City Council

August 9, 2021 Work Session The City Council of the City of Idaho Falls met in Council Work Session, Monday, August 9, 2021, 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 Council President Michelle Ziel-Dingman (via WebEx) Councilor John Radford Councilor Thomas Hally Councilor Jim Freeman Councilor Jim Francis Councilor Lisa Burtenshaw Also present: Ryan Tew, Human Resources Director Pamela Alexander, Municipal Services Director AJ Argyle, Insurance Representative Michael Kirkham, Assistant City Attorney Bill Squires, Police Captain Chris Fredericksen, Public Works Director Kent Fugal, City Engineer Brian Cunningham, Civil Engineer Randy Fife, City Attorney Kathy Hampton, City Clerk Acceptance and/or Receipt of Minutes: It was moved by Councilor Francis, seconded by Councilor Radford, that Council receive the recommendations from the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting of August 3, 2021 pursuant to the Local Land Use Planning Act (LLUPA). Roll call as follows: Aye – Councilors Burtenshaw, Hally, Radford, Dingman, Freeman, Francis. Nay – none. Motion carried. Calendars, Announcements, Reports, Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update, and Legislative Update as needed: August 11, City employee picnic; Idaho Falls Power (IFP) training; and Association of Idaho Cities (AIC) webinar for the American Rescue Plan Act (APRA) August 12, Canal Trails Pathway Ribbon Cutting; and City Council Meeting August 14, Duck Race August 15-18, Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS) Annual Conference August 17, Governor Brad Little call with AIC August 19, City employee benefits fair August 20, City Council Budget Session August 21, Community Suicide Prevention Walk; and Funland event August 23, City Council Work Session August 26, City Council Meeting September 6, Labor Day, City offices closed September 7, City Council Work Session (Mayor Casper will be absent) September 9, City Council Meeting (Mayor Casper will be absent) 1  August 9, 2021 Work Session Mayor Casper announced the Wall that Heals event will be held in September. Following discussion regarding a deeper dive presentation of the management structure within the Idaho Falls Police Department (IFPD) as well as the finance team clarifying the budget calculations of the county numbers, the August 13 City Council Budget Session has been cancelled, the deep dive discussion for the IFPD will be scheduled for August 20, and the August 23 City Council Work Session start time has been extended to include budget discussion. Mayor Casper stated, per the AIC newsletter, it has been recommended that AIC account profiles be updated, and the deadline for any proposed legislative topics is the end of the month. She announced the upcoming Leadership in Nuclear Energy (LINE) Commission Meeting will be held virtually. She also stated she recently represented the city with Katie Huff, who will lead the Department of Energy (DOE) Division in Nuclear Energy (NE). COVID-19 Update – Mayor Casper stated, per Eastern Idaho Public Health (EIPH), Bonneville County attained 10 individuals per 10,000 active cases on August 6, this puts Bonneville County in the high-risk level. She indicated the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) believes those individuals who are vaccinated are at minimal risk for contacting the delta variant. She noted the CDC is attempting to get full approval for the vaccine. She also noted there is not a city rule for mask wearing although some individuals are wearing masks due to the poor quality of air from the current fires. Liaison Reports and Councilmember Concerns: Council President Dingman stated public transit meetings are continuing to happen. She is hoping to have new information for the Council in the near future. She also expressed her appreciation to the Parks and Recreation (P&R) Department and all committees and sponsors involved in the recent War Bonnet Round Up Rodeo. She indicated she has received positive feedback from the community regarding this event. Councilor Freeman stated the Bonneville Metropolitan Planning Organization (BMPO) meeting has been moved due to UAMPS. He also noted two-way traffic is now occurring on 1st Street between Northgate Mile and Holmes Avenue, even though the 1st Street project is not completely finished at this point. Councilor Francis reiterated the Funland event. He also expressed his appreciation to the P&R staff for making the War Bonnet Rodeo a success. Councilor Hally recognized Council President Dingman singing the National Anthem at the War Bonnet Rodeo. He stated the cross-over rate of the delta variant of COVID has increased although he believes this has nothing to do with the efficiency of the vaccine. Councilor Radford stated, per Mayor Casper, the Imagine IF survey will end on August 12. He believes the Council should be paying attention to the Comprehensive Plan. Councilor Burtenshaw had no items to report. Council consideration and approval of 2021/2022 Health Insurance Provider: Mayor Casper noted, due to serving on a different board regarding health insurance, she did not believe it was appropriate to be part of this process/conversation. Director Tew stated Blue Cross has been the City’s provider for the previous 13 years; health insurance coverage is more competitive due to the reduction of expenses and claims due to COVID; the 3.6% renewal was reduced to 2.6% increase; the City has averaged a 3.74% increase over the past ten (10) years; and the City has averaged a 2.76% increase over the past five (5). He also stated a market check was performed and the City realized there were more competitive carriers; a Benefit Committee was formed to help find possible new carriers; a Request for Proposal (RFP) was sent out with response received from four (4) companies (Blue Cross, Regence, Select Health, and Pacific Source); all were competitive bids (with the exception 2  August 9, 2021 Work Session of Regence); presentations by Select Health and Pacific Source occurred July 30 (the committee determined it was not necessary to meet with Blue Cross as the City was aware of their services); and all carriers agreed to match the current contracts. Director Tew reviewed carrier comparison as follows with general discussion throughout: • Select Health – 12.91% off of current • Roughly $1.2M in savings year one • Does not have Mountain View in their network • 2nd year rate cap of 9.9% • Additional $335,000 in savings in year two based off of current • Pacific Source – 7.51% off of current • Roughly $782,000 in savings year one • Roughly $16,000 in savings year two • Does not have Bingham Memorial in network Mr. Argyle noted only 4% of the entire group use Bingham Memorial versus 60% who use Mountain View. He also noted most of the Bingham Memorial providers would be in the network, only the facility is outside of the network. Mr. Argyle believes the city could go self-insured in year three as any savings could be set aside into a trust account for any potential high claims/increase. Per Councilor Radford, Mr. Argyle stated employees will have one (1) year to find an alternative source of prescriptions that may not be covered by Pacific Source. He also noted 1-1.5% of the city’s population could have a disruption of prescriptions in year two. Director Tew reviewed additional comparisons of Select Health and Pacific Source stating one of the deciding factors was the inclusion of Idaho Falls Community Hospital and Mountain View Hospital. Mr. Argyle also stated Pacific Source had a better one-way retention agreement. He briefly explained the one-way retention agreement stating a one-way retention agreement is all the benefits of self-insurance but none of the risk. Per Councilor Radford, Mr. Kirkham explained the RFP process and why the RFP was used. Director Tew believed the committee would have recommended Select Health however, Select Health was not willing to include Mountain View Hospital. Council President Dingman stated the committee was looking for a cost-effective plan. She believes, due to 60% of hospital visits with Mountain View Hospital and Idaho Falls Community Hospital, this disruption would be extremely costly in many ways. She also believes, due to the one-way retention agreement, there may be a greater cost savings. She noted Pacific Source may be more expensive up front but could be less costly over all; they have other government experience; per Mr. Argyle, the customer service is fabulous; and Pacific Source was willing to customize the plans. She noted Select Health chose to decline the same level of service. She believes the city employees will be much happier. Councilor Francis believes these were not two (2) equal packages. He noted the savings is still $782,000 less than the current plan. He indicated this plan is trying to serve employees, and there are a substantial number of employees that use Idaho Falls Community Hospital and Mountain View Hospital. Mayor Casper stated the proposal is to enter into an agreement with Pacific Source. She indicated the employees need at least a 30-day period for open enrollment, which needs to occur in a timely manner. Per Mayor Casper, Mr. Argyle stated the Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) and Health Savings Account (HSA) plans would stay as is. Per Councilor Hally, Mr. Argyle stated he has not seen any issue with providers in the Pacific Source network. Per Councilor Radford, Mr. Argyle stated deductibles will remain the same, new insurance cards will be required, a phone app can be set up, and prescription deductibles will remain the same. Per Councilor Freeman, Mr. Argyle stated Healthy Measures will continue. Mayor Casper stated discussion regarding the savings will need to occur at the upcoming budget session. Discussion followed regarding the negative impact to Blue Cross, moving to self-insured, the growth of the medical community, and municipal employees. Per Councilor Francis, Mr. Argyle believes there may be a trend for insurance companies to only use one (1) hospital. He also believes the network may split hospitals in the next 5-7 years. It was then moved by Councilor Radford, seconded by Councilor Francis, to approve the insurance contract with Pacific Source and authorize the Mayor to execute the necessary documents. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye – 3  August 9, 2021 Work Session Councilors Freeman, Francis, Hally, Radford, Burtenshaw, Dingman. Nay – none. Brief comments followed regarding open enrollment. Discussion: Project Underground Donations: Captain Squires stated there is an opportunity to obtain a much-needed secure file server and a detection K-9 (dog) at virtually no cost to the department or the city. This would be a grant funding source through Operation Underground Railroad which donations are geared toward digital forensics investigations related to the internet usage of human trafficking and sexual exploitation of children. The file server would amount to $107,000, which Captain Squires believes would be a substantially better server than a typical budget request. He stated protected data in this server must be kept separately from the city network and is used by the investigators, which also has an extra cost and extra complications. Per Councilor Radford, Captain Squires stated the agreement has been reviewed through legal staff, and there are no organizational limitations or parameters. He noted the statistical data has been requested to be shared, although there is no obligation, and the data would only be for informational sharing, there would be no personal information released. Captain Squires stated the K-9 would be specialized in sniffing electronic devices including microchips, printed circuit boards (PCBs), or electronics boards. This is a unique skill set for the dog and this would be the first K-9 in this region to be used for this purpose. Captain Squires stated the grant would fund the dog, the initial training, and recertification costs. Additional city costs may include a kennel or upfitting a vehicle although Captain Squires believes some police foundation money may be available for these costs. Per Councilor Francis, Captain Squires confirmed the dog could be used for other forensic cases. Per Councilor Freeman, Captain Squires stated the server could be used for other crimes but would only be used by the forensic detectives. Councilor Francis noted the statistics is part of the fundraising for the Operation Underground Railroad. Mayor Casper believes this group is based in Utah although the group is wanting to support local law enforcement. This item will be included on a future City Council Meeting agenda. Discussion: Idaho Standards for Public Works Construction and new Design Manual: Director Fredericksen stated New Standards for Public Works Construction are generally adopted by resolution, a new Design Manual will also be adopted by resolution, which legal staff is reviewing, and the proposed ordinance addresses an Advisory Committee regarding impact fees. Mr. Fugal reviewed the history of the Standard Drawings and Specifications stating prior to 2018, Idaho Falls maintained an independent, comprehensive set of standard drawings and specifications. Then in 2018, the City adopted the “City of Idaho Falls Standard Drawings and Specifications” to replace the old standards, these Standards included incorporation of the 2017 Edition of the Idaho Standards for Public Works Construction (ISPWC) as well as material to revise and supplement that ISPWC edition. The proposed 2021 updated Standards include incorporation of 2020 Edition of the ISPWC, updated material to revise and supplement that new ISPWC edition, added sections for commonly used items not found in the ISPWC, and technical corrections and updates. The 2020 Edition of ISPWC changes include technical revisions throughout the document and new specification sections (example, sewage bypass pumping). Per Councilor Radford, Mr. Fugal stated the ISPWC ensures construction is constructed correctly and the construction contract is completed appropriately. Councilor Freeman noted these are living documents. Director Fredericksen explained the supplemental specification process. Per Mayor Casper, Mr. Fugal shared two (2) examples of ISPWC standards versus local conditions. Councilor Radford questioned if concrete, even with an increased cost, can be used to help with climate change. Mr. Fugal is unsure. Mr. Cunningham noted other materials could be used per written approval, he believes concrete would be available. Councilor Francis believes this document makes sense per the current projects occurring in his neighborhood. This item will be included on a future City Council Meeting agenda. Mr. Fugal stated the Engineering Design Policy Manual is needed to provide developers, their engineers, and city staff criteria to aid them in bringing a project to completion, to provide consistent design of city public works 4  August 9, 2021 Work Session infrastructure, and to bring existing and proposed design standards into a single, convenient source. The Engineering Design Policy Manual is not a substitute for competent engineering design, is not a comprehensive list of things a design engineer will face when designing public works infrastructure, and is not a static document – it will be updated from time to time as additional needed criteria or revisions are identified. Content of the proposed manual includes design standards that are presented in sections that correspond to the divisions in the city’s construction standards (Standard Drawings and Specifications) including General, Earthwork, Water, Sewer, Culverts and Storm Sewer, Concrete, and Miscellaneous. Mr. Fugal reviewed the Water (pipe cover and valves), Sewer (pipes), and Concrete (curb and gutter sections, cross drains/valley gutters, and sidewalk) sections. He also reviewed the amounts of asphalt, crushed aggregate base, uncrushed aggregate sub-base, and geotextile for local residential streets; major collectors with bicycle/pedestrian priority; and principal arterials, shared priority. General discussion followed including the aggregate sub-base, concrete on the roadways versus asphalt, reversing the parking and bike lanes, using the landscaped trees as a barrier for bicycle/pedestrian traffic and safety, grubbing, and the lack of Section 30. Mr. Cunningham stated adjustments can be made in the right-of-way for bike lanes. Mr. Fugal stated the typical bike sections are based on the BMPO Access Management Plan. He also stated a high- capacity arterial study is programmed through the BMPO, part of this study will include updates to the Access Management Plan and will, in turn, be reflected in the City standards. Per Councilor Francis, Mr. Fugal stated the county, as well as all jurisdictions within the county, are encouraged to enforce the Access Management Plan. Mr. Fife stated the standardized codes for the expectation within the community for safety, consistency, and openness have been previously adopted by the council that have determined what will occur in Public Works. He noted this document, which will be adopted by resolution, is a continuation of that same effort. He also stated more data will affect any future changes with the specs and the design manual. Director Fredericksen stated these are recommendations that have been developed over time and sets the City up for long-term success as opposed to short-term growth. He believes the financial component is important. Discussion: Impact Fees: Mr. Fugal stated the proposed ordinance is based closely on the Idaho Development Impact Fee Act regarding an Impact Fee Advisory Committee. He also stated the process has been reviewed with the consultant, Tischler Bise, regarding the analysis to support any recommendations or options for impact fee implementation. He indicated per State Code, a committee needs to be involved. He briefly reviewed the establishment, duties, and whereas statements. Mr. Fugal stated any recommendations from the study will be presented to the council for approval prior to an impact fee program. Per Councilor Radford, Mr. Fife clarified the prohibition of a member being an employee or official of any governmental entity is within State Code. He believes the expertise of the committee should be within the development of the community and not by an elected official or an individual who could influence the city’s decision. Mayor Casper believes the committee would make sure the appropriate fees are established. Brief discussion followed including minutes, impact fees being included in the fee resolution, fees being charged according to law, Council’s authority for fees, and changes to City Code Title 2. Councilor Hally believes impact fees are not a substitute for property taxes. This item will be included on the August 12 City Council Meeting agenda. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 6:03 p.m. s/ Kathy Hampton s/ Rebecca L. Noah Casper Kathy Hampton, City Clerk Rebecca L. Noah Casper, Mayor 5