HomeMy Public PortalAbout2022.01.31 jan 27th 2022 Council meeting statementStatement for Jan 27th, 2022, Council meeting
I thank the city staff for negotiating through the difficult time Covid has presented us.
But I feel people in our community have been left out of many discussions and decisions. Some people in our community do not have access to the internet. The zoom technology challenges
some, and some do not have connection speeds to watch or participate in council meetings. And Some are fearful of large gatherings.
I think any approval process, unless it is an emergency, should be put on hold until we get back to normal, allowing more people in our community to participate in decisions that impact
them.
I submitted a complaint a few weeks ago and did not receive a response. I was concerned that city staff and our fire chief expressed their concerns about STR /LTR in a meeting I watched.
Long-term rentals operate like small motels but do not meet the fire safety standards of small hotels, putting visitors and residents in danger. Why can't the city council authorize
the Fire Chief to inspect LTR immediately if the city has acknowledged a threat to the safety and welfare of people in our community and visitors that rent vacation homes? And why is
the public excluded from meetings commenting on this critical safety issue?
The Star-News published my Building Moratorium proposal for Valley County, which I have sent to all of you and county commissioners. I realized the city is discussing housing issues,
but as I pointed out in my 6-page proposal, many other problems we face as a community are connected and should be discussed.
I want to request that the council place a moratorium discussion on their agenda. Valley County's decisions significantly impact McCall. We also need to discuss a moratorium for McCall
to revisit zoning regulations. The purpose of zoning is to ensure balanced communities. Many people in our community do not feel our community is balanced.
I also think the Brundage Mountain 1200 home proposal for Adams County needs to be discussed. There are many unanswered questions about who would pay for EMS for the BMR complex and
other impacts from BMR's proposed plan on our community.
Our Deputy Fire Chief Travis Smith has commented that EMS calls are not adequate for McCall, and wait times for EMS are increasing, which is a health and safety issue for McCall residents
and visitors.
I started a petition for a moratorium receiving over a hundred signatures in 3 days, so I think the community would welcome a moratorium discussion to solve the issues we face as a community.
Thank you, David Gallipoli McCall, ID