First Meeting Held in the Historic Depot
New Meadows City Council held their first meeting in the new City Hall and City Council Chambers at the Historic P. & I.N. Depot this past Monday, July 28. The City of New Meadows with the Adams County Historical Society also held a Grand Opening Celebration last Thursday, July 31 to welcome the public to the new City Hall and The Depot Museum.
The long term agreement between ACHS and the city keeps The Depot Museum open during normal city business hours and has offered a better space for city staff to work. ACHS members have displayed panels of historical information, photos, and maps related to the history and growth of Meadows Valley in the main lobby. They have also set up a Depot gift shop featuring postcards, art, and branded merchandise. During the open house, visitors could view a slideshow featuring updates to The Depot over the years and could watch recorded interviews of Meadows Valley citizens sharing their memories through the years.
Mayor Julie Good began the meeting as usual with reports on recent happenings. She noted some sad news as well, stating:
“This weekend our community has suffered the loss of two very special individuals, Al Becker and Cory Whitney, who invested in their community in their own unique ways. Al was such a pillar of our community and he invested in many different avenues to see our community continue to be a beautiful place to live. Cory Whitney was such a kind, hard working young man. He is responsible for the Christmas tree in the park, as well as many other projects he assisted with. Both of these individuals reflect the community spirit that was so powerful and important and I want to recognize that their presence will be missed, but their legacy will live on.”
An update on the Ziply Fiber project was given noting they have turned in their application, but still need to report on project details before moving forward. Mayor Good and City Clerk Kyla Gardner attended the recent County Commissioners meeting and discussed Area of Impact review as well as the proposed Ambulance District plans. The City Council discussed inviting the Fire Commissioners in for a meeting to learn more about their proposal.
The City has been using a new online work order app called COAST. This is a free app used to assign jobs and note priority, status, and details. The Mayor is finalizing the set up of CalendarWiz, a community calendar that New Meadows organizations can utilize for planning, posting events, and hopefully mitigating double scheduling. The app will also have a place to request park and Depot freight room reservations. Each local organization will have their own sign-in to access their information and update their events. The Mayor reported that the yearly app cost is $350 and that she has already received grant funding to cover the cost.
The Roads & Streets Committee meeting topics were discussed including updates on the LHTAC grant, road improvement projects, especially on Heigho and Peterson Memorial, and speed bump investigations. City Engineer Grae Harper reported on the LHTAC grant the City previously applied for saying although the project seemed well favored on the discussed priority list, the project was not approved for funding. Harper also said that this year, out of about 40 projects, only four were selected for funding. Overall, the Committee and City Council still seemed positive about the future of the project and discussed ideas for next steps.
Regarding speed bumps, the Committee will be gathering information, making potential plans, and pursuing possible grants for stop signs and temporary speed bumps. Feedback from residents will be sought in this information gathering stage. The Council discussed where the installations could go along with further pros and cons.
Harper also gave a personal update that he is moving and the City Engineer position would be filled by another engineer with Keller Associates. Harper will stay on for a few months to help with the transition and assured the Council that they would be in good hands. Harper, the regional manager, and the new associate came to New Meadows last week to meet with City Staff and review current and projected projects.
The Council unanimously approved a National Night Out Proclamation for Tuesday, August 5, 2025. The Meadows Valley Community Center board proposed the idea to the Mayor and there has been a very positive response from community groups to kick off the event this year. National Night Out promotes positive relationships between the community and police/sheriff entities, building community awareness, and neighborhood safety.
A long discussion ensued on outbuildings in R3 Zones including talks on variances, the importance of maintaining codes, fire and EMS access, building and lot codes, and that any proposed amendments related to zoning would need to go through public hearings.
The Council also discussed dog waste receptacles in or near the city park noting some pros and cons of adding them as well as concerns related to changing park rules.
At the last City Council meeting the City’s contract with Adams County Sheriff’s Office was brought up related to speeding concerns. The Council agreed to invite Sheriff Zollman to an upcoming meeting to discuss the contract and hear his quarterly report.
An agreement between Meadows Valley School and the City for use of the new Youth Center was reviewed by the school’s attorney and they sent a few changes that were all approved by the City Council. The MOU will go back to the School Board along with a few questions from the City Council for approval before returning to City Council for their final approval.
The next City Council meeting and the City Budget Hearing are scheduled for Monday, August 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the new City Council Chambers located at 101 S. Commercial Avenue. This will be a very full meeting as there will not be a meeting on the fourth Monday in August.
