City Council

April 22, 2024, Council Work Session The City Council of the City of Idaho Falls met in the Council Work Session, Monday, April 22, 2024, in the Council Chambers in the City Annex Building located at 680 Park Avenue in Idaho Falls at 3:00 p.m. Call to Order and Roll Call There were present: Mayor Rebecca L. Noah Casper Council President Burtenshaw Councilor John Radford Councilor Michelle Ziel-Dingman Councilor Jim Freeman Councilor Jim Francis Councilor Kirk Larsen Also present: Ian Turner, Airport Director Pam Alexander, Municipal Services Director Wade Sanner, Community Development Services Director Duane Nelson, Fire Chief Bryce Johnson, Police Chief John Marley, Captain Rome Stiffler, CIT Detective Dallin Ball, Social Worker Lisa Farris, Grants Administrator Heather Wade, Human Resources Manager Michael Kirkham, City Attorney Corrin Wilde, City Clerk Mayor Casper called the meeting to order at 3:08 p.m. with the following items: Mayor’s Office, Legal Department: Discussion-Economic Development Incentive Program: Michael Kirkham presented details on proposed amendments to the City's Economic Development Incentive Ordinance. He suggested allowing the hourly wage requirement to be set annually through a resolution, to better track the appropriate wage level over time. He proposed reducing the number of new jobs required from 100 to 25, to make the incentives more accessible to small businesses. However, he noted the waiver amounts are tied to project values, so smaller projects may not receive significantly larger waivers. Mr. Kirkham also clarified that while existing businesses may qualify if they create enough new jobs through expansion, the incentives are focused on new development projects. He took questions from the Council on these proposed changes. The Council Members discussed several aspects of the proposed Ordinance amendments. Councilor Radford questioned how the incentives could better support local business expansions in addition to attracting new companies. Councilor Larsen asked where the proposed number of 25 new jobs originated and how frequently the minimum wage requirement would be recalibrated. Councilor Burtenshaw voiced concern that the incentives could pull businesses away from surrounding counties. Councilor Francis expressed interest in how waiver amounts correlate to property tax payments and job numbers and suggested strengthening enforcement language. Additionally, Councilor Radford recommended reviewing any overlaps between the City's program and regional economic development organizations' initiatives. The Council provided feedback and inquiries about impacts on local businesses, the rationale for job thresholds, minimum wage adjustments, effects on neighboring municipalities, property tax implications, and coordination with other area groups. 1  April 22, 2024, Council Work Session Council members agreed more information was needed on some topics, like how the number of required new jobs was determined and how waiver amounts correspond to job numbers. The mayor suggested revisiting the discussion at a future work session or with additional input from Economic Development Administrator, Catherine Smith. Police Department: Presentation and Discussion – Opioid Settlement Fund. Chief Johnson presented on using opioid settlement funds received by the city to convert the police department's part-time social worker position to full-time. The CODE (Community Outreach Program Education) team, comprised of police officers and a social worker, addresses issues like opioid addiction, homelessness, and mental health crises in the community. This includes following up with individuals who have experienced an overdose to encourage treatment and providing assistance to frequent callers to emergency services. The goal is to connect people with needed support services and help divert them away from further police or emergency responses when possible. Chief Johnson proposed using the funds to cover the estimated $97,000 annual cost of making the position full- time. The current part-time position is budgeted at $29,005 per year. Converting it to a full-time position would cost an estimated $97,729 per year, which is more than double due to benefits for a full-time employee. For the remainder of the current budget year, it would cost around $51,000 to make the change if starting in January so it would probably be more like $40,000 now. Going forward, the annual cost would be approximately $97,000 per year. Mayor Casper and the City Council expressed support for the program's success in providing services like follow-up care. The funding from the opioid settlement is projected to cover the full-time social worker position for approximately 10 years based on current funds of $300,000 and estimated annual revenues of $76,000- $101,000. Councilor Larsen asked if having a full-time social worker would free up more uniformed officers over time. Chief Johnson confirmed that it does by taking on things like frequent callers or calls from citizens who frequently contact emergency services like the police or ambulance for issues that may not strictly require an emergency response, such as calls related to mental health crises, homelessness, or substance abuse issues. Council President Burtenshaw suggested having an action to formally tie the use of opioid funds to the hiring of the social worker position. Mayor Casper expressed embarrassment that they didn't bring this issue to the Council sooner given the success of the program. She says she gets emotional discussing how the personal touch and follow-up from the social worker benefits citizens who might otherwise be frequently calling emergency services and feels this addresses exactly the kind of community policing citizens had asked for in discussions after the George Floyd incident. Mayor Casper supported Councilor Burtenshaw's suggestion to formally approve using the opioid funds for the social worker position. Councilor Radford felt that he should recuse himself from this conversation, he says he coached Dallin Ball in basketball and feels he should not involve himself. Councilor Radford added that he supports this completely and hopes for the best things for all the great work Mr. Ball does for the city. It was moved by Council President Burtenshaw, seconded by Councilor Larsen that Council approve to change the current part-time social work position in the police department from part-time to full-time. And that funding for that comes from the opioid fund money and we direct finance and budget staff to make sure that this is reflected. The motion was carried by the following vote: Aye – Councilors Freeman, Burtenshaw, Francis, Dingman, Larsen. Nay – None. Councilor Radford recused himself. 2  April 22, 2024, Council Work Session Executive Session: It was moved by Councilor Francis, seconded by Councilor Freeman to move into an Executive Session being called to the provisions of Idaho Code Section 74-206(1)(j) to consider labor contract matters authorized under Idaho Code Section 74-206(1)(a) and (b), Idaho Code. The Executive Session will be held in the City Annex Conference Room. The Council will reconvene in an open session after the executive sessions. The motion was carried by the following vote: Aye – Councilors Francis, Dingman, Freeman, Larsen, Radford, Burtenshaw. Nay – None The City Council of the City of Idaho Falls met in Executive Session, on Monday, April 22, 2024, in the City Annex Conference Room in the City Annex Building located at 680 Park Avenue in Idaho Falls, Idaho at 3:50 p.m. There were present: Mayor Rebecca L. Noah Casper Council President Lisa Burtenshaw Councilor John Radford Councilor Michelle Ziel-Dingman Councilor Jim Freeman Councilor Jim Francis Councilor Kirk Larsen Also present: Darrin Jones, Human Resources Director Heather Wade, Human Resources Manager Duane Nelson, Fire Chief Michael Kirkham, City Attorney The Executive Session was called pursuant to the provisions of Idaho Code Section 74-206(1)(j) to consider labor contract matters authorized under section 74-206A (1)(a) and (b), Idaho Code. The Council reconvened in an open session after the executive session at 4:29 p.m. Fire, Legal and Municipal Services Department: Consideration – Collective Bargaining Agreement. It was moved by Councilor Freeman, seconded by Councilor Francis that Council approve the Collective Bargaining Agreement as presented in the agenda packet. The motion was carried by the following vote: Aye – Councilors Freeman, Francis, Larsen, Radford, Burtenshaw, Dingman. Nay – None Multi-departmental: Consideration and Discussion-American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Grant Recommendations. Director Pam Alexander and Grants Administrator Lisa Farris presented recommendations for allocating the remaining ARPA grant funds. Director Alexander provided background on the City’s receiving $10.5 million, which must be committed by 12/31/2024 and spent by 12/31/2026. Director Alexander stated that Departments had an equal opportunity to submit applications. She said the mission was clear: review and score the applications. Last Friday, our City Treasurer informed us that $3.7 million remained in our funds through March 2024. Some projects were reconsidered based on earlier proposals from 2021. This provided departments with a chance to propose additional projects for funding. The committee’s scoring process was overseen by the individual who evaluated all applications using a prepared methodology. 3  April 22, 2024, Council Work Session Ms. Farris summarized 16 project applications totaling $4,484,271 in requests, including body cameras, vehicles, fire station upgrades, parks, and infrastructure. Project Name Department Description Amount Applicant Requested Body Worn Camera and In-Car IF Police Purchase the newest generation body cameras and in-car video systems from Lenslock Inc. $201,666 Video Project to allow cloud-based digital storage (not server-based). Bearcat G3 IF Police Purchase of Lenco Bearcat G3 armored vehicle for high-risk law enforcement operations to $411,097 keep officers and citizens safe. (4) Police Vehicles IF Police Lease (4) additional police vehicles from Unified Fleet Services. Add to Impact fees of $86,508 approx. $100,000 to replace (4) vehicles as per fleet replacement strategy. Fire Dept. North Station IF Fire Dept. Fire station/storage facility on North Fire Dept. property to bolster Fire/EMS response $1,500,000 capabilities. Cityworks Site Upgrades CDS Change the order to an existing contract for an upgrade to Cityworks version 23. $40,000 City Wide Community Survey Office of Mayor Survey to gauge support for a community rec center, training center, or fire station, and $35,000 overall satisfaction with city services. City Hall Annex Parking Lot Municipal Srv. Full re-pavement of City Hall parking lot. $60,000 Pavement Replacement City Council Chambers Municipal Srv. Remove the back wall to expand space/relocate City Attorney offices to other City facility $100,000 Expansion locations. Frontier Cntr. Performing Arts Municipal Srv. Construction phase to add lobby space, ADA-compliant restrooms, and elevator access to $1,000,000 ADA RR/Lobby Expansion lower and mezzanine lobbies. City Hall Elevator Project Municipal Srv. The current ARPA elevator project recently discovered an issue with the landing drain which $100,000 Contingency may cause a change order for additional work (Contingency). Asphalt Repair/Seal River Pkwy Parks/Rec At River Parkway from Driftwood Hotel to John’s Hole forebay. Repair/patch potholes and $35,000 coat with a chip seal. Employee RR/Wash Station Parks/Rec Build an employee washroom/restroom to replace porta potties and provide a shower/eye $50,000 Pinecrest Golf Course wash station. Heritage Park RR Parks/Rec Public restroom for Idaho Falls Riverwalk trail at Heritage Park. $200,000 GIFT ADA Replacement Van Public Works Purchase a 16-passenger ADA van to replace the 2009 ADA van. $165,000 Storm Drain Improvements Public Works Remove several storm taps from the sanitary sewer system in the oldest sections of the city. $250,000 Commercial Water Meters Public Works Purchase/install commercial water meters. Decrease water usage/extend rights. $250,000 16 Applications Received 7 Depts. Total Amount Requested $4,484,271 Ms. Farris stated that they initiated the process with two other Council Members, Michelle Ziel-Dingman and Councilor Francis. Ms. Farris stated that their task was to revisit the application criteria, simplifying them from the previous round. The criteria included meeting future health priorities, public safety, long-term community impacts, and addressing needs in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Additionally, projects needed to align with enhanced infrastructure. Key deadlines were set obligations by 12/31/24 and spending by 12/31/26. Applicants also had to support the City Council budget priorities for 2024. 16 submissions were received and reviewed as a committee. Director Alexander says that following analysis and scoring, the committee recommends several projects for ARPA funding. These include the north side fire station (requested $1.5 million, recommended $1.4 million), City Hall elevator contingency ($100,000), Frontier Center restrooms (revised to $900,000 due to design changes), Heritage Park restrooms ($200,000, confirmed spending by 12/31/24), storm drain improvements ($200,000), Pinecrest Golf Course restroom ($50,000), citywide public survey ($35,000), City Works system upgrade ($40,000), and non- recommended projects for the Asphalt River Parkway and the City Hall Annex parking lot. The committee recommends Body Camera Car Video for the Police Department at $201,666, and the Bearcat G3 is requested by the Police Department for $400,000. These projects bring the total available funds to $3,705,936.48 which is what 4  April 22, 2024, Council Work Session is available as of the end of March 2024, considering previous project awards, expenditures, and contract obligations. This recommendation aligns with the committee’s assessment. Mayor Casper suggested kicking off the discussion with a little more information from Police Chief Johnson about the body camera request and the expenses now and in the future. Police Chief Johnson provided additional details on the request for body cameras. He explained that their current Watchguard system was reaching the end of life and would no longer be supported by Motorola, who acquired Watchguard. Captain John Marley then spoke further on the issues with Watchguard. He said Lens Lock recently offered a 30- month body camera replacement cycle, which would provide new cameras more frequently than their current system. Lens Lock also offers to keep 10% more cameras in stock than what is authorized in case replacements are needed. Captain Marley noted Lens Lock has a 24-hour redaction service, which other agencies have praised. All new hardware and cameras would be provided through Lens Lock, resolving compatibility issues between camera generations in their current system. Lens Lock also proposed a complete data transfer of all existing stored video from their server. Several agencies that use both Motorola and Lens Lock recommended Lens Lock due to issues experienced with Motorola support and services. Bonneville County recently switched to Motorola but has reported several problems since. Chief Johnson stated that the year one cost $251,666. Each year, we allocate $75,000 for body cameras. This year, we've already used $50,000 from that budget. Additionally, we need to cover the cost of a records management system using the same budget. The program operates under a five-year agreement with the body camera company. Looking ahead to next year, the estimated cost is $210,016. The difference between our budget and this future cost is $135,000. To bridge this gap, we'll explore funding options, including discussions with Congress. It's crucial to manage costs effectively while ensuring transparency and accountability in our body camera program. Mayor Casper feels the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding is crucial for our regular operations. Having cameras on our officers is a best practice that we shouldn’t deviate from. Rather than waiting for the October budget process, securing funding now is essential. The risk of camera failure is real, and this funding bridges the gap. This allows us to act promptly, especially considering the cameras’ end-of-life scenario. Councilor Radford wanted to know how we handle the large amount of data generated by body cameras, especially in terms of storage. John Marley responded. We’re transitioning to a cloud-based system for our body camera program. The motivation behind this shift is the frequent server failures we’ve experienced. Our existing server, managed by Motorola, reached its end-of-life for email and evidence library in July 2023. Fortunately, we secured a few extra months of service. Captain Marley stated that the goal is to move everything to the cloud. Instead of opting for more server-based storage, we insisted on an unlimited cloud-based solution. We’ve consulted with companies in California, Connecticut, Maryland, and Utah, all of whom have successfully implemented similar programs. While I don’t have precise breakdowns, early meetings addressed server maintenance issues. These discussions involved Motorola and the Lens Lock system. Ultimately, this move benefits everyone involved. 5  April 22, 2024, Council Work Session Councilor Francis inquired about the rental payment to the County for the Law Enforcement Building space, which the Idaho Falls Police Department (IFPD) had previously included in its budget. Specifically, Councilor Francis wanted to know if this payment was discontinued following the move to the new Police Complex and if so, was it in the $120,000 range? Chief Johnson agreed. He stated that part of that money has been re-budgeted for storage and custodial services. Mayor Casper asked if the Council was still in agreement with allocating $201,666 to the Police Department for their request. Councilor Freeman said he is in support of the allocation, recognizing the importance of body cameras. Councilor Francis said he was in full support of the allocation, recognizing the importance of body cameras for modern policing. Councilor Dingman agreed and indicated that the committee spent significant time reviewing this request. Mayor Casper noted that there is sufficient consensus for the funding of body cameras. Mayor Casper asked if The Council was ready to vote on approving the full ARPA funding package at their next meeting. Councilor Burtenshaw reviewed the committee's recommended funding allocations. Some of the top priorities included $1.4 million for the fire station, $100,000 contingency for the City Hall elevator, $900,000 for the Frontier Center expansion, and $200,000 for storm drain improvements. Councilor Larsen asked Chief Nelson if the fire station funds would cover necessary equipment and future staffing needs. Chief Nelson responded that the money would go towards construction costs, and they have budgeted separately for apparatus and other requirements. Staffing increases may be discussed with future Councils as call volumes rise. Mayor Casper argued the City should build the station now while estimates are predictable, rather than risking increased construction costs down the line due to rising prices or interest rate hikes. She said even without immediate staffing plans, it's prudent to start the project given its size and importance. Chief Nelson indicated that these two projects amount to a $3 million bill and having the opportunity to fund half of this amount is rare. Relying solely on impact fees may not be sufficient and exploring alternative funding sources is crucial for future sustainability. Councilor Freeman pointed out that we are planning to build this eventually anyway, and with the plan Chief Nelson has, it’s a wash, the money is there. We will have to work out the staffing issue in the future. Mayor Casper thanked Chief Nelson for providing more information. Mayor Casper then asked Council members if there were any other questions. Councilor Francis indicated that he received clarity today on the Storm Drain Improvements. He says that Public Works has indicated that this is an ok one to cut back because they will just work on these projects one after another until the money runs out and then they will just stop when the funds run out. He explained that separating storm water from the sanitary sewer system is important, as excess storm water currently puts pressure on the wastewater treatment plant. Heavy rains can cause storm water to overflow into 6  April 22, 2024, Council Work Session the sewer lines. Addressing this issue would help reduce pressures on the plant and prevent sewer backups into basements. Councilor Freeman supports all the recommendations made by the committee and felt they did a great job. Councilor Dingman agreed. Acceptance and/or Receipt of Minutes: It was moved by Councilor Radford, seconded by Councilor Larsen, that the Council receive the recommendations from the April 2, 2024, meeting of the Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commission pursuant to the Local Land Use Planning Act (LLUPA). The motion carried with the following vote: Aye – Councilors Dingman, Radford, Francis, Burtenshaw, Larsen, Freeman, Nay – none. Mayor and Council: Calendars, Announcements, Events, Reports, Updates, Concerns, Questions, and Discussion: • Mayor Casper shared upcoming events for April and May. Notably, it’s Administrative Professional Week. Thursday City Club, Catherine Smith will moderate a program featuring Lee Radford as the primary speaker, discussing Urban Renewal. Mayor Casper emphasized the need to inform local legislators and concerned citizens about this topic before the Legislature revisits it next January. This meeting is the start of an educational process. • Cinco de Mayo is coming up in a couple of weeks, we will find out more information on where that has moved to as it is not going to be at the shelter in Tautphaus Park. • The police Complex Ribbon cutting is tomorrow at 1 pm followed by some tours. • Wednesday IDA Board meeting 8 am • Thursday City Council meeting in the Council Chambers. • Friday is the Budget Kickoff meeting at 8 am in the Police Complex training room. • Sister Cities if anyone wants to be a part of that delegation let Mayor Casper know by the end of April. • The AIC (Association of Idaho Cities) annual conference is in June if Council members would like to attend. • Council members discussed the upcoming budget meeting on Friday the 26th going over the tentative schedule and laying out some rules for being timely with presentations and staying on schedule. • Council President Burtenshaw had no items to report. • Council Freeman shared a calendar item for Saturday, April 27th is the worker's memorial at Freeman Park at 10:00 am at the shelter on the riverside. Freeman says he will be the speaker for this event and the Mayor has signed a resolution honoring a worker who was killed this year. • Councilor Dingman reported that the zoo opened last Wednesday and had 4600 visitors by Sunday. Many of seen the news regarding the damage to Funland was about $6,000 as an estimate. The damage assessment has not been completed and could amount to more dollars. The Police Department is working to identify the people involved. The Rec Center floor project is moving along and the sponsors of the floor project are Toyota, Mountain View Health Care, Rockwell Homes, Idaho Falls Fiber. There will be a ribbon cutting when that floor is complete. Wednesday May 8th at 4:30 pm is the dedicated of the Thomas Hally Tournament score board at Pinecrest Golf Course. • Councilor Radford had no items to report. • Councilor Francis gave a couple of updates regarding Sister Cities. Catherine Smith will take on an official position as a liaison to provide economic development which is one of the goals within the Sister Cities Ordinance. Sister Cities is collaborating with Parks and Recreation to create a sign for the Friendship Garden. This sign will provide details about the garden’s history, its purpose, and how it came into existence. Director Holm is actively involved in designing this high-quality sign and it will be done professionally. 7  April 22, 2024, Council Work Session The Idaho Falls African American Alliance is celebrating Juneteenth with a festival on the 15th. This event, known as the Juneteenth Community Heritage Festival, aligns with the timeframe of the farmer’s market. The theme of inclusivity reflects the idea that everyone has heritage, making this celebration of including people into the American Dream. The Alliance will also sponsor and evening event at the Colonial including an educational play about the history of Juneteenth, written by Chloe Doucette from the Museum of Idaho. The play is scheduled for the 19th and is aimed at a young readers group, presented as a reader’s theater. Additionally, the Symphony will give a presentation on Florence Price, a notable African American composer from the 20th Century. Councilor Larsen provided information about what will be on the agenda for Thursday night. He says there will be a bid rejection that will be on the regular agenda and is for a water service line replacement and is. The Bid came in at 252% of the engineer’s estimate. Another item to be considered for Thursday night is a State/Local agreement with ITD for the Elm Street - Yellowstone to South Boulevard Project. He says this is work that is in the design phase and construction is still a few years out. There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 6:03 PM s/Corrin Wilde s/Rebecca L. Noah Casper Corrin Wilde, City Clerk Rebecca L. Noah Casper, Mayor 8