City Council

August 5, 2019 The City Council of the City of Idaho Falls met in Council Work Session, Monday, August 5, 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 Absent: Councilmember Jim Freeman Also present: Jeremy Galbreaith, Police Captain Steve Hunt, Police Captain Shane Kaiser, Police Lieutenant Pamela Alexander, Municipal Services Director Rick Cloutier, Airport Director Brad Cramer, Community Development Services Director Catherine Smith, Idaho Falls Downtown Development Corporation (IFDDC) Executive Director Michael Kirkham, Assistant City Attorney 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: There were no minutes to receive. Calendars, Announcements and Reports: August 5, City Council Work Session August 6, Idaho Falls Police Department (IFPD) National Night Out; and, Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce BBQ August 7, Employee Picnic August 8, City Council Meeting August 8-10, Youth Jam August 10, Duck Race August 12, IFPD Promotions Ceremony; Regional Economic Development for Eastern Idaho (REDI) hosting Senator Risch; and, Council Budget Work Session August 13, Council Budget Work Session (Tentative) August 14, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) 70th Anniversary August 15, South Boulevard Public Meeting August 17, Colonial Theater Summer Soiree August 18-21, Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) Conference August 22, City Council Meeting August 23, Special Council Work Session August 26-27, Energy in the West Conference August 28, Bonneville Metropolitan Planning Organization (BMPO) September 5, Ronald McDonald House Ribbon Cutting 1  August 5, 2019 September 7, Symphony in the Park Mayor Casper distributed information regarding upcoming events including the IFPD, City Picnic, Youth Jam, and, the Duck Race. She stated Eastern Idaho Community Action Partnership (EICAP) is contracting with CT Transportation to offer transportation services in the absence of Targhee Regional Public Transportation Authority (TRPTA). Mayor Casper reminded the Council of the public hearings scheduled for the August 8, 2019 Council Meeting for the tentative budget and the proposed fees. Liaison Reports and Concerns: Councilmember Hally stated the Councilmembers have been invited to meet the four (4) finalists for the Parks and Recreation (P&R) Department Director. Councilmember Smede stated approval for a plat will be forthcoming. Councilmember Francis stated Idaho Falls Fire Department (IFFD) Fire District contracts will be included on the August 8 Council Meeting agenda. Councilmember Radford stated budget meetings will be held in the upcoming weeks. He also stated he will distribute talking points regarding American Public Power Association (APPA) and Northwest Public Power Association (NWPPA) for discussion with legislators. Councilmember Dingman stated she recently attended an Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) summit regarding the City’s options with the ITD and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). She will update the Councilmembers as information is received. ITD has agreed to assist TRPTA with some outstanding obligations. Councilmember Dingman stated the TRPTA Board Members will be meeting in the near future. She reiterated CT Transportation has contracted with EICAP for transportation services. She clarified there have been no vehicle purchases from TRPTA. Public announcements will be made regarding the vehicle purchases. Councilmember Francis also noted Public Works Director Chris Fredericksen and Councilmember Freeman recently attended a conference where the importance of public transportation was discussed. Vehicle Lease Follow-up Discussion: Captain Galbreaith stated the IFPD purchased eight (8) vehicles in the previous year which totaled $395,000 that included up-fit. There are currently 105 vehicles in the IFPD fleet (20 unmarked and 85 marked), 7-10 vehicles are replaced in any given year, with a replacement schedule of 10-15 years. The majority of the vehicles are out of warranty and many have mechanical issues. Captain Galbreaith reviewed the proposed lease option with intent to buy, which includes 17 up-fitted, equipped vehicles for a total amount of $199,869 per year for five (5) years. At the end of year five (5) there is an option to purchase these vehicles for $1 or the vehicles could be turned back. Captain Galbreaith stated the lease is very flexible and would allow the IFPD to opt out year to year, increase/decrease the number of vehicles year to year, and, increase/decrease the terms of the lease. He reviewed the costs of purchase (17 vehicles = $839,375/annually) compared to lease (17 vehicles = $199,869/annually) stating there would be a $1.3M in savings at year four (4). Long-term savings is comparable. At the end of year four (4) total purchase lease = $799,476. Brief discussion followed regarding re-use of up-fitted equipment. Captain Galbreaith stated tear-down of equipment is ~$654 per vehicle. Councilmember Radford believes this lease could be considered a pilot project as the cost over time would be predictable although he does not believe it makes sense to commit the entire fleet. He noted the fourth year would require decision making as the lease is more expensive at year five (5). He reiterated the opt-out option. He also noted the lease option would affect the Municipal Equipment Replacement Fund (MERF) as the number of vehicles would not be on a yearly rotation. Director Alexander stated the IFPD MERF has been reviewed since 2015 and the amount has not been budgeted as recommended. The recommended amounts were decreased with the prior administration due to other budget needs within the IFPD. Director Alexander stated there would need to be discipline to set money aside for the MERF in addition to the lease. Captain Galbreaith reviewed other Idaho cities utilizing the lease program. Councilmember Francis questioned a hybrid of leased and owned vehicles. Director Alexander stated this lease option would be a short-term need, there would also need to be savings for replacement of vehicles once the pilot program is over. Councilmember Radford believes the lease would need to be reviewed at multiple years. Mayor Casper believes any opt-out should occur in phases. Brief discussion followed regarding the types of leased vehicles. Captain Galbreaith stated there are monies in the current budget for the lease program. Councilmember Smede requested previous years’ data on cost and repairs. General comments followed. To 2  August 5, 2019 Councilmember Francis’ response, Captain Hunt stated equipment needs are a realistic expectation when hiring officers. Additional general comments followed. Mayor Casper stated this item will be included on the August 22 Council Meeting agenda. Public Transportation Ordinance Amendments Discussion: Lieutenant Kaiser stated the current ordinance requires taxi cab (public transportation) companies to receive a yearly safety inspection for their vehicles performed by the IFPD. He proposed a change to the ordinance to remove the IFPD from conducting these inspections and that all inspections be performed by a mechanical shop. He believes officers may be conducting inspections which may be outside of their scope. He also believes there may be a legal aspect regarding the safety of the vehicles. Captain Hunt concurred, stating IFPD focuses on crime prevention and law enforcement. This is not a business the IFPD should be involved in and those individuals with the credentials should be performing vehicle safety inspections. Lieutenant Kaiser stated it takes approximately four (4) days and several officers to inspect all taxi cab companies. He reiterated his concern for the liability. Brief comments and discussion followed including the history of this ordinance (Mr. Kirkham stated there is no institutional knowledge of the ordinance) and the exclusion of limousines. Councilmember Radford questioned the inclusion of Uber and Lyft in the ordinance. Mr. Kirkham stated the State regulates the crowd-share transportation entities. Lieutenant Kaiser stated, per discussion with a mechanical shop, the vehicle inspection would cost approximately $45.00. This cost could be reduced with additional vehicle repair(s) or the size of operation. Mr. Kirkham stated the taxi cab company(s) could choose the mechanical shop for inspection. Lieutenant Kaiser stated each mechanic would need to meet criteria per the code. He briefly reviewed the inspection process. Mayor Casper stated this item will be included on the August 22 Council Meeting agenda. Grant Acceptance Briefing: Director Cloutier stated there is a short window of time, typically 5-7 days, to submit grants. However, the grant application was delayed due to the bids received were higher than projected, this required follow-up discussion with different options. The window for acceptance of grants remains at August 15. Any grant award will be officially announced by Congress at the same time the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) paperwork is received. Director Cloutier stated total grant projects = $4.4M, Total Airport Improvement Program (AIP) share (93.75%) = $4,125,000, local share (6.25%) = $275,000. He briefly reviewed renovations for the following projects: Improve and Expand Terminal Building Phase 2 (estimated Engineering cost = $1,095,000); Relocate RW (Runway) 17 End and TW (Taxiway), Remove TW A from A-1 to RW 17, Construct TW from TW A to TW B (Runway Incursion Mitigation) (total project cost = $2.6M); and, Acquire Snow Removal Equipment – multi-tasking plow and broom (estimated cost = $845,000). Director Cloutier stated the project costs also include construction, administration, and, inspections. He briefly reviewed the Airport pavement process. He stated once grants are received and accepted, contracts are then signed for the completion of projects. By consensus of the Council, there were no concerns with receiving or accepting grants. Mayor Casper stated, due to the turn-around time, she will work with Director Cloutier to proceed with Council ratification at the August 22 Council Meeting. Business Improvement District (BID) Management Agreement Report: Director Cramer stated the Management Agreement with the BID requires an annual report from the IFDDC including projected revenues for the upcoming year, how revenues are expected to be spent, and, the accomplishments of the previous year. The Management Agreement will receive approval following the budget process. Ms. Smith stated a Shopping, Map and Event Guide brochures have been distributed throughout Eastern Idaho. These brochures have been printed and distributed with the assistance of the Idaho Travel Council Grant Program. Downtown Park IF, printed with funds from the Community Support/Partnership Grants, is also included in the brochure. Ms. Smith stated the Idaho Falls Redevelopment Agency (IFRA) awarded the IFDDC $945,000 for three (3) distinct downtown projects –the Broadway sidewalks from Yellowstone Avenue to Memorial Drive; the corners of downtown ($320,000), and, allocation for parking technology ($100,000). IFDDC also had 20 years of savings which allowed a $50,000 match for the Broadway project and a $27,000 match for the parking project. Ms. Smith reviewed several photos of the Broadway sidewalks, Broadway planters (with automated watering systems), Broadway trees (replaced with appropriate high-traffic area trees), planter pots (safe for streetscapes, includes water 3  August 5, 2019 reservoirs), and, corners and pavers (includes water reservoirs). She noted the sidewalks are now in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Ms. Smith stated there is a current project in progress with the execution of the Downtown Plan. The project, at the corner of The Celt, will include a parklet to expand the outdoor seating throughout the year. The parklet would require the removal of one (1) parking stall and the adjacent structure will provide public safety. Ms. Smith stated this parklet project would be cost effective if all approvals could be met during the current construction project. Director Cramer stated the parklet is designed to be a temporary structure if needed. Ms. Smith commended the Public Works staff and the City employees. Ms. Smith stated the IFDDC also participated in the downtown public art. She reviewed three (3) photos of the art that were selected from approximately 35 proposals. She indicated all downtown business owners have requested interest in the murals. The murals have been created and painted by local artists. Ms. Smith stated another IFDDC project included wrapping 13 traffic cabinets with artwork from the Art Museum of Eastern Idaho’s permanent collection. She reviewed several photos of the traffic cabinets. Ms. Smith also stated a summer intern has performed several updates to the IFDDC website. Ms. Smith briefly reviewed IFDDC financials, events, and, goals. She stated through several methods the BID was able to collect $6000 in past assessments/dues. An additional $4000, which could not be collected, was turned over to the County. Ms. Smith stated the IFDDC will move away from concrete work and will focus on public art, alley improvements, and, remarking the intersections where traffic lights have been removed. Councilmember Hally commended Ms. Smith for her comprehensive plan that was presented near the end of the IFRA allocation plan. He expressed his appreciation to all those involved in the Broadway project. Director Cramer stated the budget includes a line item for the BID indicating revenues and expenditures. He believes, per the historical financials, the budget can support the anticipated expenditures. The agreement will be presented at a later time. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:37 p.m. s/ Kathy Hampton s/ Rebecca L. Casper CITY CLERK MAYOR 4