Water Project Moving Along
The monthly city council meeting was held on January 14th at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. All of the council members were in attendance. Last months agenda was approved after correcting the date to 2025.
Andrew Kimmel gave an update on the city water project. He is hoping to hear back from the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) later this month on the preliminarily engineering report for the water project. Once the report is approved the city can submit plans and specifications for the water project. Kimmel is meeting with the structural engineer, architect and electrical group on January 15th to go over the new building plans and discuss how to integrate everything into the system.
Kimmel reported that the city is on schedule to submit a bid in late spring. The bulk of the infrastructure will likely be put in place this year but the storage tank will not be in place until around spring of 2026. Once the storage tanks are ordered there is a 5 to 7 month wait.
The city got the (LHTAC) Local Highway Technical Assistance Council planning grant submitted.
Addison Coffelt, a Comprehensive Planner from Great West, shared that a future land use map is an important part of moving forward in city planning. Coffelt would like to see an advisor group committee established to oversee the planning process to ensure that it is reflective of what the community and city would like to see in the future and to make sure all the state regulations and requirements are being met. The plan should be individualized towards what the community would like to see while still following all state requirements. Kimmel recommended a survey be created by the city council to get feedback from the community on what areas the city needs to focus on the most. Coffelt shared information about a grant being offered by Blue Cross of Idaho that can provide additional funding to help provide the city with what it needs.
Kathy Hughes gave her report on the airport commission. Two proposed agreements were submitted in 2024. City Clerk Ashley Scott will follow up on them. One was commercial operations at the airport. The other was a request to have vehicle parking for non-hangar owners.
The commercial operations proposed agreement has possibly already come into full effect. A couple of hours before the city council meeting, Hughes received a call from a helicopter parked at the airport on a contract with the Fish and Game Department and they asked where they can plug in. They have bedded down and Hughes is going to get in touch with the point of contact to make sure they are in compliance with all the requirements. Hughes will put the Fish and Game point of contact in touch with the city clerk to ensure the contracts are in place.
Hughes and Scott are going to draw updated land lease agreement drafts along with the Industry Standards Airport Cooperative Research Program. The program has guidelines for developing and leasing airport property. The city attorney will look over the information and create a good draft for the city council to consider before the new hangar builders get into a lease agreement later on this year. The builders plan on doing their construction after the airport resurfacing is completed and are currently applying to the (FAA) Federal Aviation Administration to get approval before applying for the city lien permit.
One airport hangar owner does not have current air insurance. The city clerk is working with the city attorney to get this issue resolved.
2024 airport fuel sales were 2,900 gallons with the net revenue to the airport amounting to $2,385. 1,200 gallons are currently in the tank. When 200 more gallons are used, the city clerk will call for a refill.
The airport has received $485 in courtesy car donations for 2024.
The next airport commission meeting is Monday January 27th at 6:30 p.m. in hangar number 5.
City Clerk Ashley Scott gave her report. A new deputy clerk, Pepper Jordan, was hired on December 16th.
The 2024 audit draft report came in and will be presented at the February or March City Council meeting.
55 business licenses were sold this year and 77 dog tags so far. Last year 150 dog tags were sold and the city clerk will be doing follow up calls to see if dog owners are planning to get their dogs licensed.
The city is compliant with reporting requirements for the ARPA funds with the U.S. Treasury Department.
All airport hangar leases are paid for 2025.
The CTC cell tower has been invoiced for 2025.
The city is working with their website hosting company to do a new website design and upgrade as well as create a new city logo.
The city has to give the property owner for 202 Illinois Avenue notice to abate the property before they can move forward with a contractor or place it to bid if the city needs to do that.
Positive pay is active on the city bank account. All checks will be uploaded manually to ensure that someone else isn’t writing checks on the city account.
1099’s and W-2’s are complete. The 1099’s will be entered manually once the city receives a TCC which is a control number with the treasury. The W-2’s have already been manually entered and mailed.
January 22nd, the city clerk Ashley Scott and the public works supervisor Caleb Shumway will be attending an Association of Idaho Cities water summit training.
Public works supervisor Caleb Shumway reported that the new city truck has been purchased. He also passed the waste water collections operator test.
Two different contractors have been looking at 202 Illinois Avenue.
Idaho Survey and Rating bureau has been contacted to see to assess the city’s fire safely implements and water wells so that the city can ultimately lower their fire insurance rates.
The city’s Waste Water Treatment Plant has a 5 year permit that expires in February. Shumway has working on the application for permit renewal.
Shumway has been working with CTC about getting fiber optics to the bottom side of town next year.
Mayor Bruce Gardener participated in walking challenge through Idaho Blue Cross and he walked 311,454 steps in October. He earned $1,000.00 and Blue Cross would like the funding to promote physical activity in the community. The city clerk reached out to the school district about using the funds to purchase needed items for their athletic department. The school district was interested in the receiving funds. The board made a motion to donate the funds to the Council Valley school district and the motion passed.
David Tubridy volunteered to be the new Stibnite advisory council representative and the board voted him in.
Kody Williams the Adams County Building inspector has received several complaints about an abandoned house that is a potential danger. He discussed several options on how to address the issue and will give an update after getting in contact with property owner.
The meeting was adjourned. The next city council meeting will be held on February 11th at 6:30 p.m..
