HomeMy Public PortalAboutMinutes_Iona & Bonneville County Joint Session_12072022 IONA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING
JOINT WORK SESSION
BONNEVILLE COUNTY ELECTIONS' CONFERENCE ROOM
497 N. CAPITAL AVENUE
DECEMBER 7,2022—7:15 P.M.
PRESENT REPRESENTING THE CITY OF IONA: Mayor Dan Gubler, Council President
Rob Geray, Council Member Michael Thompson, Council Member Peter Wadsworth, Council
Member Evan Mann, City Attorney Andrew Rawlings and City Clerk/Treasurer Keri West.
PRESENT REPRESENTING BONNEVILLE COUNTY PLANNING & ZONING
COMMISSION: Planning & Zoning Administrator Austin Black, Assistant Planning & Zoning
Supervisor Michelle Hagen, Chairman Doyle Beck, Commissioner Frances Rice, Commissioner
James West, Commissioner Kevin Ward, Commissioner Doug Martin and Commissioner James
Hoff.
Chairman Doyle Beck with the Bonneville County Planning & Zoning Commission welcomed
the City of Iona and requested everyone from both entities introduce themselves.
ITEMS OF BUSINESS:
Joint Work Session with Bonneville County Planning & Zoning Commission to Discuss
Area of Impact Agreement—Chairman Beck stated Commissioner West also serves on the City
of Iona's Planning & Zoning Commission and asked whether that is a conflict of interest for this
discussion. Mayor Gubler stated Commissioner West is not here representing the City of Iona.
Administrator Black agreed and stated Commissioner West can participate in this discussion.
Chairman Beck apologized and stated he has not had a chance to review the information that has
been provided. Administrator Black stated Clerk West was the one to reach out to Bonneville
County and requested this meeting. He invited Clerk West to explain the purpose of this meeting.
Clerk West stated the City of Iona is interested in updating the Area of Impact Agreement
(AOIA) because the last one was completed in 2001. She continued and stated there has been
significant growth in the City and surrounding areas, making an updated agreement necessary.
Clerk West stated City Attorney Rawlings has drafted a proposed AOIA to review and discuss
tonight. She continued and stated she has received a couple of maps from Supervisor Hagen that
illustrate the current Iona boundaries with a 1 mile and 1.5 mile radius. Administrator Black
stated he would like to begin the discussion on the actual agreement itself and work on the map
at a later meeting. Clerk West stated the intention of this meeting is to get the conversation
started and is not to vote on anything or have a completed agreement. Commissioners and
Council Members reviewed the various maps and discussed. Mayor Gubler explained the current
Iona boundaries. Administrator Black stated the City of Iona's adopted area of impact has not
changed since the agreement was signed in 2001. He continued and stated the City has grown
and may currently extend beyond the adopted area of impact, but the actual area of impact as
adopted has not changed. Mayor Gubler stated at the time that agreement was passed, the area of
impact extended 1 mile in all directions from the City limits.
Mayor Gubler stated there are a couple of concerns the City Council feels are necessary to
discuss with the updated agreement. He continued and stated the minimum lot size in Iona has
increased and would like to see that adhered to in its area of impact. Mayor Gubler also stated
the City has recently adopted the same Road Cross Section design that Bonneville County
IONA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL JOINT WORK SESSION—DECEMBER 7, 2022
already requires. He also stated the City would like to extend the area of impact to 1 st Street,
which would overlap the City of Ammon's area of impact. He stated he understands that is an
agreement Iona and Ammon need to come to and he has already been discussing it with Mayor
Coletti from Ammon. Mayor Gubler stated the desire to extend Iona's area of impact to et Street
is to include the Iona Cemetery. Mayor Gubler then stated regarding the northern boundary, the
City of Iona has already been contacted by multiple developers about annexing ground to the
north. He continued and stated the City would like the northern area of impact boundary to
extend to Highway 26. The City is not looking to extend the area of impact to the west. Mayor
Gubler then talked about various zones and areas in which those zones would be appropriate
within the area of impact, such as a Commercial Zone.
Mayor Gubler began the discussion of City utilities being placed beyond the current City limits
with the agreement that the property will be required to annex into the City once it is contiguous.
He continued and stated the City of Iona only offers one service and that is water. Chairman
Beck asked who provides sewer service for the City of Iona. Mayor Gubler confirmed Iona
Bonneville Sewer District (IBSD) provides sewer service to Iona. Administrator Black stated the
purpose of an area of impact is for a City to specify an area they foresee as their future growth
over the next 10-15 years, after identifying current growth rates and patterns. Therefore the
question relating to the City being willing to extend utilities to non-contiguous developments is
to be ahead of the game when that development is contiguous and is required to be annexed into
the City. Mayor Gubler stated if a development is on Falls Water and is later annexed into the
City,they would not be required to switch over to our water system.
Administrator Black asked if anyone from the Commission had questions for the City.
Commissioner Rice asked for more explanation on the maps that were provided. Mayor Gubler
explained the current City boundaries and area of impact. Administrator Black further explained
the maps they provided with the 1 mile and 1.5 mile radius are not proposed areas of impact, but
rather maps to show perspective of the current City limits and what is included in the
surrounding areas. Discussion continued regarding growth patterns and potential growth areas
for the City. Administrator Black reiterated as part of this Work Session the discussion of the
area of impact is still irrelevant because the City of Iona has not presented a proposed map. He
advised the Commission to ask questions relating to the agreement document and address the
map at a later date. Mayor Gubler stated he was unaware the Commission was wanting the City
to provide a map at tonight's meeting. Commissioner Beck stated the City of Idaho Falls went
through this process 5 years ago and used a computer program that he would recommend to the
City of Iona. He continued and stated that allows the City to look at the past and to be able to
forecast future growth and declare areas they would like to encourage growth.
Mayor Gubler stated the City has tried to have this conversation with prior Bonneville County
P&Z administrations and were never able to come to an agreement. Administrator Black stated
he has reviewed the notes for those discussions that took place around 2012 and pointed out a
few sections that were discussed in depth at that time. Administrator Black continued and stated
those sections have been significantly reduced in the proposed agreement that is now being
presented. Attorney Rawlings explained the reason for that relates to the structure of the
agreement and that in the new agreement the City's Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision
Ordinance apply, rather than Bonneville County's ordinances, as in the current agreement.
Administrator Black stated he understands the City's desire to structure the agreement that way,
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IONA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL JOINT WORK SESSION—DECEMBER 7, 2022
but admitted it would be difficult for Bonneville County to stay updated on the City's changing
ordinances. Supervisor Hagen stated the logistics of implementing the City's ordinances would
be difficult. Attorney Rawlings explained the other side of the situation when a development
annexes into a City in the future they will need to become compliant with current City standards.
He continued and stated at that time the City would have that administrative and physical hurdle
to address. Administrator Black suggested staff members from both entities get together and go
over all Subdivision and Zoning Ordinances to find a common ground. He continued and stated
the County still has jurisdiction for developments within the areas of impact.
Mayor Gubler stated he believes this meeting is good to conclude and stated the City recognizes
what it needs to discuss and bring back to propose to the County. Chairman Beck stated he does
not see any major concerns with the written agreement, but wants to see logical maps proposed
based on actual growth. Discussion then continued between Mayor Gubler and Chairman Beck
regarding the purpose of areas of impact and the benefits they provide to both counties and cities.
Mayor Gubler stated the City will develop a map and bring it back to the County to consider.
Chairman Beck then asked about IBSD's requirement to receive approval from the City of Idaho
Falls for new developments. Mayor Gubler stated IBSD is in the process of creating their own
facility which will allow them to detach themselves from the City of Idaho Falls. Mayor Gubler
discussed details of this potential situation.
Administrator Black stated he feels the plan has been set on how to focus on moving forward. He
continued and stated a lot of the proposed developments near Iona are higher density housing
such as townhomes, apartments, etc. He stated the City does not have to accept those
developments, but encouraged the City to consider where they feel those types of developments
would be the most appropriate. Council President Geray stated the City will get a map together
now that we have had this discussion that gives more insight into why the City would like to
extend certain directions that will be illustrated on the map. He continued and stated he feels it
should be clarified tonight whether the agreement should reference the County's Zoning
Ordinance. Administrator Black stated the state statute makes it clear that the counties have
jurisdiction over areas of impact, which is why he suggests the AOIA references Bonneville
County's Ordinances and zones, rather than the City of Iona's. He continued and stated if the
City chooses to follow a certain Bonneville County Zone but requires a larger minimum lot size,
that is an agreeable action they are willing to make. Council President Geray agreed to that
process and reiterated the City of Iona will work with the City of Ammon during the interim. He
continued and stated none of the areas of impact have been updated since 2001 and everyone
should be looking into this. All agreed to the next steps in this process.
Meeting Adjourned at 8:42 p.m.
COUNCIL APPROVED: December 20, 2022 �
Dan Gubler, Mayor
ATTEST: fte
Keri West, City Clerk/Treasurer
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