Council Member Kim Mahon Resigns
At the Council City Council Meeting on May 14th, it was announced that council member Kim Mahon had resigned. Mayor Bruce Gardner will appoint someone to fill the remainder of her term, which lasts until 2025. All other council members were present.
City Engineer Andrew Kimmel told the council the water project continues to move forward. The project will likely advertise for bidding next spring. He said the city could relocate the planned storage tank and booster pump station and not drill a new well.
Council members asked if not having to drill a new well would decrease the cost of the project and Kimmel said, “The cost would be reduced in some areas, but the overall cost of the project would not be reduced due to more areas found within the system that needed replacement.”
He said that in places where the water pressure is low, the new booster station would correct that issue. The booster station will also have a backup generator to be used as needed.
City Clerk Ashley Scott said she had mailed out backflow letters to city residents in May and reminded everyone that City Hall would be closed on May 27th, and on June 19th and 20th. She added that Deputy Clerk Julie Pate was monitoring the fuel level at the airport and said the city would need more fuel soon.
Public Works Supervisor Caleb Shumway said that he had hired summer help. He also said that Dalrymple Construction was close to finishing construction of the bulk water fill station at the RV dump in Boise Cascade Park.
Bill Brown, owner of the Boardroom at Wilson’s Lounge, asked the council for a catering permit that will allow him to sell alcohol at the Downtown City Park on July 4th. He said that he had spoken with Sheriff Ryan Zollman about the matter, and Zollman had suggested that those who purchased alcohol be given non-transferable bracelets to wear and that alcohol be dispensed in clear cups; Brown said he was willing to provide the bracelets and clear cups.
Brown also asked that the city review their ordinance pertaining to permits for the sale and consumption of alcohol. He said that as it stands now, it is legal to sell a bottle of wine at a farmers’ market without first obtaining a permit.
Scott said she had contacted the Idaho Counties Risk Management Program, (ICRMP) and their concern was over any liability the city might assume in issuing the permit. Brown said his bar insurance would cover the sale and consumption of alcohol at the park.
The council approved his request for a permit to serve alcohol in the park on July 4th.
Brown addressed the council on a second issue: his belief that Illinois Avenue needs a third crosswalk, close to where the computer store is located. Channel Sanders, who owns Council Computers, said it is often difficult for his customers to carry heavy hardware across the street into his store.
Kimmel explained that most rural towns do not have crosswalks so close together and the place where the crosswalk would go has stairs, and they would need to be removed to make the crosswalk ADA accessible. He also said that a number of parking spaces would likely need to be eliminated were a crosswalk to go in.
The council passed a motion to deny a mid-block crosswalk.
Dannielle Kuhn and some of her neighbors attended the meeting to see what could be done about excess water in their yards. She said lawns are so wet they are not able to be mown, and it’s a problem for those who live on N. Berkley Street.
Kimmel said he believes the problem started during construction of the Adams County Health Center. He said that project has caused groundwater to leak into these people’s yards. He also said the city is not responsible for the project or for the issues that arose, but said it is working with the clinic’s contractor and their engineer to find a solution.
Royce Bauer, Vice President of the City Parks and Recreation Department, attended the meeting to ask what might be done about Boise Cascade Park, which he said is looking poorly. He said he could not find that the city had any sort of agreement with parks and recreation about which entity is to maintain the park.
While the city owns the park, parks and recreation has maintained it since 1998.
He said the sprinkler system is broken, and he got an estimate to replace it for $56,000, an amount that parks and recreation cannot afford. “We would like to make this park look like a park,” he said.
Kimmel said it would be possible for the city to apply for a grant to improve the park in November. He said the city would have to pay a percentage of the cost, and council member David Tubridy said the city should look into whether they could provide that percentage.
Currently, the only thing the city is paying for in the park is the RV dump station. Parks and Recreation recently bought a new mower, is responsible for picking up the garbage, and is doing the best it can with a tight budget.
Scott said she looked back in the minutes and could not find any sort of agreement between the city and parks and recreation.
Belinda Provancher from Perpetua Resources presented the council with an update on what’s happening at the Stibnite Gold Mine. She said they have a new President and CEO, Jon Cherry, and that they are expecting a draft resolution on the proposed mining project in June, and a final record of decision by the end of this year.
She also said that the Export Import Bank of the US had sent Perpetua Resources a letter of interest, in which they said Perpetua may be eligible to apply for a 1.8-billion-dollar loan to the company, because it is the only mine in the US that will be mining antimony, which is needed for munitions. The letter stated that, “A funding commitment is conditional upon completing the application, due diligence and underwriting process and receiving all required approvals.”
She also said that the Stibnite Advisory Council had partnered with Recon Insight Group, run by a professor at WSU to determine the economic impact on surrounding communities when the Stibnite Gold Project gets underway. She also said the Stibnite Advisory Council had asked Perpetua Resources to pay for the University of Idaho to compare both ground water and surface water samples taken from one sample, split in two and sent to two different EPA labs from the Stibnite Mine site. They agreed to do so.
Provancher said, “In a perfect world, we should start construction by the end of 2025 and start mining by the end of 2027 and or 2028.”
Council member Tubridy, who is in charge of Council’s cleanup day, said that because we are in for a long, hot summer, the city needs to focus first on cutting grass and picking up trash. He said he looked into the cost of renting a dumpster and it would be $400. He also said he found two individuals willing to take inoperative vehicles and broken appliances. He added that he would write an article for the newspaper when the date for the cleanup day is set.
Finally, Kathryn Hughes, Council Airport Manager and Airport Commission Chairwoman, told the council that the Idaho Airport Management Association had a two-day conference April 15th and 16th. J-U-B Engineers attended. One of the goals this year is to form a small airport support group for airports similar in size to Council’s.
She said Hillcrest Aviation plans to operate their helicopter for another two weeks from the Council Airport. They are staking mining claims on Cuddy Mountain. They will park a Jet-A fuel truck at the airport and pay the $0.20 per gallon fuel flow fee to the city’s airport fund.
A short take-off and landing clinic will be held at the airport on June 1st. Participating aircraft will arrive at 9:00 a.m. for a safety briefing. Temporary runway marks depicting a 25’ by 800’ landing area will be painted late next week in preparation for the clinic. The purpose of the clinic is to give pilots practice for when they must land at short, backcountry airstrips. Hughes said the public is welcome to attend.
She said the net revenue for fuel sales since January 1st is $567. The city has also received $50 for use of the courtesy car since the last council meeting, and a total of $160 has been donated for use of the car since January.
She said the Treasure Valley Pilots group flew into Council on April 13th to have breakfast in town. Eight aircraft brought fourteen people who enjoyed breakfast at 7 Devils.
The next Airport Commission meeting will be held June 24th at 6:30 p.m. at airport hanger 5. All are welcome to attend. If you wish to attend the meeting via Zoom, you may do so. http://us02web.zoom.us/j/(813)647-47167?pwd=NmVEdkcrdk.JybzBLRidgeFhJT2R2Ut09 Meeting ID: 813 6474 7167 Passcode: 146514 or by phone 1-(669) 444-9171.
