HomeMy Public PortalAboutMinutes_City Council Work Meeting_03162021 CITY COUNCIL WORK MEETING
IONA CITY HALL
MARCH 16,2021 6:00 P.M.
PRESENT: Mayor Dan Gubler, Council President Rob Geray, Council Member Michael
Thompson, Council Member Peter Wadsworth, Council Member Kathy McNamara, City
Attorney Andrew Rawlings, Public Works Director Zech Prouse (via teleconference) and City
Clerk/Treasurer Keri West.
ABSENT: None.
VISITORS: Chris Williams and Kevin Casper.
ITEMS OF BUSINESS:
Discussion of City Building Rentals — Mayor Gubler stated the City has received numerous
requests for City Building rentals for private events. He asked the Council their thoughts on
reopening the City Building for rentals. Council Member Wadsworth stated he supports opening
the building for rentals, but is also hesitant because he believes the City employees are too
valuable to put at risk. He suggested waiting one additional month to monitor the COVID-19
cases in our area. Clerk West asked if this applied to organizations that have traditionally used
the City Building for their meetings and activities. Council President Geray stated he does not
recommend canceling any events or meetings that have already taken place in the building, but
would suggest not allowing new rentals. All Council Members agreed.
Discussion of"Ball Circle" in Freedom Field Estates —Director Prouse stated there was theft
in the undeveloped portion of Freedom Field Estates involving street signs and lights. When
Bonneville County Road & Bridge came to replace the missing signs, they informed Director
Prouse that "Ball Circle" is used on both the East and West cul-de-sacs of the road. They
informed him this is a safety hazard and recommended changing the name of one of the attached
cul-de-sacs to avoid confusion. Director Prouse stated he wanted to bring this to the Council's
attention and inform them of the option to change the name of one end of the cul-de-sac. Director
Prouse continued and stated it would be a lengthy process to change the name of the road since
building permits have already been issued and does not believe it is a necessity at this time. He
also stated this is a situation to keep in mind for future developments.
Lieutenant Casper stated one of the issues with having two cul-de-sacs with the same name is
that electronic devices can get confused with navigation. He continued and stated this can
present a problem for law enforcement and emergency vehicles. Mayor Gubler agreed and
recommended changing one cul-de-sac to "Ball Court" and keeping the other as "Ball Circle".
Clerk West agreed and stated she will start the process to change the West side of the cul-de-sac
to "Ball Court", as no Certificates of Occupancy have been issued for those homes at this time.
Discussion of Memorial Bench in Iona City Park — Director Prouse stated he has received a
call from a relative of Tom Shurtliff, requesting to install a granite memorial bench for him at
Iona City Park. Director Prouse continued and stated the family is also requesting help with the
placement of the bench and any monetary contribution from the City for the cost of materials for
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the base. Director Prouse informed the Council that Tom Shurtliff was very well known in this
valley as a horseman and a contributing member of this community for many years. Council
President Geray suggested having the bench at Pioneer Park. Director Prouse stated he can
suggest that to the family, but recognized their desire to have it at the Iona City Park.
Council President Geray asked the Council to consider how they view memorials being placed in
the park, considering the number of requests that have already been brought to the City and the
amount that can be presumed at a later time. He continued and expressed his desire to keep the
decisions consistent. Council Member Wadsworth stated he thinks a bench on the walking path
is a good idea and feels it is important to honor the past. Mayor Gubler agreed and asked
Director Prouse where the family would like the bench to be placed. Director Prouse said they
requested it to be close to the North Shelter. All Council Members agreed to allowing the bench
be placed in Iona City Park and having the City in charge of placement and installation, but the
family will need to purchase all materials.
Discussion of Iona City Code § 9-4-5(C): Storage of Vehicles on Public Streets — Deputy
Chris Williams with Bonneville County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) stated he has requested the
Council discuss the plowing hours during the winter months. He continued and explained this
section of the City Code currently states that vehicles must be removed from the streets from
6:00am — noon from Thanksgiving until Easter. Director Prouse stated he would prefer to not
allow any on-street parking during these months to allow them better accessibility of all roads for
plowing, regardless of the time in which it snows. Council Member Thompson stated the City of
Ammon and the City of Idaho Falls both declare a snow event and require all vehicles to be
removed from streets prior to snow storms. Mayor Gubler stated our City does not have the
manpower to put up signs and notify residents before each snow event. Director Prouse agreed
and suggested changing the time to 6:00am — 6:00pm. Council President Geray asked Director
Prouse what the earliest time he begins plowing is. Director Prouse confirmed he sometimes
begins at 4:00am, depending on the snowfall. Mayor Gubler suggested possibly dictating a snow
event to restrict on street parking, rather than a time of day. Attorney Rawlings stated if that was
used, the Code would need to define a snow event by inches of snow at a certain location.
Council President Geray stated he feels that could be difficult to enforce and suggested sticking
to timeframes. Director Prouse agreed. Council Member Wadsworth suggested 5:00am —
5:00pm. Director Prouse approved this timeframe. All Council Members and Mayor Gubler
agreed.
Discussion of Iona City Code § 9-4-10: Impounding Fees — Deputy Williams stated this
section of the City Code currently states that a person that has had their vehicle impounded must
first pay $15 to the City Office, prior to retrieving their vehicle from the impound lot and paying
any additional fees. Clerk West stated this has never occurred while she has worked for the City.
Lieutenant Kevin Casper with BCSO stated there is a section in the Idaho State Code that
addresses impounding cars, which is easier for law enforcement agencies to follow and enforce.
Mayor Gubler stated if BCSO would be the entity in charge of impounding vehicles, he does not
feel it is appropriate for the City to charge an additional $15 fee. Council Members all agreed to
remove the $15 fee. Mayor Gubler advised Attorney Rawlings to draft an amendment of this
section for the Council to approve at next month's meeting. Attorney Rawlings agreed.
Discussion of Iona City Code § 9-4-23: Penalties, pertaining to Public Parking violations —
Deputy Williams stated he would like this section cleaned up to be better understood by the
general public. He expressed his concern that this section is confusing and difficult to follow.
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Attorney Rawlings stated he will contact Deputy Williams to discuss this and get his suggestions
on how to amend it appropriately. Council Members agreed with this course of action.
General Water System Discussion—Mayor Gubler stated he was notified by the Army Corp of
Engineers (ACoE) that there is now a one month comment period before the grant process is
complete. He continued and stated if no comments are received, work on the water project can
resume in April. Mayor Gubler then added that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) had
made a couple of errors earlier in the process that were discovered by ACoE. He continued and
stated the BLM is now working with the ACoE to correct those errors.
Mayor Gubler stated in relation to the water project,he has spoken with the owners of the private
road that leads to the new water tank. He continued and stated he discussed with them the option
of having them quitclaim deed the road to the City. This would enable the City to have it paved
and maintain it for future use. He continued and stated he has not heard back from them with
their decision.
Meeting Adjourned: 6:45 p.m.
COUNCIL APPROVED: April 20, 2021
Dan Gubler, Mayor
ATTEST: ('(J , t
eri West, City Clerk/Treasurer
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