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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-11-18 City Council Regular Minutes Meridian City Council November 18, 2025. A Meeting of the Meridian City Council was called to order at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 18, 2025, by Vice-President Liz Strader. Members Present: Liz Strader, John Overton, Doug Taylor, and Brian Whitlock. Members Absent: Robert Simison, Luke Cavener and Anne Little Roberts. Other Present: Chris Johnson, Bill Nary, Caleb Hood, Carl Anderson, Shawn Harper and Dean Willis. ROLL-CALL ATTENDANCE X Liz Strader X Brian Whitlock Anne Little Roberts X John Overton _X_ Doug Taylor Luke Cavener Mayor Robert E. Simison Strader: Welcome to the Meridian City Council regular meeting. Today is Tuesday, November 18th, 2025, at 6:00 o'clock p.m. We will begin this City Council meeting with roll call attendance. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Strader: Now please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. If you will, please, rise. (Pledge of Allegiance recited.) COMMUNITY INVOCATION Strader: Thank you. Now we will recognize Pastor Randy Hunter to lead us in the invocation. Please take this as a moment of prayer or a moment of silent reflection. Go ahead, Pastor. Hunter: Thank you. I have heard nothing since I got here other than how short the agenda is tonight. So, I get a lot of time, because -- no, that's not true. I want to thank you for your work, honorable Council people, Mayor, staff and law enforcement and we love living in Middleton. We have only been here six months, but it's a wonderful place to live. I tuned in to your meeting last week and saw the presentation by COMPASS. What a great group. For somebody like me who is here on behalf of a group of churches that want to see where can we anticipate needs, that group has been very helpful to us, so I appreciate that. Thank you for having me the week before Thanksgiving and, you know, we all think of the Abraham Lincoln declaration -- proclamation of Thanksgiving Day. But, you know, a lot of presidents issued a proclamation for Thanksgiving Day. George Washington, John Adams, James Madison, Meridian City Council November 18,2025 Page 2 of 12 they all issued national day of Thanksgiving proclamations, but Abraham Lincoln's is the one that stuck and no one knows why. Maybe it's because it's the last one, but maybe it's also because his was less of a declaration of everyone be grateful and more of a call for healing in a nation that was divided, because he -- he issued this proclamation for a national day of Thanksgiving in the middle of the Civil War and, in fact, just a couple months after one of the worst battles of the Civil War, Gettysburg, 50,000 young -- mostly young soldiers died in three days in the Battle of Gettysburg and it's in that context that Abraham Lincoln issued this proclamation. I have copies for all of you. I know you can find it online, but sometimes there is something about a paper copy that maybe finds its way to your Thanksgiving table and maybe find some use for it, so -- and I'm not going to read it to you. It's not that long, but I'm not going to read it. I just want to highlight a couple of things. He rehearses, first of all, reasons. Remember this is Civil War time and yet he rehearses reasons for giving thanks. Let me read a few of them. Peace has been preserved with other nations. Order has been maintained. Laws have been respected and obeyed. Harmony has prevailed everywhere -- except in the military conflict. The plow, the ship, the ax, the mines, the iron, the coal have all been functioning and working. Population has steadily increased. So, he -- he took the time to think of reasons we have to be grateful as a nation and, then, he concluded this. And these are two paragraphs I will read to you. It's about in the middle of the proclamation. No human counsel hath devised, nor has any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath, nevertheless, remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American people and so he issued this last Thursday of November as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. Well, that's the proclamation and one of the reasons we all get next Thursday off and probably going to eat too much, but there are other reasons and he reminded us of those in the text. To be grateful. Let me close with a hymn that my tribe of Christians uses often around Thanksgiving time. Not going to sing it to you. I will read it. Oh. And, by the way, Abraham Lincoln's Proclamation was in 1863. This man was an English cleric who wrote this hymn in 1864 in England. So, they didn't have a civil war going on and yet he kind of came to the same conclusions. Let's rehearse the good things we have and let that lead us to give thanks and call for healing. So, the hymn goes like this: For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies, for the love which from our birth over and around us lies, for the wonder of each hour of the day and of the night, hill and vale and tree and flower, sun and moon and stars of light, for the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child, friends on earth and friends above, for all gentle thoughts and mild, for yourself best gift divine, to the world so freely given, agent of God's grand designed peace on earth and joy in heaven. Christ, our Lord, to you we raise this our hymn of grateful praise. Well, may that be a blessing to all of you this Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving. ADOPTION OF AGENDA Strader: Thank you. With that we will move on to adoption of the agenda. Meridian City Council November 18,2025 Page 3 of 12 Overton: Madam Vice-President? Strader: Council Member Overton. Overton: No changes to the agenda as published, I move we adopt it. Strader: Okay. Do I have a second? Whitlock: Second. Strader: Okay. We have a motion and a second to adopt the agenda. All in favor please signify by saying aye. Opposed? The ayes have it. The agenda is adopted. MOTION CARRIED: FOUR AYES. TWO ABSENT. CONSENT AGENDA [Action Item] 1. Approve Minutes of the November 5, 2025 City Council Work Session 2. Approve Minutes of the November 5, 2025 City Council Regular Meeting 3. Calkins Creek Subdivision Sanitary Sewer and Water Main Easement (ESMT-205-0154) 4. Multi-Tenant Retail Water Main Easement (ESMT-2025-0151) 5. Multi-Tenant Retail Sanitary Sewer and Water Main Easement (ESMT- 2025-0152) 6. Multi-Tenant Retail Sanitary Sewer Easement (ESMT-2025-0153) 7. Southridge South Subdivision Phase 1 Pedestrian Pathway Easement (ESMT-2025-0139) 8. Village at Meridian Phase 2B Sanitary Sewer and Water Main Easement (ESMT-2025-0146) 9. Development Agreement (Centrepoint Apartments - Parcel E - H- 2025-0009) Between City of Meridian and MGM Meridian LLC for Property Located at 3100 N. Centrepoint Way and 3030 N. Cajun Ln. 10. Development Agreement (Centrepoint Apartments - Parcel F - H- 2025-0009) Between City of Meridian and MGM Meridian LLC for Property Located at 3100 N. Centrepoint Way and 3030 N. Cajun Ln. Meridian City Council November 18,2025 Page 4 of 12 11. Project/Pathway Agreement between the City of Meridian and the Nampa & Meridian Irrigation District for Construction and Continued Operation of a Pedestrian Pathway and Other Improvements along the Ninemile Drain and the Rutledge Lateral (Rail with Trail Pathway) Simison: Next we have the Consent Agenda. Overton: Madam Vice-President. Strader: Councilman Overton. Overton: I move that we approve the Consent Agenda, for the Vice-President to sign and the Clerk to attest. Whitlock: Second. Strader: Okay. I have a motion and a second to approve the Consent Agenda. All those in favor, please, signify by saying aye. Opposed? The ayes have it and the Consent Agenda is approved. MOTION CARRIED: FOUR AYES. TWO ABSENT. ITEMS MOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA [Action Item] Simison: There are no items moved from the Consent Agenda. PUBLIC FORUM Strader: So, we will move on to Public Forum. Mr. Clerk, do we have anyone signed up under the public forum? Johnson: Madam Vice-President we did not. PUBLIC HEARINGS [Action Item] 12. Public Hearing for Comprehensive Plan Text Amendment (CPAT) (H- 2025-0045) by City of Meridian Planning Division, located City Wide A. Request: Comprehensive Plan Text Amendment (CPAT) to Adopt by reference the Ada County Emergency Medical Service Capital Improvement Plan and Development Impact Fee Study (May 24, 2024) and the Ada County Jail Capital Improvement Plan and Development Impact Fee Study (May 24, 2024), Adopt by reference the City of Meridian Development Impact Fees Study (September 16, 2022) and Amended Capital Improvements Plan as incorporated therein, Amend the "List of Adopted Plans and Studies Meridian City Council November 18,2025 Page 5 of 12 by Reference" including minor cleanup and ensure the most current adopted plans and studies are referenced and Amend "Appendix A. Glossary of Terms" to add/modify language. Strader: Okay. All right. With that we will move on to Item 12, the public hearing for the Comprehensive Plan Text Amendment, CPAT H-2025-0045, and I will recognize Mr. Anderson. Anderson: Yes. Thank you, Madam Vice-Chair Strader and Members of the Commission. My name is Carl Anderson, long range associate planner for the record. Tonight we have before you a city-initiated comprehensive plan text amendment, file H- 2025-0045. Pardon me. Just a minor -- Strader: That's okay. While you take a moment I would also like us to recognize -- we do have Commissioner Ron Beck here with us as well. So, if you have any questions I'm sure that he and his staff will be happy to help. Please proceed. Anderson: Thank you. So, tonight's request I will cover -- there are four items that are included within this city-initiated comprehensive plan text amendment. I will detail each of those requests throughout tonight's presentation and present the Meridian Planning and Zoning Commission's recommendation towards the end of the presentation. Those four items are listed here. I will go through each one in detail, rather than read them for you. So, the first item on this request is to adopt by reference the Ada County Emergency Medical Service capital improvement plan and development impact fee study and Ada County Jail capital improvement plan and development impact fee study, each dated May 24th, 2024. This request would incorporate the county's EMS and jail capital improvement plans and impact fee studies into the Meridian Comprehensive Plan. The impetus behind this is Idaho State Code requires that for those agencies who are conducting comprehensive plans to collect impact fees. Those capital improvement planning documents need to be incorporated within those areas comprehensive plans. This would accomplish that step of including those capital improvement plans within the city's comprehensive plan. This request would not be the enabling action that the city would undertake to collect those impact fees, that would be done through an ordinance, which would be a future step in the process. The table here on your right would -- provides what those impact fees would look like for those jail and paramedic services and I would also draw your attention to attachment B1 -- Exhibit B1 within the staff report, which details memorandum from the City of Meridian's legal staff for the Joint Powers Agreements between the City of Meridian and ambulance district detailing the steps in that process. I believe this would accomplish that final step to there, which is the public hearing conducted by the City of Meridian City Council. So -- and, again, that next step would be to pause until such time the city is ready to undertake the ordinance to collect those fees. So, the second element of the request tonight for you is to adopt by reference the City of Meridian's development impact fee studies dated September 16th, 2022, and amended Capital Improvement Plans as incorporated therein. Similarly, as detailed on the prior request, this is to comply with Idaho State Code in order for the city to collect impact fees. Should this request be approved this Meridian City Council November 18,2025 Page 6 of 12 development impact fee study and amended CIPs as adopted by ordinance 2022-2004 will be included in the table currently listed as list of adopted plans and studies by reference I will be talking about on the next slide. So, the third item of this request -- some of this was brought forward to the Council during the Comprehensive Plan future land use map amendment earlier this year, some cleanup that was identified therein. While we are getting into the table we have done some other cleanup as well and I will go through some of this. So, this first one here is to re-title this amended -- amend the title from adopted to incorporated. This is a little bit of a process improvements. This is to ensure that those items that are listed in there, while incorporated in the plan, it's not necessarily always the case that they may be adopted. We are going to be looking at kind of tracking those through the resolution number and include that on the city's website, so we can see which of those would be adopted, what the resolution number is and this way if they are incorporated therein they still inform the city's Comprehensive Plan, but it's not necessarily the adopting item. It's a little bit of a process improvement. The second one here is to add a note to city led planning efforts to ensure that the most recent version of the plan study is referenced within this plan. We are adding this only to those city led planning efforts. Those are those items that the Council will have their eyes on, but to ensure that when we are referencing any of the city led planning documents therein we are referencing the prior version. For example, this cleanup is to cleanup some of those that are some older planning documents. So, just to make sure that we are staying current with those plans. The intent there, though, is that if it's not a city-wide planning document that the Council will have their eyes on those documents to ensure that the version that we are adopting is the one that the City of Meridian wants to incorporate within the plan. Update by reference. The most current version of a plan or study. This is detailed within the exhibit here and so this is updating the current -- to the most current version of the plans that are referenced there and to make sure that we have the most current. The four items -- we are including four new items here. So, three of these are the items that we have discussed on the prior two elements of this request. So, the City of Meridian's capital improvement plan and development impact fee studies, the Ada County EMS and jail capital improvement plan and development impact fee studies and also the waste -- the City of Meridian's wastewater resource recovery facility dated 2018. This was an item that was identified by the City of Meridian Public Works Department during our pre-application. It is a planning document that is -- we want to have included within the city's comprehensive plan. Future additions to this that aren't being brought forward at this time is the Eastern -- Eastern Treasure Valley electric plans is Idaho Power's electric transmission planning document. The version that's referenced is the prior version. There is a new version. This is not being brought before you at this time. It is the staff's understanding that Council has not had an opportunity to review that document and at such time when Council has had that opportunity we would bring it forward for incorporation into the plan. Similarly, the City Council, as you are aware, is working with Meridian Development Corporation onto the Destination Downtown plan. There is an updated version of this plan. This is an item that we may bring forward in the future date for adoption of that plan should the Council wishes to do -- wish staff to do so. One item that I would like to address here as well -- there is -- you will see one of those is -- there was a duplicate. We deleted the prior Destination Downtown plan. And, finally, staff are Meridian City Council November 18,2025 Page 7 of 12 proposing to amend Appendix A to the Comprehensive Plan glossary of terms and to add -- modify language here. So, there is two primary elements here. So, the first is the capital improvement program. The language that is used throughout is capital improvement program. When talking with staff here at the city it's my understanding that this is a prior practice vestige of prior planning when this capital improvement planning was referred to capital improvement programming and in order to be consistent with the language we are using for these documents and state code we are recommending that language plan be included. This was recommended to the Planning and Zoning Commission as it was not originally proposed to include the program to plan throughout. We -- staff recommended that the Commission include that in their motion and the Planning and Zoning Commission did include that in their motion, so we have shown it to you here with the blue underlined text for that language. We did also add originally to clarify that the City of Meridian refers to Capital Improvement Plan as the comprehensive financial plan as practice here. This is to reflect the City of Meridian's Capital Improvement -- Capital Improvement Plan and -- excuse me -- and development impact fee, documents that we are proposing to amend here. It's on page two of that document reflecting that language. And also to add a definition for impact fees. We currently in our Comprehensive Plan do not have a definition for development impact fees. We did pull this language similarly from the city's capital improvement -- or capital improvement plans development impact fee studies. So, this language be -- is being added to be consistent, but also to help with an interpretation should the need arise. All notice -- all notification requirements have been met for this hearing. No public comments, written or verbal have been received to date. Only agency comments that staff has received are from Public Works, who are not opposed to the request and, finally, the Meridian Planning and Zoning Commission heard this application on October 16th, 2025. The Commission did recommend the proposed comprehensive plan text amendment H-2025-0045 to Council for approval with the amendment discussed to Appendix A, modifying the language from program to plan through that definition. And with that I'm happy to answer any questions that the Council may have. Strader: Okay. Thank you so much. Appreciate that presentation. Fellow Council Members, do you have any questions for staff? Okay. So, pretty straightforward request. This is a public hearing and with that, Mr. Clerk, do we have anyone signed up ahead of time? Johnson: Madam Vice-President, nobody's signed up. Strader: Okay. All right. Let's go to folks in the room first. If you have a comment to make on this Comprehensive Plan Text Amendment if you could raise your hand, please, and you will be recognized for up to three minutes. Commissioner Beck, please. Beck: And you are the vice -- what did they call you? Strader: I'm the City Council Vice-president. Meridian City Council November 18,2025 Page 8 of 12 Beck: Vice-president. Okay. Madam Vice-President, Members of the Council -- Strader: Go ahead. Beck: -- appreciate being here with you and I appreciate your positive consideration of the -- this text amendment to -- to get this kicked off. The county adopted the impact fees in August for the -- for the unincorporated areas and, then, one city is already done. Other cities are well underway and so we would -- we would thank you very much for your consideration and we would ask you to -- if you could get the ordinance ready to go, because after the -- or after you pass the ordinance it can't be impacted until 30 days after, you know, so we would appreciate that and we thanks -- thanks a lot for bringing this up and hopefully you will get it passed. Thank you. Strader: Thank you so much. Just a moment in case we have any questions. Okay. Beck: Okay. Strader: No questions, but we thank you so much for being here. Appreciate it. Okay. are there any others here in the room who would like to provide public comment on this item? Okay. Seeing none. Mr. Clerk, do you have anyone signed up online? Johnson: Madam Vice-President, no. Strader: Okay. All right. Great. Well, I think now would be a good time. Motions, discussion, all of those things are in order. Overton: Madam Vice-President? Strader: Councilman Overton. Overton: Seeing no other public input, I move to close the public hearing. Whitlock: Second. Strader: Have a motion and a second to close public hearing. All those in favor, please, signify by saying aye. Okay. That is unanimous and the public hearing is closed. MOTION CARRIED: FOURAYES. TWOABSENT. Overton: Madam Vice-President. Strader: Councilman Overton. Overton: Just brief comments. Allow others to do the same. This has obviously been something that's been discussed and worked on for many many months. It's bringing consistency with our county across the entire county on all the different city agencies Meridian City Council November 18,2025 Page 9 of 12 and this is not an approval of part of our Comprehensive Plan, it substantially changes how Meridian does business. We are not -- we not trying to make a huge change to what Meridian does, we are adopting what Ada county is doing and bringing that in line with our Comprehensive Plan, so that we have our plan updated. I think that also the text amendments we have made to make things a little more consistent and easier to read and easier to understand are also very good to have it all done at the same time and I have no issues with this moving forward. Strader: Okay. Is there further discussion or a motion? Overton: Madam Vice-President. Strader: Councilman Overton. Overton: Seeing no other comments, after considering all staff, applicant and public testimony, I move to approve File No. H-2025-0045 as presented in the staff report during the hearing date of November 18th, 2025. Whitlock: Second. Strader: Okay. We have a motion and a second to approve the Comprehensive Plan Text Amendment, H-2025-0045. Mr. Clerk, if you will, please, do a roll call vote. Roll Call: Cavener, absent; Strader, yea; Overton, yea; Little Roberts, absent; Taylor, yea; Whitlock, yea. Strader: Okay. All ayes and the motion is approved. Congratulations. Thank you so much for being here. MOTION CARRIED: FOUR AYES. TWO ABSENT. ORDINANCES [Action Item] 13. Ordinance No. 25-2101: An Ordinance Amending Unified Development Code Section 11-4-3-11 Concerning Drive-Through Establishments; and Providing an Effective Date Strader: With that we will move on to our ordinances. First up is Ordinance No. 25- 2101 and we will recognize Mr. Hood for brief comments if needed. Okay. Do we need to read this ordinance by title? Johnson: Yes. Sorry. That's the process. I'm sorry. Strader: No worries. Thank you. Meridian City Council November 18,2025 Page 10 of 12 Johnson: Thank you, Madam Vice-President. This is an ordinance amending Unified Development Code Section 11-4-3-11 concerning drive-through establishments and providing an effective date. Strader: Okay. We have now heard this ordinance read by title. Is there anyone who would like it read in its entirety? Okay. Not hearing anyone wanting that. With that we will go ahead and open this up for -- as an action item. Taylor: Madam Vice-President? Strader: Councilman Taylor. Taylor: I move that we approve Ordinance No. 25-2101. Strader: Okay. Whitlock: Second. Strader: We have a motion and a second to approve Ordinance 25-2101. Is there any discussion? I would like to provide a brief discussion. So, I do have some concerns, because I -- I had -- I did watch the public hearing from October 14th, so I'm up to speed on that. I was hoping that we would go a little bit farther regarding drive-throughs in Old Town specifically, but at the same time having thought about it I don't want the perfect to be the enemy of the good and I think overall these changes are broadly moving us forward in a positive direction. So, I will be voting in favor of this item. Okay. Is there further discussion? Mr. Hood. Hood: Madam Vice-Chair, I know you gave me an opportunity at the beginning before the clerk read the ordinance, but just a comment on your comment. We do have some additional tweaks and changes. So, this is sort of a holding ordinance. We got some more feedback, so here ballpark two, three months'ish we should have another public hearing and potential ordinance to tweak some of the tiers of the drive-throughs and Old Town is also back on the table for some discussion. So, I don't know if there will be changes that will come forth out of that discussion with the UDC focus group, but we are going to be reevaluating this. Even though you are adopting an ordinance tonight it will likely be short lived in its implementation. Strader: Thank you. Okay. Is there any further discussion? Okay. With that I believe we had a motion and a second as well. So, Mr. Clerk, if you could, please, call roll on that for a vote. Roll Call: Cavener, absent; Strader, yea; Overton, yea; Little Roberts, absent; Taylor, yea; Whitlock, yea. Strader: Okay. All ayes and the ordinance is approved. Meridian City Council November 18,2025 Page 11 of 12 MOTION CARRIED: FOUR AYES. TWO ABSENT. 14. Ordinance No. 25-2102: An Ordinance Amending Unified Development Code Section 11-4-3-12, Concerning Accessory Dwellings; and Providing an Effective Date Simison: Next up we have Ordinance No. 25-2102. Mr. Clerk, if you could read this ordinance by title. Johnson: Thank you, Madam Vice-President. This is an ordinance amending Unified Development Code Section 11-4-3-12 concerning accessory dwelling units and providing an effective date. Strader: Okay. You have heard this ordinance read by title. Is there anyone that would like it read in its entirety? Seeing no one wanting it read in its entirety, we will go ahead and open this up for motions or discussion. Taylor: Madam Vice-President? Strader: Councilman Taylor. Taylor: I move that we approve Ordinance No. 25-2102. Whitlock: Second. Strader: Okay. We have a motion and a second to approve Ordinance No. 25-2102. Is there any discussion? Hearing none, Mr. Clerk, would you go ahead and do a roll call vote on this. Roll Call: Cavener, absent; Strader, yea; Overton, yea; Little Roberts, absent; Taylor, yea; Whitlock, yea. Strader: Okay. And the ordinance is approved. MOTION CARRIED: FOUR AYES. TWO ABSENT. FUTURE MEETING TOPICS Strader: With that we are on to Future Meeting Topics. Does anyone have a burning future meeting topic tonight? Okay. Hearing no future meeting topics, I will entertain a motion to adjourn. Overton: Madam Vice-President, I move that we adjourn. Whitlock: Second. Meridian City Council November 18,2025 Page 12 of 12 Strader: Okay. We have a motion and a second to adjourn the meeting and we are adjourned. MEETING ADJOURNED AT 6:25 P.M. (AUDIO RECORDING ON FILE OF THESE PROCEEDINGS) VICE-PRESIDENT LIZ STRADER DATE APPROVED ATTEST: CHRIS JOHNSON - CITY CLERK