New Meadows Mayor Looking for Partners to Fund Continuation of the Gold Line
The New Meadows City Council met Tuesday, July 22 with four out of five council members in attendance along with ten community members, city staff, and five guests via Zoom. Topics included discussions on streets and transportation, alleys, and park use, as well as Sheriff Zollman’s report, an update on dust abatement issues, and budget review.
Mayor Good began her Mayor’s Report by noting that the city received a resignation in the public works department and is accepting applications to fill that position. Good stated she met with Adams County Commissioners and Meadowcreek POA Board as she is looking for partners to fund continuation of the Gold Line bus five days per week service into the winter.
The proposed subdivision off of Peterson Memorial needs two new street names to finalize their plans. Good stated she asked the group to look into names related to New Meadows and its history.
Sheriff Zollman reported they are learning the new computer system that went live on July 9. The sheriff’s office is still down a few deputies. Zollman attended the National Sheriffs Conference in Oklahoma in June.
Mayor Good reported that she spoke with GMCO’s Vice President of Operations regarding the June dust abatement issues. He recommended a possible solution that city employees will be trying and reporting back about. If the suggestion does not work, Good will follow up for further next steps. The city is still holding the bill for payment.
Grae Harper, city engineer, discussed the master planning document his team is putting together. Joining via Zoom, he explained that the document categorizes the entire transportation network of the city. His team is working on a year by year prescriptive plan for the city to follow. Harper stated the biggest priority will be paving roads and stormwater management. They are also targeting grants with ITD and the local highway technical assistance council as well as partnerships with neighboring cities and counties.
The first discussion of the night began regarding the definition of alleys. Mayor Good stated she reviewed the definitions in place in nearby cities including Weiser, Payette, and Cambridge. The council discussed dead end alleys, preferred width especially considering turn around ability, and rules around maintenance of alleys. Mayor Good reminded the group that defining alleys is important to assist and inform the future planning and zoning commission.
Good then reported on the child care and youth center. She stated that a non-profit board is being put together with three individuals from the community and two from the city. Plans for the board include getting non-profit licensing, enrolling in the Idaho Child Care Program (ICCP), and looking at procedures and policy. Meetings are being held every two weeks. The last meeting was with the general contractor who is finishing plans so they can get the building permit. Currently the Mayor is working on donations of products and services for the project. Contract information was received last week and City Clerk, Kyla Gardner, is working through that document with the architect. ICCP enrollment can help with childcare costs as families may enroll in the program to get financial assistance and the city can be paid through that program.
Next, Mayor Good asked Gardner to present significant changes in the general, water, and sewer budgets. A grant was received through DEQ to work on the sewer facility. Income and expenses for completion of the childcare center has been added to the general budget along with a grant for $50,000 for the youth center that has been applied for. Income from donations for the skate and bike park are also in the budget and transportation grants have been listed as revenue and expense.
For the water budget, Gardner stated the biggest change is that the city will not have the water project expense like last year. An ARPA Grant and DEQ loan were specific to last year. Good explained that they are looking at an increase in water collection fees due to the increase in people living in town.
The second discussion of the night was then opened regarding the Park Use Ordinance. The Mayor stated there has been an influx of travelers using electricity and water from the public park bathrooms for campers and trailers. Because of this and some issues with park clean up after gatherings, a conversation began about implementing a park use ordinance. Good reviewed Riggins’ ordinance and the details on their use form. Questions from the audience referenced how enforcement would take place and that a deposit for events could be a good thing, but fees for New Meadows citizens seems unfair. Good stated that the goal of an ordinance would be to make the park a place people can continue to enjoy for years to come and make reservations run more smoothly. This could also set in place some rules for people from out of town to enjoy the park without placing undue expense on the city.
The meeting continued with a monthly status report by Willy Brown regarding Brown’s Mountain Recycling. Paul from the city and Grae Harper went out to the property to take pictures and assess progress. Brown reported progress on fencing in the last week. More boulders are being sought for the front line of the property. An in depth discussion followed regarding tires on the property, improvement deadlines, and review of prior discussions and deadlines.
A motion was made and approved to move into executive session regarding property not owned. After the executive session the agenda for August council meetings was discussed. Topics will include names of new streets for the Peterson Memorial development, alley definitions, park ordinance plans, and a visit to Brown’s Mountain Recycling.
A special City Council meeting happened Monday, July 29. This was a workshop to discuss water and sewer budget and rates. Approval of the Mehen skatepark contract with Grindline and of an MOU with Ignite Idaho for use of a room in City Hall for crisis counseling were also on the agenda. Further details on this meeting will be in next week’s newspaper.
The next regular city council meeting will take place on Monday, August 12 at 6:30 p.m..
