Youth Center Virtual Tour, Generous Grants
The New Meadows City Council began their Monday, December 9, 2024 meeting with a field trip to the Industrial Park. Upon return, the council reviewed reports, organizational updates, and a number of action items. They also saw a virtual design walk through of the New Meadows Youth Center and an annual report presentation from III-A. Councilmembers Traci Foster, Jeff Parnett, and Shiloh Ryker were in attendance along with Mayor Julie Good and City Clerk Kyla Gardner.
At the Industrial Complex, the council walked through the space that has been used as a meat shop. The most recent tenant was trading repairs on the building for rent. That tenant has moved and the City needed to do a check before renting the space. Clerk Gardner will present on needed updates in the unit at the next meeting so that the council can determine next steps.
Back at City Hall, Mayor Good reported that the Christmas tree lighting was a great success. She shared that the New Meadows Community Farmers Market vendors passed out mini donuts, hot chocolate, hot cider, and popcorn as well as candy that was donated by Brown’s Mountain Market. She recognized Santa and Mrs. Claus who sat for pictures on their sleigh throughout the night. Thank you to Kent & Chris Johnson. Mayor Good said there were more cookies, candy, warm drinks, and seating available inside the Depot along with a storytime with Marlene Clark, an exhibit of the mural submissions, and a video of the progress on the New Meadows Youth Center. The Mayor also noted the help of Adams County Historical Society. She said a hay ride from the library to the depot was new this year and thanked Dryden Ranch and Ranchvue Venue (Kautz Family) for providing the flatbed trailers for the rides. More thanks were given for all who helped decorate beforehand.
Mayor Good reported they finalized submission on a $30,000 Local Rural Highway Investment Program (LRHIP) grant application for signs and thanked Gardner for her work on the project. The Deputy Clerk position is still open and the Mayor said they will review the wage rate if a good candidate is found.
The Mayor attended Mountain Valley Transit’s Christmas party and expressed thanks to the organization as a whole for work on the Goldline transit route. She also presented a certificate to Stephen Hackler, who is retiring, recognizing his contributions on the route’s success.
Councilmember Ryker gave an update on the Valley County Opioid Response Project (VCORP). The group now covers Valley and Adams County. Local law enforcement, Rise Up 2 Thrive, St. Luke’s, Central Idaho Counseling, Ignite Idaho, Youth Advocacy Coalition, and others participate in the program overseen by Central District Health with collaboration from Southwest District Health. Ryker reported their biggest push currently is for “Barney Boxes”, purple public access dispenser boxes of Narcan for free. A significant increase in opioid related deaths has been seen in our area and Narcan can save a life in the case of opioid overdose, including those related to fentanyl. Ignite Idaho’s McCall building has a 24 hour box and the City of New Meadows has some Narcan available as well.
Ryker answered a question on programs available in New Meadows noting school programs, Youth Advocacy Coalition after school program, a crisis phone line that mobilizes help, and said when the Youth Center is open they plan to use offices there. Currently Ignite Idaho uses an office at City Hall for some intervention services.
Next up, Allison Muntz of Grissom, Hoffman + More, PLLC architects shared a virtual design walk through of the New Meadows Youth Center. Muntz began by sharing the floor plan and continued with a virtual tour around the outside and then inside of the building showing how it will appear at completion.
Muntz noted they raised the building up because it had been sitting below the road level and would have caused significant flooding. The building’s main entry will be from Peterson Memorial into the daycare and preschool via a secure vestibule. Classrooms for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and a large community room are all part of the design. Classrooms feature large storage and play areas and access to a fenced outdoor area. Non permanent play structures will be part of the outdoor space. One of the classrooms can be kept as one large room or split into two with an accordion door.
The youth center side of the building is separated from the daycare by secure doors. Skatepark visitors will be able to access the bathrooms on that side of the building. A small catering kitchen is included for the daycare and could also be used for community events. A service window opens from the kitchen into the larger community room.
Mayor Good shared that the City received half of a $75,000 grant from the Ann & Frank Cahouet Foundation. They will receive the other half next year. The money will be used for inside equipment, furnishings, and costs associated with establishing the non-profit foundation. It will also help with daycare worker training. The Cahouet Foundation has previously donated to the Youth Center.
Mayor Good also said they will receive a $15,000 grant from the St. Luke’s Community Health Improvement Fund and were sent a $4,000 rental credit from Tate’s Rents noting the Youth Center as an “essential resource for the area”.
The non-profit group will oversee the daycare. A committee of people knowledgeable in daycare and local business practices has been created. This includes Julie VanSant, Hilary Greenwood, Olivia Shoultz, Shannon Fairchild with assistance provided by Trace McKellips with West Central Learning Collaborative, and Ignite Idaho. They will meet twice in January to put bylaws and policy in place and start hiring staff.
Councilmember Foster showed some logo design ideas she created for the Youth Center.
The council next discussed needing to create a full volunteer policy to ensure clarity of vision, responsibility, and understanding for all parties. This need was brought up alongside the roads and streets committee meetings. The council reviewed volunteer policies from the cities of Boise, Idaho Falls, and Eagle. They discussed also having an official volunteer application and possible onboarding training. Once complete, the policy will be sent to the City’s insurance agency for review.
Amy Manning, Executive Director for III-A, the self funded health trust the city uses presented the company’s annual report.
The council then moved to action items starting with a review of a contract between Brown’s Mountain Recycling and United Metal for cleanup of the property. Noting a start date and expected completion date was not provided and noting a need for clarification of clean up details, the Council voted unanimously to issue a citation which would result in fines for Brown’s Mountain Recycling for violating residential clean up and zoning regulations. Fine amounts will be determined by Adams County Courts. The council noted that if the property is cleaned up by December 31, 2024 they may remove the fines.
A motion to cancel the Monday, December 23, 2024 City Council meeting due to the proximity of Christmas and other factors was unanimously approved.
After much discussion and a presentation from Engineer Grae Harper on the Local Highway Technical Assistance Council (LHTAC) Federal Aid Grant, the council voted unanimously to approve applying for $1.8 million with the understanding that the city would have a significant match amount to pay. The Roads & Streets Committee will discuss details of the project and make a recommendation back to the City Council at their next meeting. A special City Council session will likely take place on January 6, 2025 to approve a resolution required to finalize the application and meet the January 9, 2025 application deadline.
The Council voted unanimously to increase the bond amount for a Ziply Right of Way Permit to $500,000. The discussion noted observance of property damage done during installation on other Ziply projects and wanting to protect the community and local property.
Holiday bonuses ranging from $100-$500 each for staff was approved unanimously in lieu of gifts. The Consent Agenda minus the November 25, 2024 meeting minutes was also unanimously approved.
Future meeting topics may include the LHTAC grant special session, renewing liquor licenses, Stibnite Gold updates, design review for the Mehen Memorial Skatepark, discussion on volunteer policies and permit fees, and the Industrial Park unit review.
The next meeting of the New Meadows City Council is scheduled for Monday, January 13, 2025.
