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HomeMy Public PortalAbout2020.11.10 Special Council Minutes MINUTES McCall City Council Special Meeting A Joint Work Session with the Valley County Board of Commissioners McCall City Hall-- Legion Hall And Via MS Teams November 10, 2020 Call to Order and Roll Call Chamber Department Reports Work Session Adjournment CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL Mayor Giles called the special meeting of the McCall City Council to order at 6:00 p.m. Mayor Giles, Council Member Maciaszek, and Council Member Nielsen all answered roll call.Council Member Holmes joined the meeting at 6:08 p.m.Currently there is one vacancy on the Council. City staff members present were Anette Spickard, City Manager; BessieJo Wagner, City Clerk; Linda Stokes, City Treasurer; Michelle Groenevelt, Community Development Director Valley County Commissioners present were Sherry Maupin, Elt Hasbrouck, and Dave Bingaman Payette Endowment Lands Alliance present were Deb Fereday,Judy Anderson,and Jeff Mousseau Also,in attendance was Scott Corkill, Idaho Department of Lands; Cynda Herrick,Valley County Planning&Zoning WORK SESSION—STATE ENDOWMENT LANDS Idaho Department of Lands Presentation Scott Corkill, Area Manager of the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) gave an update on current/proposed management practices for State Endowment Lands. In 2019, a 5-year forest management asset plan was implemented by the Land Board for lands from McCall proper to Paddy Flat Road and no changes will be made to it. Those lands are undergoing inventory and harvest models for the appropriate harvesting and regeneration strategy for those lands. The area of the current focus is specifically the disposal of the endowment lands around the lake. He went over the timeline of recent and upcoming meetings explaining the goals. Public comment will be received through November and then a draft plan written and presented to the Land Board in December. Because the Land Board has not yet seen this draft,he does not feel it is appropriate to MCCALL CITY COUNCIL Page 1 of 5 November 10, 2020 Special Meeting discuss the specific details at this time. His hope is that there will be an action item in January or February for the Land Board to vote on. There are about 5000 acres in the endowment parcels but dialed down only about 200 high value acres close to Payette Lake. Commissioner Elt Hasbrouck asked how much of the 5000 acres are for timberland. Mr. Corkill stated around 3500 acres will remain for timber at this time. Commissioner Sherry Maupin asked if there were any current leases and Mr. Corkill stated there were a few for mineral, grazing, and recreational leases still in place. He clarified these acres are lands inside the impact zone. He clarified for Council Member Maciaszek the draft plan will present options for the Land Board but has nothing to do with the Trident Holdings proposal. The Trident proposal is completely separate from what is being presented to the Board in the coming months.Alec Williams,Trident Holdings, has been in discussion with the Land Board for a long time and Mr. Corkill does not know what the Land Board will decide regarding that proposal. Next week, the draft will be available for review by the public. IDL will recommend to the Land Board that the current leases remain in place. Council Member Nielsen wanted to know if there will be any changes to the fundamental operations mandate. Mr. Corkill explained Attorney General Lawrence Wasden made it clear he had no interest in an amendment as this is a federal grant and making any changes would require an act of Congress to accomplish. Mayor Giles inquired as to who the other team was that was referenced at the beginning and Mr.Corkill clarified he gave his recommendations to the executive and real estate teams in Boise who are working to put the draft together. Payette Endowment Lands Alliance Presentation Deb Fereday of the Payette Endowment Lands Alliance (PELA) presented. She shared that the approximately 1500 acres is a place where the citizens and visitors can connect to the land. Privatizing those lands would be detrimental to the community and daily life. She reported on PELA discussions where the 11 board members educated themselves on endowment lands and the fiduciary responsibility of the Land Board. In July, over 650 signatures were collected in opposition to the large-scale land swap. PELA feels the primary value that must drive decisions is maintaining the quality of the resources,the land and water and it's living ecosystem.They believe the long-term financial gains set forth in the constitutional mandate can never be achieved by degrading the ecosystem. She shared discussions PELA had with multiple agencies including Land Board members, Secretary of State,Attorney General, State Controller,Idaho Parks&Recreation, and the Governor's office. They also met with the Idaho Conservation League, Wildlife Federation, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Payette Land Trust, and other organizations and home associations. PELA would like to assist in communicating with the Land Board and encourage a local task force. The group's aim is to preserve and protect in perpetuity the immeasurable beauty the ecology of this area which in turn directly affect the economy. Judy Anderson, PELA member, spoke to the ecology of the lake and how the lake is integral to the community in McCall and communities downstream. Fragmentation of the land had negative effects on the wildlife. Other states have emphasized "long-term stewardship" and "a public obligation for the state as land managers to a clean and healthful environment" rather than just revenue generation.One state set up a stewardship trust of 300k acres to preserve long-term returns and only allow uses that will enhance and protect the natural values of open space and wildlife. She shared the ecological interdependence processes and human agencies and government jurisdiction over the land and watersheds including our dependence on water regulation and MCCALL CITY COUNCIL Page 2 of S November 10, 2020 Special Meeting irrigation.No single entity exists that has a sufficiently large vision to hold the diversity of values and complexity of the ecosystem in order to guide the management of these lands. PELA is calling for the formation of coalitions,to challenge thinking and widen views to find long-term sustainable solutions. Jeff Mousseau, PELA member, presented comments from Land Board members, examples of successful land conservation in towns with similar issues as McCall, and gave a description of the new website and resources.The Land Board comments were focused on following the requirement within the State constitution and statues, and long-term financial return. Any lands sold will not be sold for less than the appraised price and encouraged discussion with IDL as well as welcomed critique of proposals that are submitted to them. There is no decision yet on these lands as a strategic plan is being formulated and it is unlikely a decision will be made in such short notice. The Land Board is interested in hearing from the different entities and encouraged a proposal of solutions. Next, he shared two examples. In 2008, Blaine County passed a Land, Water, and Wildlife Program levy to protect natural resources and the quality of life valued by the area residents.The ballot language included an advisory board of local citizens whose job was to advise the county commissioners on conservation with proposals. He went on to describe details on how this levy operated, the financing, and what it has accomplished. The next example is in the San Juan Islands in Washington. That area has what is call the San Juan County Conservation Land Bank. The citizens,concerned about population growth and loss of areas loved by locals, strove to create a way to save these treasured lands. In 1990, voters approved the Land Bank through a onetime 1% real estate excise tax paid at closing of property purchases. This mandate was implemented to preserve in perpetuity areas in the county that have environmental, agricultural, aesthetic, cultural, historical, scenic, and recreational values and to protect existing and future sources of potable water. He pointed out this community has very similar to that of the McCall area. Moving on, Mr. Mousseau explained the perks of the new PELA website, www.pelamccall.com. The website includes a description of what PELA is about, the mission statement,the directors, and a dedicated page to endowment lands and a map showing where these acres are. There are interesting stories, a photo gallery, and a library of other useful information from around the country. In closing,he would like to see more time to vet this issue as it is difficult enough to bring everyone to the table during normal operations let alone a pandemic, and finally the formation acceptance of a coalition to bring all parties together to work towards a common goal. Each of the Commissioners commented that the discussion of the preservation of public lands has been a topic with the commission and commended the PELA for all their hard work. Due to other items needing priority, such as road maintenance, it is difficult to give financial support. They suggested a possible levy as a way to find funding. They were supportive of the coalition idea and showing a united front to the Land Board. The Council thanked PELA for their efforts and was unified in wanting to review the strategic plan and supportive of a joint coalition. Mayor Giles shared that the City received 500 comments opposed to a land exchange but at the same time supportive of timber sales and grazing and expressed trust in IDL management. Comprehensive Plan & Development Regulations Cyndia Herrick, Valley County Planning & Zoning Administrator and Floodplain Coordinator, gave brief overview of policies/development regulations. She shared that the County does not have MCCALL CITY COUNCIL Page 3 of 5 November 10, 2020 Special Meeting jurisdiction on any endowment lands and the State does not have to follow local ordinances or local codes and can plat less than legal subdivisions according to the State statutes, which is concerning. The Valley County Waterways Management Plan will address some of the water issues if the County can get input for the State. With the timeline given by IDL, she feels the County and City should give a plea with the Land Board to give everyone more time. Commissioner Hasbrouck felt making any decisions without knowing what the strategic plan will be is premature. Community&Economic Development Director Michelle Groenevelt echoed the frustration of the State not having to follow local land use laws and expressed concern of IDL getting into the land development arena. She did not feel this is in the best interest of the community. There was a discussion regarding the lands along Payette Lake. Commissioner Hasbrouck stated the Idaho constitution does not allow the State to develop land and their guiding principal is to make as much money as they can off of the land. This means possible auction of the land or swapping for other acreage somewhere else as in the Trident proposal. He feels this will come down to who can afford to buy the land. Council Member Holmes asked if the planning and zoning laws would hold up and Community& Economic Development Director Groenevelt stated that the landowners would have to follow the laws, and if they ask for a rezone, the future land use plan would be consulted before any decision would be had. It would be a difficult task to accomplish. The agriculture/forest areas are mostly zoned low density but to change those zonings to agricultural or forest only, it would take a new ordinance. The City Attorney would need to be consulted if the Council would like to see this happen. Council Member Maciaszek agreed a request to the Land Board for more time to review and respond to their strategic plan. He felt their timeline is really tight and he would like to see months not days in order to respond. There was direction to staff to work with Commissioner Bingaman on drafting a letter commenting on the City Council and Valley County Board of Commissioners joint recommendations to the Idaho Department of Lands Board as they move forward with their new management plan for the local State Endowment Lands. Water Quality& Recreational Impacts Commissioner Bingaman shared there was a large increase in recreational activities on the lake and surrounding land, especially around Little Payette Lake. One big issue is human waste and a concern for water quality of the lake. The County does not have the resources to oversee these areas regarding sanitation and IDL does not service the areas. He stated there are literally people living in the forest.Also,he feels any large scale, cluster,or high-density development on Eastside Drive will have a big impact on the water quality as well.The use and abuse of this side of the lake needs addressed. Mayor Giles asked Commissioner Bingaman to add some language in the letter to highlight these issues as well. The Council agreed but wanted the letter to focus primarily on requesting more time. Council Member Holmes added she would like to have input from the Public Works Director Nathan Stewart on the traffic impact of any large development in that area as well. Commissioner MCCALL CITY COUNCIL Page 4 of S November 10, 2020 Special Meeting Maupin stated the cottage sites might be critical access points for the public. Commissioner Hasbrouck suggested the 500 comments be added to the letter as an appendix.City Manager Anette Spickard stated the Land Board has already received the comments after the Council meeting regarding Trident and suggested just reference that. Everyone agreed on the content of the letter. Staff will work with Commissioner Bingaman this week to finalize the document. ADJOURNMENT Without further business, Mayor Giles adjourned the meeting at 7:43 p.m. OV MCC, = * 4 ATTEST: Robert S. Giles, Mayor i BessieJo Wagofier, City C erk MCCALL CITY COUNCIL Page S of S November 10, 2020 Special Meeting