Hally Councilmember John B. Radford Councilmember Michelle Ziel-Dingman Absent: Mayor Rebecca L. Noah Casper Councilmember David M. Smith Also present: Kerry McCullough, Public Information Officer Pam Alexander, Municipal Services Director Brad Cramer, Community Development Services Director Greg Weitzel, Parks and Recreation Director Randy Fife, City Attorney Kathy Hampton, City Clerk Mayor Pro Tem Hally called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. It was moved by Councilmember Ehardt, seconded by Councilmember Dingman, to amend the agenda for addition of Discussion of Recent Zoo Superintendent Position with the Good Faith reason of time sensitivity of the recent hiring and the salary increase which was not approved in December, 2015. Roll call as follows: Aye – Councilmembers Ehardt, Dingman. Nay – Councilmembers Radford, Marohn, Hally. Motion failed. Mayor Pro Tem Hally requested Council Reports. Councilmember Radford stated the two (2) recent public meetings regarding the Tautphaus Park Master plan were well attended. The Zoo will open for the season on April 9, 2016. He indicated the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will provide funding for a planning study project to examine Airport Runway 17/35. Councilmember Dingman had no items to report. Councilmember Ehardt had no items to report. Councilmember Hally stated he also attended the recent public meetings regarding the Tautphaus Park Master Plan. He indicated there is no funding commitment at this time. This is a long-range plan and expressed appreciation to Director Weitzel. Community Development Services submitted the following item: Receipt of Planning and Zoning Commission Recommendations: It was moved by Councilmember Dingman, seconded by Councilmember Radford, to accept the recommendations received from the Planning and Zoning Commission, March 1, 2016, meeting. Roll call as follows: Aye – Dingman, Marohn, Ehardt, Hally, Radford. Nay – none. Motion carried. 1  MARCH 7 , 2016 Mayor Pro Tem Hally invited Director Alexander to review the upcoming budget calendar. Director Alexander briefly reviewed the proposed budget calendar and stated the budget sessions will begin earlier than normal to allow extra sessions if needed. All budget workshops will be open to the public and will be broadcast as well. Councilmember Marohn encouraged the Councilmembers to be involved as much as possible with all departments. He has requested Director Alexander provide a summary sheet of each individual departments indicating separation of Enterprise Fund and General Fund monies. After brief discussion, the Councilmembers agreed to the proposed budget calendar. Mayor Pro Tem Hally requested to amend the agenda to add Urban Renewal discussion, stating this item is time sensitive. It was moved by Councilmember Ehardt, seconded by Councilmember Marohn, to amend the agenda as requested by Mayor Pro Tem Hally. Roll call as follows: Aye – Councilmembers Hally, Marohn, Radford, Dingman, Ehardt. Nay – none. Motion carried. Director Cramer indicated a letter has been drafted directed to the Revenue and Taxation Committee regarding resetting of the tax base for any modified redevelopment plan. He stated the specific letter addresses the importance of maintaining the tax base and requested Council consideration to accept the letter. After brief discussion, it was moved by Councilmember Radford, seconded by Councilmember Dingman, to accept the letter as recommended, signed by the Council, and be submitted to legislators as directed by Director Cramer. Roll call as follows: Aye – Councilmembers Marohn, Hally, Ehardt, Radford, Dingman. Nay – none. Motion carried. Parks and Recreation Department submitted the following item: Tobacco Free and Smoke Free Parks Resolution: Director Weitzel stated the Parks and Recreation (P&R) Department was approached by a community youth group approximately two (2) years ago regarding tobacco free and smoke free parks. Neeley Butler, Eastern Idaho Public Health District (EIPHD) Tobacco Coordinator, stated she was approached by students from Hillcrest High School regarding a community project. Ms. Butler indicated the youth advocacy group applied for and received a grant for STAND (Support Teens Against Nicotine Dependency). Ms. Butler introduced Kayla Loertscher for presentation as follows: Our Resolution- “To create tobacco-free zones in parks and recreational areas of Idaho Falls. Please help us advocate for our right, as youth, to breathe clean air for ourselves and younger children.” We invite you to S.T.A.N.D. with us. Reasons to Change-  Environmental Impact  Social Impact & Trends  Negative Role Modeling for Youth  Current Legislature in Surrounding Areas  Health Implications Environmental Impact-  Litter, visual impact and costs  Decreases air quality  Harmful to plants and animals  Decreases the overall atmosphere of enjoyment and health for all park users 2  MARCH 7 , 2016 Litter – How Big is This Issue? 32% of all litter is tobacco related Kick Butts Day – Cigarette Cleanup Over 5 gallons of tobacco waste was collected in just 30 minutes at local parks. Most of that was around children’s play areas and parking lots. Social Impact- Tobacco use in public outdoor areas:  Sends a contradictory message to youth  Established lowered health standards among community  Secondhand Smoke (SHS) may cause some to feel unwelcome due to allergies, asthma, and other health conditions  SHS endangers the public! Negative Role Modeling for Youth-  Adults set an acceptable standard & example  Public acceptance increases the rate of tobacco use  Children follow the example of trusted elders  It’s difficult for children to see the reality & harm these products cause when a loved one or a trusted adult is using them Idaho Falls… We need to catch up!  Ammon – All of Ammon city parks have “tobacco-free zones”  American Falls – “American Falls City Council passed voluntary smoking restrictions for the city’s parks” “…A person’s right to smoke in a public venue is preempted by the next person’s right to breathe clean air.”  Rexburg – “Smoking shall be prohibited in any place (Sports Arena) in which a sign conforms to the requirements.” Beyond Surrounding Areas- Boise & Meridian  November 25, 2013, Meridian put a ban on smoking in city parks. The main goal was to reduce secondhand smoke, especially in children. 62% of participants in a survey were supportive of this motion. A ticket can be issued to violators.  Similar motions have been made in Burley, Coeur d’Alene, and Melba. Who’s STANDing with us?  Educators  Tobacco users and non-tobacco users  Health Care Providers  Parents  Faith Based Organizations  Local Businesses  Youth Assemblies & Banners- We have presented this resolution to youth in our area. The banner signing was a way for them to lend their personal support for this proposition. We collected about 2,400 names of youth in Idaho Falls who were in support of this resolution including 3  MARCH 7 , 2016 D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) & STAND and STAND & T.A.T.U.: “Teens Against Tobacco Use”. Where Would This Affect? We hope to reach as many park and recreation areas as possible. It seems confusing to go from one park to another and have different rules. We propose a resolution that includes all P&R areas. Implementation- We hope this is a publicly, as well as personally, enforced resolution. We know it can become too expensive and unrealistic to write tickets and infractions. That is not the vision of the STAND group. We want to take a step in a positive direction to reduce exposure of tobacco products and secondhand smoke to young children. Signage: EIPH & Project Filter- Ms. Loertscher displayed examples of possible signage, stating they would be customized for the City. The decision to use tobacco in public, especially around youth, is a poor personal choice that becomes a public health issue. Director Weitzel indicated the intent for the resolution would be for locations where youth and children are present and would not include the City golf courses. General discussion followed including the location verbiage in the resolution. Director Weitzel stated the City would receive the first one hundred (100) signs at no cost. It was moved by Councilmember Marohn, seconded by Councilmember Hally, to approve the Tobacco Free and Smoke Free Parks Resolution as presented and authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to sign said document. Roll call as follows: Aye – Councilmembers Marohn, Dingman, Hally, Radford. Nay – Ehardt. Motion carried. There being no further business, it was moved by Councilmember Marohn, seconded by Councilmember Dingman, to adjourn the meeting at 4:55 p.m., which motion passed following a unanimous vote. CITY CLERK MAYOR 4