City Council

July 22, 2019 The City Council of the City of Idaho Falls met in Council Work Session, Monday, July 22, 2019, in the Council Chambers in the City Annex Building located at 680 Park Avenue in Idaho Falls, Idaho at 3:00 p.m. Call to Order and Roll Call: There were present: Mayor Rebecca L. Noah Casper Councilmember Thomas Hally Councilmember John Radford Councilmember Jim Francis Councilmember Shelly Smede Councilmember Michelle Ziel-Dingman Councilmember Jim Freeman Also present: PJ Holm, Parks and Recreation Interim Director Mason Handke, Special Events Coordinator Royce Clements, Police Captain Pamela Alexander, Municipal Services Director Mark Hagedorn, Controller Brad Cramer, Community Development Services Director Juan Alvarez Lisa Sherick Anne Staton-Voilleque Lyn Stanglund-Cameron Theron McGriff Randy Fife, City Attorney Kathy Hampton, City Clerk Mayor Casper called the meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. with the following items: Acceptance and/or Receipt of Minutes: It was moved by Councilmember Smede, seconded by Councilmember Dingman, to receive recommendations from the Planning and Zoning Commission pursuant to the Local Land Use Planning Act (LLUPA). Roll call as follows: Aye – Councilmembers Radford, Freeman, Smede, Francis, Dingman, Hally. Nay – none. Motion carried. Calendars, Announcements and Reports: July 23-24, City Council Budget Workshop July 25, City Council Meeting July 26, Bat Night at the Zoo July 27, Airport Annual Meeting July 31, Rodeo Kick-off August 1-3, Rodeo August 2, Council Night at the Rodeo August 5, Council Work Session August 6, Idaho Falls Police Department (IFPD) Community Night Out August 7, City Employee Picnic August 8, City Council Meeting August 8-10, Roaring Youth Jam August 10, Duck Race Mayor Casper stated an Airport grant is pending for acceptance as grants must be accepted within five (5) days of receipt. It may be necessary to ratify the grant acceptance on a future Council Meeting. She also stated an Executive 1  July 22, 2019 Session is scheduled following the conclusion of the July 25 Council Meeting. Mayor Casper noted a Soup Kitchen fundraiser event will be occurring August 17. She stated this type of event is not in the City’s budget to participate but suggested other means to support the event. Liaison Reports and Concerns: Councilmember Smede stated the Community Development Services Director has been assigned as a mediator for the census. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) grant public meeting will be held July 23. Councilmember Freeman stated seal coating has been completed for the year. He noted the 1st Street construction continues and the street will be closed until September. Councilmember Francis stated the Idaho Falls Fire Department agreements will be included on the July 25 Council Meeting Consent Agenda. He also stated a consultant has been scheduled to meet with each employee regarding the benefits package. Councilmember Radford stated the new seats have arrived for the Civic Center for the Performing Arts and will be installed in the near future. Councilmember Dingman stated a Targhee Regional Public Transportation Authority (TRPTA) board meeting occurred in July and the TRPTA Board is attempting to negotiate the outstanding debt. She commended the work of Bonneville County Commissioner Dave Radford. She stated she will provide updated information in the future. The Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA) has previously worked with TRPTA on the transportation needs. Discussion is continuing with CTAA and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) regarding future possibilities of public transportation. Councilmember Dingman stated the TRPTA board is in full support for a fixed-route system in the City of Idaho Falls. There is currently no interest from Bonneville County. The County has reallocated those transportation funds to other needs although the County supports the City. Councilmember Dingman is unaware of other cities support. The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) will assist with inventory and assets in order for financial benefit. ITD is not wanting to dispose of assets that could help with future plan. Councilmember Dingman commended ITD Jeff Marker and Lisa Farris for their assistance. She stated the TRPTA board has received bankruptcy information and has been advised with options to move forward. There is potential to file bankruptcy and provide an orderly plan to pay down debt and clear the books. Councilmember Dingman stated no decisions have been made at this point. She noted the request of $140,000 for transportation funding is to remain in the FY2019/20 budget. She also noted all employees have been paid for their services. Alcohol Ordinance Amendments Discussion: Interim Director Holm stated this item was previously discussed at the July 1 Work Session and adjustments have been made to better reflect the Council concerns. Mr. Fife sated the Library Director has requested the Library be included as a facility for fundraising events. Interim Director Holm stated there were three (3) things to be addressed in the ordinance changes; 1 – The charitable and benevolent organization piece. This change will align with the rest of the alcohol ordinance; 2 – Use of the words “beer” and “wine” throughout the ordinance will change to “alcoholic beverages”. There are two (2) locations proposed to allow all types of alcoholic beverages - Noise Park and Sandy Downs; 3 – The timeframe, specifically giving a timeframe of parameters. The change will set noon as the start time and the end time will be based on the venue. Councilmember Hally questioned after-hours at the rodeo. Mr. Handke stated the after-hours event does include alcohol. Interim Director Holm noted the after-hours events are scheduled for Friday and Saturday and will end at midnight. He stated the event is sponsored through the City but will change in the future. Councilmember Francis questioned the Civitan Plaza timing of 2:00a.m. Interim Director Holm stated three (3) locations require updating to 10:00 p.m. including the public plaza on Memorial Drive (The Broadway), Civitan Plaza, and, closed public streets. Mr. Kirkham clarified the locations for beer and wine only. General comments followed. Mr. Kirkham clarified the six-hour timeframe would remain, although an exception would allow longer hours regarding the inclusion of the Library and the non-hours at Melaleuca Field as well as the current approval process. Quarterly Finance Presentation: Director Alexander stated this presentation will cover third quarter information. Mr. Hagedorn reviewed the following with general discussion throughout: 2  July 22, 2019 Fiscal Year 2018/19 Budget to Actual Revenue Reporting: Total Revenues and Reserves: 2018/19 Budget = $206,598,558 Year to Date = $128,809,690 Percentage Received = 62.35% Year-End Forecast = $175,819,726 Fiscal Year 2018/19 Budget to Actual Expenditures: 2018/19 Budget = $206,598,558 Year to Date = $111,574,343 Percentage Expended = 54% Year-End Forecast = $175,819,726 The on-going expense for Wages/Benefits is at 75%. Mr. Hagedorn stated the revenues are driven by property taxes and enterprise fees. He noted the enterprise fees are the lion’s share of the City revenue. He stated interest has increased due to the contributions received and methodology from the Treasurer. The City’s second payment for taxes will be received in the near future in the amount of approximately $12M with the previous year of just under $11M. Director Alexander noted there is no expectation of delay of payments received from Bonneville County due to their new software conversion. Mr. Hagedorn stated wages and benefits are on target but operating expenses and capital outlay are less than anticipated. This is not unexpected due to the time of year. The wastewater payment has not been made yet although the payments are two (2) years ahead of schedule which has saved several hundred thousand dollars in interest. Mr. Hagedorn noted the transfers are lower than expected and are due to interfund charges being evaluated on a service basis. Municipal Equipment Replacement Fund (MERF) is charged on a prorated basis each month. 10-Year Historical Actual Revenue to Expenditures: Mr. Hagedorn reviewed the revenue versus expenses for the previous 10 years. He expects to break even at year end. Fiscal Year 2018/19 General Fund Budget to Actual Revenue Reporting: 2018/19 Budget = $46,790,933 Year to Date = $31,523,682 Percentage Expended = 67.37% Year-End Forecast = $45,656,987 Mr. Hagedorn stated intergovernmental and charges for services are better than expected. Overall it is going well. Fiscal Year 2018/19 General Fund Budget to Actual Expenditures: 2018/19 Budget = $46,299,339 Year to Date = $33,082,472 Percentage Expended = 71% Year-End Forecast = $45,611,024 Mr. Hagedorn stated wages and benefits will be higher than budgeted per previous discussions. Operational expenses are lower than expected at this point of the year. He clarified capital outlay are new items or projects. 10-Year Historical General Fund Actual Revenue to Expenditures: Mr. Hagedorn stated revenues are currently less than expenditures and are anticipated to be about equal at year end. Director Alexander reviewed General Fund Cash Flow for the previous two (2) years. She also reviewed the banking relationships that have been streamlined to three (3) banking institutions with additional banking services included. Mr. Hagedorn believes this streamlining has assisted with transparency, internal controls, and, efficiencies. He stated additional changes are anticipated. Investments will no longer be peaks and valleys, it will be smoother overall to improve cash flow. 3  July 22, 2019 Director Alexander reviewed the Treasurer’s Report for the month of May. She noted this report was previously distributed to the Councilmembers. The goal is to complete reconciliation in a 30-day period. Director Alexander reviewed current investments as of July 2, 2019 – total City Investment Portfolio = $112,424,500.78. She also reviewed total City portfolio investments date of maturity. She noted the goal is to get years to maturity from a 2-5 year timeframe to the 1-2 year timeframe. 2-5 years to maturity = 67%, 1-2 years maturity = 33%. Mayor Casper questioned distribution of investments affected by a recession. Mr. Hagedorn stated different investments have different risks. Making investments short-term makes the City more responsive to market changes. Long-term investments are more fixed. Director Alexander noted Mr. Roos has had multiple conversations with investment banks regarding investments. Investment overview: The data integration with Clearwater Analytics is completed and reports are being set up and verified. Mr. Hagedorn stated this integration helps the City to be more focused on data analysis. Director Alexander noted a Finance and Investment Committee meeting will be held August 28, 2019. General Fund Management:  General fund departments should manage within their approved budget and any overages should be communicated to City Council  Importance of general fund departments bringing 2018/19 budgeted items before City Council by July/August 2019  Any new unbudgeted project(s) with ongoing costs to the general fund should be prioritized against budgeted projects and analyzed against revenue Other Financial Related Updates: Director Alexander stated Municipal Services is monitoring available general fund cash and encumbrance carry out. Councilmember Francis questioned the contingency fund. Mr. Hagedorn stated the budget capacity is included in the contingency fund. Affordable Housing Census Tracts Discussion: Director Cramer stated he was recently contacted by a developer regarding tax credits. He indicated these tax credits applications are incredibly competitive and he was recently notified the criteria has changed. In previous years the process included points and would grant points if the project was located in a census tract and identified as a Low- to-Moderate Income (LMI) tract and if 15% or more of the population is below the poverty level. Those census tracts have always been identified in the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program but not within the City. The rule change states the project must be in the census tract identified by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and also in an urban renewal district or a City-designated census tract. Director Cramer stated an applicant/developer requested if the City would be willing to identify where affordable housing is desired. A resolution will be presented to identify areas for affordable housing. The shown census tracts are the same as the CDBG program and are all LMI. Director Cramer believes the tracts should remain consistent with the CDBG. He stated the developer is located outside of the downtown area. He noted every census point counts. He reiterated the resolution designates the three (3) shown areas. The resolution also clarifies that it does not change zoning, the rules for building houses, or, comprehensive planning. The census tracts are reviewed every five (5) years with HUD. Councilmember Francis questioned if there is risk in establishing low income housing in only one (1) area of the City. Director Cramer stated this may require larger discussion moving forward. Councilmember Francis expressed his concern for the LMI is three (3) areas of the city. Director Cramer stated the point would not be applied to the entire City, specific areas must be identified but is not limited to those areas. He indicated a revised version of the map could be included in the resolution. General discussion followed. This item will be included on the July 25 Council Meeting agenda. Connecting Us—Sustaining Progress (CUSP): 4  July 22, 2019 Mayor Casper stated community members have reached out to her over the previous six (6) years with possible ways to make Idaho Falls a better place. She felt overwhelmed and discouraged and ill equipped to address the citizens. Mayor Casper stated Idaho is known as a Dillon’s Rule State meaning the State does not have the authority that Legislature has not already given. She reviewed Idaho Statute, Title 50, Chapter 6, Mayor: 50-603, Messages to Council - the Mayor may communicate to the Council “the improvement of the finances, the protection, the health, the security, the ornament, the comfort, and the general welfare and prosperity of the city.” She noted she relied on this statement when creating Citizen Review Committees (CRC) by delegating City departments to review the committee(s). This statute is not limited to the 11 City departments. Mayor Casper stated it has been a privilege to interact with community members, including many hours outside of the normal office hours. The community members bring vast experiences and talents with a wide variety of backgrounds. Mayor Casper stated she has struggled with how to make impact while in service. She noted elected officials are often asked to protect, preserve, and improve. During a previous event’s discussion she realized information and data was needed for the elected officials, directors, business leaders, non-profit groups, and concerned citizens for informed policy making and informed decision making across the community. Mayor Casper reviewed the Statement of Purpose of CUSP. CUSP Project Overview (based on the CRC model):  Form a Steering Committee and Sub-committees  Identify subject study areas of community interest  Facilitate data collection and research  Write and review reports  Present findings to City Council and other community groups  Take community and council action as needed Eight (8) Key Areas of Focus:  Education and workforce  Healthcare and public health  Housing and transportation and accessible infrastructure  Diversity and inclusion  Demographics and intergenerational linkages  Public and personal safety (crime, suicide, etc.)  Community enrichment (arts, culture, recreation, etc.)  Economic and business climate Juan Alvarez appeared. Mr. Alvarez gave a brief history of his residency in Idaho Falls. He is currently an Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Deputy Director for Management and Operations and Chief Operations Officer. He briefly reviewed the mission needs as well as the demographics of the INL. He believes the CUSP is a community need and opportunity. He shared comparisons between the INL and the CUSP program. He believes CUSP will help to make better decisions as our community must reflect values. He noted Dr. Mark Peters, INL, is supportive of the CUSP. Lisa Sherick appeared. Ms. Sherick expressed her appreciation to Mayor Casper and the elected officials for their insight and interest. She stated she has held multiple education career positions. She stated adaptability, planning, inclusion, and diversity is true. There is a need to be more forward thinking in future planning for the success of the community. She stated all community members in attendance are most likely a product of 20th Century education. The future workforce has grown up with primary source of technology. Generation Alpha will be even more immersed in technology. 21st Century education will offer the Generation Alpha students skills needed to succeed in a rapidly changing workplace with their focus on data. She stated a collaboration of education will bring a strong workforce. Strong workplaces and successful businesses are key factors in building a strong and sustainable community. Ms. Sherick concurred with Mr. Alvarez that a diverse and inclusive approach is important to create a community people want to be in and want to live in. This will increase academic excellence, economic growth, 5  July 22, 2019 stability in the community, and provide better learning opportunities. She stated the partnership for 21st Century Learning (P21) has identified four (4) skills necessary for students to have in the workplace – creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. These skills also affect their personal lives. Ms. Sherick focused on public health (mental health and well-being in children) and stated P21 must offer skills to use in difficult times in lives. Students are using technology but may not know how to communicate one-on-one and ask for help. She stated this is an area where schools, work places, and businesses can work together as part of CUSP. Mayor Casper reviewed the estimated timeline, including passage of a CUSP resolution; establishing a steering committee and chair; defining scope of work (study topics and key questions); appointing sub-committees and chairs; kick-off meetings and retreat with facilitator and staff; committee research, study, and, report gathering; and, working group report of findings to Council. Mayor Casper stated there is a $5000 request in the Mayor’s budget that would fund a facilitator and other small miscellaneous items. Possible Study Group Outcomes:  Development of community resource lists and networks  Development of valuable and relevant local data benchmarks  Issue framing for public officials, non-profits, and philanthropists  Policy and City services recommendations/budget priorities  Education recommendations  Community initiated/community supported responses Benefits of Community Insight:  Everything the committees study may be improved  Recommendations may result in better alignment of policy and practice to need  Committee insights may result in better allocation of resources  Committee activity may result in increased awareness and where applicable, more community support for community improvements City Council Role:  Support  Resolution  Participation  Review  Action Councilmember Hally believes inclusion means opportunity for citizens including those visitors to the community as quality of growth and retention is vital. He believes education is too slanted to those with opportunity. Communication is very important and can be a tool to bring information as well as a tool to inhibit information. Councilmember Freeman questioned the appointment of committee members. Mayor Casper stated the CUSP committee identified the possible steering committee within those eight (8) key areas of focus. Councilmember Dingman believes positive efficiencies could be created and identified with networks. She stated this gives her hope for CUSP and what could be accomplished. She believes there were challenges with the CRC which has resulted in continued conflict. She questioned a potential conflict of City staff that may have recommendations that differ from the CUSP. Mayor Casper indicated the CRC was a City-oriented action whereas the CUSP would be community-oriented. She noted the Council gives a recommendation, not an expectation, and that recommendation should be emphasized. She also noted directors are paid to give the best professional service they can. The citizens are meant to enrich the decision making, not make the decisions. Ms. Voilleque, as a member of the Civic Center Committee, looks at CUSP as a private/public partnership rather than a CRC. Councilmember Radford believes a private/public partnership would help with the disconnection of human beings as a community. He recommended utilizing a facilitator from within the community. Councilmember Francis expressed his appreciation to the Mayor for the willingness to take this on. He believes the focus needs to be narrowed down as the whole thing may be too broad. He recommended different verbiage for a section of the proposal. He concurred with Councilmember Radford regarding a local facilitator. Councilmember Smede believes there is a duplication of effort in the community. She noted the school district has worked with many 6  July 22, 2019 groups. Ms. Sherick confirmed the number of groups would offer options, suggestions, and ideas. Ms. Cameron noted schools that are active in Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) has reduced suicide rates. She believes this organization may reveal that information to the community. Mayor Casper stated the group would facilitate dialogue with good data. Councilmember Freeman, as a former CRC member, stated he provided recommendations then realizing the City may not be able to achieve them. Councilmember Hally believes macro issues allow the opportunity to intervene. This applies to suicide, mobility, and, social media. Mayor Casper stated this item will be included on the July 25 Council Meeting agenda. It was then moved by Councilmember Radford, seconded by Councilmember Francis, to adjourn at 5:50 p.m. and move into Executive Session. The Executive Session is being called pursuant to the provisions of Idaho Code Section 74-206(1)(c) to acquire an interest in real property which is not owned by a public agency. The Executive Session will be held in the City Annex Conference Room. At the conclusion of the Executive Session the Council will not reconvene into Council Work Session. Roll call as follows: Aye – Councilmembers Smede, Hally, Radford, Dingman, Freeman, Francis. Nay – none. Motion carried. The City Council of the City of Idaho Falls met in Special Council Meeting (Executive Session), Monday, July 22, 2019, in the City Annex Conference Room in the City Annex Building located at 680 Park Avenue in Idaho Falls, Idaho at 5:57 p.m. There were present: Mayor Rebecca L. Noah Casper Councilmember Thomas Hally Councilmember Jim Francis Councilmember John Radford Councilmember Shelly Smede Councilmember Jim Freeman Councilmember Michelle Ziel-Dingman Also present: Chris Fredericksen, Public Works Director David Richards, Water Superintendent Randy Fife, City Attorney Michael Kirkham, Assistant City Attorney The Executive Session was called pursuant to the provisions of Idaho Code Section 74-206(1)(c) to acquire an interest in real property which is not owned by a public agency. There being no further business, the Executive Session concluded at 6:08 p.m. s/ Kathy Hampton s/ Rebecca L. Noah Casper CITY CLERK MAYOR 7