Category: Minutes

January 7, 2014

 

Those Present:  Matt Argyle, Joe DeClark, Clerk Lynette Smith, Doug Thompson, Gary Thompson, Mayor Bob Van Cleave, Glenn Hunter, Ferrel Dilworth, Mable Whitmore

 

Meeting called to order:  7:00 pm                            Invocation:  Councilmember Gary Thompson

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Matt Argyle that the council accepts the published agenda.  Councilmember Gary Thompson seconded the motion.  All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Minutes from the December 10, 2013, regular council meeting were read. The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Joe DeClark the council approve the minutes as read. Councilmember Gary Thompson seconded the motion.  All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Matt Argyle the council approve checks and vouchers for the month of December 2013 in the amount of $9,017.20 in the general fund,  $5,513.39 in the water fund, $608,342.70 in the sewer fund with all funds totaling $622,873.29. Councilmember Joe DeClark seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

The council proceeded with the new business for the month by entertaining a motion from Councilmember Joe DeClark to swear-in the newly elected councilmembers. Councilmember Gary Thompson seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council. Clerk Lynette Smith proceeded by reading the Oath of Office to new councilmember Glenn Hunter and incumbent Mayor Robert W. Van Cleave.  The council then entertained a motion from councilmember Glenn Hunter to nominate Joe DeClark as the Council President. Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken as follows:  Joe – yes, Matt – yes, Glenn – yes. Duties were assigned to all councilmen as follows: Matt Argyle is to oversee Law Enforcement, Planning and Zoning, and be the City Liaison to the following companies: Intermountain Gas, Rocky Mountain Power, Independent Cable Systems and Fiber Optics. Ada DeClark is to oversee Parks and Recreation, Cemetery Department, Public Safety, Public Affairs, Fire Protection, Emergency Preparedness and be the Georgetown Irrigation Company Representative. Councilmember Glenn Hunter is to oversee the Water Department, City Buildings and be the SICOG Representative. Councilmember Joe DeClark’s responsibilities will continue to oversee the Sewer Department, Roads and Right of Ways, Traffic and Street Signage, Recreational Access Property and will be the City Liaison to the following companies: State and County Road Departments, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and the Five County Transportation Representative.

 

The wastewater project is still on shutdown for the winter. Council President Joe DeClark informed the council about changes with the irrigation on the project. The water lines will be running vertically instead of horizontally as per the original plans. Taylor Construction is putting together estimates for the change and is looking at replacing the existing concrete structures at the treatment lagoons verses remodeling them.

 

Mayor Bob gave a report on the grant writing class that he and Ferrel Dilworth attended last month. He reported that they saved the City a lot of money because they saved an extra night of the hotel and was able to get the tuition fee waived of $425 per person. He asked the council for some direction on grants to apply for and look into. They were told at the class that we probably wouldn’t have much luck in receiving a grant for the wastewater project because it is already started and underway. They will look into grants for street signs, an after school program similar to Montpelier’s and something available for updating equipment.

 

The employee policy is out of date for the per diem rates for those that are travelling for training. Councilmember Matt Argyle made the motion to update our employee policy to whatever the going rate is of the IRS for both meals and mileage. Councilmember Glenn Hunter seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried.

 

Councilmember Joe DeClark suggested that the City look into putting a bid out for a business to mow the City Park for the summer. That way they will use their own equipment and have insurance, etc. If this is something the City would like to pursue, he and councilmember Ada DeClark will discuss it further and look into it.

 

Councilmember Matt Argyle suggested that Ferrel Dilworth look into implementing the Enhanced 911 service in the City as it is being implemented into the county. He recommended that he speak with Lori Haddock at the county more about the service and also look into a grant for updating the City Shop to being more economically efficient.

 

Police Report:   Officer Skinner has made 47 contacts for the month of December.  Applications have been handed out for the Police Chief position and the job will close on the 15^th of the month followed by interviews of the applicants.

 

Maintenance report:   Doug Thompson gave his report for the month of December stating that he met with the circuit writers of IRWA, sent the EPA letter, ordered chlorine, plowed the snow and is on his second load of sand. He shutoff water at two locations, cleaned up around the fire station, put away Christmas lights and replaced the engine heater in the snow plow.

 

Office Report:   Clerk Smith reported that there are 17 delinquent water and sewer accounts for the month of December.

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Matt Argyle that the council adjourn from the January 2014 council meeting at 8:10 pm. Councilmember Glenn Hunter seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Lynette Smith, City Clerk

December 10, 2013

 

Those Present:  Matt Argyle, Ada DeClark, Joe DeClark, Clerk Lynette Smith, Doug Thompson, Gary Thompson, Mayor Bob Van Cleave, Ferrel Dilworth

 

Meeting called to order:  7:00 pm                            Invocation:  Councilmember Gary Thompson

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Gary Thompson that the council accepts the published agenda.  Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion.  All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Minutes from the November 12, 2013, regular council meeting were read. The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Joe DeClark the council approve the minutes as read. Councilmember Gary Thompson seconded the motion.  All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Keller Associates sent a monthly progress report to councilmembers on the wastewater project. Taylor Construction has shut down construction for the winter and will resume in the spring as soon as they are able, which will hopefully be in May. The last construction meeting was held on November 21^st.

 

Ferrel Dilworth came before the council to discuss some emergency awareness options. He would like for the City to have sandbags on hand to be better prepared for flash flood prevention in the spring. If the bags are filled with sand, they need to be kept inside a building and off the ground so they don’t deteriorate. Councilmember Joe DeClark made the motion for the City to get as many bags as we can to store in the fire station and can be filled at a later time. Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried.

 

There is a grant writing class on December 16-17 in Meridian. The cost is $425 per person. The Mayor would like to go and learn to see if there are any grants out there to get to help alleviate the costs of our wastewater project and to see if there are any other grants out there that the City could use. Councilmember Ada DeClark made the motion to send 2 people to the grant writing class with expenses paid. Councilmember Joe DeClark seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried.

 

Officer Skinner has announced his retirement at the end of the year after serving for 11 years with the City. Mayor Bob would like there to be an advertisement placed in the News Examiner, Caribou Sun, Idaho State Journal and on the radio for his position. Applications will be accepted through January 15, 2014. We will hold a simple retirement open house for Officer Skinner on January 17, 2014, to recognize him for his service.

 

Councilmember Matt Argyle made the motion to give a Christmas bonus to each employee in the amount of $175.00. Councilmember Ada DeClark seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried.

 

Councilmember Matt Argyle would like the council to consider purchasing a router for the City Hall, which would be setup with a password, to have available for councilmembers during council meetings.

 

Police Report:   Officer Skinner has made 42 contacts for the month of November.

 

Maintenance report:   Doug Thompson gave his report for the month November stating that he worked with Taylor Construction until they shut down for the winter, dug one grave, decorated the park with Christmas lights, sent the EPA letter, got the sander on the truck, got the plow ready, sent water waivers to DEQ for his monthly testing schedule and got the chlorinator building ready for the winter.

 

Office Report:   Clerk Smith reported that there are 14 delinquent water and sewer accounts for the month of November.

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Ada DeClark the council approve checks and vouchers for the month of November 2013 in the amount of $10,254.53 in the general fund,  $5,660.45 in the water fund, $11,969.65 in the sewer fund with all funds totaling $27,884.63. Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Ada DeClark that the council adjourn from the December 2013 council meeting at 8:30 pm. Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Lynette Smith, City Clerk

November 12, 2013

 

Those Present:  Matt Argyle, Ada DeClark, Joe DeClark, Clerk Lynette Smith, Doug Thompson, Gary Thompson, Mable Whitmore, Eric Dursteler with Forsgren Associates, Matthew Hill & Kyle Jones with Keller Associates

 

Meeting called to order:  7:05 pm                            Invocation:  Council President Joe DeClark

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Matt Argyle that the council accepts the published agenda.  Councilmember Ada DeClark seconded the motion.  All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Minutes from the October 1, 2013, regular council meeting were read. The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Gary Thompson the council approve the minutes as read. Councilmember Ada DeClark seconded the motion.  All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Matthew Hill from Keller Associates came before the council to give a report on the wastewater project. He stated that the Land Application Permit has been finalized by DEQ and that we should have a permit handoff meeting in the spring. The old lift station has been de-commissioned and Taylor Construction is working on the winter storage of the lagoons and they will continue working until it snows and then they will resume construction in the spring. Keller’s will prepare a letter of intent for our next meeting for a pipe/valve replacement grant. Council President Joe DeClark informed the council that the direction of the wheel lines will be changing from the original plan and that Troy and Kristie DeClark’s home has had new carpet installed in their basement and damages have been repaired from the sewer backup during the connection process of the new lines.

 

Kyle Jones of Keller Associates also spoke to the council about applying for a LHTAC Grant to improve 100 West Street. The application is due on December 2^nd and it will work right into our Transportation Study performed by Forsgren Associates. The City can only apply for one LHTAC application per year and we had discussed interest in applying for street signage earlier this year. It was decided that we should go ahead and apply for the grant to improve the streets first and then try for the street signage grant next year. Councilmember Matt Argyle made the motion to approve the Mayor to sign the grant application for the streets. Councilmember Ada DeClark seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried.

 

The property right of way on 4^th Street discussion will be tabled until the next meeting in December.

 

The Country Corner is currently paying for two separate water and sewer hookups even though there is only one line to both buildings. Councilmember Ada DeClark made the motion to charge the Country Corner and Juanita Wanner for only one hookup because there is only one line and one owner to both buildings. If in the event there becomes two owners for the buildings then the City will charge for two lines and revisit the issue. Juanita’s account will receive a credit as of the date both accounts were turned on and will only be charged on one account. Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried.

 

The Christmas Park Lighting Event will be held on December 2^nd at 6:00 pm. Clerk Smith will be out of town that night so Councilmember Ada DeClark will make food arrangements with the Country Corner and will get everything set up for the evening. Clerk Smith will order some 3-D glasses for the kids to use at the event, makeup flyers for the kids at Georgetown Elementary and Doug will replace lights as needed.

 

Councilmember Matt Argyle would like to set aside money in the budget to add a new man door to the City Shop for next year.

 

Councilmember Ada DeClark announced that the Ambulance Service will be having a winter fundraiser in their building in town for new repeaters and she would still like to donate $2,500.00 for the cause.

 

Police Report:   Officer Skinner has made 53 contacts for the month of October.

 

Maintenance report:   Doug Thompson gave his report for the month of October stating that he has torn down the old lift station, the power company had the wrong account turned off, but that has been straightened out. He has gotten the truck ready for winter and has applied for renewals on the water waivers. He shutoff water and sewer services at one location, sent out the EPA letter and has kept up with the regular testing samples. The sludge has been removed from the construction site and he continues to work with Keller Associates and Taylor Construction on the wastewater project.

 

Office Report:   Clerk Smith reported that there are 10 delinquent water and sewer accounts for the month of October. She has a conflict with the next council meeting and will be out of town and has proposed that the next council meeting be held on the 10^th of December.

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Matt Argyle the council approve checks and vouchers for the month of October 2013 in the amount of $15,695.95 in the general fund,  $6,113.84 in the water fund, $369,118.47 in the sewer fund with all funds totaling $390,928.26. Councilmember Ada DeClark seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Ada DeClark that the council adjourn from the November 2013 council meeting at 8:55 pm. Councilmember Gary Thompson seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Lynette Smith, City Clerk

October 1, 2013

 

Those Present:  Matt Argyle, Ada DeClark, Joe DeClark, Clerk Lynette Smith, Doug Thompson, Gary Thompson, Mayor Bob Van Cleave, Mable Whitmore, Marty Nate

 

Meeting called to order:  7:00 pm                            Invocation:  Councilmember Ada DeClark

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Gary Thompson that the council accepts the published agenda.  Councilmember Ada DeClark seconded the motion.  All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Minutes from the September 3, 2013, regular council meeting were read. The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Matt Argyle the council approve the minutes as read. Councilmember Joe DeClark seconded the motion.  All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

The wastewater project is moving along smoothly. The fence surveyors have been out and are installing a fence along the property line. There are cattails around the area that will need to be burned down versus uprooting them. Taylor Construction has been working on the gravity sewer line and the Biosolids Management Plan has been reviewed by DEQ. The next construction meeting will be held on October 24^th between the engineers, contractors and city.

 

Councilmember Ada DeClark made the motion to set June 28, 2014, as the date for next year’s Twin Creek Days Celebration. Councilmember Gary Thompson seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried. Marty Nate will remain in charge of the Twin Creeks Committee and will inform the council about assignments as the date gets closer. Marty also asked the council to consider making a donation to the Bear Lake Senior Citizen Center. Councilmember Ada DeClark made the motion to donate $300.00 to the Bear Lake Senior Citizen Center. Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried. Marty mentioned that the City still has funds of about $750.00 for the Northern Bear Lake Valley Foundation that was received as a grant from the Union Pacific Railroad that she would like to be used to make a plaque.  Marty reminded the council that the Comprehensive Plan for the City needs to be looked at updating because it was last done about 7 or 8 years ago and needs to be redone every 10 years.

 

Ferrel Dilworth would like to speak to the council about emergency awareness within the City. He had something come up last minute and will be coming to the meeting in November instead.

 

Police Report:   Officer Skinner has made 40 contacts for the month of September.

 

Maintenance report:   Doug Thompson gave his report for the month of September stating that he has been finishing up with the fiber optics team getting it installed in the city and then he has been working alongside Taylor Construction on the wastewater project. He has attended meetings with Taylor Construction and Keller Associates about construction on the project.

 

Office Report:   Clerk Smith reported that there are 18 delinquent water and sewer accounts for the month of September. She notified the council that she will be out of the office on October 8^th for PERSI training in Pocatello. She also notified them of the need to upgrade the copier machine because with the wastewater project there has been a need for scanning documents and the current copier and scanner isn’t capable of being used with the updated computer. She has spoken with Larry of Directive Data to find a printer that will work with his software program for the water and sewer billings. She would like to combine all of the equipment into one machine. Councilmember Ada DeClark made the motion to upgrade the copier into a copier/scanner/printer up to $500.00. Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried. She also asked the council to consider changing internet providers because there have been large files sent through the email that needed to be downloaded and reviewed quickly but after trying for over an hour at the office she was unable to download the needed files because of the slow internet service at the city hall. Councilmember Ada DeClark made the motion to change internet service to Digis or Direct Communications satellite service from CenturyLink DSL. Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried.

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Ada DeClark the council approve checks and vouchers for the month of September 2013 in the amount of $10,953.60 in the general fund,  $7,368.71 in the water fund, $17,509.98 in the sewer fund with all funds totaling $35,832.29. Councilmember Gary Thompson seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Ada DeClark that the council adjourn from the October 2013 council meeting at 8:15 pm. Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Lynette Smith, City Clerk

September 3, 2013

 

Those Present:  Matt Argyle, Ada DeClark, Joe DeClark, Clerk Lynette Smith, Doug Thompson, Gary Thompson, Mayor Bob Van Cleave, Glenn Hunter, Keller Associates representative Matthew Hill

 

Meeting called to order:  7:00 pm                            Invocation:  Councilmember Ada DeClark

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Matt Argyle that the council accepts the published agenda.  Councilmember Ada DeClark seconded the motion.  All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Minutes from the August 6, 2013, regular council meeting were read. Councilmember Joe DeClark said it needed to read per person after $16.00 per month for the new life insurance. The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Joe DeClark the council approve the minutes as read with changes. Councilmember Ada DeClark seconded the motion.  All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Ada DeClark for the council to move into Public Hearing for the purpose of accepting the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2013-2014 under the direction of City Auditor, Gary Teuscher. Councilmember Gary Thompson seconded the motion and a roll call vote was taken and is as follows: Matt – yes, Ada – yes, Joe – yes, Gary – yes. The floor was then opened for public comment either verbally or by written notice. The office did not receive any written comment about the proposed budget and no one came forth to offer their opinion about the budget. The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Matt Argyle for the council to close the public hearing and move back into the regular meeting. Councilmember Joe DeClark seconded the motion and a roll call vote was taken and is as follows: Matt – yes, Ada – yes, Joe – yes, Gary – yes. The council entertained a motion from councilmember Ada DeClark for the council to accept the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2013-2014. Councilmember Joe DeClark seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

The appropriations ordinance listed as Ordinance #85, for Fiscal Year 2013-2014, was read in its entirety by Clerk Smith. The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Ada DeClark to accept the new ordinance. Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion and a roll call vote was taken and is as follows: Matt – yes, Ada – yes, Joe – yes, Gary – yes.

 

There is a person interested in purchasing the old L&M Market. He would like to know if it is possible to add a living quarters inside of the building. He eventually wants to open it into a small grocery store and be able to sell fuel in the future. The council expressed that there would be no problems if he wanted to build inside the building and live in it with how it is zoned.

 

Matthew Hill, representing Keller Associates, came before the council to give an update on the wastewater project. He said that there will be construction meetings between their office and Taylor Construction every week for the first part of the project and then move into every other week as the project progresses. Taylor Construction has been submitting lists of materials to be used on the project to Matthew and he has approved almost all materials needed. They are estimating that the sewer line will be set up and have people start using it in about 45 days and will be able to stop using the lift station.

 

Councilmember Joe DeClark reported that Taylor Construction has hooked up their trailers to water and sewer to use while they are constructing the sewer line and that the City shouldn’t charge them. Doug has also sent a portable toilet and garbage can to their construction site for use during the project.

 

Councilmember Matt Argyle had to get a new bid for the garage door to the City Shop because there was a miscommunication about the size of the door needed. He said there will be a need for adding vinyl to the front of the shop, which will be next year’s project. He looked into security cameras to be installed around City Hall and found lots of different packages he just needs to know which package the council is interested in. Mayor Bob told him to look into a system that includes a motion light and will work in -50° weather and can stand up to 100 mph winds.

 

Police Report:   Officer Skinner has made 43 contacts for the month of August.

 

Maintenance report:   Doug Thompson gave his report for the month of August  and thanked Councilmember Joe DeClark for his help throughout the month with all of the water leaks throughout the City. He has been doing lots of marking for DigLine this month for the fiber optics and the new sewer system. The fiber optics is almost finished in town, they just have the main boxes to install at the post office and on the corner of Main and 4^th Street. He is helping Taylor Construction to get the sewer lines ready to be installed and had to replace a pump to the lift station. He is working on abandoning the water line on the corner of Dunford’s Repair.

 

Office Report:   Clerk Smith reported that there are 19 delinquent water and sewer accounts for the month of August.

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Ada DeClark the council approve checks and vouchers for the month of August 2013 in the amount of $8,741.05 in the general fund,  $5,772.71 in the water fund, $21,033.17 in the sewer fund with all funds totaling $35,546.93. Councilmember Gary Thompson seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Ada DeClark that the council adjourn from the September 2013 council meeting at 8:10 pm. Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Lynette Smith, City Clerk

July 2, 2013

 

Those Present:  Matt Argyle, Ada DeClark, Joe DeClark, Clerk Lynette Smith, Doug Thompson, Mayor Bob Van Cleave, Mable Whitmore, Mike Jaglowski of Keller Associates

 

Meeting called to order:  7:00 pm                            Invocation:  Mayor Bob Van Cleave

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Matt Argyle that the council accepts the published agenda.  Councilmember Joe DeClark seconded the motion.  All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Minutes from the June 4, 2013, regular council meeting were read. The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Joe DeClark the council approve the minutes as read. Councilmember Ada DeClark seconded the motion.  All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Mike Jaglowski, of Keller Associates came before the council to give a formal update on our wastewater project. At the Bid Opening meeting it was decided to award the construction bid to Taylor Construction because of their work history and because they were the low bid amount. Even with them being the low bid amount, their bid was still over our allotted amount from our construction loan from DEQ. Mike will work in conjunction with City Attorney, Adam McKenzie, and Tim Wendlund of DEQ to see about increasing our loan amount. Councilmember Joe DeClark made the motion to accept the funding package provided by DEQ to accompany the cost increase of the bid amount and to accept the bid by Taylor Construction as it was opened, also, the councilmembers give authority to the Mayor to review the notice of award with Council President Joe DeClark, and to sign the Notice of Award before the next meeting.  Councilmember Ada DeClark seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried. Councilmember Matt Argyle made the motion to also give authority to Joe DeClark to execute the construction documents and sign the associated documents if in the absence of the Mayor. Councilmember Ada DeClark seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried.

 

Once in a while, Doug needs help in the summer time to get everything done and to relieve some of the pressure from him. He said it would be helpful to have someone to help him when he needs to install new water and sewer lines. It was decided that Doug would continue to use Bryce Thompson, on the rare occasion that he would need some help. The City will pay Bryce $15.00 per hour and use him on an as needed basis.

 

Mable Whitmore representing the Twin Creeks Days Committee, finalized assignments for the day with councilmembers. The City will continue to do the luncheon at $1.00 per person. Juanita Wanner of the Country Corner will help councilmembers serve the sandwiches. Ada will order 270 sandwiches from Broulim’s and get the signs ready to be put up. Doug will get the barriers to block the streets, sand for the treasure pool and a new flag for the opening ceremony.

 

Councilmember Matt Argyle had two bids prepared for the City Shop Garage Doors from A-1 Insulation and Gundersen’s True Value. Mayor Bob would like to check with Adam about if we need to open the job to accept bids or if we can just select from the two we have. Clerk Smith will report back at the next meeting so we can make a decision and get the doors installed before this winter.

 

Police Report:   Officer Skinner has made 63 contacts for the month of June.

 

Maintenance report:   Doug Thompson gave his report for the month of June stating that he turned on water and sewer services at 1 location, sent in 6 water samples for the month which was required by DEQ, he went to school and marked some locations for DigLine. He attended the bid meeting with Keller Associates, attended another class and got asphalt laid in the front of City Hall and on 5^th Street. His samples for the month have tested good. He installed water and sewer lines for the two new homes for Trenton Morrell and Hadley Wright. He has mowed and watered the park and cemetery and also dug one grave and got the service truck fixed. Doug asked the council to receive two weeks of paid vacation that he was unable to take throughout the year. Councilmember Matt Argyle made the motion to approve paying Doug for his two weeks of vacation time. Councilmember Joe DeClark seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Office Report:   Clerk Smith reported that there are 17 delinquent water and sewer accounts for the month of June.

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Joe DeClark the council approve checks and vouchers for the month of June 2013 in the amount of $11,134.24 in the general fund,  $5,792.50 in the water fund, $15,784.56 in the sewer fund with all funds totaling $32,711.30. Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Ada DeClark that the council adjourn from the July 2013 council meeting at 8:45 pm. Councilmember Joe DeClark seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Lynette Smith, City Clerk

June 4, 2013

 

Those Present:  Matt Argyle, Ada DeClark, Joe DeClark, Clerk Lynette Smith, Doug Thompson, Gary Thompson, Mayor Bob Van Cleave, Mable Whitmore, Juanita Wanner, Caden Collins, Ron Alleman, Forsgen Associates  – Eric Dursteller and Aaron Swenson

 

Meeting called to order:  7:00 pm                            Invocation:  Councilmember Gary Thompson

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Ada DeClark that the council accepts the published agenda.  Councilmember Joe DeClark seconded the motion.  All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Minutes from the May 7, 2013, regular council meeting were read. The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Gary Thompson the council approve the minutes as read. Councilmember Joe DeClark seconded the motion.  All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Juanita Wanner is the new owner of the Country Corner. She has plans to open a convenience store first and then would like to eventually open into a café. She will be open from 5:00 am to 8 or 9:00 pm. She would like to sell beer and tobacco and is planning to install a walk-in cooler, with the entrance being from the kitchen, so that she can stock pop and ice from the inside. She will also have an ice machine, pop machine and would like to try and get a RedBox DVD machine. She is hoping to be open by July 1^st.

 

Our supplier, Glenn Hunter, for the pop machine has retired. We have options of purchasing the pop from Leonhardt’s in town and we would increase our selling price, or we could order a month’s worth of product at a time from Glenn’s daughter, who also works for Pepsi in Logan, or we could let the only business in town have the pop machine and not try to compete or take customers away from the Country Corner. Councilmember Matt Argyle made the motion to not maintain the pop machine anymore and to let the Country Corner receive that business. Gary Thompson seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried.

 

Caden Collins approached the council with his ideas for his Eagle Scout project stating that he has helped to mark all of the corners for where the mulch is to be laid out and he will also help to lay the mulch in the playground area.

 

Keller Associates sent a letter updating the council on the progress that has been made within the last month of the wastewater project. We have received the OK from DEQ to go ahead with our plans and we will be opening the bids that have been submitted by contractors to perform the construction of the wastewater system on Friday, June 7^th at Noon.

 

Forsgren Associates representatives Aaron Swenson and Eric Dursteller came before the council to give a final report on their findings from the highway study. They presented books to the council with full detail of the study and went through multiple pages with the council. They talked about many grants that are available right now through the LHTAC for new signs and capital road improvements. They will help us with applying for these grants and suggested to apply for the sign grant first to get on board with the County’s 911 Enhanced Service.

 

Mable Whitmore, representing the Twin Creeks Committee informed the council of the plans for that day and to give final assignments. Councilmember Ada DeClark will help to be in charge of the luncheon and Mayor Bob will speak to Juanita about her willingness and interest in helping with the luncheon. Matt Argyle will find someone to be in charge of the treasure hunt; Gary Thompson will be over the advertising and Joe DeClark will oversee the treasure pool.  Twin Creeks is approaching quickly on July 20^th.

 

Police Report:   Officer Skinner has returned to work and has made 37 contacts for the month of May.

 

Maintenance report:   Doug Thompson gave his report for the month of May stating that he had to resample his water samples for coliform and he’s certain that the change in the water was from the flushing out the hydrants and shutting down the water system. He has spotted a couple of hydrants with troubles that may need to be replaced in the near future. He met with Keller’s during the pre-bid meeting for the sewer system and his sewer samples have tested good and he has sent his EPA letter updating them for the month. He mowed and trimmed the cemetery to get it ready for Memorial Day and had to fix a riser. He has started to mow along the streets and approved a building permit. He has marked some spots for DigLine and has removed the chains and plow from the dump truck. He got a bid for a new Garage Door on the City Shop from Gundersen’s for the materials and Rick Merritt for the labor of installing the door. The bid is for a door with a motor that comes with a lifetime warranty and installation of a man door. He will get one other bid to compare with for the next meeting.

 

Office Report:   Clerk Smith reported that there are 12 delinquent water and sewer accounts for the month of May. She also reported that Hewlett Packard is offering City affiliates a discounted rate on products, if anyone is interested. Also, Alex Kadar, owns a home and is not living in it right now. He would like to have the water turned on to be able to have Ron Alleman maintain his yard to water it and keep it looking nice. Councilmember Joe DeClark made the motion to allow Alex to have his water only, turned on and to treat his account like a pasture and charge him only for the water services during the months that he uses the water. Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried.

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Matt Argyle the council approve checks and vouchers for the month of May 2013 in the amount of $8,667.52 in the general fund,  $5,884.09 in the water fund, $16,028.16 in the sewer fund with all funds totaling $30,579.77. Councilmember Gary Thompson seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Ada DeClark that the council adjourn from the June 2013 council meeting at 8:30 pm. Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Lynette Smith, City Clerk

May 7, 2013

 

Those Present:  Matt Argyle, Ada DeClark, Joe DeClark, Clerk Lynette Smith, Doug Thompson, Gary Thompson, Mayor Bob Van Cleave, Cynthia Reno, Mable Whitmore, Ferrell & Susan Dilworth, Spencer Dilworth, Stephen Waechtler, Anita Panko, Mark Johnson, Trenton Morrell, Tenille Roberts, Brett Lloyd, Jakob Simmons, Trae Smith, Austin Waechtler, Neiko Waechtler

 

Meeting called to order:  7:00 pm                            Invocation:  Council President Joe DeClark

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Matt Argyle that the council accepts the published agenda.  Councilmember Joe DeClark seconded the motion.  All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Minutes from the April 2, 2013, regular council meeting were read. The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Joe DeClark the council approve the minutes as read. Councilmember Ada DeClark seconded the motion.  All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Brett Lloyd came before the council and proposed to build a fire pit in the City Park for his Eagle Scout Project. Kewitt will provide the rock and materials and he won’t be required to purchase a fire permit for the project. Councilmember Ada DeClark asked him to please install a tetherball in the City Park, at the City’s cost, also. Councilmember Matt Argyle made the motion to allow Brett to build and install a fire pit and tetherball in the City Park. Councilmember Ada DeClark seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Tenille Roberts, representing CenturyLink, came before the council to speak about the local benefits the fiber optic line will provide to our community. She stated that the project is backed by the Idaho Education Program and it will offer fiber optic internet speed to Georgetown Elementary School first and would eventually be available for residents. They already have their state permits to go along the highway from McCammon, through Soda Springs and to Montpelier. DigLine will mark along the highway and the contractor will be required to have performance bonds. The fiber optic line will run along the West side of the highway and the contractor will notify residents when they will be opening the ground in front of their properties to help them plan accordingly. They are hoping to be finished with the project by October and have the schools connected by late October or the beginning of November. CenturyLink and the contractor will be responsible for repairing any sink holes that occur from the installation. Councilmember Joe DeClark made the motion to sign the permit with the agreement being changed to state that the contractor/CenturyLink will be responsible for replacing any sink holes a minimum of two (2) years following the installation. Gary Thompson seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Cynthia Reno came before the council and presented some pictures and news articles of spontaneous fires. She is concerned about there being a fire hazard at various locations around the city, but she is mostly concerned about her neighbors residence located at 364 Main St, because there are weeds that are never watered and lots of metal scraps around. She is grateful for the City’s help with the awful odor that was exuding from the property and she would like some help with educating the public about keeping their properties taken care of.

 

The Dilworth’s came and spoke about the pile up of miscellaneous items on his property and explained that they are coolers that Jim Ahrens had acquired from Broulim’s; he ran out of room on his property so Ferrell let him put some on his property also. The weather hasn’t permitted them to get what they needed out of the coolers before getting rid of the items. He says the issue will be resolved in the next couple weeks.

 

Trenton Morrell came before the council and would like to be issued a building permit to put in a new home behind his existing home on Stringtown Ln. Doug has inspected the property and measured from the center of the street to the home to make sure the proper setbacks have been met. The home will be partially within City limits and he would like to be hooked up to the City’s water and sewer systems. Hadley and Jessica Wright have also applied for a building permit to put in a new home on West Street. The council approved both building permits.

 

Keller Associates sent a letter updating the council on the progress that has been made within the last month of the wastewater project. The bids will begin on May 23^rd at noon in the City Hall. Bids will be accepted until June 7^th at noon. After the bidding has closed, the bids will be opened on June 7^th at City Hall and Mayor Bob would like to also have Joe and Doug there to help decide on whom the bid should be awarded to.

 

Councilmember Matt Argyle would like the council to consider putting a new garage door on the City shop, sometime before winter. Doug is to measure the doors and get a bid for it before the next meeting.

 

Councilmember Ada DeClark is going to get some help from more Eagle Scouts to mark the corners for the mulch to be put in place and adding a concrete barrier. The City will pay for the concrete and the landscape fabric. She hopes to have it all finished by the end of May. The 2^nd Ward had a ward party and cleaned up around the City also.

 

Police Report:   Officer Skinner has returned to work and has made 29 contacts for the month of April.

 

Maintenance report:   Doug Thompson gave his report for the month of April stating that he was able to get a few water bills caught up, marked for DigLine, helped Trenton Morrell disconnect and reconnect to his existing home, turned water on at 3 locations and his water samples were good. There was a water leak in town and he was able to repair it. He tested sewer samples, sent his EPA letter and helped with cleanup. John Howard called and where his septic tank was, the ground had collapsed, so he helped him backfill it. Todd Transtrum from Bear Lake County came and talked about the topsoil and said that they are interested in it; they just need to figure out how to get it hauled. He plowed Stringtown and the canyon once more and purchased a stainless steel sander. He sent out dog tag late notices, did some maintenance on the vehicles and dug one grave.

 

Office Report:   Clerk Smith reported that there are 8 delinquent water and sewer accounts for the month of April. The Bear Lake County Regional Commission would like to use City Hall to hold a meeting on May 15^th to get input from Georgetown and Bennington residents on their feelings of the County Ordinance requiring a minimum of 40 acres to build a home. They will do all advertising for the meeting; if there is one. Stan Prescott called and would like to know if his niece, Susan Thomson, could be buried in the same plot as one of her parents. She will be cremated and her parents have been cremated also. The council said that would be fine, but she will pay the $500.00 fee for a grave opening for non-residents.

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Ada DeClark the council approve checks and vouchers for the month of April 2013 in the amount of $11,563.83 in the general fund,  $7,725.88 in the water fund, $31,397.34 in the sewer fund with all funds totaling $50,687.05. Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Ada DeClark that the council adjourn from the May 2013 council meeting at 8:30 pm. Councilmember Gary Thompson seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Lynette Smith, City Clerk

April 2, 2013

 

Those Present:  Matt Argyle, Ada DeClark, Joe DeClark, Clerk Lynette Smith, Doug Thompson, Mayor Bob Van Cleave, Cynthia Reno, Mable Whitmore

 

Meeting called to order:  7:00 pm                            Invocation:  Council President Joe DeClark

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Matt Argyle that the council accepts the published agenda.  Councilmember Ada DeClark seconded the motion.  All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Minutes from the March 5, 2013, regular council meeting were read. The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Joe DeClark the council approve the minutes as read. Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion.  All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Clerk Smith called City Attorney, Adam McKenzie, on the phone for a teleconference for counsel on the agenda items. The chair entertained a motion from Councilmember Joe DeClark that the council leave the regular meeting and move into executive session as per Idaho Code Section 67-2345(West)(f), for the purpose of discussing with legal counsel for the public agency to discuss the legal ramifications of and legal options for pending litigation, or controversies not yet being litigated but imminently likely to be litigated. The mere presence of legal counsel at an executive session does not satisfy this requirement. Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion.  A roll call vote was taken and is as follows:  Ada – yes, Joe – yes, Matt – yes.

 

Councilmember Ada DeClark made the motion that the council move out of executive session and back into the regular meeting, at 7:25 pm. Councilmember Joe DeClark seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken and is as follows:  Ada – yes, Joe – yes, Matt – yes.

 

Adam will put together a citation in the form of a letter for Officer Skinner to issue to T.J. Johnson by tomorrow and will give him 24 hours to take care of the nuisance at 364 Main St. If it is not taken care of within that time frame then Officer Skinner will serve him with a citation of criminal charges of a public nuisance.

 

Mayor Bob asked Adam McKenzie about the possibility of installing a radar camera along Stringtown Lane. We get numerous complaints about speeding along Stringtown and when Officer Skinner patrols he rarely sees many vehicles and then is missing lots of vehicles along the highway and can’t be in two places at once. Adam said that there is nothing in Idaho Statutes that prohibits the use of a radar camera but says that it is usually difficult to identify the driver of the car which would then prohibit Officer Skinner from issuing a citation without knowledge of whom the driver is. We would need to find a camera that would take pictures of the driver and the license plates and then Officer Skinner would review the camera and issue a citation from there.

 

The Budget Hearing dates were set for the 2013-2014 Fiscal Year. Councilmember Joe DeClark made the motion to hold the Budget Hearing on Tuesday, September 3, 2013 for Fiscal Year 2013-2014. Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council. The budget workshop will be held on Tuesday, August 6, 2013 with City Auditor, Gary Teuscher.

 

The water tanks were reappraised for the year and we received a letter from ICRMP asking if we would like to make any changes to our appraisals or our insured amounts. The tanks appraised at $96,688 and are currently insured for $200,000. Councilmember Matt Argyle made the motion to leave the rates where they are and continue to insure for higher than the appraised value. Councilmember Joe DeClark seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

CenturyLink sent a permit to install a buried fiber optic cable along Main Street. Councilmember Joe DeClark would like for a representative to come to our council meeting and discuss with us their plans and how it will be of benefit to our community. Clerk Smith will compose a letter for the Mayor to sign asking for representation at our next council meeting.

 

Keller Associates sent a letter updating the council on the progress that has been made within the last month of the wastewater project.

 

Councilmember Joe DeClark mentioned that we all need to be more aware of the building that is going on within the community and need to make the community more aware of a need to purchase permits whenever they are building. Anything that is movable and less than 200 sqft does not require a building permit; everything else does.

 

Councilmember Ada DeClark reported that we are quickly approaching our May 1^st deadline from the grant that we received to purchase playground mulch for it to be installed by that date. Doug will let Ada and Marty know when the ground is ready to install the mulch. She also said that she wants to put in individual playground pieces instead of a large set hoping that the city or the committee would be able to fund one new piece a year. She also would like to have the kids at Georgetown Elementary be able to vote on which pieces that they would like to have in the playground. Mayor Bob suggested showing the kids videos from the companies to help them in making their decisions on the equipment. She also said that she would like to see an Easter Egg Hunt happen next year in the City.

 

Police Report:   Officer Skinner has returned to work and has made 44 contacts for the month of March.

 

Maintenance report:   Doug Thompson gave his report for the month of March stating that he repaired the snow blower, plowed some snow, marked some areas for DigLine and replaced some stop signs. He went to IPACO in Logan and found a salter/sander for $4,350.00; the bottom of it would eventually rot out from the salt sitting in it, he thinks that we could use just sand and it would help it to last longer. Warren Sorenson’s sewer backed up into their home; Doug went and researched at the Lift Station but found it not to be the problem, there is a broken line about 25 feet from the house. He has spoken with the delinquents for the month and has gotten commitments from them to catch up their accounts. His water sample testing has been good. He shut off water at 2 locations, dug one grave and took 3 days of vacation time. Sam Holder wants to remove the old trailer on his property and put in a new one that is updated and will help the property look better. Before the trailer is moved back onto the property he will need to get a building permit.

 

Office Report:   Clerk Smith reported that there are 19 delinquent water and sewer accounts for the month of March.

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Ada DeClark the council approve checks and vouchers for the month of March 2013 in the amount of $9,950.04 in the general fund,  $6,204.24 in the water fund, $16,339.29 in the sewer fund with all funds totaling $32,493.57. Councilmember Joe DeClark seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Ada DeClark that the council adjourn from the April 2013 council meeting at 8:15 pm. Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Lynette Smith, City Clerk

March 5, 2013

 

Those Present:  Matt Argyle, Ada DeClark, Joe DeClark, Clerk Lynette Smith, Doug Thompson, Mayor Bob Van Cleave, Cynthia Reno

 

Meeting called to order:  7:00 pm                            Invocation:  Councilmember Ada DeClark

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Matt Argyle that the council accepts the published agenda.  Councilmember Joe DeClark seconded the motion.  All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Minutes from the February 5, 2013, regular council meeting were read. The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Joe DeClark the council approve the minutes as read. Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion.  All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Mayor Van Cleave gave an update on the nuisance located at 364 Main St. He spoke with City Attorney, Adam McKenzie, about getting a search warrant from a judge to search the premises. Adam didn’t feel like this was the best approach because if the judge said no to the warrant, then we couldn’t pursue the issue any further. Adam has sent a letter to the homeowner, James King, in North Carolina asking for permission for us to search the premises and once we hear back from him, we will go from there. Cynthia Reno, the next door neighbor to the nuisance came to the meeting to hear how she should handle things also. She had complaints about the roof of the building and being afraid that with too much snow on it, that it could collapse and ricochet into her home. She sent a letter and pictures of the roof and the cement piles that were left there from removing a wall, to James King and to T.J. Johnson and has never heard back from either one of them.

 

Rocky Mountain Power has sent a contract to be signed along with two easements that need to be notarized and recorded with the county for the wastewater project. After speaking with Keller Associates the full $11,101.00 can be paid for out of the loan also. Councilmember Ada DeClark made the motion to have the Mayor sign the contract and the easements and send $11,101.00 to Rocky Mountain Power. Councilmember Joe DeClark seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried.

 

Councilmember Joe DeClark spoke about the farmland that the City just purchased for the wastewater project from Sheldon Clark. He said that for the spring of 2013 that there should be no planting of crops because there will be lots of construction and piling of top soil, etc. that it would be a waste to plant it this spring. He said that he thought if there is any pasture this fall that the City should let Sheldon use it at no cost and that he should be able to use those 7 water shares that he sold to the City with his land. For 2014, Sheldon and/or Drue and Cole Smith, that leases the rest of Sheldon’s ground, should be able to plant alfalfa and take all the crops at no cost to them or the City. Then in 2015, we may need to make a new agreement. With this plan, the City nor Keller’s will need to find someone to farm it and it won’t cost any party anything. Councilmember Matt Argyle made the motion to follow Joe’s plan that he just outlined above for the City’s farmland. Councilmember Ada DeClark seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried. Also, Joe asked both Kelly Bartschi and Sheldon Clark how they would feel about applying the sludge to their land that the City purchased and both said it would be ok. The only stipulation is that in 2014, the alfalfa cannot be used for consumption by dairy cows; only to beef cows.

 

Stan Prescott owns some cemetery plots and wants to give 2 of his spaces buylevitra.net located in Block 5 Plot 4 Spaces e and f to Julie Ann Guffey and Richard Guffey. The council had no objections.

 

Councilmember Matt Argyle spoke about a web-based satellite program for cities and counties used for addressing and indexing, called Pictometry. Right now, the county is doing an enhanced 911 service with Verizon in order to more easily locate everyone. He has spoken with other cities and they have said that now is the time to redo the addresses in the City in conjunction with the 911 service. He has briefly spoken with the County about the City being able to piggyback with the County and use this program for a minimal cost to help us with our addressing and it would be useful for planning and zoning and preparing for future growth. He also said that when replacing our street signs that we will need to comply with the enhanced 911 service.

 

Matt also would like for the City to look into purchasing a sander/spreader that would slide right into the back of the service truck and then Doug can sand the streets through the City when they get really slick. He and Doug wondered if we could use the money that has been saved up for a generator towards the sander instead. The County has agreed to give any cinders that Doug would need to replace in the sander for free. Councilmember Ada DeClark made a motion to allow Doug to purchase a sander machine for $5,000.00. Councilmember Joe DeClark seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried.

 

Matt also asked the council to consider getting a bigger shed for the backhoe that would be more enclosed to park the backhoe and another piece of machinery, such as the dump truck, underneath if needed. The sun is rotting the inside of the backhoe and it would be nice to park most all the machinery under some cover. Last year, the council had agreed to let the Georgetown Irrigation Company purchase a shed to park the backhoe under and would let them use the City’s land to place the shed on. The council would like to readdress the issue and ask the Irrigation Company if they would agree to pay half of a bigger shed and then go from there.

 

Police Report:   Officer Skinner hasn’t returned to work quite yet but says he is feeling better and is hoping to be back in the next week or two.

 

Maintenance report:   Doug Thompson gave his report for the month of February stating that he dug two graves in the cemetery, worked on the snow plow and the snow blower. He was able to get some parts for the snow blower and fixed that. He plowed the streets, got the fire hydrant fixed, he turned the water on and off for a couple of repairs, tested his samples, which were good. He had a telephone conference with Keller’s and helped them out and he plowed more snow.

 

Office Report:   Clerk Smith reported that there are 11 delinquent water and sewer accounts for the month of February.

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Ada DeClark the council approve checks and vouchers for the month of February 2013 in the amount of $14,495.39 in the general fund,  $6,169.81 in the water fund, $60,777.86 in the sewer fund with all funds totaling $81,443.06. Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

The chair entertained a motion from councilmember Ada DeClark that the council adjourn from the March 2013 council meeting at 8:20 pm. Councilmember Matt Argyle seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion carried the council.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Lynette Smith, City Clerk