HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002 02-26Meridian City Council Meeting February 26, 2002
The regular meeting of the Meridian City Council was called to order at 6:30 P.M. on
Tuesday, February 26, 2002, by Mayor Robert Corrie.
Members Present: Mayor Robert Corrie, Keith Bird, Bill Nary, Cherie McCandless, and
Tammy de Weerd.
Others Present: Bill Nichols, Mike Worley, Brad Watson, Gary Smith, Stacy
Kilchenmann, Kenny Bowers, Shari Stiles, Tom Kuntz and Will Berg.
Item 1. Roll-call Attendance:
X Tammy de Weerd X Bill Nary
X Cherie McCandless X Keith Bird
X Mayor Robert Corrie
Corrie: We will have roll-call attendance please, Mr. Clerk.
Item 2. Adoption of the Agenda:
Corrie: Item number two is the adoption of the agenda. I have had a request by Mr.
Gary Smith to add a department report on the discussion of Silverstone building
permits. We have had some different things come up and I asked if he would discuss
that with the Council and get some direction there. With the Council’s approval I would
like to add item number seven, Public Works report which would be very short. Then I
had two other questions I need to ask the Council after the discussion of the cell tower
– who is planning to go to the AIC Conference and the Leadership Prayer Breakfast
attendance. So, that will be at the end. Are there any other improvements to the
agenda? Or additions?
Bird: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mr. Bird.
Bird: I would adopt the agenda as noted -- beg your pardon? With amendment.
De Weerd: Second.
Corrie: Motion is made and seconded to adopt the agenda as amended. Further
discussion? All those in favor of the motion say aye.
MOTION CARRIED: ALL AYES
Item 3. Consent Agenda:
A. Approve minutes of July 18, 2001 Special Budget Workshop:
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February 26, 2002
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B. Approve minutes of February 12, 2002 City Council Special
Meeting:
C. Approve minutes of February 12, 2002 City Council Regular
Workshop:
D. Locust Grove Overpass Agreement:
Corrie: Consent agenda contains items A, B, C, and D. what is the Council’s pleasure
on the consent agenda?
Bird: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mr. Bird.
Bird: I have one question and I know it’s on the consent so I take it that our attorney is
the overpass agreement – its fine?
Corrie: Bill would you like to talk about that, take it off the agenda and talk about it?
Nichols: Sure.
Bird: Mr. Mayor I would like to move Item D, the Locust Grove overpass agreement to
item 5 D and with that I would move that we approve the consent agenda items A, B
and C.
De Weerd: Second.
Corrie: Motion has been made and seconded to approve the consent agenda with item
D being moved to item 5 D. Further discussion?
Nary: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mr. Nary.
Nary: Just so the clerk would know, for item three A, the minutes of July 18, 2001, that
I have abstained for those approvals.
Corrie: So noted. Mr. Clerk Roll Call.
Roll-Call: Bird, aye; De Weerd, aye; McCandless, aye; Nary, abstained.
MOTION CARRIED: ALL AYES – Councilman Nary abstained.
Item 4. Department Reports:
A. Finance / Accounting Department:
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February 26, 2002
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1. Finance Report:
Corrie: Department reports four A, Finance and Accounting Department. Finance
report is Stacy.
Kilchenmann: Mayor and members of the Council, you will find in front of you a hand
that starts out – it says best practices in public budgeting. What that is – if you would
just read the introductory paragraph, several government finance agencies, and private
agencies formed a council called the National Advisory Council on State and Local
Budgeting. It was completed in 1998 and I think this whole document is an excellent
framework to use to guide us through our budget process as we continue to refine it
and add the strategic planning and so forth. However, the document itself is very
lengthy and guaranteed to put you to sleep within ten or twelve minutes. What I am
going to is each time I do a finance report. I am going to briefly cover part of this plan.
Some of the items in it are really fairly technical. There are procedures that I need to
develop and write for your approval. But some of the things are broad and are things
that would fall into Council’s responsibility, into your area. So I am going to try to briefly
cover the verbiage and provide you with examples of different cities throughout the
United States. Cities that have been selected to be – they call them practice examples
for this document. The document is organized into four basic overwriting broad
principles. Then under each principle are what they call elements. Under elements they
really get to the nitty gritty and they have what they call practices and that is where they
provide actual examples which I think are useful. The first principle is to establish broad
goals to guide government decision-making. I think that is what the direction you have
been taking with the strategic plans. It has –there are three elements under that. The
first is to assess community needs, priorities, challenges, and opportunities. I think that
is one that we really need to incorporate not this year so much as into our budget
process but will it be able to incorporate next year when we have the strategic plan and
we can use the budget as an interactive document with the public. I have provided an
example called Linking Strategic Planning and Budgeting in Scottsdale Arizona. I think
it’s really interesting and it’s good. Obviously we can’t adopt everything that other city
does but if you ever have a few moments and go to Scottsdale’s website and go to their
budget area. It is extremely informative. The second element is identify opportunities
and challenges for government services, capital assets, and management. I think you
have just gone through an extensive exercise in doing that. The one area that I think we
need to try to get done this summer is the capital improvement plan. I notice that in any
type of grant application process, we really have to have a prioritized capital
improvement plan before we can get very far with that. I know Tom has one and his is
done. If we get Fire and Police and put those together, I will probably ask you to work
fairly quickly and prioritize that. We need to have that in place. The third element is
development and disseminate broad goals. That is probably the next step in the
strategic plan issue once we get this document put together as to how we are going to
follow up with it and make that available to the public and so forth. That is all I have on
that.
De Weerd: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mrs. de Weerd.
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February 26, 2002
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De Weerd: Stacy, on the capital improvement plans, you covered our general fund. Do
you have capital improvement plans on the enterprise fund?
Kilchenmann: I have, yes. I don’t think it is complete. It is as complete as it’s going to
be for a year.
De Weerd: Whatever that means.
Watson: Mr. Mayor, Council members, Council member de Weerd, we are finishing up
a water system master plan, relatively speaking, in the next couple months. We are in
the process of selecting a consultant to update the wastewater facility plant, which will
take about a year. Those always have capital improvement plans that aren't so much
based on year but on level of service as it relates to population growth. Does that
answer the question?
De Weerd: Yes. It does and I understand as things are prioritized and reprioritized,
those kinds of things, the sewer and water plans are going to change.
Kilchenmann: The first – and also you have your budget development manuals and we
are going to really hit the ground running and try to get that started, so if anyone has
any questions on anything there, feel free to call me. Or if you have suggestions or
things you think we should add. I think this year it would be good if each liaison worked
with their particular department all through the process so that when you come and
actually sit down and have the budget setting, you can really be a voice for your
department and you can really understand what they are asking for. I will talk to the
department heads again and make sure they make that contact.
De Weerd: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mrs. de Weerd.
De Weerd: I think that most if not all the department heads saw the value behind that
last year – in what they got or didn’t get. And usually if they didn’t get something it was
not very well explained. That was kind of learning under fire and we will be better this
year.
Kilchenmann: We missed our quarterly variance analysis so I am just going to briefly
go through that. That would be the quarter end at December 31, 2001 and you probably
don’t have that in front of you – it is probably in your giant notebook that I gave you. I
will just run through it quickly. Citywide, a couple items. One is that the Christmas party
averaged 30 dollars per person, which is a lot more that it normally has been. It is
normally been ten to twelve dollars per person. So that caused everyone’s
miscellaneous budgets to go over. Additionally, apparently we didn’t pay the bill for last
years Christmas party, so that is also an issue that will make us go even more over
budget. I suggest in the future that we will set a budget.
Corrie: Let me explain that.
De Weerd: That would be nice. Please Frank don’t print that part of it.
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February 26, 2002
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Corrie: Please put your fingers in your ears please. What happened was they
somehow missed sending us the bill. When they discovered it, they discovered it this
year and they sent us the bill. We kept saying what happened and we thought they had
messed up on the food and didn’t have enough and we thought that well through the
kindness of their heart they were just going to forget it. Well they didn’t and we did. So
we got a double whammy this year. I talked to Mr. Nary about it and he said he’d be
happy to pay it anyway.
Nary: Is there a raise in that?
Corrie: Its coming Friday.
Kilchenmann: We will probably set a budget for our Christmas functions in the future.
Contract labor. There are six, at least six employees that I know of that are going to
have babies between February and June and one of them is gone, that’s ours. So it is
going to require – we are going to have start using more contract labor than we
anticipated. We will try to be creative with that. I think that we can squeak through that
without having to amend the budget. We do have some left over money in the mayor’s
budget because we have budgeted to pay him full time all year and we weren’t able to
do that. So I think from the general fund we can jockey that around and come out all
right in the end. Depending on how quickly, they all come back to work. Administration,
one area, there are a couple areas. One was codification expense. We didn’t have a
budget for that and we have actually spent 7400 dollars – that will probably come out all
right when you balance it with the other government, because I don’t think that total
budget will be spent. Then advertising for vacant positions. Pauline has spent a little
more than she anticipated for that, but she also has been filling some newly budgeted
positions. So, that may trend out okay as the months go by. Nobody else is allowed to
leave. The overtime is over budget but the overall personnel budget is at budget and
that continues through March. So they are okay. Administration and records spent 50
percent of their office expense budget but that may just be because they bought all their
office supplies early in the year. Fire – same situation with the overtime. Same in
March, but they are still okay with their overall personnel costs. Salary savings are
helping them out. Building maintenance, that went a little more than they anticipated
because of some repairs they had to do. But this should still be okay. Parks – they had
some unexpected costs of printing the Comprehensive Plan copies. Their copier
expense is slightly over. The office expense was over because that turned out to be
some costs incurred with the Comprehensive Plan – so overall their budget is fine. The
utility billing, they are paying an unemployment claim for which we probably will have to
make an adjustment for, an amendment for at the end of the year – we will see how that
will be. They will also have to hire a couple contract labor people too. So that is kind of
straining their personnel budget. The bad debt loss, we talked about that previously.
They are writing off an accumulation of bad debt from the last three years or so. That is
one area they have really gone over in. The waste water treatment plant – the treatment
plant budget for maintenance is over spent and continues to be overspent through
March, but his overall budget if you add his repairs and all the other line items in, he is
fine. I don’t think he will have any trouble with making his budget. That was basically
the results of the quarterly analysis for the first quarter. If you go to March, interest in
investments continues to be low. In fact, our investment advisor is still advising us to
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February 26, 2002
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use the Idaho pool. So we are doing that. Actually our interest income is up a little from
last year and I think its because we are pretty aggressive about moving our excess
cash. So I don’t really see that interest rates are going to hurt us. Then you will find your
overtime graphs. The other one I wanted to go through briefly are the potential budget
amendments. What we will need to do – we tried to put page numbers on them – a
couple things that have been added on here. One is that we will need to add if you are
going to add the new police positions you will need to amend the budget and add the
full time equivalent positions even though you have the salary savings we need to
appropriate the actual positions themselves. So that would be a position with no
funding. Then the item on the bottom under items under consideration, the very last line
it says installation of Lennox server was not included in enhancements. That is one
where public works had asked to buy some new software but they didn’t budget the
installation which was like five hundred dollars. So, they actually do have enough
money to buy it but they wont be able to buy the new computers that they budgeted. I
would probably advise that they wait until next year to replace those computers. That is
something we can look at when we get closer to doing the budget amendment. I think
that is all I have. Are there any questions?
De Weerd: Mr. Mayor
Corrie: Mrs. de Weerd.
De Weerd: I guess it’s not of Stacy – will how are we doing on our laptops? Budget
just reminded me.
Berg: Mayor and Council, Council member De Weerd. We have received the laptops --
I believe it was Friday late. Terry went through them yesterday to check the computers
are far as – if they had all the software that was required. They are missing some
memory so we have that being shipped to us. He will start working on checking them
out and getting them ready for accepting the disks from the Laser fische program. We
are in the process of ordering cases for them so you can carry them and not damage
them. He anticipates about a two-week period to get them all ready to go.
De Weerd: Thank you. That is great news.
Berg: We will be working eighty-hour weeks to get this done.
De Weerd: I didn’t see that in our budget amendment.
Corrie: It is free time isn't it Will? I am getting one just like yours – getting a good deal
on them. Any other questions?
Bird: I have none.
Corrie: Thank you very much. Public Works.
Smith: Thank you Mr. Mayor, Council members.
Corrie: Gary, can you hold on just one second.
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De Weerd: Stacy, I just had one more thing since we were still under the budget report.
We have been talking for the last month or two about considering on signing PO’s and
whether it should be the one thousand dollar or five thousand dollar and what the
thinking was behind it. In our discussions we have had we saw that five thousand as
that magical – because there is a requirement from the State law requiring three bids.
We have been signing them after the fact, which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. So
the five thousand made more sense that a Council member would meet with their
department that they are liaison to, to look at the three bids and then sign it prior to the
purchase. I have talked to most of the Council members and would like to get their
thoughts on if that’s something we want to instruct the finance department to do or not
to do. That is the question.
Corrie: Mr. Nary.
Nary: Would the process be that the – to look at the three bids, so this is before the bid
is awarded? We would be doing that? I guess I am not sure –
De Weerd: Generally – I am sorry I used bids instead of estimates.
Nary: So you are talking about something that wasn’t formally bid, you are talking about
informal bids, just getting the estimates.
De Weerd: They are required by law have three estimates if its over five thousand
dollars.
Nary: I guess my thought was that – I think I am the one who brought this up – that it
does seem like a better cut off because it does have some relation to some real
expenditure. I am a real big believer that department heads are given these budgets to
work with and we need to let them have that flexibility, but I think that is a pretty sound
intermediate step for the Council’s involvement at that level. Sometimes a thousand -- I
think it just depends on when it gets billed, who sends the bills, sometimes they get
collected under a thousand dollars, and sometimes they don’t. So it seems like five
thousand dollar level would have some relationship to the statute and make more sense
– I would be in favor.
Corrie: Any other comments?
Bird: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mr. Bird.
Bird: I have no problem with that but I still believe that as a city, using purchase orders,
and I know five and ten dollar ones don’t mean – we need have the purchase orders up
and wrote and signed off. Private business don’t order something and then write up a
purchase order and have it signed. You can stay under a thousand doing that. This five
thousand deal, I still think that the liaison Council people who are responsible for the
financial part of the city, need to be reviewing this stuff and I still think there is a way we
need to get some purchase orders out and signed before the fact. Most of the time,
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February 26, 2002
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purchase orders aren't even wrote up or given out until the invoice comes. We either
do it off of purchase orders or throw the purchase orders away. And purchase orders
should go first.
De Weerd: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mrs. de Weerd.
De Weerd: I would agree with that. That is good accounting practice. I met with the
Council president over in Boise and talked with them on how they did some of this. The
Council still takes responsibility for every check written. So you know you still need to
review your print outs and those kind of things. Its not exempting us from those kinds of
responsibilities but it is at least making the process more efficient. In raising it and
making some kind of rhyme or reason to where the level of what we need to sign PO’s
on. It seemed like even our fuel bills, collectively, if you put them all together, they were
going over a thousand dollars and that seems like an expense we should not be signing
a PO for. Like Mr. Nary said, it puts some kind of explanation or justification behind a
certain level. So if everyone feels comfortable doing it that way, lets give it a try. If you
find that it’s out of your comfort level, we can revisit it.
Bird: I have no problem with it at the five thousand but I want the purchase order
signed before the invoice gets there. That can be done – anytime you are buying
something for five thousand, you know ahead of time that you are going to be
purchasing it, the same as private has to, you fill out your purchase order and I don’t
say you have to have the Council sign it – but at least the department head, when the
people go to pick up the product or they send the product, that PO is in their hands.
De Weerd: And that is any PO.
Bird: Yes, any PO.
De Weerd: and the five thousand level, Mr. Mayor and Stacy, if you can explain that to
the department heads and we can contact the department that we are liaison to and lets
give this system a try.
Kilchenmann: Council and mayor, we will put that into writing so that you have
something like a procedure or policy that we can follow and bring it back to you.
De Weerd: Thank you. Thank you Mr. Mayor.
B. Public Works Department – Gary Smith:
1. WWTP Lab Change Order:
Corrie: Gary. Thank you.
Smith: Thank you Mr. Mayor and Council members. First item I have is a change order
for the Waste Water Treatment Plant lab project. You have in your packet a memo from
Leonard Grady, our staff engineer to Brad, concerning the proposal for a change order
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February 26, 2002
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at the Waste Water Plant. Presently the construction of the new lab is almost complete
and our contractor is Guho Construction. They have done a great job in constructing
the new lab building. As part of the new lab construction, there is also some remodeling
that needs done in the existing laboratory area in the control building. They are already
on site with their forces. We have received a competitive bid for the remodeling and
they are covered under the existing contract as far as the contractual requirements in
working with the city. The amount of the change order is $12,312.00. Our
superintendent had budgeted $20,000 for the remodel portion of the control building. So
our recommendation to you is to approve the change order to Guho Corporation for
$12,312.00 to remodel the old lab building.
Bird: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mr. Bird.
Bird: Gary what was the original contract –
Smith: For the lab building itself? New lab building?
Bird: We should note that in here.
Smith: We don’t have the exact figure Councilman Bird – it was four hundred some
thousand.
Bird: This is change order number one or two?
Smith: It is number one, yes.
Bird: I have no more questions.
Corrie: Any other questions? A little English problem there.
Bird: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mr. Bird.
Bird: I move that we approve the change order to Guho Corporation. Change order to
the original contract for $12,312 for remodeling the old lab building and authorize the
mayor to sign and clerk to attest.
McCandless: Second.
Corrie: Motion is made and seconded to approve the change order for the lab remodel
at the Waste Water Treatment Plant. Further discussion? Hearing none, Mr. Clerk – Mr.
Gigray, do we need --
De Weerd: Nichols.
Corrie: It is going to be a long night. Now.
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February 26, 2002
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Nichols: I am off early today.
Corrie: Do we need to have Roll-Call vote on these things? Its not a land use – it’s a
contract. I can do everything by vote if we need to.
Nichols: I would recommend that you do a roll on anything that involves the
expenditure of funds.
Corrie: I think I have got myself covered here. Mr. Clerk would you have Roll Call
please?
Roll-Call: Bird, aye; De Weerd, aye; McCandless, aye; Nary, aye.
MOTION CARRIED: ALL AYES
Corrie: All ayes, thank you Mr. Nichols. Gary. I may be leaving early tonight.
2. Award of Contract for Digester Piping Modification:
Smith: Thank you mayor and Council. The second item I had this evening was the
addition to digester piping at the Waste Water Treatment Plant. This addition will allow
for better maintenance of the digester. I am not up to speed on the technical part of this
but it’s an addition that our Waste Water Superintendent had requested to better
facilitate the operations of the digesters. With the scope of work in hand, they solicited
three quotes, that are shown on your memo. Drake Mechanical was the low estimate at
$14,877. Irminger Construction at $17,463.40 and JC Constructors at $17,400. We
would recommend on the basis of these estimates that Council award the contract for
the digester piping addition to Drake Mechanical in the amount of $14,877.
Corrie: Any questions?
De Weerd: I have none.
McCandless: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mrs. McCandless.
McCandless: I move that we award the contract for the digester piping addition at the
Waste Water Treatment Plant to Drake Mechanical in the amount of $14,877 and
authorize the mayor to sign and clerk to attest.
Bird: Second.
Corrie: Motion has been made and seconded to approve Drake Mechanical at $14,877.
Any further discussion? Roll Call vote Mr. Berg.
Roll-Call: Bird, aye; De Weerd, aye; McCandless, aye; Nary, aye.
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MOTION CARRIED: ALL AYES
3 South Slough Sewer Discussion:
Smith: Thank you mayor and Council. Next item I have is the discussion on the status
of the South Slough sewer extension. On the overhead projector Brad has presented to
you the project limits of that extension. Ustick Road is the horizontal line at the top of
the picture and the roadway coming off of Ustick and snaking around south and to the
east is Leslie Way through the Carol Subdivision, over to Eagle Road. And then from
approximately the curve on Leslie Way back to the west and a little to the north is the
South Slough itself – that point where the crosshairs are, that is Chamberlain Estates
Subdivision. That would be the beginning of the project. We met with our consulting
engineer last Friday I believe it was. We were provided with some information that their
test hole data – their boring logs for subsurface soil conditions show that we had some
fine sand at the approximate elevation of the sewer line. Particular bore hole was just
west of Leslie Way in that area. The concern is that with the rising ground water, we
are going to have some problems with trench excavation at the depth that we are
digging. With the fine sand, with the ground water, the high ground water that is
anticipated in there. We also have a situation with one of the easement providers just to
the east of Wingate Lane. Some folks by the name of Dauven that have a horse arena.
We are -- the alignment for the sewer line through there is the along the north edge of
the horse arena. These are show horses that they have – I think they are jumping
horses, not quite sure of the exact terminology but during the summer months they
have horse shows there. The window of opportunity to get the sewer line through that
area is very limited between now and the time they would start their horse show
presentations. We have advertised by hanging some notices on doorknobs throughout
the Carol Subdivision, for a public information meeting for the residents in that area to
discuss the project and that meeting will be held on the 28th
of this month at the
Riverview Elementary School in the evening. The process of putting out the door
hangers, Brad has received several phone calls from residents who are also interested
in water service. In reality it’s probably a good comment because we will have the width
of the street removed in the installation of the sewer line. So we will be paving back a
new street, curb to curb. Putting water in at this time would make sense, we really didn’t
consider it in the beginning just because of where they located and typically we don’t
get this kind of response from anyone when we are putting in a utility in the rural areas.
We are not sure exactly what that interest is, hopefully we will find out at the
neighborhood meeting that we are having Thursday evening, to better make a decision
and how to proceed as far as financing is concerned. Whether or not we enter into –
some kind of an LID is formed to do this or just how it could be financed. I think it’s a
worthy subject to discuss. Over on the Packard Subdivision, Packard Acres No. 2, to
the west side of Wingate Lane – we need to coordinate with them to hopefully get the
length of the trunk line, that length that Brad is following with the crosshairs, constructed
as part of their development. Hopefully we can ride their shirttails, with their sewer
contractor to get that portion done ahead of the main contract. They will construct as
part of their project the portion that is shown in that roadway – crosshair starts right
there and goes to the north and to the west to the lift station. That will be constructed
as part of their project – excuse me, it is constructed. So we are looking at the portion
that is outlined, yellowish green – I have troubles with colors sometimes. We also are
still in need of the easement from Allemans. We have an access issue in getting to the
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February 26, 2002
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sewer line for construction. Because of the prohibition on the use of Wingate Lane, that
has been leveled against anyone outside the residents that live on Wingate. In order to
construct the line, we have to cross Alleman’s property to proceed, upgrade and that
hasn’t been acquired to this point. We have half a dozen issues that is causing us to
postpone this project until – the ground water is really a major concern. So we are
proposing to postpone this to bid September the 1st
, to start construction November the
1st
. I have been in contact with Winston Moore’s office and talked to – Winston wasn’t
available, but I talked to Jonathan Seal today, outlined the situation to him. Brad has a
meeting on site with a property owner to the east side of Eagle Road tomorrow to
review this along with an issue that this property owner has. So that is an update to the
South Slough Sewer extension. It has been difficult.
Bird: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mr. Bird.
Bird: Gary, we already have the water going down Ustick, don’t we?
Smith: Yes sir, correct.
Bird: So what we are doing is just down around Carol and Leslie Drive?
Smith: Yes, we would tie into Ustick with the water, extend it south in Leslie and then
east to Eagle Road. We have water in Eagle Road within probably a hundred feet of
Leslie, where Leslie connects to Eagle Road. We would then extend it south on Eagle
and tie onto the piece that was constructed by John Barnes when he developed
Stokesberry Subdivision. That would loop us around Eagle Road to Ustick.
Bird: Mr. Mayor. Gary, also where we have the sand and stuff we are going through, is
boring an option or is it just too expensive or no area to get set up in to bore through
that kind of sloughing ground.
Smith: We have a short length of pipe, Councilman Bird, that will be bored. Where
Brad’s crosshair is on Leslie, right on the Slough. That is bored to the west along the
Slough we had an issue with that property of existing landscape. That is the
Youngstrom property, 2631 Leslie Drive. That length of sewer line from where the
crosshair is to Leslie would be bored and cased. But that was to relieve the damage to
landscaping that exists there, and facilitated the easement from the Youngstroms for the
sewer line.
Bird: Gary is it quite a bit more expensive to bore than actually excavate?
Smith: It is and I can’t quote you any prices, I don’t recall what the numbers are.
Bird: If you are doing a lot of shoring and stuff with sloughing sand and stuff, maybe the
boring isn't outrageous. If you have to put shoring up to keep ground from coming in –
Smith: I don’t recall the exact location of the boreholes. They had a half a dozen that
they bored on the length of the project. I remember that there was one up above on
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February 26, 2002
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Leslie near Ustick. There was one I think just to the west of Youngstroms, there were
three, or four others scattered along the length of the project. I am not sure of the exact
subsurface conditions in all of the bore holes, but the engineer from J-U-B cautioned us
in that area – the Youngstrom’s area—that we had this sand and I recall when a section
of the sewer on this South Slough was built from Meridian Road east, by Brown
Construction, they were going through a pasture with it and it was the head of that
subdivision that developed which I can’t recall the name of it but they had a trench that
was wide enough at the top to – you could put a building in there and what happened is
that they ran into an underground spring, and then with the fine sand, it just fell apart.
They had a terrible time stabilizing the bed for the sewer line as well as trying to control
the width of the trench – they were using a box at the same time to do that. I remember
on – this has been a lot of years ago when they bored under the interstate, the boring
cost was about $125 per foot for that. I just don’t know what the depth was, maybe Brad
can recall, out on the Five Mile, that is a lot bigger sewer pipe. I think it was 24 inch
wasn’t it? They built out on the Five Mile Relief Line – it was also deep but I don’t know
what the per foot cost was on that pipe was. It is about 70 dollars per foot.
Bird: That’s the one we just bored under there out by, west of St. Luke's through to Van
Auker’s?
Smith: That wasn’t a contract the city handled – that was done by a developer, by
Voigt. I don’t recall the cost of that, I just don’t remember. One of the issues that you
have is that every time you have a change in alignment you would have to have a
manhole plus you have to open up an area of ground that is large enough to put your
boring machine into it. You end up with a pretty good sized hole and then with the line
kinking its way through there as you can see on the overhead, you would be digging
lots of bore pits and it could get pretty expensive. I just hated to bring any kind of news
like this to you this evening but it just seems like we are up against a situation that we
can’t recover from in the time we have left.
Bird: Do you see any reason why it can’t go out for bid September –
*** End of Side One***
Smith: No sir.
Bird: What is the duration? Estimated duration.
Smith: I think its six months.
Bird: Can you – do you believe you can do it in six months through the winter?
Smith: Yes.
Bird: Because if it rains and snows in there you are not going to be – get in on property
very well.
Smith: Well, yes -- you can see on the overhead that there is quite a bit of the system
that is in a public right-of-way and obviously we will go through the lower portion first.
Meridian City Council Meeting
February 26, 2002
Page 14 of 39
Start at the low end, dig uphill, and get to Leslie within – I don’t know how many feet
that is. Probably looking at fifteen hundred feet or -- Brad says thirteen. If you got a
hundred feet per day, you are in there for a couple weeks, three weeks before you
would get to a hard surface, a paved surface. During November it should be pretty good
construction weather.
Bird: Gary, you said bid September 1st
?
Smith: We would put the project out for bid on September 1st
, advertise it for bid.
Bird: Why can’t we put it out and have the bids in in August? Put it out in July because
the bidding of it, whether the ground water is two foot or one foot or fifty feet. The actual
bidding of it, they don’t have to go out and drill test holes or anything. And then have it
ready to kick off September 1st
when the water is down.
Smith: Well, we typically in this area, unless we have a drought and we are not going to
have one this year, water will be in the ditches until October 15th
. Once the water goes
out of the ditches, it takes about two weeks to start seeing drop in the water levels. I
think even constructing beginning November the 1st
, we are going to be pushing the
envelope for seeing the ground water drop. Historically the Slough has had water in it a
lot, because downstream the Slough turns into an irrigation ditch. They changed the
name on it from the South Slough to the Finch Lateral and it becomes irrigation water. I
understand what you are saying and if we were – if it wasn’t such a high ground water
area we could certainly do that, but we are concerned with that sand and high ground
water that we would be flirting with real trouble.
Bird: That is probably still one of the few areas within our immediate impact area that is
flood irrigated too. A lot of the ground out there is still flood irrigated.
Smith: Yes.
De Weerd: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mrs. De Weerd.
De Weerd: Gary, what is going to change in order to get the last easement you need?
Smith: My plan is to revisit the situation with Mr. Alleman as far as what we have
prepared and submitted to him. I am not sure where the annexation bills are that were
presented to the legislature this year, I don’t know what the status of anything is that
was presented. Maybe Mr. Nichols knows? As you may remember, Mr. Alleman’s
concern is annexation of his property without his consent. Bill prepared – Mr. Nichols
prepared an agreement for Mr. Alleman that outlined the conditions, I believe, under
which annexation could take place. My first effort will be to press Mr. Alleman to take
that to his attorney for review. I don’t think he has done that yet, though we requested it
when I sent it to him. Obviously if we can’t proceed in this manner, Mr. Nichols has
stated that he is not willing to propose anything beyond what has been proposed to Mr.
Alleman. If we can’t proceed with the agreement that has been prepared, then I don’t
know that we have any choice but to proceed the way we don’t want to, the way I don’t
Meridian City Council Meeting
February 26, 2002
Page 15 of 39
want to – that is the condemnation route. I have never been involved in that personally.
I have heard that it’s a very arduous process and can be – Vern Alleman has not made
any, I don’t feel, unrealistic request to us other than the annexation issue. He is not
requesting any payment for the easement. He is requesting that certain things be done,
which we have agreed to. We have agreed to not install an access road across his
property over the sewer line which is a typical detail elsewhere. We have agreed not to
bring any manholes to the surface on his property, which sometimes we don’t anyway
because they continue to farm over the sewer line and the manholes are just an
obstacle for them. We are providing service stubs out of the main line up to five feet
below the ground surface for future development of his property. He has obtained a
preliminary plat layout of his property that shows how it can be developed at a future
date. That is in –coincides with the alignment of sewer trunk across his property. We
have address a myriad of other issues with him. In my mind they are not significant and
we can accomplish those things. But the annexation issue is the one overriding thing
that he is hung up on. I don’t think he is going to change his attitude about it.
De Weerd: And that is something that we can’t encumber future Councils on, is that
what I understand?
Smith: Yes ma’am. That is the feeling – well, Mr. Nichols can probably express it much
more eloquently than I but that is – he is not, Mr. Nichols is not willing to make that kind
of statement as a contract city attorney. Is that correct?
Nichols: Mr. Mayor, members of the Council, Mr. Alleman wanted a guarantee that he
would never be annexed if the agreement was entered into and I can’t give that
guarantee, I cannot do it. Essentially, he was asking to be able to sue me or my firm if
this Council ever did annex. I am not willing to put myself or my firm in that position. I
will tell you that there are two current annexation bills, one is an amendment to the
proposed AIC bill. That bill as amended in the Senate would exclude from annexation
even enclaved properties if they are agricultural properties. That is a new amendment
that was made last week. The other bill is one that Shirley McKague has proposed in
the House which goes back to two years ago, which is a straight out you don’t get
annexed unless you consent under any circumstances bill. That is the status of the
legislature. My recommendation to the Council would be that if we can’t get the
easement from Mr. Alleman that you go ahead and condemn it and build the sewer and
do the condemnation action and pay the damages for the taking and be done with it.
Corrie: Gary, refresh my memory – how many acres does he have?
Smith: Total acreage Mr. Mayor is about 18 acres I believe. If this parcel that we are
crossing is just a rectangular portion that is bounded on the north by – actually it runs all
the way to Ustick, its that long rectangular portion but the South Slough kind of cuts
through the middle of it. That is the piece we are crossing, the portion south of the
Slough. It is about six acres I think. Eight acres. Eight acres and then another eleven.
Close to 19 acres. In actuality if you look at it, there is residential development on the
west of him, residential development on the south and residential development being
constructed on the east. He is bounded on three sides by residential development and
its really a parcel that is just prime for development as a continuation of the streets, of
Meridian City Council Meeting
February 26, 2002
Page 16 of 39
sewer, of water. But Vern, he enjoys farming. That is what Vern does, he farms. That is
what he enjoys, so that’s that.
De Weerd: That’s fabulous. Is the reason why we cannot go along the ditch easement
because of the subdivisions to the west and you have to align it with that stub?
Smith: Yes ma’am that is part of it. Even though the ditch is on an easement I believe
through here, its still private property and if we were to place a utility within the
easement for the ditch, we still need the property owner’s approval as a separate use.
Corrie: Mr. Nary.
Nary: Thank you. Mr. Smith. What would be the estimated cost to go around?
Smith: Councilman Nary, Mayor, and Council, I don’t know. We have not investigated
to go around. I am not sure – I don’t know how we would get around it. The only
alternative that we have even talked about it in a general – just touched on it was to
enlarge the lift station that is existing for Packard and pump around it. But that would
only be a very temporary thing because you can’t pump the flow that would be in the
South Slough into the subdivisions to the west. The line isn't large enough, the gravity
line isn't large enough. And to flow by gravity, you are going uphill in both directions
north and south. I don’t know. I don’t have a good answer for you.
Nary: I guess the reason I ask is there is obviously a cost to condemnation and going
through that process – before we were to take that step, besides the ill will with it that it
causes, huge cause – before we would do that I wanted to know what would it cost us
to go a different way, I was just looking at that map. We are kind of in the middle, so
going north or south cost wise is not significant in the engineering, which is better. I
don’t know, I am not an engineer, but it looks like it is in the middle of that property.
Smith: It is, you are right. It is pretty close to the middle.
Nary: Distance wise it is the same, it is just whether engineering wise it would make a
difference to go north and around or south and around it.
Smith: Obviously you need to make grade. You have an elevation at the east side of
his property and then you go north and then west and south it’s a longer distance than if
you went straight west. You would have to make elevation and I am not sure, my gut
feeling is that you won’t make it. You will be going uphill by the time you get to the line.
Nary: Thank you.
Corrie: Any other discussion? Gary you are asking for a September 1st
request for bid
and November, the bids opening?
Smith: I just wanted to bring you and the Council up to speed on to where we are with
the project and let you know that those are the dates we are shooting for, and the
reasons why.
Meridian City Council Meeting
February 26, 2002
Page 17 of 39
Corrie: Any other questions, Council? Thank you, Gary.
4 Water & Sewer Rates Update:
Smith: Thank you. Next item we have is water and sewer rates update. Brad has
finished his draft of the water and sewer rate structure. We have passed that off to J-U-
B to do an independent analysis of Brad’s methods. We wanted to make sure that it’s a
reasonable approach to what we want to do. We haven't received word back from J-U-B
yet and honestly that hand off was just accomplished at the end of last week. I am not
sure what their timing will be to get an answer back to us. They said they would hop
right on it and get an answer as quick as they can. I think Brad has previously passed
out some draft information to you on the rates. We just wanted to be sure before we
brought back a final proposal that we had another set of eyes look it over. Either agree
or disagree and if so, why. That is where we are on that subject. We very very close to
bringing something to you. Do you have any questions on that item?
Bird: I have none Mayor.
De Weerd: I have none.
5 Trunk line Assessment Fees Update:
6. Water Service on North Locust Grove Road North of Vienna
Woods Subdivision:
Smith: Item number five, trunk line assessment fees update. We don’t have an update
for you. We are where we were last time this subject came before you. We have just
been flooded with work projects and so I don’t have any good news to report on that
item. I don’t know whether Brad has anything he can lend to that item or not. He said
no. The next item I have, item number six is an issue that I wanted to discuss with you
concerning a request for comments we received from Ada County Development
Services. There is a project out on North Locust Grove Road that is north of Vienna
Woods. It is in the proposed Westborough Subdivision that came before you at the last
Council meeting requesting sewer service. This is – this project is called Valley Light
Community Church. I read on their application to Ada County that sewage disposal
would be via septic tank and onsite drain field. Water supply would be via municipal,
quote, from Chinden Boulevard – actually it didn’t say from Chinden Boulevard, it said
municipal. As you know there is a water line on Chinden on the north side of Chinden
Boulevard that is owed and operated by United Water. Our existing water main serving
Vienna Woods Subdivision is on Locust Grove Road approximately 2100 feet south of
this project site. We are estimating approximately 35 dollars per linear foot to install a
twelve-inch diameter water line this distance. That is
$73, 500. As you recall several years ago we made a flying extension of a water line in
Ustick Road from Summerfield Subdivision east to the proposed Summers Funeral
Home, which is on the south side of Ustick, east of Eagle Road. We crossed under
Eagle Road with a boring operation and figuratively speaking our backhoes, from our
contractor – bucket from a backhoe touched the bucket of the backhoe from United
Water as they were coming from the east, installing water for the subdivision on the
north side of Ustick Road. It was the feeling of the Council at that time that we needed
Meridian City Council Meeting
February 26, 2002
Page 18 of 39
to make that extension in order to protect our service area within our area of impact.
This is a similar situation. Our ordinance requires City Council approval any time we
extend services beyond corporate limits of the city. I wanted to bring this item before
you this evening for discussion and or decision. The small-scale map that is attached
outlines the site of the project and its relation to our Vienna Woods Subdivision that is
developing by Skyline Corporation and the end of our existing water line. The site
designation that is shown by the Ada County Development Services is I think the dark
shaded area, is the boundary of the Westborough Subdivision, of which the church is
the very southerly projection of that dark shaded area. That is about all the information I
have, if you have any questions I would be happy to answer them for you.
De Weerd: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mrs. de Weerd.
De Weerd: Gary, what is your recommendation?
Smith: I would maintain the same recommendation I had for Summer’s Funeral Home.
I think that we should make an effort to extend the water line.
De Weerd: Did we pay for the extension of that water line then?
Smith: Yes, we did.
De Weerd: Is there a concern, if you do this that there will be any repercussions from
Westborough –that we will see them come back again?
Smith: I don’t know whether Westborough requested water service – Brad said they
did. I don’t know Council member De Weerd. I am not sure. Anything is possible – I
guess we were looking at a different demand also, with the subdivision. Obviously we
still have to be sure we can supply the water that this church would need for fire
protection. That is a primary concern that we need to run that through our computer
model and make sure that we do have the flow at the end of the line that would be
required for the church. I am sorry I can’t answer your questions, I don’t know. I think
that is Westborough came back in and said hey, how about me? We would need to be
looking at a well. That is a feeling I have – that we would need a well out there in order
to provide the water flow for a subdivision of a different density.
Corrie: Gary, has DEQ actually approved the on-site septic system tank here?
Smith: Mayor and Council, I don’t know – actually Central District Health would be the
one involved with the septic tank approval but I don’t know that they have. I would
assume that there has had to have been some kind of contact with them in order for
them to show this – they did show on their little sketch that they sent with the
application, the development and site plan of the project did show the septic tank and
drain field.
Corrie: I could be mistaken but I think DEQ was stopping all septic systems.
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February 26, 2002
Page 19 of 39
Smith: DEQ is?
Corrie: Yes. Eagle has found this out yesterday.
Smith: I see.
Corrie: That is why – did they get the approval that they can actually do this? You don’t
know yet?
Smith: I can’t answer that now, I don’t know.
Nary: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mr. Nary.
Nary: Gary, I guess I was curious by your other comment about Westborough needing
a well. So your recommendation is – and I understand the reasoning behind wanting to
build this water line to provide service to this area. But this waterline would not be
usable by anyone else? So we would be spending
$72, 000 just to hook this church up to the water line that no one else can tap into or
use it?
Smith: Councilmen Nary, Mayor, and Council, I wouldn’t say that no one else can
connect to it, but if anyone else did connect to it, we would obviously have to review it
for demand to see what is required for another connection. We are getting quite a ways
out from our well supply which is back at Ustick and Locust Grove. We are getting close
to two miles away. Typically we locate a well every mile, a mile grid. So we are going to
need to look at this through the computer model just to see just exactly what we do
have for a provision for supply. My concern is to protect our service area.
Nary: Could you educate me then. If we do build this line out here, and you said United
Water’s line runs along Chinden, somewhere north of this property?
Smith: It parallels along the north edge of Chinden Boulevard.
Nary: So if we build the water line to this property, they are obligated to hook to our
water system?
Smith: Yes.
Nary: So they are going to be obligated to hook up to us but, to me, if we are really
truly trying to protect our service area, shouldn’t we be looking at a model to actually
provide service to this area? Rather than spending $73,000 just to build one line for one
piece of property and then we still have to do a model that this may or may not – will
this be able to be assimilated into this model for the rest of the area?
Smith: Yes.
Meridian City Council Meeting
February 26, 2002
Page 20 of 39
Nary: So we would be looking at other things like wells or other lines or something like
that? This would be the first step?
Smith: Yes sir, you are correct. That is right. I am sorry, I should have outlined for you –
our policy for a water line extension is that we building a twelve-inch line minimum on
section line roads. So this would be just an extension of what our policy is the only
caveat here is the supply.
Nary: But if the model shows that we need to build a bigger line to service this area,
would we do that or not?
Smith: Eventually we would.
Nary: I am just thinking, are we going to spend the money to build a line and then in
two years dig it up and build a bigger line because our model shows we really need
more service to this area than what we have already built?
Smith: I think our model – and I am probably speaking prematurely here but my feel is
that the model would say that the twelve-inch line is adequate. We would just need a
supply source in that area. But we wouldn’t want – you are right, we wouldn’t want to be
digging up a line after we put it in because the model says we need something bigger.
If the model analysis comes back that do needs something bigger for some reason,
then we would obviously do that, install whatever line the model says we need for
service of this area so we don’t have to redo anything.
Nary: And that would be before we build this line for the church?
Smith: Yes.
Nary: Thank you.
Smith: You are welcome.
Bird: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mr. Bird.
Bird: I believe Council that if you go down the mile from here, we have a good example
of Council making a wrong decision – we have United Water already over to the
Catholic Church. I am sure they would live to get right in there too. I have wondered
what the consequences are going to be with Westborough too. By just bringing that line
up to the church, that has been a very hot subject. I would hope that they get turned
down on their septic tank. I have no trouble taking the water line up there but I have a
feeling that if you are bringing it that far, that we are probably not going to have enough
water to service that whole area without doing another well at that location. I don’t have
any problem with running the water line up there, but I wonder what the consequences
are going to be with the developers down there. I just would hope that Ada County
would not allow any more septic tanks in this area.
Meridian City Council Meeting
February 26, 2002
Page 21 of 39
Corrie: I am not a soothsayer, but I think it would be wise to put that water line up there
and take the consequences of what is coming down the road with that. I think United
Water is looking for an opening very quickly here. That is going to be one – PUC
doesn’t mean anything to them, they don’t have to follow it anyway. Once they get down
south of us, then they can keep on coming very quickly. That is my input, I am not going
to vote here, but that is my input. I think you are right Keith. Any other comments? I
guess what you are looking for, Gary, is direction from the Council. One caveat here is
respective customer agreeing to the conditions. What are those Gary? Refresh my
mind, will you?
Smith: That would be the providing service to an area outside the city limits, it’s our
standard agreement for connection that would require them to annex at some future
date when they become contiguous. I don’t recall what other conditions are included in
that, Mr. Nichols, can you recall if there are any?
Nichols: Mayor and members of the Council, I believe they have to abide by our
ordinances that pertain to the water usage, those kinds of things. Typically, it has
almost always been water and sewer, those are the conditions.
Corrie: Any other discussion on how the Council wishes to proceed here?
Bird: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mr. Bird.
Bird: I would move that we approve the request by public works to run the proper sized
water line from Ustick Road up to the location, or about Ustick and McMillan Road to
the location south of Chinden on North Locust Grove for the church property,
approximately 2100 feet.
McCandless: Second.
Corrie: Motion has been made and seconded to extend the sewer line, no excuse me,
water line – I would really get in trouble there – water line up to the church from the
Locust Grove Road –
Bird: Mr. Mayor. Could I, the second, this would all pertain to and be subject to making
sure that we can supply water off the existing water supply, that we would not put in a
new well. Does the second agree with that?
McCandless: I do.
Corrie: Discussion Gary?
Smith: Shari made a comment that only if this project is approved by Ada County.
Bird: Yes that is true.
Meridian City Council Meeting
February 26, 2002
Page 22 of 39
Corrie: I don’t think they are going to get a septic system, but that is a guess. Mr.
Nary?
Nary: No.
Corrie: Is that with the motion and second’s approval?
Bird: Yes sir.
Corrie: Any further discussion? Roll-Call Vote please Mr. Berg.
Roll-Call: Bird, aye; De Weerd, aye; McCandless, aye; Nary, aye.
MOTION CARRIED: ALL AYES
Smith: Thank you Mr. Mayor, thank you Council. Mr. Mayor did you want to talk about
the additional addendum agenda item now?
Corrie: Yes, lets do that since you have got it, I wanted the Council to hear it.
Smith: As you are probably aware, there is are two buildings under construction in the
Silverstone Subdivision at the southeast corner of Eagle Road and Overland Road. This
development is being carried forward by I think, Sundance Corporation, I am not sure –
anyway, there were two original parcels of ground that comprised this subdivision. So
under the guise of two individual legal parcels of ground, two building permits were
issued to Sundance for construction of two commercial buildings. Which we have done
before prior to platting, we have always allowed one building permit for a parcel of
ground before its platted. If you have been out there lately, you can see that those two
buildings are well under construction along with some facilities that will support the
project. Architectural facilities. We have been requested or advised that the developer
would like to construct a third building. This third building would be located roughly due
east of the southerly most building. We have a small 8½ by 11 sketch of the subdivision
that shows the proposed location of this third building. I am not sure who the client is for
the building but it – thank you – anyway its about a 115,000 square foot building and its
shown on the 8½ by 11 that Brad is handing out in the crosshatched area, that is where
the building would be located. The plans are being developed right now by the architect
for Mr. Anderson. Daunt Whitman and I have had a telephone conversation with the
contractor who is Petra, I believe they are building the other two structures for Mr.
Anderson also. Right now the plat as I understand, it is somewhere other than at the
City of Meridian. I believe it is at Ada County Highway District. Typically we don’t sign
off on a plat until the Highway District has signed off on it. If the plat were recorded, this
conversation would be meaningless. But its not and they are anticipating that they
won’t have it recorded in the time frame within which they need to start this building for
this client. That is the reason for this discussion, I should have prefaced all this other
stuff with the reason why we are talking about it. Sorry. Daunt Whitman and I have had
a phone conversation with Petra Construction and the contractor, Petra, would like to go
out there on that site that is crosshatched and building a concrete slab that would be
considered a disposable slab. It would be located somewhere within the parking are of
this building, not within the building proper. After that concrete slab is constructed then
Meridian City Council Meeting
February 26, 2002
Page 23 of 39
they would build some concrete tilt up panels. They wont be able to obviously build
these panels until the plans are completed. The architect is Cornell Larsen, and the
engineer who is designing the panels for the building is Pinnacle Engineers. They have
to provide the structural calculations for the panels in order for them to be constructed.
The contractor is proposing to hire a third party, a materials testing lab to oversee and
inspect the construction of these panels. All of this would be done without a building
permit through the City of Meridian. That then becomes the question, as to can we
proceed in this manner? Is there a, sometime of statement that we need from Mr.
Anderson that – I can’t recall the title of the statement but – indemnification statement
from the owner as far as the city is concerned? All I know is that he is up against a very
tight time schedule. He wants to do this in order to get a head start on the construction
of this building, in order to have this building constructed by the time the client needs to
be in the building. Part of their product is a seasonal product and apparently a majority
of their sales centers around the holiday season. So they need to be in by the 1st
of
September or something to that effect. According to Mr. Anderson. That is the question.
My thought on it is, if he wants to go out there and build a concrete slab that is a
disposable slab, that is not an issue to me. If he wants to build panels for a building,
and he provides engineering drawings and calculations and provides inspection for the
construction that is appropriate for the type of construction that they are doing, provides
a documentation for the inspections, it would be no different that if he had a building
permit. We were looking at it. In some instances, as far as structural inspections are
concerns, they may even be a little more detailed that what we would look at. I don’t
know but I guess that begs the question, where are we in this process? And they are
not, mind you or at least we have been told, that they are not operating within the
confines of the proposed building footprint. Everything they are doing is away from that
building, however the components they are constructing will be part of the building.
Bird: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mr. Bird.
Bird: Gary, I have a question. If they are going to do all their pouring on this slab that
isn't there now, how big of slab are they putting up if they are going to pour all the
walls? Normally you pour your footings and foundation and then pour the inside of your
wall and then you build them there and lift them up into the existing building, using the
floor space. But if it’s a pretty good sized building, I can’t imagine how big this slab is.
Smith: I don’t know the dimensions of what they are planning, Councilman Bird, Mayor
and Council. I do know from years and years ago when I was around tilt slab a bit that
they do pour panels up on the top of additional panels so they can stack the panels,
one on top of the other, as long as they provide adequate amount of bond breaker
between the panels so they can peel one off the other. I think they did something
similar to this at the Gold’s Gym as they were constructing this. They were pouring one
day over the top of our sewer line and I, when I got into the office and told our sewer
inspector you need to go out there and see what these guys are doing because they
are building this slab right over the top of our sewer line. Come to find out, it was a
throw away slab. They actually built the slab, poured their panels on the slab, set their
panels in place and broke up the slab and took it out. And I don’t have an answer for
you as far as the physical dimensions of the slab.
Meridian City Council Meeting
February 26, 2002
Page 24 of 39
Bird: If they are pouring on a smaller slab and they are pouring those out, they have to
got to stand them somewhere if they don’t have the footings and stuff ready. Where are
they going to set them up at? Most of the time, those aren’t light little things that you lift
up with a hand crane.
Smith: No sir, this is a two-story building too.
Bird: Yes, it is a two-story building.
Smith: I guess the question is, is there any reason they can’t proceed with this? Are
they proceeding at their own risk? Is there anything we need to do to indemnify the city
as far as – you let me start on a building and now you are not giving me my building
permit, so what is the deal here?
Bird: You say they are going to have their concrete tested and everything –
Smith: Yes sir.
Bird: -- that they are pouring.
Smith: They would have to follow the same requirements as if they had a permit.
Bird: You will be getting the test results, you or Brad?
Smith: That is typically what we do, we get test results from the concrete testing facility.
Bird: They are at their own risk.
Corrie: Mr. Nary.
Nary: I guess I would agree with Councilman Bird. They are at their own risk and
essentially what we are doing is allowing them to use their property to building their
building product. It is no different than making a wood frame for the building or if they
were manufacturing roof tiles on their site. I think that is really all they are doing. So
they are really not constructing a building, it is their risk if they don’t get the permit. I
don’t think we are allowing them to do anything more than construct building materials. I
don’t know that that is really a big deal, but it is their risk if they don’t get the building
approved or something problematic with the design, structure or testing or whatever. I
can’t see a problem with that.
Smith: Thank you, Mayor, and Council. Roger Anderson has a pretty good track record
as far as his developments are concerned and I think you can see from the quality of
what is going on out there right now, that he has all intentions of moving forward on it. It
was just a glitch that we didn’t feel comfortable with, without bringing it to your intention
and advising you of what the proposal was.
Meridian City Council Meeting
February 26, 2002
Page 25 of 39
Corrie: Thank you, Gary. He brought this up with staff and I thought this needed your
expertise and at least hearing what it is before saying go ahead. If you don’t have any
problems with that, then take it from there Gary.
De Weerd: I don’t have any problems. It is their risk.
Bird: Let them go for it.
C. Parks Department – Tom Kuntz:
1. Continued from January 22, 2002 Meeting: Naming of 58-
Acre Regional Park:
Corrie: Lets just hope we don’t have what we think we might later down the road. Parks
Department. Continued from the January 22nd
meeting on the naming of the 58-acre
regional park. Tom.
Kuntz: Thank you Mayor and Council. As instructed, in your January meeting, you
asked staff to put together a small group of individuals to discuss the naming of the 56-
acre park, which we did. You should have a memo in your packet dated February 6th
.
You all have that? The committee came up with three names they would like to
recommend to the City Council tonight. They are in priority order. Number one being
Meridian Settlers Park. Number two being Pioneer Settlers Park. Number three being
Settlers Century Park. The Parks and Recreation Commission reviewed the names in
their February meeting and the Parks Commission wanted you to know tonight that they
wanted to recommend Settlers Park as the name of the park. Staff recommendation
also is Settlers Park. With that I will stand for any questions.
Corrie: This is not a public hearing, but you have sat there very patiently Charlotte, and
would you like to say a few words?
Catlette: Into the mike -- I was hoping you could hear me. My name is Charlotte
Catlette.
De Weerd: We can but the tape machine can’t.
Catlette: My name is Charlotte Catlette and I live in the Sportsman Pointe Subdivision. I
am well aware of the meeting that you had when you came up with the recommends for
Settlers Park. I actually had been out to the park myself not knowing whether the park
was named or not, with my family, we have been looking at the area for other reasons. I
took my kids out there, did a few cartwheels, and looked off into the horizon. Then I
said, wow, wouldn’t it be cool if this park was named after that mountain. I had no idea
what the name of the mountain was. Now I have been told that the name of that
mountain has been changed recently.
(***End of Side Two***)
Meridian City Council Meeting
February 26, 2002
Page 26 of 39
Catlette: -- did we have a topographical map that was publishing a year or so ago and
we looked up to see what the name of the mountain was next to the river that bears the
name similar to what you all are remembering as the mountain name and on the
topographical map it says that it is called Crown Point. It is something that I would like –
I actually discussed this Bruce McCoy. I was cleaning at my house and the newspaper
fell out, this was on a Thursday afternoon, after your meeting so it was too late for me
bring it to his attention before then. I was looking here, reading the article written in the
Valley Times where Mr. Bird, Councilman Bird was quoted as saying, I prefer the name
Freedom for a smaller park but not a regional park. For many of us, the term Settlers
has the same weight. For many of us newcomers, we feel that the settlers are important
but so are we. When you are talking about something that you want to reach out to the
community with. When I look into the horizon, out playing with my children and we look
into the horizon, that is what we see. So we thought naming it after some type of thing
you see in the horizon, such as that mountain, would be something that is more than
likely to pull people in. when I saw on a topographical map the name Crown Point, it hit
home because many of us in our group, in our area that are working on some projects
that are affected by this property, have been calling it the Crown Jewel. Now I, in the
next line saw, that Mr. Nary also called it the Crown Jewel. He said it may be the largest
park we ever develop in Meridian, and the crowning jewel of our city and park system
should reflect the area’s heritage. I am not saying you need to call it Crown Point
because that is what we believe the mountain is now called and that is what is in our
horizon, but we think we should find a name that encompasses and pulls in the entire
region. So it is something that the children, when they are out there, bring home. Out
there catching fly balls, doing cartwheels and kicking soccer balls. When you take their
picture, the mountains are going to be in the background. So that is what we think is
fitting. I actually walked around town for three days with all my activities. I asked people
what do they like better? Settlers Park or Crown Point. I received hesitation from two
out of those people. Everyone else said Crown Point. The two that hesitated then said
Crown Point when they though about it, and I didn’t have to do any talking or
persuading. It may be that Settler’s is what you choose, it may be that Crown Point is
what you choose. But whichever it is, I guess I am asking you all to think about what
children are going to see and take home with them. For me I remember the rolling hills,
the strawberries, I remember some buildings from the parks where I grew up. I
remember all those names of those parks. They are all related to what I saw. They bring
the images into my mind and the history is stimulated because of what I saw on the
horizon when I was growing up. Thank you very much.
Corrie: Thank you Charlotte.
De Weerd: You did great.
Corrie: Other discussions?
Nary: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mr. Nary.
Nary: I just had a couple things about the names and the discussion and I really
appreciate what you had to say because that really – I think that was our intent, at least
Meridian City Council Meeting
February 26, 2002
Page 27 of 39
that was our intent when we decided to rethink the idea of Freedom Park. I appreciate it
– I think that was the intent behind the Settlers idea, was that it was to educate the
people here, that that was the settlement for the city. That was where the City of
Meridian originated from, was that settlement there. I think Mr. Kuntz is exactly right.
The Committee did put these in a priority order, but the intent was exactly what you
said, it was to educate the people. I recognized what you are saying about Crown Point
and all of that, that was the intent of Settlers as well, was to do that. Settlers Century
was because of next year, the century of this city. Of course Pioneer or Meridian are self
explanatory – it really doesn’t matter to me any particular name that we use. The only
thing, my personal feeling on Settlers Park is that having Meridian as a part of the name
certainly identifies it is here, and I think people would call it that anyway. Pioneer
Settlers also explains the point of what we are trying to accomplish. Settlers Century is
also the same thing. I guess at some point we need to make a decision. I don’t care if
we make it now or later – how long did we take to pick the city logo?
De Weerd: I hope that is not a measurement.
Corrie: I really don’t want to get into a conversation here, so – because we didn’t invite
anyone else to have comments, that’s all right. I said that so thank you. Council, with
that in mind, any other comments about where you want to go and how long you want
to take to go there? Wagon train or jet plane?
Bird: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mr. Bird.
Bird: I am like Councilwoman De Weerd, I don’t want to take as long as the logo. But
in the same token, we kind of committed, we told Tom to go back and get this
committee. We basically said you need a person here, here, here, and here and come
back with us and give us a name. I have no problem selecting a name tonight or I can
put it off. My biggest concern out there is that it gets developed. It can be called the
Meridian Park as long as we get it developed – that’s only been a ten-year project.
That is my thought.
De Weerd: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mrs. de Weerd.
De Weerd: You know, I did give that some thought and I am sorry, I like the name, but I
still will never think of that point of that view as Crown Jewel. It is always going to be
something Butte to me. Apparently we don’t want to say that word. It looks like an
Indian laying there. But – so I will go ahead and make a motion to name our new 56-
acre park Settlers Park.
Corrie: Do you want anything in front of it, there are other Settlers out there.
De Weerd: I believe that is a recommendation that Tom brought. I know the committee
had Meridian Settlers Park but if we are going to call Junior, Junior, just call him Junior.
So I say lets call it Settlers. Settlers Park.
Meridian City Council Meeting
February 26, 2002
Page 28 of 39
Corrie: Mr. Nary.
Nary: I know – I think the Council remembers, some information was brought forward
that there is a Settlers Park – that small neighborhood park and no body is going to
confuse the two, but there is already a park named Settlers and that was part of the
rationale in adding other names. I agree with what Council member De Weerd said,
most people are going to call it the 56 acre park or they are going to call it Meridian
Park or they are going to call it the park on the corner or whatever they are going to call
it, but that was part of the reason we had the additional name, to make sure people
understood where it was, where it was located, what the significance of it was and that
no one would ever confuse it with a small neighborhood park that had the exact same
name.
De Weerd: That no one but the Public Department knows about.
Nary: Or the people that live by it.
De Weerd: I guess my motion dies.
Corrie: It dies for lack of second.
McCandless: I will second her motion with the comment that I appreciate what Mrs.
Catlette said and I can understand what she is talking about. But it seems it is our
tradition in Meridian to name things with an historical value such as Storey Park, has a
historical inference to it. I just like the name Settlers Park. I will second that.
Corrie: Even though the chair is fruitless in saying it died for lack of a second, I will take
your second. To make sure this parliamentary procedure is correct. Discussion? Do
you want anything in front of Settler’s Park? I think we all agree that Settlers Park
(inaudible). I have a little problem calling it just Settlers Park period, but that is my two
cents worth.
Nary: I will caution the Council – the folks from the Historical Commission, Historical
Society were very vehement in wanting the additional names in front of it besides just
Settlers. They were very strong about Settlers, but just so you know there may be other
folks that may have a concern with it. It doesn’t matter to me at all really, but there was
a rationale behind that and those folks that were asked to come to that were pretty
vocal in their desire to have it have all the names.
Corrie: Mrs. de Weerd.
De Weerd: Mr. Nary. What were those comments? What was their passion behind
having something before Settlers?
Nary: The number one reason was because they knew there is another park named
Settlers Park. So they didn’t want another with the exact same name. They wanted the
identification to the city, so by having either Meridian – and Meridian Settlers Park was
by far the favorite of the group, because it tied into the city, as well as the historical
Meridian City Council Meeting
February 26, 2002
Page 29 of 39
significance of that. The Pioneer and the Settlers Century had the same historical
significance but they were very – these folks were very very knowledgeable of the
history of this community. To give you an example, although we think very commonly of
the dairy industry being a very significant part of the growth of this community, the
people from the historical society consider that to be a new industry to the city. Because
it didn’t come until after the orchards. So even though it is seventy or eighty years ago,
they consider that to be new. So they were very very tied – not that that is the only
reason to pick that, I just wanted you to understand how strongly people felt about that.
Corrie: Any other discussion?
De Weerd: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mrs. de Weerd.
De Weerd: Can it not be just the City of Meridian Settlers Park? Does our historian
back there have any –
Bird: We have a motion up here –
De Weerd: We can’t do that during a motion?
Corrie: You were on that historical –
Thomas: Frank Thomas, editor and publisher of the Valley Times, my two cents is
name it Meridian Settlers Park. It ties it to the area, to the community, it gives the city
credit for the project, which it deserves.
Corrie: Thank you Frank. That is exactly – for Council’s purpose I think, that is what I
thought too.
De Weerd: I can amend my motion to put Meridian in front of it.
McCandless: Second agrees.
Corrie: Then we have the amended motion is to say Meridian Settlers Park as the
name of the 56 acre park. Any further discussion? We have a second on that. In order
to have this Chair’s prerogative, I am going to have Roll-Call vote.
Roll-Call: Bird, aye; De Weerd, aye; McCandless, aye; Nary, aye.
MOTION CARRIED: ALL AYES
Corrie: Let the record show that the name of the new 56 acre park, for the paper’s
representative here is Meridian Settlers Park. There are some great things coming
down the line –
Meridian City Council Meeting
February 26, 2002
Page 30 of 39
Kuntz: Mayor and Council, just so you know, the bid on that project closes on March
12th
. Of course all the documents say 56 acre park, so we may have to amend all those
and re-bid the project.
Bird: No we are just fine.
Kuntz: Thank you mayor and Council.
Bird: You have the legal description on that, that is all we care.
Item 5-D . Locust Grove Overpass Agreement:
Corrie: Discussion on the Cell Tower ordinance – oh I am sorry, we are still on the
Locust Grove Overpass –
(inaudible discussion amongst Council)
Corrie: -- Locust Grove Overpass, Mr. Nichols.
Nichols: Thank you, Mr. Mayor, members of the Council. This is the final iteration of the
various drafts on the reimbursement agreement with ACHD for land acquisition costs
associated with the Locust Grove Overpass project. I believe this reflects all of the
Council’s concerns in terms of a maximum potential contribution capped at 1.8 million
dollars. It satisfies the finance department requirement with regard to when the
reimbursements would be paid to ACHD. I think those were the final items that had to
be worked out. Those were, so, we present it to you for approval so it can be signed
next Monday at the joint ACHD and city meeting.
Corrie: Any other discussion?
Nary: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mr. Nichols, excuse me, Mr. Nary.
Nary: There is a type-o on the first page, please fix that before we sign it, that is the
only thing I saw. One of the whereas.
Nichols: Yes, okay.
(inaudible discussion amongst Council)
Nichols: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mr. Nichols.
Nichols: Mr. Mayor, members of the Council, this was transmitted electronically from
ACHD so the clerk can make that change and have it ready to go. What is
contemplated is, say there would be a joint signing next Monday, if you approve this.
Meridian City Council Meeting
February 26, 2002
Page 31 of 39
Corrie: Any discussion?
Bird: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mr. Bird.
Bird: With no discussion I would move that we approve the interagency between the
Ada County Highway District and the City of Meridian for the financial contribution to the
ACHD project Franklin Road to Overland Road and I-84 Overpass, for the mayor to sign
and clerk to attest.
McCandless: Second.
Corrie: Motion is made and seconded. Is there any further discussion? Hearing none,
Roll-Call vote Mr. Berg.
Roll-Call: Bird, aye; De Weerd, aye; McCandless, aye; Nary, aye.
MOTION CARRIED: ALL AYES
Corrie: We will do that signing Monday. All right, the cell tower draft ordinance. Shari?
Stiles: Mr. Mayor, when did you want me to bring up the special meeting?
Corrie: You can, I have got everything in here if they want to read it too. Lets do talk
about that. I was there, I was the only one but David did give some content to it.
Stiles: Oh I am sorry I was – the one we discussed with department heads this morning
–
Corrie: Oh yes.
Stiles: Should I do that now? The project Gary was talking about previously in
Silverstone, the use is not permitted for the development agreement. They have
requested an amendment to the development agreement to incorporate those uses
specifically for this building, but it requires a public hearing. If possible, I would like to
have the special meeting before next Tuesday’s meeting to have the public hearing on
this proposed use.
Corrie: I don’t think we have time to do it before the –
Stiles: No I mean just before the Tuesday meeting, like 5:30 or whatever – on the 26th
,
the same day but just prior the – that would be March 26th
.
(inaudible discussion amongst Council)
Corrie: Have that at 5:00 on the 26th
of March so you can make a decision on that one.
There is going to have to be a change in the development agreement to allow the use,
right?
Meridian City Council Meeting
February 26, 2002
Page 32 of 39
Stiles: Yes. In fact it includes uses that were specifically prohibited before.
Corrie: Storage and flammable liquids.
Stiles: And just today we received another request for a modification to the
development agreement on another project you haven’t even seen yet. I don’t know
whether you want to handle those both at the same meeting – the second one I don’t
think is going to be any issue at all.
De Weerd: We haven’t seen it before?
Bird: We have done the development but we haven't seen the project that is coming. It
is for a CUP?
Stiles: It is for a reconfiguration, new use on that Sonntag Eye Associates property out
there at Magic View. Since Sonntag backed out of that building, there is a new use that
is being proposed and it is really a clean up – if you approve the use of course you are
going to approve amending the development agreement but they didn’t specifically
request that so I was wondering if we could handle that on the 26th
as well? Sometimes
when the development agreements are so restrictive, it doesn’t allow even minor
modifications to the uses at times. There is so much specificity. Does anyone have a
problem with doing that, both of those the same night?
Corrie: If somebody does, we will put them on at 5:30 -- regular gets started at 6:30.
Use that special time for that meeting.
Item 6. Tabled from January 22, 2002 meeting: Discussion of Cell Tower
Draft Ordinance:
Stiles: And now back to the cell tower ordinance. Hopefully you have had a chance to
look through it. David does a pretty thorough job on anything he does. It does need
some clean up as far as grammar and format. This was really just to get something
before you – last time I was before you on this, we didn’t have the entire ordinance we
had prepared so it was missing some things as far as setbacks and landscaping
requirements. There was one thing I guess I should ask Bill Nichols about – we
suggested the fee include the mailings and I didn’t know if that would require going
back through public hearings to amend that fee. The only reason that might be
considered is because we are requesting that the notification area be one thousand feet
instead of three hundred. So it would be a significant cost to include everyone within a
thousand feet. I guess we can do it as part of – we can raise the rate for the overall
Conditional Use Permit for a cell tower or as part of this public hearing we will have to
go through for this, we could include the mailings. Of course it might be going up
tomorrow.
Bird: Mr. Mayor. Shari, how many people would you estimate on this – I would a lot
sooner see instead of have 34 cents per mailing, lets figure out what would be the
average and add that to the fee. That is a lot less confusing to everyone if they just
Meridian City Council Meeting
February 26, 2002
Page 33 of 39
walked in and said hey, the fee is $350.00 or whatever. That is it. then you go in and
say I need $275.00 then I will bill you 34 cents for every mailing I send out.
Stiles: It is confusing. We will work that up before it goes to the Planning and Zoning
Commission. Like I say there are some spelling errors and things like that, as a lot of
the formatting needs to be reworked but I think he did a pretty good job. It is not as
restrictive as some jurisdictions, but it is more than others. I think it’s a good
compromise between a lot of the other ordinances that he was able to get a hold of. We
might want to further define stealth a bit in case there could be some misinterpretation
of that definition. This isn't numbered. There is one area in here under setback
requirements, the second to the last page of the actual draft ordinance. It talks about
communication towers, it is under ‘E’, under ‘3-E’, wrong numbering but it says all
communication towers shall be set back at least three times the height of the tower from
all entryway corridors as listed in the Comprehensive Plan. that would work all right for
today’s Comprehensive Plan as we have entire corridors designated as entryway
corridors. However, in the new draft Comprehensive Plan, it doesn’t designate those
entryway corridors. It has segments called gateway, where additional landscaping
would be required. So I didn’t know if you wanted us to change that wording to include it
to be all arterials or freeway. I don’t know what you think about having them adjacent to
the freeway. You want to just wait for the public hearing? This is just for you to look at
and we welcome any comments that you might have if you have a chance to go through
it. I just wanted to get it back before you so you would know we were still working on it.
Corrie: Mr. Bird.
Bird: Shari, thank you very much, this is a real improvement over what we have seen
before. One thing I have is, I don’t know how the rest of these people feel, but I would
not want to see any wooden poles and we do have a steel monopole, allowed in there. I
think if we eliminate the wooden poles, I think you have got it pretty restrictive, which I
think we need to have very restrictive in fact. That is it. Thanks Mayor.
Corrie: Where did you see wood poles – treated –
Bird: It says wireless communications facility, wooden poles –
Stiles: The wooden pole, taking that out would actually help us, because some people
are trying to come in and have suggested doubling the height of a utility pole and calling
it a –
Bird: The only wood poles we should have to allow is the utility poles that are put up by
the utility people. I mean –
Stiles: But not to allow it as part of a telecommunications facility –
Bird: That is my personal opinion.
De Weerd: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mrs. de Weerd.
Meridian City Council Meeting
February 26, 2002
Page 34 of 39
De Weerd: I really appreciate the encouragement to co locate and make it simple – you
made it simple to do that and more complicated not to. That would be my preference. I
really like that part of it.
Corrie: I think you will make Ted Ellis a happy man, too, with this. He hasn’t seen it yet,
Stiles: He wants to use it?
Corrie: He was the one who brought it to the Treasure Valley Partnership to get this
thing rolling. This will help him considerably. Mr. Nary?
Nary: Thank you. Just a couple things I was noticing Shari, in section 4B, as it goes
through the planning and zoning process, this is where it says they can use a stealth
tower and that the director can basically issue that as a staff level approval, which I
think is a good idea. You may want to have at least some idea, some information in the
ordinance that says what that standard is, otherwise what may be happening is you
have one person saying wait a minute, that guy got approved, I didn’t, there is no
reason. In section 5B(1)(b) the way its written, if the Planning and Zoning Commission
decides that an alternative design is not appropriate and we do, then they don’t get to. I
don’t think that is probably what you intended, it says you have to have approval of both
the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council. So if the Planning and
Zoning doesn’t recommend it but we think it works then –
Stiles: And / or?
Nary: Or ultimately the recommendation from the Commission but it is really the
Council’s approval, I think is what the intent was, but if you make it conjunctive, then
they will have to have both.
Stiles: Good point, thank you.
McCandless: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mrs. de Weerd, or Mrs. McCandless, sorry. That’s Gigray over there.
McCandless: Shari, the only comment I was thinking about was if it is a stealth tower
that you are using, if that happens to be made of wood and you strike wood out, I agree
with Keith, we shouldn’t build any wooden structures, but the stealth tower may indeed
be built with wood. Would that make any difference?
Stiles: That is right, that is why I thought we needed to further define what stealth was.
We see them as being typically within a church spire or within an enclosed structure but
they are proposing some of them look like a light or suggested a flagpole at one time
but changed that because the size of the flag would be so huge that just the flag itself
would be annoying with the sounds from the wind. But yes, I think we need to define
that further so it is clear what the standards are to be approved as a stealth.
Nary: Or another suggestion is that you could include that in the definition of what
alternative designs are. That may be – that is where that may fit better, too.
Meridian City Council Meeting
February 26, 2002
Page 35 of 39
Stiles: Thank you very much.
Corrie: I believe that takes care of what is on the agenda.
Nary: Mr. Mayor, we all received a letter from Paul Newcomb dated February 22nd
, and
I just wanted to put it on the record, and I don’t know what our city ordinance says
because I don’t have one, but my understanding of Robert’s Rules that we were going
consider to reconsider an action that was taken. That is what he is asking us to do is to
reconsider the action taken on amending the Comprehensive Plan last week, that we
would probably need to discuss that tonight. In discussing that with our counsel, and
reviewing the State Statute, it appears that at the minimum what we would have to
decide, if we wanted to reconsider is whether or not we made a material change to what
was recommended at the Planning and Zoning Commission and after our consultation
with counsel, the change that was amended and approved was actually narrower than
what was approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission. It was our counsel’s
opinion and mine as the maker of the motion that that is not really a material change as
contemplated by the statutes, so as Mr. Newcomb suggests, it would not violate the
State Code §67-6509, so I wasn’t going to reconsider that. Certainly anyone else can,
but I wasn’t going to do that. But I wanted to put on the record because Mr. Newcomb
asked it, he is not here, but I think under Robert’s Rules, we would need to reconsider
that tonight as this is our next meeting. Not tomorrow night when we are having a
special meeting or next week. I just wanted to make sure that at least there is a record
that we did get it and did think about it and I wasn’t going to move to reconsider it.
Corrie: Any other comment? Then if Mr. Nichols will help me (inaudible)
Nichols: Mr. Mayor, no, I did not send him a letter, but if you need me to help you draft
a letter I would be pleased to do that.
(inaudible discussion amongst council)
Nary: Mr. Mayor, I asked Chief Worley if he wanted to give the Council briefing on the
proposed grant that the department is seeking. I have reviewed it, the mayor has
reviewed it. I think the only concern on this grant was continuing cost, there may be
others I don’t know, but there may be some continuing costs to the city because the
grant contemplates hiring new employees. So I asked if he wouldn’t mind giving us a
short briefing about that.
Worley: Mr. Nary, Mayor and members of the Council, that is correct. This is a one time
grant from the State of Idaho to provide traffic enforcement services. The submission
would ask for three additional officers, replacement of our two motorcycles which needs
to be done in any case, and replacement of one vehicle, which also needs to be done in
any case and provides a matching fund for one year’s salary for three officers. The cost
to the city would of course after the end of that year would be the continuing salary of
those individuals.
Bird: Mr. Mayor.
Meridian City Council Meeting
February 26, 2002
Page 36 of 39
Corrie: Mr. Bird.
Bird: Chief Worley, did you say that this grant would allow us to buy a police car?
Worley: Mr. Bird, yes, that is part of what we are seeing.
Bird: And replace the motorcycles whether you go back with motorcycles or whatever
you do?
Worley: Mr. Bird the intent of this is, it is a traffic enforcement grant. Our two current
motorcycles are five years old this year and they are starting to be maintenance
problems so it would be my intent whether this grant is sought or approved, to seek
replacement of those motorcycles.
Bird: That will take care of that -- that is a one time out of your pocket purchase.
Worley: Mr. Bird, Mayor and Council, the salaries for the officers would also be a one
time – the grant would cover them for one year.
Bird: But what I am saying is actually, we are getting the new car and two new
motorcycles?
Worley: That would be correct.
Bird: Then we have – yes I realize that the first year they are going to pick up three
officers if there is enough in there, but that we have to pick it up afterwards.
Worley: That would be correct.
Bird: I have no problem with that.
De Weerd: Mr. Mayor.
Corrie: Mrs. de Weerd.
De Weerd: What does that year run from? When to when?
Worley: Mrs. de Weerd, members of the Council, that would be the coming fiscal year,
October to September. The terms of the submission, and I will point out that this is just
a submission at this point, to the State, we have no guarantees that we will get this
grant. This is merely a – I just wanted the Council to be aware of a continuing cost
should we seek this grant and get it. It specifies that we would put these people on
board by end of October of 2002 and continue from there in the traffic enforcement for
the twelve months following that.
De Weerd: So it would be for next the next fiscal year then we would be looking at
2004 to pick up the costs.
Worley: Yes.
Meridian City Council Meeting
February 26, 2002
Page 37 of 39
De Weerd: Thank you. Go forward and multiply.
Corrie: Thank you.
De Weerd: Mr. Mayor. This does raise an issue I really think we need to be more
aggressive on grants. I see most of the surrounding communities take full advantage of
grants and I know we don’t have the personnel to do it, but I would strongly encourage
if this is a possibility to put an RFQ (sic) for grant writers and get them employed or
working on these types of things. Find out what kind of percentage or requests or
reimbursement for doing this, but we really need to be pursuing this type of financing.
Corrie: I agree.
De Weerd: Can we ask Stacy maybe to put out an RFQ and get those going?
Bird: What are you going to put out an RFQ for?
De Weerd: For grant writers.
Nichols: Mr. Mayor?
Corrie: Mr. Nichols.
Nichols: Mr. Mayor, members of the Council, I am not sure – I am not aware of grant
writers who work on a contingent fee. What you could do is ask Stacy to investigate
under what terms grant writers might be employed or contracted with and she could
come back to you with a report on that.
De Weerd: (inaudible)
Corrie: We will have her check it out. Thank you Tammy. If there is nothing else on the
agenda, I will entertain a motion to adjourn. Oh, yes, thank you – how many would like
to attend the AIC meeting? Held in April –
Nary: Four lovely days in Pocatello.
Bird: That is in June isn't it? I am going.
De Weerd: I am if I am back from Mexico.
Corrie: We will say four, if you want us to set up reservations, let us know and we can
get them set up for you. On the Leadership Prayer Breakfast, March the 9th
at 8:00
a.m., would anyone like to go? I have a table.
De Weerd: What day is that?
Corrie: Saturday the 9th
.
Meridian City Council Meeting
February 26, 2002
Page 38 of 39
Bird: Yes I have tickets, but I am going, I don’t have a table.
Corrie: The table includes the tickets. I just need to know – Saturday morning at 8:00.
This is the Leadership Governors.
Bird: Is this for your wife?
De Weerd: Yes I will go.
Corrie: Tammy, Bill, anyone else?
McCandless: Yes I will go.
Corrie: And Cherie.
Nary: Where is it at?
Bird: How many do you have at a table?
Corrie: We have four more spots at that table and if you want to take your wife I will get
another table.
Bird: I want to take my wife.
Corrie: I know, you want to take your husband?
De Weerd: I will take him.
Bird: Put me down there Mayor and I will give my tickets to someone.
Corrie: So there will be two, two, two, and Keith two. So I will get another table and we
will split them up. I will get the table.
McCandless: Where did you say it was?
Corrie: At the Center on the Grove.
(inaudible discussion amongst Council)
Corrie: I will make sure we have enough room at the tables.
McCandless: and that is 8:00?
Corrie: 8:00, March the 9th
, Leadership Prayer Breakfast, Center on the Grove.
Bird: It is very nice, very enjoyable.
Nary: My wife won’t be able to go. Yes I will go.
Meridian City Council Meeting
February 26, 2002
Page 39 of 39
Corrie: Two four six, seven right now but we will make sure we have enough tables. I
have one table, we’ll get two and then we can make sure we all get seated. What I am
doing is getting the seats right up front.
(inaudible discussion amongst Council)
Corrie: I will entertain a motion to adjourn.
Bird: So moved.
McCandless: Second.
Corrie: Motion made and seconded, all those in favor say aye.
MOTION CARRIED: ALL AYES
MEETING ADJOURNED AT 8:57 P.M.
(TAPE ON FILE OF THESE PROCEEDINGS)
APPROVED:
/ /
ROBERT D. CORRIE, MAYOR DATE APPROVED
WILLIAM G. BERG, JR., CITY CLERK