MINUTES
BONNERS FERRY CITY COUNCIL
September 5, 2023
6:00 pm
Mayor Staples opened the meeting at 6:00 pm with the pledge of allegiance. Present for the meeting included Council members, Ron Smith, Val Thompson, and Brion Poston. Rick Alonzo was absent.
Members of staff present for the meeting include City Engineer Mike Klaus, City Administrator Lisa Ailport, City Police Chief Brian Zimmerman, Attorney Andrakay Pluid, Clerk/Treasurer Deborah Garcia.
Members of the public include David Sims, Ben Robertson, Fay Almond, Chris Pease, Emily Bonsant, Marciavee Cossette, Tom Duarte, Kennon McClintock, Carolyn Testa, Denise Crichton,
PUBLIC COMMENTS
Each speaker will be allowed a maximum of three minutes, unless repeat testimony is requested by the Mayor/Council.
No public comments.
REPORTS
Police- No report Fire- No report
City Administrator- Written Report City Engineer- No report
Urban Renewal District- They had a meeting and passed the budget that was advertised. SPOT- No report
Golf- No report
EDC- There was going to be a medical clinic at the old South Hill Furniture but due to the death of the owner of the building it was in escrow and was hung up they will be relocating into the Bottom Dollar building up on the top of the North Hill. There was an inquiry that came into the city website and Lisa passed it off to me and they will be occupying the corner drug store building shortly. The Moyie Sewer project, DEQ, came through with 2.5 million more ARPA funds as well as a couple hundred thousand in state revolving loan funds. Everything looked good and then their engineer came back last Friday and raised the engineering cost $400,000.00. There is a meeting tomorrow morning with the owner of the engineering firm. David said the visitor center has been a lot busier this year than the previous. David is hoping to have an end of season lunch for the volunteers.
CONSENT AGENDA – {action item}
- Call to Order/Roll Call
- Approval of Bills and Payroll
- Contract for Tree Trimming Services by Asplundh Tree Services
- FY2024 Dispatch Agreement with Boundary County
Val Thompson made the motion to approve the consent agenda. Ron Smith seconded the motion.
| Result: | Approve |
| Moved by: | Val Thompson |
| Seconded by | Ron Smith |
| Voted Yes | Ron Smith, Brion Poston, Val Thompson |
| Voted No | |
| Absent |
OLD BUSINESS
- CITY {action Item}– Consider fee waiver by Commissioner Ben Robertson for a building permit for Boundary County.
Lisa Ailport talked about how the city was in a situation where they didn’t know if they could fully operate the city and the pool was the easy savings if we didn’t open it at $80,000.00. It was brought to the County Commissioners, and they supported leaving the pool open. The city now has a clearer picture on where our finances are and where we are going to sit theoretically when we close the books out not on September 30th as there will be some accrued income that will come in October and early November with our Local option tax for August and September and our Sales Tax revenue when the books are complete for FY 2021 as well as
$100,00.00 from LTHAC we will get in October we should be able refund the county. Commissioner Ben Robertson said that he appreciates the thought of the city wanting to give back the $80,000.00 to the county, but that is not what he is asking. Commissioner Robertson said he is asking us to waive the permit and fees associated with it so the city doesn’t have to pay anyone else either as they are government entity as well and can cover their own engineering costs and feels that there is no sense for them to pay us and us to pay anyone else. Mayor Staples feels like the relationship between the county and the city is good and he would like to do this for them. Mayor Staples would like to table this until he can see the plans and what they entail. City administrator Lisa Ailport wants to clear for the records purposes and members of the public and council that are here tonight that the city cannot waive our inspections as those are in our law, or hand them off to another entity to do on our behalf. The city would have to amend the law to allow deviance from that and I would not encourage council to take that on. Trying to see where Mr. Robertson is coming from, the county doesn’t enforce them that there is the possibility that the county could do their own inspections, but that is not what our law says. The city has adopted the IBC, and the UBC as our enacting law about how building codes are supposed to happen. Costs from the state and Ruen Yeager to administrate the process of a building permit the city takes in around 4% to cover our administrative costs. Permit costs vary. This would shift this on to the tax payers if we waive them. Commissioner Robertson said he is not asking the city to waive the fees. Councilman Poston said that it sounds like that is what would have to happen. Commissioner Robertson said that he would rather not do it then.
| Result: | No Action Taken |
| Moved by: | |
| Seconded by | |
| Voted Yes | |
| Voted No | |
| Absent |
NEW BUSINESS
- CITY {action Item}—Request by Kennon McClintock with Nature Conservatory for support letter regarding a conservation easement in Boundary County. Forest Legacy Program is run by the Idaho Department of Lands. The application is already in, Conservation easements limit commercial development, mining.
Kennon is speaking about the forest legacy program that is ran by the Idaho Department of Lands. This program protects working forest lands. It is a voluntary program using conservation easements only for private lands either corporate, industrial lands or small private. Growing trees and harvesting will promote and sustain our economy here. This is a national competitive program and every year Idaho projects must be in be in by July each year and
then Idaho Department of Lands goes through them and ranks them. 1-2 projects The project that they are working on
| Result: | Approve |
| Moved by: | Val Thompson |
| Seconded by | Brion Poston |
| Voted Yes | Val Thompson, Brion Poston, Ron Smith |
| Voted No | |
| Absent |
- ELECTRIC {action Item} (attachment)– Consider approval of proposed change order with SEL for hydro controls upgrade project.
Started the project in December, there have been a few changes since they started. Asked for a change order for these controls.
| Result: | Approve |
| Moved by: | Val Thompson |
| Seconded by | Brion Poston |
| Voted Yes | Brion Poston, Val Thompson, Ron Smith |
| Voted No | |
| Absent |
8. CITY- PUBLIC HEARING Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Hearing
Open public hearing at 6:40pm for public comments.
Lisa Ailport stated that council should all have the budget presentation in front of them. To educate the public and some council members. No comments closed at 6:44pm
- CITY {action Item} (attachment)– First Reading by Title Only of Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriation Ordinance
| Result: | Approve |
| Moved by: | Ron Smith |
| Seconded by | Val Thompson |
| Voted Yes | Val Thompson, Ron Smith, Brion Poston |
| Voted No | |
| Absent |
- City {action Item}– Suspend the Reading Rules and Adopt Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriation Ordinance #613.
| Result: | Approve |
| Moved by: | Val Thompson |
| Seconded by | Brion Poston |
| Voted Yes | Ron Smith, Brion Poston, Val Thompson |
| Voted No | |
| Absent |
- PLANNING {action Item} (attachment)- PUBLIC HEARING and CONSIDERATION of AN08-23 Annexation request by Kootenai River Lumber Company. File #AN08-23 Kootenai River Lumber Company is requesting annexation into the City of Bonners Ferry of a 10.95-acre parcel west of the mill site and Boundary County fairgrounds and south of the Kootenai River on Riverside Street. The property is known as Tax 58 in Section 28, Township 62 North, Range 1 East, B.M. The applicant proposes the land be designated Masterplan Mixed Use on the comprehensive plan Future Land Use Map and be zoned Commercial, which allows for a mixture of housing types, and various service, retail, and commercial uses appropriate comp plan mapping and zoning for the property.
Mayor Staples opened the public Hearing for file# AN08- 23 Kootenai River Lumber Company at 6:47pm. Hearing a new. Lisa gave an overview of the planning and zoning file that was opened at 7:05pm
Chris Pease gave a presentation. Tom Duarte does not object but has concerns of how that will affect their granite quarry. Public hearing closed at 7:11pm
Mayor re-opened the hearing at 7:12pm so Val could ask a question about if there were any plans to build near the quarry. Chris answered. Tom Duarte had one more comment. Duarte mentioned that they are not. Mayor closed the public hearing again at 7:16 pm.
Lisa reminded staff that the draft motions were presented to council and that they were also on the screen.
| Result: | Approve |
| Moved by: | Brion Poston |
| Seconded by | Val Thompson |
| Voted Yes | Val Thompson, Brion Poston, Ron Smith |
| Voted No | |
| Absent |
- PLANNING {action Item} (attachment) DELIBERATION ONLY- File #SUP013-23 Boundary Regional Community Health Center/Kaniksu Community Health is requesting a special use permit to build a pharmacy on 0.31 acres at the corner of Comanche Street and Chinook Street. The property is known as Lots 8 and 9, Block 15 of the Amended Plat of Bonners Ferry in Section 27, Township 62 North, Range 1 East, Boise Meridian. The property is zoned Medical. The proposed pharmacy would include a drive-through service window. The Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing on August 17, 2023, and made a unanimous recommendation of approval to the City Council.
| Result: | Approve |
| Moved by: | Ron Smith |
| Seconded by | Val Thompson |
| Voted Yes | Ron Smith, Val Thompson, Brion Poston |
| Voted No | |
| Absent |
- City {action Item} — Consider sponsoring the homecoming parade for Boundary County School District.
| Result: | Approve |
| Moved by: | Val Thompson |
| Seconded by | Brion Poston |
| Voted Yes | Val Thompson, Brion Poston, Ron Smith |
| Voted No | |
| Absent |
- Police {action Item}–Request to purchase three used vehicles from Idaho State Police surplus with appropriated ARPA dollars.
| Result: | Approve |
| Moved by: | Ron Smith |
| Seconded by | Brion Poston |
| Voted Yes | Val Thompson, Brion Poston |
| Voted No | |
| Absent |
Mayor Staples closed the regular meeting
- Executive Session {action Item}- 74-206(b) To consider the evaluation, dismissal or disciplining of, or to hear complaints or charges brought against, a public officer, employee, staff member or individual agent, or public school student. Val made the motion to go oint brion seconded 7:34
ADJOURNMENT