HomeMy Public PortalAboutCM Department Report - Feb 2019Memo /
To: City Council
From: Anette Spickard, City Manager
Date: March 7, 2019
Re: Monthly Department Report – February 2019
Public Outreach:
The primary public education/outreach focus in February was our “Snow in the City” campaign to help people understand the City’s snow removal operations, plow routes, parking enforcement,
sidewalk snow removal responsibility, and to connect people to licensed private snow removal contractors for assistance with snow on private property. February was a record month for
snowfall and staff handled numerous calls at City Hall for plow information and road conditions.
Idaho Transportation Department – Highway 55 Road Repairs/Improvements:
Winter weather conditions this year have been harsh on street surfaces, notably on Highway 55 between Banks and McCall. Staff has received a number of complaints regarding the condition
and safety of travel on Highway 55 during February and was in regular communication with the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD). In the short term, ITD has patched major potholes
and issued travel advisories for the corridor. For the long term, ITD has prepared a major reconstruction and safety improvement project for the section between the Rainbow Bridge and
Smith’s Ferry that will begin in Fall of 2019. ITD staff met with me and Public Works Director Nathan Stewart to discuss the project. It will last approximately 2.5 years and will include
some full closures of the highway as well as 1-lane only access with 15-20 minute delays.
For more information on the project can be found on ITD’s interactive map website at: https://itdprojects.org/id55smithsferryrepave/
Census 2020 Kickoff Update:
The Mayor, Council Member Bob Giles, City GIS staff, and I met with the Census 2020 Liaison for our region to discuss the upcoming federal census that will be conducted April 1, 2020.
The Census is very important for both the State and the City as it determines our population for purposes of distribution of $675 billion in federal funding across the nation for transportation,
job training, public education, senior services, housing programs, and medical assistance programs. Idaho receives approximately $2.4 billion per year or $1,473 per Idahoan. To prepare
for the Census they will be hiring up to 300 people at $15/hour and 58 cents/mile to work in April and May 2019 to verify address and location data for households
throughout the region. Interested applicants should contact the Idaho Department of Labor. City staff will establish a “Complete Count Committee” to assist with the Census as was done
in 2010. The Council has been asked to sign a proclamation in support of the Census 2020 which will be on your March 28th Council agenda. If you would like to participate on the Complete
Count Committee, please let me know.
Legislation Update:
Staff continues to monitor key bills in the legislature that may impact the City.
The alcohol license reform bill previously shared with Council has since been redrafted as a new bill – SB 1160. The new bill retains the current authority of the state to issue the
licenses instead of giving it to the cities and counties, it creates new categories for licenses within cities, caps quotas, and requires server training. The Association of Idaho Cities
continues to support the new bill. A copy of the bill’s statement of purpose is attached to this memo.
HB 217 will reform Urban Renewal (UR) law to require voter approval for use of UR funds for remodels of municipal buildings and for “multipurpose sports stadium complexes”. It refocuses
the use of Urban Renewal funds to infrastructure in advance of private sector development. The Association of Idaho Cities, the Idaho Chamber Alliance, and the Renewal Agencies of Idaho
all oppose the bill. A copy of the bill’s statement of purpose is attached to this memo.