City Council

680 Park Avenue City Council Meeting Idaho Falls, ID 83402 Minutes - Final Thursday, August 25, 2022 7:30 PM City Council Chambers 1. Call to Order. Present: Mayor Rebecca L Noah Casper, Council President Michelle Ziel-Dingman, Councilor John Radford, Councilor Thomas Hally, Councilor Jim Freeman, Councilor Jim Francis, and Councilor Lisa Burtenshaw Also present: All available Department Directors Randy Fife, City Attorney Kathy Hampton, City Clerk 2. Pledge of Allegiance. Mayor Casper requested Police Captain Joel Tisdale to lead those present in the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. Public Comment. Barbara Miller, Idaho Falls resident, appeared. She questioned the street vendors selling flowers around town stating this reminds her of Tijuana. She shared her personal experience in Tijuana, stating she did not like the aggressiveness of the street vendors. She also questioned if these individuals (selling flowers) have proper permits and/or licenses. Realizing the council is not the School District 91 Board, Ms. Miller questioned if it’s possible to talk with the school board and the county regarding the proposed $250M bond that will be on the ballot to see if there’s a way to portion this bond to needs arising out of growth and for maintenance so new move-ins would bear the brunt of the growth, such as infrastructure. She believes there must be some way to encompass school buildings and school growth, as similar to developer impact fees. Donna Howard, Idaho Falls resident, appeared. She displayed a graph of five cities comparable to the size of Idaho Falls as a single tax entity, stating Idaho Falls has the second highest tax rate. She also displayed a similar graph that compares employees, stating Idaho Falls has 683 employees compared to the next highest of 565. She questioned if the reason for this difference needs to be looked at. Ms. Howard also questioned the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act of 2021) funds, stating these funds can be utilized for funding programs or services for those impacted by negative health and economic impact from the pandemic. She stated she has a friend who, prior to the pandemic, had in-home physical therapy and in-home cleaning. She indicated when COVID (Coronavirus-19) hit, this friend became immobilized in his house and was told he cannot get these services back because there are no funds. Ms. Howard believes the purpose and mission of the community action agency is to better focus available local State, federal, and private resources. She also believes an excess of ARPA funds could help those disadvantaged individuals, the same services before COVID should be available after COVID, and this should be a priority of the ARPA funds. 4. Consent Agenda. A. Office of the Mayor 1) Appointments to City Boards, Committees and Commissions Page 1 of 7 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final August 25, 2022 Attached please find the completed applications from the following citizen volunteers in reference to their respective appointments to the Idaho Falls Sister Cities Advisory Committee: Name Sister Cities Advisory Committee Voting Appointees Term Expires Status Amanda Logan Mayor’s Representative and Chair 12/31/2025 Appoint Cindy Ozaki Sister Cities Adult Association 12/31/2025 Appoint Kendra Peck Adult Leader of Sister Cities Youth Assoc. 12/31/2025 Appoint Lisa Armstrong School District 91 or 93 Representatives 12/31/2023 Appoint Catherine Smith Business Community Representative 12/31/2024 Appoint Chloe Doucette Local Service Club or Arts Representative 12/31/2024 Appoint Rae Moss INL Representative 12/31/2024 Appoint Name Sister Cities Advisory Committee Non-Voting Appointees Term Expires Status Stephanie Van Ausdeln Senior High School Student 12/31/2024 Appoint Miyai Griggs Service Organization Member 12/31/2024 Appoint These citizens have a desire to serve. Each application was reviewed with care by Councilmember Jim Francis, Chief of Staff Bud Cranor, and me. We feel that this group of individuals will serve well as this new city committee works to find novel ways to promote the goals and objectives of the Idaho Falls Sister Cities program to a wider audience within our community. We are confident these citizen volunteers meet the criteria set forth in City Code. Your vote is requested giving consent to these appointments at the regular City Council Meeting on Thursday, August 25, 2022. If you have questions, please feel free to contact me or Chief of Staff Bud Cranor. B. Fire Department 1) MOU regarding the purchase and reimbursement of dispatching software costs. Emergency Medical and Fire software is desired by the Fire Department for consistent and proficient emergency dispatching. Bonneville County E911 holds all contracts for electronic systems and software for the emergency communications center. Due to the desired change of call-taking and dispatching software needed for operational changes within the fire department, this MOU provides the means for the CITY to reimburse Bonneville County for all costs associated with implementation and maintenance for APCO IntelliComm GuideCard System & EMS Program. C. Airport 1) Approval of Design Work for Rehabilitation Project of Runway 3-21, Terminal Apron, and North Apron The Airport follows an Airport Advisory Board approved 5-year Capital Improvement Plan. As part of this plan, the Airport requests authority to proceed with the design on the rehab work of Runway 3-21 and aprons with T-O Engineers. The design work will cost $443,051 of which the FAA will cover 93.75% or $415,360. The remaining balance of $27,691 is budgeted in FY23 in the Airport Fund. The last major runway rehabilitation project was in 2008 and the runway needs another rehabilitation. 2) Minutes from Idaho Falls Airport (IDA) Board Meeting June 21, 2022, Airport Board Meeting Minutes D. Idaho Falls Power Page 2 of 7 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final August 25, 2022 1) RFP 22-26 Generator Control Services for Idaho Falls Power Idaho Falls Power solicited bids from qualified professional services contractors to program the control panels for the generators at the upper plant. Two bids were received with L & S Electric being the lowest responsive, responsible bidder. 2) IFP 22-28 Circuit Breaker Purchase for York Substation Upgrade Idaho Falls Power solicited bids from qualified contractors to purchase 2 dead tank circuit breakers for the York Substation upgrade. Only one bid was received with General Pacific being the lowest responsive, responsible bidder. 3) Idaho Falls Power Board Meeting Minutes - August The Idaho Open meeting law requires that the governing body of a public agency provide for the taking of written minutes for all of its public meetings. E. Municipal Services 1) Minutes from Council Meetings August 8, 2022 City Council Work Session; and August 11, 2022 City Council Meeting 2) License Applications, all carrying the required approvals Action Item: It was moved by Council President Ziel-Dingman, seconded by Councilor Burtenshaw, to approve, accept, or receive all items on the Consent Agenda according to the recommendations presented. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye - Councilors Hally, Burtenshaw, Dingman, Freeman, Francis, Radford. Nay - none. 5. Regular Agenda. A. Municipal Services 1) Adoption of 2022/23 Fees, Including New Fees, and Fee Increases The Public Hearing for the 2022/23 fees took place on Thursday, August 11, 2022, pursuant to Idaho Code §50-1002. Municipal Services Director Pamela Alexander appeared. She presented new fees and fee increases greater than 5%. Council President Dingman believes these fees are minimal, noting some fees have been reduced. Councilor Burtenshaw explained the site bond plan is specific to contractors who may be ready for occupancy but may not be able to complete all items for occupancy. She also explained this would be 150% as a guarantee to ensure the job will be finished. Mr. Fife stated a future mechanism will be presented to tie into the fee, noting the council may need to approve the mechanism at that time. Councilor Francis emphasized the fees are the maximum that can be charged. It was moved by Council President Ziel-Dingman, seconded by Councilor Burtenshaw, to adopt the 2022/23 fee resolution. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye - Councilors Burtenshaw, Hally, Page 3 of 7 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final August 25, 2022 Radford, Dingman, Freeman, Francis. Nay - none. RESOLUTION NO. 2022-26 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO, A MUNICIPAL CORPORATION OF THE STATE OF IDAHO, ADOPTING A SCHEDULE OF REVISED FEES FOR SERVICES PROVIDED AND REGULARLY CHARGED AS SPECIFIED BY CITY CODE; AD PROVIDING THAT THIS RESOLUTION BE EFFECTIVE UPON ITS PASSAGE, APPROVAL, AND PUBLICATION ACCORDING TO LAW. 2) Adoption of 2022/23 Fiscal Year Budget Ordinance The public hearing for the 2022/23 fiscal year budget took place on Thursday, August 11, 2022, pursuant to Idaho Code §50-1002. Mayor Casper stated the budget is a culmination of a lot of work. Director Alexander stated the total not to exceed amount is $333,416,302, which includes $42.7M of estimated property tax revenue, $2.9M for prioritized budget requests, and does not include forgone. She presented the priorities. She reviewed the 2022/23 Property Tax Allocation and Levy Rate Estimates, noting the 0.00605400 levy rate reduced by 20.86% from the previous year. She also provided an overview of property valuation and tax analysis. Mayor Casper explained the ‘proposed with 30% market valuation’ slide, emphasizing the city council plays no role in the valuation or the assessment side. Councilor Radford shared his personal estimated property tax increase, stating the valuation played a large role in bringing the levy down. Per Council President Dingman, Director Alexander confirmed the Bonneville County valuations have increased 32%. Councilor Hally stated the property that goes to the assessor has an oddity due to a supply chain issue, noting those houses are not yet assessed which could have decreased the levy rate even lower. Council President Dingman stated the budget is challenging each year. She believes the presentation provides the important investment information. She noted she did not advocate for taking forgone, and the levy rate has continued to decrease. She also noted no homeowner with a home value of less than $700,000 will pay no more than $28.73 per month. Council President Dingman believes every cent is valuable, and this is not an insignificant amount of money. She recognized the increased cost of employees as well as goods and services, and time, plan, and thought go into each meeting although things have gotten more expensive. She stated she feels comfortable with this budget, it’s well balanced and prioritizes what the residents want to see. Councilor Francis stated Idaho Falls is the most complex city in the State. He indicated the city provides more services than many cities, therefore, Idaho Falls is difficult to compare to other cities. He noted the levy is the dollar amount in the general fund, and the rate cannot be controlled as this is the county. Councilor Burtenshaw agreed with Council President Dingman regarding forgone. She believes it’s a good reason not to take forgone, noting impact fees will help growth pay for growth. She stated she is willing to talk to the State legislators regarding indexing the homeowner’s exemption which will rise as valuations rise. Mayor Casper stated the homeowner’s exemption conversation has occurred every year with the legislators. She also stated AIC (the Association of Idaho Cities) is very active in advocating property tax. Councilor Radford noted the school district paid off the $9M bond which will be a benefit to taxpayers. Council President Dingman stated other complexities of the city are owing our own power utility as well as the airport, which are Enterprise Funds. It was moved by Council President Ziel-Dingman, seconded by Councilor Francis, to adopt the 2022/23 fiscal year budget in the amount of $333,416,302 and approve the attached appropriations ordinance, appropriating monies to and among various funds, under a suspension of the rules requiring three separate readings and request that it be read by title and published by summary. The motion carried by Page 4 of 7 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final August 25, 2022 the following vote: Aye - Councilors Dingman, Burtenshaw, Francis, Freeman, Hally, Radford. Nay - none. ORDINANCE NO. 3479 THE ANNUAL APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO, FOR THE PERIOD COMMENCING OCTOBER 1, 2022 AND ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 2023, APPROPRIATING AND APPORTIONING THE MONIES OF SAID CITY TO AND AMONG THE SEVERAL FUNDS OF SAID CITY AND DESIGNATING THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH SAID MONIES MAY BE EXPENDED; SPECIFYING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY PAID BY PROPERTY TAX TO BE APPROPRIATED TO SAID FUNDS; AND PROVIDING WHEN THE ORDINANCE SHALL BECOME EFFECTIVE. 3) Purchase of High-Density Storage Equipment for Idaho Falls Police Complex This purchase will provide evidence storage and processing; locker room storage; records storage; auxiliary building storage; SWAT locker room storage, and various other storage rooms. The purchase price also includes freight and installation by Spacesaver Certified installers. The attached proposal requires a 50% deposit in the amount of $488,523.69 to order the equipment. Director Alexander stated the construction update of the Idaho Falls Police Complex (IFPC) occurred at the August 22, 2022, City Council Work Session. She noted this contract also provides installation of the equipment. Councilor Radford believes the evidence storage is museum quality, although, he expressed his concern for this one purchase of $1M, noting $1.6M has been allocated for equipment. Captain Tisdale stated this item was prioritized, and he believes it will be operational as possible. Director Alexander noted quotes for other items are coming in lower due to State quotes. Chief Johnson stated the IFPC is under budget, he is confident that will continue. Councilor Burtenshaw expressed her appreciation to Captain Tisdale for his attention to these issues. Council President Dingman believes this is a masterful plan. Councilor Francis believes this will also help serve the community. Per Mayor Casper, Chief Johnson stated the real and true evidence has to be accounted for until it’s time to be presented in court, which includes complex rules and storage requirements. It was moved by Council President Ziel-Dingman, seconded by Councilor Francis, to accept and approve the purchase of high-density storage equipment from the Sourcewell cooperative purchasing contract #010920-SPC from Spacesaver Intermountain, LLC, for a total of $977,047.37. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye - Councilors Francis, Dingman, Freeman, Hally, Radford, Burtenshaw. Nay - none. B. Police Department 1) Police Department/School District 91 Memorandum of Understanding regarding School Resource Officers for 2022-23 school year This is a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Idaho Falls School District 91 and the Idaho Falls Police Department establishing each entity’s obligation under the School Resource Officer (SRO) program. This MOU also establishes the terms and conditions between the City of Idaho Falls and School District 91 regarding sworn police officers working within the schools during the 2022-23 school year. The IFPD has provided sworn officers to work as SROs within Idaho Falls School District 91 for many years and is pleased to continue these services for the 2022-23 school year. The MOU is the same as last year’s City Council-approved MOU with only a change of dates for the upcoming school year. IFPD recommends approval. Chief Johnson stated there are four resource officers, two for the high schools, and two for the middle Page 5 of 7 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final August 25, 2022 schools who also cover the feeder and charter schools. He believes there is a good balance with law enforcement and interaction with kids. He reviewed the costs. Councilor Francis stated, as a former school teacher, he has seen this from both sides. He believes this works exceptionally well. It was moved by Councilor Burtenshaw, seconded by Councilor Francis, that city council approve the MOU with Idaho Falls School District 91 and authorize the Mayor and City Clerk to execute the necessary documents. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye - Councilors Burtenshaw, Hally, Dingman, Radford, Freeman, Francis. Nay - none. 2) Funding Agreement for E911 Dispatching Operations and lease of the Law Enforcement Building between the City of Idaho Falls and Bonneville County The City of Idaho Falls operates an Emergency Communications Center (ECC) that dispatches first responders to residents within the City and throughout Bonneville County. A funding formula has been recommended by an independent consultant. It factors in call volume and the volume of work each entity creates for the Dispatch Center. At current workload levels, the formula has IFPD paying 44.4%, BCSO paying 37.4%, and IFFD paying 18.2%, of dispatch /ECC operating costs. As part of the agreement, IFPD also agreed to enter into a lease for use of the Law Enforcement Building for the time that we remain there. The City of Idaho Falls has operated the Dispatch Center for many years. The purpose of this agreement is to create an equitable funding formula for all entities that are serviced by the Dispatch Center and to memorialize the agreement with provisions for a regular review of the agreement. This agreement achieves equitable cost sharing between fire/EMS and law enforcement services. It also achieves equitable cost sharing between the law enforcement services offered by Idaho Falls and those services offered by Bonneville County. These formulas and the provisions for review will ensure an equitable allocation of costs well into the future. Chief Johnson stated this item is several decades in the making, and the agreements have been a source of some conflict over the years. He indicated the agreements from the 1970’s are not serving the current needs. He also stated the lease will be a monthly payment of $10,592.39, noting the lease will no longer be in effect once the Idaho Falls Police Department (IFPD) moves to the new facility. Chief Johnson stated the overarching goal was public safety and that the service provided wouldn’t suffer. He expressed his gratitude to Councilor Francis. He explained the funding formula, stating the City of Ucon is included in the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office portion. He believes this agreement will serve all organizations very well. Councilor Francis noted times have changed since the 1970’s agreements. He commended Chief Johnson, Fire Chief Duane Nelson, Bonneville County Sheriff Sam Hulse, and Bonneville County Commissioner Byron Reed, stating this agreement took more than a year, noting there was never any animosity. Councilor Francis indicated the IFPD had been paying $60,000 annually for utilities for the entire building, noting the IFPD will now only pay 18% of total utilities. Mayor Casper stated the need for a revised agreement had been evident since 2014 when she was elected, and this was presented to Chief Johnson upon his hiring. She believes the personalities of leaders got this done. She also believes this will be balanced and equitable, and this is an important agreement. Councilor Freeman stated State, county, and city money is involved which is complicated. He applauded these individuals as he recognized this has not been an easy job. It was moved by Councilor Francis, seconded by Councilor Burtenshaw, that council approve the funding agreement for E911 operations and the lease of the Law Enforcement Building between the City of Idaho Falls and Bonneville County and give authorization for the Mayor and City Clerk to execute Page 6 of 7 City Council Meeting Minutes - Final August 25, 2022 the necessary documents. The motion carried by the following vote: Aye - Councilors Hally, Francis, Radford, Dingman, Burtenshaw, Freeman. Nay - none. 6. Announcements. Mayor Casper announced the city’s website has been refreshed which now includes a city app that can be downloaded, a commissioning for a new Police Captain as well as a Museum of Idaho Fundraising Gala will be held August 26, and the BMX State Finals will be occurring August 27-28 at Sandy Downs. Councilor Francis announced the Library will be closed August 28-30 for the transition of the Bonneville County Library District. 7. Adjournment. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 8:34 p.m. s/ Kathy Hampton ______________________________________ s/ Rebecca L. Noah Casper _______________________________________ Kathy Hampton, City Clerk Rebecca L. Noah Casper, Mayor Page 7 of 7