City Council

CITY OF POCATELLO, IDAHO CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION DECEMBER 10, 2020 AGENDA ITEM NO. 1: Mayor Brian Blad called the City Council Work Session ROLL CALL to order at 9:01 a.m. Council members present via GoTo Meeting, an online meeting platform, were Heidi Adamson, Roger Bray, Rick Cheatum, Linda Leeuwrik, Claudia Ortega and Chris Stevens. AGENDA ITEM NO. 2: MiaCate Kennedy, Bannock Development Corporation (BDC) BANNOCK Executive Director, and Jim Johnston, BDC Board Member, DEVELOPMENT were present via Go To Meeting to discuss the Board’s goals and CORPORATION projects, as well as Council’s policies and expectations. UPDATE Mr. Johnston gave an overview of BDC functions and upcoming projects: Savage transload facility – Train cars previously filled with products imported from China will be sent to a transload facility in Pocatello where they will fill the empty container cars with products from the area. Driscoll Top Hay will use the facility and will fill containers which will then be transported directly to seaports, such as Seattle, to be sent back to China. Through use of the transload facility, Great Western Malting will be able to increase the amount of product to be produced and shipped, resulting in more acreage farmed and an overall increase in local jobs. Frigitek Cold Storage – The 288,000 square foot facility located at the Pocatello Regional Airport will provide cold storage. Approximately 90 employees were anticipated to be needed. With the addition of a food processing facility, the number of necessary employees has increased. Mr. Johnston stated 80 percent of the growth in a community is a result of retention and expansion of existing companies. He added that challenges arise due to confidentiality issues, and that announcements regarding the Northgate area will be in the near future. Mr. Johnston emphasized that Idaho has been ranked #6 nationally for overall economy according to US News and World Report. He stated BDC has a close working relationship with Idaho National Labs (INL) and other large area employers. Mr. Johnston stated a company interested in locating in Pocatello had a site visit and was discouraged to find a price increase on prospective land after interest was shown on the property. In response to a question from Council, Mr. Johnston stated that prospective companies are interested in Pocatello due to the location of the interstates, railway and airport. He feels as companies grow in the area, additional flights may become necessary and would be beneficial. Mayor Blad stated Bannock Development has been instrumental in bringing the transload project to Pocatello from the start. Ms. Kennedy noted she has met with BDC board members and business leaders and is looking forward to working with many others. She feels it is important to build upon the strengths that Pocatello has, such as the airport. Ms. Kennedy added that she and the BDC board will be moving forward on the strategic plan. She thanked the Council for the warm welcome to the community and stated she is looking forward to working towards a positive future in Pocatello. AGENDA ITEM NO. 3: Val Wadsworth and Akilah Lacey, representing the Pocatello POLICE UNION Police Union, were present to discuss the Union’s activities for QUARTERLY UPDATE the past quarter. CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION 2 DECEMBER 10, 2020 Mr. Wadsworth reported that the Police Union has participated in community giving opportunities through donations to the Senior Center, Idaho Foodbank and Secret Santa. Officers are continuing to feel the strain due to an increase in service calls and COVID-related issues. He emphasized it is necessary to have the Police Department remain fully staffed in order to effectively serve the community. In response to a question from Council, Mr. Wadsworth stated that the new Employee Assistance Provider (EAP) seems to be more in tune with the needs of officers, especially surrounding critical incidents. He stated the new EAP has a smoother process for users than the previous EAP provider. Council members thanked the Police Union representatives for their positive involvement in the community. They expressed their condolences on the passing of K-9 Officer Bart. Mr. Lacey thanked the Council for their concern and stated he is proud of Bart’s accomplishments during his time as a PPD K-9 officer. AGENDA ITEM NO. 4: Richard Bigelow, Building Official, was present via GoTo BUILDING CODE Meeting to give the Council an update regarding proposed UPDATE amendments to City Code Title 15, “Building and Construction”, to comply with changes to Idaho Code. Mr. Bigelow reviewed the proposed amendments to a portion of Title 15, Buildings and Construction Code. He explained the amendments are a statutory requirement and the City needs to adopt the code. The Idaho Construction Board has directed the adoption of the amendments as outlined. In response to a question from Council, Mr. Bigelow stated that he feels it is important that the state adopt an energy code and allow cities to also adopt energy codes. If the state and cities do not adopt an energy code, energy efficiency measures become the burden of the builders and has long-term effects on homeowners. He noted that energy codes do not pertain to life safety, however, it affects energy bills and could be detrimental due to higher utility costs for property owners. Council members shared their support for energy efficiency and environmentally conscious decisions. Mr. Bigelow clarified that projects currently under construction will be subject to the 2015 Building Code. After adoption of the amended code, building projects will be subject to the 2018 International Building Code. He added that adoption of the Building Code does not drive the price of building materials. Cost of building supplies has risen due to COVID-related supply and demand issues. Mayor Blad stated he feels it is important for staff to inform the Council on potential changes to the building code. CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION 3 DECEMBER 10, 2020 AGENDA ITEM NO. 6: Mayor Blad adjourned the meeting at 10:00 a.m. ADJOURN APPROVED: BRIAN C. BLAD, MAYOR ATTEST AND PREPARED BY: KONNI R. KENDELL, CITY CLERK