Health Clinic Working Towards Mobile Clinic in MV
The New Meadows city council held their regular meeting on Monday, October 27 with council members Traci Foster, Jeff Parnett, and Shiloh Ryker present. New city engineer Justin Walker and engineer colleague Kaitlin Thomas attended via Zoom and provided introductions as well as an update on current projects. The agenda was adjusted by a unanimous vote to add an Executive Session that did not result in any action.
Mayor Julie Good’s report noted that with the weather turning, the Public Works department is finalizing pre-winter preparations. The city received an ice melt treatment solution from St. Luke’s that should help sidewalk clearing. At the Youth Center, the mayor said the steps and wheelchair ramp to the front entrance should be completed in the next week.
The mayor also said the Meadows Valley Early Learning Foundation hired a Director for the Mini Mountaineers daycare and can now ramp up preparations to open. She said they are interviewing other potential hires as well.
After many requests and discussions with Adams County Health Center, Mayor Good said the clinic said they are applying for a “change of scope” in order to have a mobile clinic regularly present in New Meadows. The mayor hopes they will be present multiple times per week and noted this would offer more options for care.
The mayor reported that city Right of Way permits expire on October 31, but that one project in city limits operated by Syringa has been approved to continue a few extra days. In the same topic, the mayor thanked the city council again for requiring Ziply to work under the supervision of John Stone and said without his oversight there would have been boil orders, water line breaks, and other large issues. She commended Stone’s work and how it had kept the community safe. Councilmember Foster added that the Mayor’s foresight brought the issue to the Council.
The West Central Mountain Economic Development Council has agreed to sponsor and pay for a holiday downtown business association event for New Meadows, said Mayor Good. She said that event could be a kickoff for a proposed business association for the Meadows Valley.
Mayor Good brought the impending November 1 food stamp cessation to the council saying she had been in touch with local churches and the Food Bank to see what they might add for the community. She also asked the city council to consider possible help the city could offer with the understanding that the city is also losing some funding with recent federal government spending changes.
The council then moved to review results from a four-way stop survey. Less than ten surveys were received back and votes were split fairly evenly for and against the project. Over the last year, multiple community members have brought speeding complaints to the city. If approved by the city council, the stop signs would be installed as a three-way stop at S. Heigho and Cedric as well as a four-way stop at N. Heigho and Colt. A cost estimate will be created and presented to the city council at a future meeting. A discussion ensued about using LHTAC grant money. If the city received the grant, funding will not be received until October 2026, but there was positive discussion that they could apply for other funding to be received sooner as well as use some items the city already has on hand.
Councilmembers approved a plan to put the Industrial Park freezer out to bid. Notices will be posted and bids should be turned into the city by Monday, November 10 at 3pm.
A discussion regarding changes to the city’s personnel policy ensued including an update from the mayor on communication with their Idaho Counties Risk Management Program (ICRMP) representative. The rep noted the city’s goal in making personnel changes was to decrease the amount of money the city is carrying as debt. Councilmembers also communicated they want to ensure employees are using their benefits.
The changes would limit accumulation of comp time to thirty hours and any accrued difference would be paid out before the change and quarterly in the case of overages. A discussion regarding tax implications for large payouts ensued. Another discussed change would include combining Paid Time Off hours into one category rather than having different types of PTO. Councilmember Foster thought this was a good idea saying, “then we’re not dictating are they sick, is it vacation, it’s just you get this many days and you use it to your own discretion.” The council approved a plan to notify city employees that changes to the personnel policy would occur in the next 90 days as of November 1 and a note to consider taxing possibilities.
The city received three building inspection quotes for the old City Hall building and approved moving forward with a quote from McCall Home Inspection company.
The council approved closeout of the Mehen Memorial Skatepark. This included an agreement between the city and the New Meadows Skate Park Committee that says once the park construction is completed, the city of New Meadows will assume ownership and responsibility for maintenance. The closeout also includes a preventative maintenance contract with one year warranty details with Grindline Skateparks.
During the discussion, Mayor Good brought up some local citizens and secondary school students who have been going to the park, keeping it clean, and taking personal ownership of the park. She also said the city would be doing some landscaping, signs have been received and will go up, and grass seed has been donated.
An MOU with Meadows Valley Days for storage of their trailer by the city was approved.
A motion to approve for city of New Meadows staff to apply for a fiscal year 2027 LHTAC grant for signs was unanimously approved.
Future meeting topics may include reviewing MOUs, personnel policy updates, finalizing the freezer bid, reviewing stop sign costs and a building inspection report on the old city hall, and creating a rental agreement for the youth center. The next city council meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 10 at 6:30 p.m.
