08112011CouncilMinutes-WS
CITY OF AMMON
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES - WORK SESSION
THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011
AGENDA:
CITY OF AMMON
2135 SOUTH AMMON ROAD
WORK SESSION AGENDA
.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2011 – 4:30 P.M
DISCUSSION ITEMS:
1.Capacity Replacement Fees:
2.IBSD Lost Customers:
3.Woodland Hills Sewer Line Connection Into EIRWWA Segment C:
4.Fee Collection for EIRWWA:
5.Hawks Landing Lighting District:
6.Form L-2 – Dollar Certification of Budget Request to Board of County Commissioners:
7.BDPA Study and Wages:
EXECUTIVE SESSION:
1.Personnel Evaluations - Idaho Code 67-2345 (1-b)
2.Real Property Acquisitions - Idaho Code 67-2345 (1-c)
3.Pending Litigation - Idaho Code 67-2345 (1-f)
MINUTES
City Officials Present:
Mayor Steve Fuhriman
Councilmember Dana Kirkham
Councilmember Lee Bean (arrived at 4:50 p.m.)
Councilmember Rex Thompson
Councilmember Sean Coletti
City Clerk, Administrator, Planning Director Ron Folsom
Deputy City Clerk Rachael Brown
City Treasurer Jennifer Belfield
City Engineer Lance Bates
Ray Ellis Public Works Director
City Officials Absent:
Councilmember Russell Slack
Councilmember Brian Powell
Mayor Fuhriman opened the Work Session at 4:40 p.m. at the City Hall Building located at 2135 South Ammon Road.
DISCUSSION ITEMS:
1. Capacity Replacement Fees:
Councilmember Kirkham informed the Council she had a conversation with Rockwell
Development about meeting with them next week concerning the capacity replacement fees. Lance said Ron informed him he had
spoken with the Iona Bonneville Sewer District (IBSD) and they have two different capacity replacement fees. Ron said they charge
$1,850 for a connection, but if the customer has a connection that has a lift station, the fee is increased to $2,850. Councilmember
Kirkham asked Ron to contact the Association of Idaho Cities (AIC) to see if IBSD’s fees are legal. She doesn’t feel the fee is fair
and equitable to say if a customer is inside the City limits the fee is this much, and if you are customer outside the City the cost is
more. Ron said the City’s fee structure states if our customer is outside of the City limits the fee is 1 ½ times. Councilmember
Kirkham said she would like to hear AIC’s thoughts. Councilmember Kirkham said the City has always set the fees for the Region,
and the Region has left it with the City to set the capacity replacement fee as well. Ron said if the City collects a capacity replacement
fee for the Region, it is not our fee. Councilmember Kirkham said by the time we designed the plant, IBSD was not a participant.
Lance said they have enough ability to expand the plant to treat the additional capacity, but you have to build more onto it.
Councilmember Kirkham will get with Councilmember Powell and set a time for them to meet with Ron and Lance.
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2. IBSD Lost Customers:
Ron directed the Council to a document available on Share Point. Ron said the City keeps
addressing what the City is going to do to get IBSD off of the City lines. Ron said if you look through the documents, it will be
millions of dollars between the City and IBSD. Ron said he and Lance would like to propose to the Council that IBSD stay connected
to the City’s line, and the City charge them what the City charges its customers, and IBSD would then charge the City the same fee
they would charge their customers. Ron said that IBSD has 256 customers that are affected and the City has 104. The first proposal
would be that IBSD would pay the City $42 per customer, and the City would pay IBSD their rate of $28 per customer. Ron feels
IBSD would subsidize the customers that would be paying the City. Councilmember Kirkham asked if IBSD has actually said they
plan to subsidize. Lance said no. Councilmember Kirkham feels the problem IBSD has is their customers that would be charged the
higher rate would come to them and say, they are a member of the IBSD sewer district and they won’t pay more. She feels IBSD has
a problem legally. Ron said not if they don’t raise the rate.
3. Woodland Hills Sewer Line Connection into EIRWWA Segment C:
Lance informed the Council the cost for doing
the design, change orders, surveying, staking, and inspections is $80,000 plus some other miscellaneous expenses. Lance said it took
him awhile to get this lower cost, and hopes the cost is all inclusive. Councilmember Bean asked if the construction cost is on top of
this cost. Lance said yes. Councilmember Bean said the contractor has agreed to give the City the same price for the pipe. Lance said
it is not a formal agreement, but the contractor is interested in continuing the project, which includes installing the pipe, and they have
said they would hold the same unit price for the installation of this line. Councilmember Bean said as long as the City doesn’t have to
pay Davis-Bacon wages. Lance said when the project involves State Revolving Funds (SRF) the City has to pay Davis-Bacon wages.
Lance said his worry is if the funding doesn’t come out of the SRF, the City won’t have enough in reserves to pay for Midway Avenue
and Eagle Drive. Councilmember Bean said he feels there is still time to decide that. Councilmember Kirkham said the City would
need to wait for the Judicial Confirmation.
4. Fee Collection for EIRWWA:
Councilmember Bean said the Eastern Idaho Regional Waste Water Association
invited all the individuals from the different Cities and Counties to have some major discussions regarding the best way to implement
some of this as they move forward. Councilmember Bean said they would be meeting the last Thursday of August.
5. Hawks Landing Lighting District:
Jennifer said this is for Lighting District #1. She said the City needs to
prepare the assessments and take them to the County. She and Ron went over what the City has done the last couple of years with
actual expenses. Jennifer asked the Council for approval before she takes it to the County to assess the lots. Councilmember
Kirkham asked how the administration has gone, and if has it been a good move, or if it has been cumbersome for Jennifer. Jennifer
said there has been a little more involved in administering it, but it is definitely conquerable. Councilmember Bean asked about the
City’s administrative costs. Jennifer said the administrative cost was $600. Councilmember Bean asked if that amount covers her
time and materials. Jennifer said she feels it is close. Councilmember Bean told Jennifer for the next couple of months to track her
time to justify what the City is paid. Jennifer said she would work with Ron, and they would revamp the numbers. Councilmember
Kirkham said to submit the assessment for this year, but moving forward she wants Jennifer to track the cost. Jennifer said she
prepared the budget based on time and expenses, and this is how she will assess the lots. Ron said part of the cost this year was for the
startup costs. Councilmember Bean asked if Jennifer purchased an additional program from Clarity for the Lighting District. Jennifer
said yes. Councilmember Bean asked if she had charged the Lighting District for the additional module. Jennifer said no.
Councilmember Bean asked if she would please include it in this budget. Ron said they have already published the budget, and he and
Jennifer planned to charge the Lighting District for the module next year. Jennifer explained to the Council the cost of republishing
the budget to include the changes mentioned. Councilmember Bean asked Jennifer if she was charging the Lighting District for the
publishing fees. Jennifer said yes.
6. Form L-2 – Dollar Certification of Budget Request to Board of County Commissioners:
Jennifer told the
Council she wanted to make sure they were comfortable as they went through the budgeting process. Jennifer asked the Council if they
wanted her to take the full 3%. Councilmember Bean said yes, she should take 3%.
7. BDPA Study and Wages:
Ron said he and Councilmember Kirkham would be speaking about the BDPA Study
at a later date. Councilmember Kirkham said yes, she would speak with Ron on Monday. Councilmember Bean asked
Councilmember Kirkham if she had confirmed the meeting with the City of Idaho Falls Mayor Jared Fuhriman. Councilmember
Kirkham said not yet. Ron said he and Parks Director Ken Knoch had an issue at the office with an elderly lady that lives in the
original town site. She said there are branches and trees in the right-of-way and is asking the City to trim them. Ron said it is difficult
for citizens to understand how these old trees are their responsibility to trim. Ron asked Ken get a bid for trimming the three poplar
trees. The bid came in at $975. Ron said his concern was setting precedence for trimming trees. He is asking for the Council’s
direction. Councilmember Kirkham reiterated and asked if the trees were in the right-of-way. Lance said the trees are at least 20 feet
behind the asphalt. Ron said from the street it isn’t obvious that the trees are in the right-of-way. Councilmember Kirkham asked if
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the City can rescind the right-of-way and give it back. Lance said it would increase the property values and taxes. Discussion ensued
about tree trimming. Councilmember Bean asked if they were dead branches. Ron said most of the big ones were dead branches.
Ray said it was an extremely unusual event. Councilmember Bean asked what the event was. Ray said he felt it was a microburst,
and the winds took out the sand shed, garbage cans, and two big trees. Councilmember Bean said every subdivision the City has, has
trees growing in the right-of-way. Councilmember Bean said he felt that staff should stick with the policy. Ron suggested sending the
customer a letter stating the City ordinance. Councilmember Coletti instructed staff to send her the letter and have more discussion on
it.
Councilmember Coletti reminded everyone to get their newsletter articles to him.
Councilmember Kirkham moved to adjourn. Councilmember Coletti seconded. Roll Call Vote: Councilmember Kirkham –
Yes, Councilmember Coletti – Yes, Councilmember Thompson – Yes, and Councilmember Bean – Yes. The motion passed.
The meeting adjourned at 5:21 p.m.
__________________________________________
Mayor, Steven Fuhriman
______________________________________________
City Clerk, Ron Folsom
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