June City Council Round Up
The regular monthly meeting of the Cambridge City Council was held on June 10 at 7:00 p.m. at the City Hall Chambers on South Superior Street. The meeting began with the Consent Agenda, which included the approval of the current agenda, previous meeting minutes and payment of bills. Rather than providing comprehensive minutes of this meeting, which are always available on the City of Cambridge’s website, highlights of the June 10 general meeting and the outcome of certain action items are provided below.
After the unanimous approval of the consent agenda, the first action item pertained to the 1st Street improvements. A change order had been made where additional work was needed to be done to complete the pavement project and an amendment was made to the cost of the engineering report. During the May meeting concerns that were raised pertained to the discovery of wet soil conditions beneath the roadway. The city clerk noted that the cost adjustment was an increase of $2,900 to the original engineering report cost. A motion was made and passed unanimously.
A discussion item pertained to the school district turning the tennis courts into possible pickleball courts. There have been tennis courts there which are not being utilized. To fix the cracks in the asphalt it would cost the school district approximately $13,000. To be in compliance for the parks and recreation grant, the use needs to be active outdoor recreation. It needs to be ADA accessible with a dedicated walkway.
The following item was a discussion of the city budget. The city clerk mentioned that the maximum property tax levy is three percent. She asked for permission to complete a budget based on this maximum levy. Also noted was that due to state budget cuts, the city will be receiving less money from state funds. In addition, the need to revise the city fee schedule and consider a five percent increase to the water and sewer fees was discussed.
Listed as an action agenda item was the Central Business District. The discussion revolved around whether there was a need to codify or revise any ordinances or policies. No formal action was taken.
The final agenda item was continued discussion of the city of Cambridge’s Comprehensive Plan. The sections on population, property rights, land use, housing, and economic development were again discussed. No action was taken. The current Comprehensive Plan is available on the city of Cambridge’s website.
A motion was made to adjourn the meeting and passed.
The next Cambridge City Council meeting will be held on July 13 at 7:00 p.m. As a reminder to the community, if you are unable to attend in person, audio recordings of City Council meetings, minutes, and agendas are available on the City of Cambridge website. City Hall is accessible for people with disabilities. Any person needing special accommodation to participate in the meeting should contact City Clerk Sandra McKee at (208) 257-3318 or (208) 550-0591 at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.
