MOU for Ambulance District Discussed
The New Meadows City Council held their regular meeting on Monday, January 26. Mayor Julie Good began the meeting with the Mayor’s Report. She mentioned the Roads & Streets Committee meetings will begin again for 2026 in March. She also highlighted the February 17 public hearing with County Commissioners for the possible dissolution of the current Ambulance District which will be held at The Depot in New Meadows.
Good also noted she had signed approval to get pipes fixed that have been leaking and causing extra work for the compressor.
Good said she attended a recent County Commissioners meeting regarding the Ambulance District and “discussed the need for communication regarding any proposed fees that need to be addressed when we speak to any potential developers. She said, “They understood the request and they seemed to be in favor, but it wasn’t on the agenda as an action item so they will have to address it at a subsequent meeting.”
A newly formed committee called the Gem State Housing Alliance held their first meeting and Mayor Good said she would be attending and hoped to find some solutions for New Meadows.
Good noted city employee Hunter Brown would be taking his Wastewater Exam. She also said since there has not been snow to plow, Public Works employees have been able to take on some projects that have been on the back burner.
The Mayor reported that a Memorial Bench was ordered by the Adams County Historical Society to be placed out front of City Hall.
The council then moved to discussion of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Meadows Valley Rural Fire District. An updated draft was hand delivered by Fire Chief Doug Buys who was in attendance along with Fire Commissioner Tracy Peterson. Fire representatives added public comment and answered some questions from the City Council regarding the document. Changes were requested by Mayor Good to clarify codes and responsibilities. The parties specifically discussed who has authority to do things like code enforcement and when a life & safety check would be done. Everyone communicated a plan to collaborate and get the agreement sorted out so everyone could be on the same page. Some changes were made to clarify semantics regarding enforcement and what can be enforced by the involved parties.
Council members moved to action items beginning with approval for city employee Michael Lee to attend the Idaho Rural Water Association (IRWA) spring conference in April as well as approval of Alcohol Beverage License Applications for Brown’s Mountain Market, Waypoint Gem State, and Delish Catering. Council Member Jeff Parnett was appointed City representative for Meadows Valley School board meetings and council member Shiloh Ryker was reappointed as city representative for VCORP (Valley County Opioid Response Project) which includes work in New Meadows. The council also approved Lee to begin IRWA Mentor/Training Program pending application of scholarship.
At the time of the meeting, three proposals had been received for the open City Attorney position. After discussion of the candidates and their specialties, the Council moved to approve inviting their top candidate to their next meeting for a discussion. Discussion also included review of expertise, specialties, and their fee schedules.
As Good mentioned previously, she attended the County Commissioners meeting and discussed an MOU with them regarding the current Ambulance District. She noted the New Meadows City Attorney had drafted the document and it had been reviewed and edited by County Prosecutor Peter Donovan.
Mayor Good described this as an “Agreement that the county, who has authority over the MV Ambulance district, would give us notice of any potential impact fees, requirements, ordinances or laws and we would do the same to them that could impact the ambulance district or the city. And we would engage in that same communication regarding possible development impact on both the ambulance district and its operations.” She said the Commissioners were on board with it and that they had a full conversation about how to make sure everyone involved in development is involved in discussions. Mayor Good said the Commissioners did not have an action item for the MOU on the agenda the day she attended and that day’s session was only for executive sessions and asked the City Council to approve the MOU today so it could be finalized at the next Commissioners meeting.
Public Comment was received from Doug Buys as a cautionary word noting the Ambulance District really only exists “on paper” and all related inventory is owned by the Meadows Valley Fire District. Mayor Good stated the main purpose of this MOU was to be sure “when we’re talking to developers we have all involved parties in mind” and Buys agreed that was valuable. Council Members approved the MOU to be approved by Adams County Commissioners.
The council moved to discuss the sale of the old City Hall building. City Clerk Kyla Gardner reviewed the process from Title 50, Chapter 1, noting the Council would need to state their intent to sell along with a sale minimum or intended exchange. They would then need to publish legal notice of sale intention for at least 14 days before a public hearing. After the hearing, the sale or auction could take place. The sale would go to the highest bidder, and if no bids are received, the City can sell the building as they see fit.
The Council previously received comparable estimates from a building inspection report which ranged around $200-250,000 with the building next door being listed for $355,000. Public comment was accepted from Joe Dalrymple who cautioned setting the minimum bid too low noting current and past trends with construction and real estate.
The Council moved to make a motion to post intent to sell at a minimum price of $249,000 with a public hearing scheduled for March 16.
After an Executive Session, the council moved to cancel the current unsigned lease with Salmon River Mobile Vet Clinic from November 1, 2025 since they had not heard back from them.
Future city council meeting topics may include an update on the Dalrymple building, a Youth Center update, unemployment insurance information, meeting with potential city attorneys, a possible MOU with Adams County Commissioners, rezoning smaller lots discussion, a Conditional Use Permit request for a property in town, and a resolution for a new address.
The next city council meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 9 at 6:30 p.m..
