HomeMy Public PortalAbout1-CM Department Report - Feb 2019Monthly Department Report – City Manager
Memo
To: City Council
From: Anette Spickard, City Manager
Date: March 7, 2019
Re: Monthly Department Report – February 2019
1.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.
2.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/
3.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
Monthly Department Report – City Manager
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.
4. 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.