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HomeMy Public PortalAbout2013.08.08 Regular MinutesMINUTES McCall City Council Regular Meeting Legion Hall (McCall City Hall - Lower Level) August 8, 2013 Agenda Call to Order and Roll Call Approve the Agenda Reports Committee Minutes Pledge of Allegiance Public Hearing Public Comment Business Agenda Consent Agenda Executive Session Open Session Adjournment CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL'' Mayor Bailey called the regular meeting of the McCall City Council to order at 5:30 p.m. Council Member Aymon, Mayor Bailey, Council Member Scott, Council Member Swanson, and Council Member Witte all answered roll call. City staff present was Gene Drabinski, City Manager; Bill Nichols, City Attorney; Linda Stokes, City Treasurer; Michelle Groenevelt, Community Development Director; Nathan Coyle, Airport Manager; Peter Borner, Public Works Director; Larry Stokes, Interim Chief of Police; David Simmonds, Information Technology Manager; Carol Coyle, Grant Coordinator; Kurt Wolf, Parks Supervisor; Mark Pernell, Recreation Supervisor; and BessieJo Wagner, City Clerk. APPROVE THE AGENDA'' Mayor Bailey, with the consent of the Council approved the agenda as submitted. REPORTS Michelle Groenevelt, Community Development Director, answered Council's questions about staff training and certifications. She informed Council on the Planning and Zoning Commission's sign code update. McCall City Council Regular Meeting August 8, 2013 Page 1 of 6 Carol Coyle, Grant Administrator, updated Council on the Community Choices Pathway grant applications. She also commented on the ICount data collection for bike and pedestrian counts. Gene Drabinski, City Manager, reported that the Golf Course had higher numbers this year. He also updated Council on the Curtis Stigers concert at the Golf Course. Council Member Aymon asked how many Centennial Bricks were sold. Mrs. Coyle did not have an exact number, but knew it was a significant amount. Kurt Wolf, Parks Supervisor, updated Council on the upgrades to the Bear Basin pathway and Centennial Plaza. Mayor Bailey shared that he received many compliments on Legacy Park. Council Member Witte asked about the Shade Sails in Fairway and Brown Park. Mr. Wolfe explained Shade Sails were to prevent foul balls from flying into the parks. Mr. Drabinski shared a letter and survey developed by Larry Stokes, Interim Police Chief, and Andrew Fisher, Detective, Attachment 1. Mr. Drabinski explained it was the Police Department's initiative to follow up from the previous year's survey. The survey would be mailed in the upcoming sewer bill and placed on the City's website. There was a short discussion about the Police Department and social media. Peter Borner, Public Works Director, clarified the customer call -ins regarding signage on Thompson Road. He also explained fog sealing and its benefits. Mr. Borner updated Council on the Club Hill Drive and Park Street projects. Council briefly discussed building permit and local option tax revenue. Mr. Drabinski reported on a letter the Sewer Board received from Department of Environmental Quality regarding a draft recycled water permit request, Attachment 2. Council Member Swanson gave an update on the meeting with the Wastewater Working Group. He stated he did not have much to report but he would keep the Council updated. Mayor Bailey led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance at 6:04 p.m. PUBLIC HEARING AB 13-131 FY14 Budget Linda Stokes, City Treasurer, reviewed the adopted tentative budget in the amount of $17,046,469. She told Council the tentative budget included the growth and annexation property tax amounts from the county Clerk, the 3% property tax increase, and the entire available foregone amount. She updated Council on healthcare insurance bids. Blue Cross of Idaho came in with a lower increase than Echelon Group. Mrs. Stokes recommended approving the Local Option Tax as amended. Council discussed the decrease in valuation of the taxable property and how it affected the levy rate. McCall City Council Regular Meeting August 8, 2013 Page 2 of 6 Mrs. Stokes informed Council a written comment was received from Dan Krahn, Attachment 3. Mayor Bailey opened the Public Hearing on the proposed FY14 budget at 6:10 Max Eiden, 313 West Lake Street, stated his concern of the ever increasing budget. He suggested department heads submit a budget with a 10% reduction from the previous year. Mr. Eiden commented the current proposed budget did not look like a bare bones budget, but a wish list by Department Heads. He suggested the city employees bear the increase in health care costs instead of increasing taxes. He stated the City philosophy was not reflected in the proposed budget. He protested the current tentative budget stating his opinion that the taxes were crazy and Valley County taxes were of McCall's taxes. Scott Findlay, 277 Potter Lane, stated he owned property within the City Limits. He commented there has been a culture problem within the city that has developed over the past years that has not included critical thinking from the department heads. He did not see justification for the proposed budget. He challenged Gene Drabinski, City Manager, to request Department Heads cut their budget to make their departments more efficient. Mr. Findlay challenged the idea that the level of service would be cut if the department staff were cut. He stated the community was not happy with the services received from Community Development and the Police Department. He stated the Police Department should contract with Valley County. He also stated the recreation department should be cut by half. He suggested Community Development should be cut to the director, building official, one GIS person, and the grant coordinator should be under the city manager. He commented the Council should maintain the status quo, not take the increase, and challenge the department heads to be more efficient, productive managers. Rick Fereday, 315 Burns, stated he was concerned for the long term health of McCall. He compared running a small business and managing the City of McCall. He stated it should be approached the same and be creative with ways to manage healthcare costs. He commented Council should give the City Manager a directive to cut costs. Mr. Fereday stated the deteriorating infrastructure was due to the City improperly investing in the workforce instead of the community. Mr. Fereday suggested ways to cut costs. Mayor Bailey stated that the Public Hearing would remain open for written comments until August 22, 2013. Mary Loveless, Lake Street, asked if there would be a possibility the City Manager would talk to Department Heads on reducing the budget. Mr. Drabinski said he was in talks with the Department Heads, but the findings had not been proposed to council yet. Mayor Bailey commented on the current population. He stated there had been little to no growth between 1990 and 2000, but the increase was from 2000 and 2010. Mrs. Stokes asked for guidance from the Council in order to craft an ordinance. Mr. Drabinski commented he had spoken with Council members individually and had input of what they wanted. McCall City Council Regular Meeting Page 3 of 6 August 8, 2013 Council Member Witte did not want to approve a budget without seeing the final draft. Council Member Swanson requested another meeting after the 22nd to adopt the budget. There was Council consensus to set another meeting for August 28th at 6pm. PUBLIC COMMENT Mayor Bailey called for public comment at 6:32 p.m. Bob Looper, 953 Strawberry Lane, commented on the annexation of Pilgrim Cove and Cee Way Loop. He informed council of an agreement between the Pilgrim's Cove HOA and the State Department of Lands to provide services to the Pilgrim's Cove area. Scott Findlay, 277 Potter Lane, commented that any annexation would be strongly opposed. Hearing no further comments, Mayor Bailey closed the public comment. BUSINESS AGENDA Mayor Bailey was recused for the next item. AB 13-129 Reappointment of Marlene Bailey to the Historic Preservation Commission Carol Coyle, Grant Coordinator, presented the reappointment of Marlene Bailey to the McCall Historic Preservation Commission. Mrs. Coyle informed Council that Mrs. Bailey served four terms on the McCall Historic Preservation Commission. She was instrumental in compiling detailed summaries of early pioneer families as well as historic property information and the general history of McCall. Council Member Witte moved to reappoint Marlene Bailey to the McCall Historic Preservation Commission for a three year term, ending March 31, 2016. Council Member Aymon seconded the motion. In a voice vote all Council members voted aye and the motion passed. AB 13-132 Resolutionl3-13, Asset Management Software Sole Source Procurement Peter Borner, Public Works Director, presented Resolutionl3-13, Asset Management Software Sole Source Procurement. Mr. Borner informed Council that after reviewing all software packages, it was a unanimous decision that Novotx's Elements XS Asset Management was best suited for the City of McCall. He stated it was the most cost-effective solution which included integration with Caselle Clarity, PAVER and ArcGIS. Mr. Borner noted the entire staff approved of the software. Council Member Aymon moved to adopt Resolution 13-13 and authorize the Mayor to sign all necessary documents. Council Member Scott seconded the motion. In a roll call vote Council Member Aymon, Council Member Scott, Mayor Bailey, Council Member Swanson, and Council Member Witte all voted aye and the motion passed. McCall City Council Regular Meeting Page 4 of 6 August 8, 2013 AB 13-133 Contract with Cameron Arial and Boise State University for the development of a Comprehensive Capital Facilities Finance Plan Gene Drabinski, City Manager, presented the contract with Boise State University and Cameron Arial, PhD candidate at BSU. Mr. Drabinski updated Council on the plan and its purpose. Mayor Bailey asked for clarification of the completion date and the ownership of the document once completed. Mr. Drabinski explained the breakdown of costs and the 2 phases of the agreement. He stated the timeframe of completion was to ensure plenty of time to complete the document. Bill Nichols, City Attorney, suggested including the City's ownership of the document in the contract. He suggested approving the document with that inclusion. Council Member Witte noted a comma was missing on Page 2, paragraph 10. Council Member Scott moved to approve the contract with Boise State University (BSU) and Cameron Arial, PhD Candidate at BSU to develop a Comprehensive Capital Facilities Finance Plan with the amendment of ownership of the work product and punctuation correction and authorize the Mayor to sign all necessary documents. Council Member Swanson seconded the motion. In a roll call vote Council Member Scott, Council Member Swanson, Council Member Aymon, Mayor Bailey, and Council Member Witte all voted aye and the motion passed. AB 13-130 Annexation of parcels at the eastern edge of the City Discussion Mayor Bailey presented the discussion of the Annexation of parcels at the eastern edge of the City. Mayor Bailey proposed that the City initiate annexation of parcels east of Ponderosa Park which were not within the City of McCall city limits. He stated the purpose of annexing the parcels would be to insure that the City had in place the zoning and subdivision requirements in advance of sale of the parcels to private developers. Any subsequent request for subdividing would require a Development Agreement. He noted the City currently provides utilities to the area. Council requested an opportunity to weigh the pros and cons to the annexation of the property. Michelle Groenevelt, Community Development Director, stated that she had spoken with the state several times in the past two years about the intentions for the land. Ms. Groenevelt commented on the Comprehensive Plan requiring the City have an annexation plan. CONSENT AGENDA Staff recommended approval of the following items: 1. City Council Regular Meeting Minutes — May 9, 2013 2. City Council Regular Meeting Minutes — July 9, 2013 3. Warrant Registers 4. Payroll Report for Period ending July 19, 2013 There was a brief discussion of the July 9, 2013 minutes. McCall City Council Regular Meeting August 8, 2013 Page 5 of 6 Council Member Scott moved to approve the Consent Agenda with the minutes corrected. Council Member Aymon seconded the motion. In a voice vote, all voted aye and the motion carried. EXECUTIVE SESSION At 7:22 p.m., Mayor Bailey moved to go into Executive Session for: • Land Acquisition — Pursuant to Idaho Code §67-2345(1)(c) To conduct deliberations concerning labor negotiations or to acquire an interest in real property which is not owned by a public agency; • Litigation - Pursuant to Idaho Code §67-2345(1)(f) To communicate with legal counsel for the public agency to discuss the legal ramifications of and legal options for pending litigation, or controversies not yet being litigated but imminently likely to be litigated. Council Member Aymon seconded the motion. In a roll call vote, Mayor Bailey, Council Member Aymon, Council Member Scott, Council Member Swanson, and Council Member Witte all voted aye and the motion carried. Council Member Scott left the meeting at 7:25 p.m. Council was updated on the options for the land acquisition at the airport. RETURN TO OPEN SESSION At 7:48 p.m., Mayor Bailey moved to return to Open Session. Council Member Aymon seconded the motion. In a voice vote, all voted aye and the motion carried. Without further business, the Mayor adjourned the meeting at 7:59 p.m. Donald C. Bailey, Mayor ATTEST: BessieJo Wagner, City Clerk McCall City Council Regular Meeting Page 6 of 6 August 8, 2013 ATTACHMENT 1 Dear McCall City Council Members and Mayor, During the last 12 months the McCall Police Department has been challenged with improving our relationships with local business owners, and community members. We have been committed to this challenge and have taken major steps to accomplish this mission. In August of 2012, a Police Opinion Survey was created and the citizens of McCall responded to the survey. The survey gave us insight into the perception the community had for the McCall Police Department and ways we could improve the delivery of our services. As you may know, a Police Task Force was created and we eagerly worked on solutions the survey had identified as problems. A plan was put into place for officers to visit businesses in McCall. Officers met with business owners and discussed concerns they had as a means for business owners and community members to visit in a non -enforcement capacity. These business visits are still being conducted and we have received positive feedback from the people we contacted. Given that almost a year has gone by since the last survey was conducted, the Police Task Force and City Manager felt it time to open ourselves up to additional feedback. We want to know how we are doing and want to see if our efforts are paying off. I have personally read the responses to the original police opinion survey. Many of the people who took the survey expressed their dislike for the survey and the questions contained therein. When I was tasked with building this survey, I wanted to make sure it contained questions that offered people the opportunity to truly express their opinions. With this in mind the survey came to be 62 questions in all. The survey was also expanded to all divisions within the police department. After reading the original survey responses, it also became clear to me, people wanted to comment on experiences or observations that occurred many years ago. Their responses also contained comments about law enforcement agencies other than of the McCall Police Department. The new survey was created to limit responses about other agencies and limit the scope to the last 12 months. By doing this, we hope to gather responses about the McCall Police Department only and responses to the changes we have made within our department. The new Community Survey will be delivered in two different methods. First, 2600 invitation letters will be placed into the utility bills. By presenting the survey in this method, we hope to generate responses from McCall residents and property owners, as well as gather a random sample. Using this method, we will also generate a statically valid survey. This invitation letter will be placed in this month's water bill and the survey will open on August 13, 2013. The survey will remain open until August 27, 2013. Once the survey closes on August 27th, a press release will be drafted for the Star News and local radio stations. This release will notify the community of the survey and invite those who have not taken it to do so. By presenting the survey a second time, we hope to capture people who do not receive a water bill, but are still receiving our services. A link to this survey will be placed on the McCall City website and the McCall Police Departments Facebook page. The invitation for this survey will be advertised in the McCall City Council Regular Minutes August 8, 2013 ATTACHMENT 1 August 29, 2013 edition of the Star News. The survey will open this day and will close on September 12, 2013. Once both surveys are closed and the results have been tabulated, these results will be available by October 10, 2013. Survey results will be displayed separately and will provide a good comparison between the two surveys. The results will be posted on the McCall City website, the McCall Police Department's facebook page, and the Star News. Best Regards, Detective Andrew Fisher McCall City Council Regular Minutes August 8, 2013 ATTACHMENT 1 Dear McCII City Resident and Business Owners, The McCall Police Department is requesting your assistance in the completion of a community survey. You are one of 2,600 citizens selected from water bill records to receive this invitation. I hope you will take this opportunity to make your experiences, thoughts and preferences known. This important survey will take a brief period of your valuable time, and will be important to the McCall Police Department. Your input will assist us in: o Planning future priorities and programs Give us a current "pulse check" on how we are doing a Improve our delivery of police services. The survey asks your opinion about safety in McCall, police priorities, the performance of police personnel, and what concerns you have about day to day police activities in McCall. When answering the questions in this survey, we asl<that your answers be based solely on YOUR personal experiences, personal observations and personal opinions during the last 12 months. We ask that you do not answer the questions based on other peoples' experiences or stories you may have been told or overheard. This survey is for the actions of the McCall Police Department and its Officers only, no other agency in the area. We strive to have a strong working relationship with the community as well as outside agencies, but we are only requesting your input on the McCall Police Department and its Officers. Youranswers to this survey will be completely anonymous. We will not know who responded to the survey unless you choose to call me directly and discuss your responses to the survey. The McCall Police Department is proud of the service we provide to the community, but we are committed to improvement. Therefore, will you please share your views with us so we can effectively plan future McCall Police priorities, programs and training? Thank you very much for helping us with this project and helping us improve YOUR Police Department. For your convenience, we have placed this important survey online. Please go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3PHFKXQ to begin. This survey will be available from August 13, 2013 to August 27, 2013. The results of the survey will be posted on the McCall City web site on Oct 10, 2013. Survey results will also be posted in the Star News and the McCall Police Department's Facebool< page. Sincerely, Larry Stokes Interim Chief of Police McCall City Council Regular Minutes August 8, 2013 ATTACHMENT 1 McCall Police Department 2013 Community Survey This important survey will take a brief period of your valuable time, and will be important to the McCall Police Department. Your input will assist us in: o Planning future priorities and programs • Give us a current "pulse check" on how we are doing o Improve our delivery of police services. The survey asks your opinion about safety in McCall, police priorities, the performance of police personnel, and what concerns you have about day to day police activities in McCall. When answering the questions in this survey, we ask that your answers be based solely on YOUR personal experiences, personal observations and personal opinions during the last 12 months. We ask that you do not answer the questions based on other peoples' experiences or stories you may have been told or overheard. This survey is for the actions of the McCall Police Department and its Officers only, no other agency in the area. We strive to have a strong working relationship with the community as well as outside agencies, but we are only requesting your input on the McCall Police Department and its Officers. Your answers to this survey will be completely anonymous. We will not know who responded to the survey unless you choose to call me directly and discuss your responses to the survey. The McCall Police Department is proud of the service we provide to the community, but we are committed to improvement. Therefore, will you please share your views with us so we can effectively plan future McCall Police priorities, programs and training? Thank you very much for helping us with this project and helping us improve YOUR Police Department. 1. How do you feel about the level of safety/ security in the McCall City Community? O Very Safe/ Secure O O O Safe/ Secure Somewhat Safe/Secure Unsafe/ Secure 2. How safe do you feel walking alone in the City of McCall during the day? O Very Safe/ Secure O Safe/ Secure O Somewhat Safe/ Secure O Unsafe/ Secure McCall City Council Regular Minutes August 8, 2013 ATTACHMENT 1 McCall Police Department 2013 Community Survey 3. How safe do you feel walking alone in the City of McCall after dark? o o o o Very Safe/ Secure Safe/ Secure Somewhat Safe/ Secure Unsafe/ Secure T t what extent is cro e a pr ble rri Definitionidah t Code 18-109- 7' cri violati tn of a law forbidding or co either of the fll. wing pu ishments: in the City of McCall? e or public offense is n act c mmitted r omitt d in (#) manding it, and to which is - nnexed, upon conviction, 1. Death 2. Imprisonment 3. Fine 4. Removal from office 5. Disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit in this state 0 Very Low 0 Low o o o Medium High Very High 5. To what extent is crime a problem in your immediate neighborhood? o o o o o Very Low Low Medium High Very High ' McCall City Council Regular Minutes August 8, 2013 ATTACHMENT 1 McCall Police Department 2013 Community Survey 6„ How confident are you in the ability of the McCall Police to protect you/ your property from crime? O Very Confident O Relatively Confident O Not Confident 7o twin a try al seven day eek, how many ti patrolling within the city limits? O 0 1 to 2 3 to 4 O 5 to 6 O 7 plus es rti you see a McCall Police Officer 8. Taking into account the number of times you see a McCall Police Officer patrolling within the city limits, what deterrent do you think these patrol activities have in preventing crime in the city? O Very High Deterrent O 0 0 High Deterrent Some what of a Deterrent No Deterrent 9. During a normal seven day week, how many times do you see a McCall Police Officer patrolling within your immediate neighborhood? O O O 0 1 to 2 3 to 4 5 to 6 7 plus McCall City Council Regular Minutes August 8, 2013 ATTACHMENT 1 McCall Police Department 2013 Community Survey 10. Taking into account the number of times you see a McCall Police Officer patrolling within your immediate neighborhood, what deterrent do you think these patrol activities have in preventing crime in your immediate neighborhood? O O O Very High Deterrent High Deterrent Some what of a Deterrent No Deterrent 11©11 w satisfied r ith the current Ivl sf O Very Satisfied O Relatively Satisfied O Not Satisfied O Very Unsatisfied p lice presence in the community? 12. How Satisfied ape you with the Crime Prevention efforts by the McCall Police Department in the City of McCall? O O O Very Satisfied Relatively Satisfied Not Satisfied Very Unsatisfied 13. How satisfied are you with the Crime Prevention efforts by the McCall Police Department in your immediate neighborhood? O Very Satisfied O Relatively Satisfied O Not Satisfied O Very Unsatisfied McCall City Council Regular Minutes August 8, 2013 ATTACHMENT 1 McCall Police Departrnent 2013 Community Survey 14. What are the most important law enforcement issues or problems in the City of McCall ( check all that apply) Thefts (general) Thefts (from auto) Thefts (bicycles) Burglary/ Robbery Domestic Violence Minors Drinking Vandalism Illegal Drugs Assault/ Battery Traffic Law Violations Parking Parties/ Noise Sex Offenses (adult or juvenile) Fraud/ Forgery Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol Other 15. Which is the number one law enforcement issue or problem in the City of McCall? (choose from the above list or provide a problem you have identified from personal experience) 16. The current level of traffic law enforcement in the City of McCall is effective at preventing accidents and injuries within the city. Strongly Agree Somewhat Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree McCall City Council Regular Minutes August 8, 2013 ATTACHMENT 1 McCall -Police Department 2013 Community Survey 17. Based on your personal experience, are traffic laws appropriately enforced by the McCall P< lice? O O Too Strict Appropriate Not Strict Enough 18. Dud g the list I2 nths, have you personally had c nt ct with v McCall Police patrol officer? O YES O NO 19. Please place a check next to all of the circumstances nder which you came in contact with a McCall Police Patrol Officer in the last 12 months. Telephone Contact Alarm Response Animal Problem Parking Problem Traffic Stop or Ticket Reported a Crime Victim of a Crime Witness to a Crime Witness to an Accident Informal Contact O Requested Information No Contacts with Officers Other 20. If you answered YES to #18, were you treated professionally by the Patrol Officer? If you answered No to #18, skip to question #28 O YES O NO McCall City Council Regular Minutes August 8, 2013 ATTACHMENT 1 McCall Police Department 2013 Community. Survey 21. Was the Officer professional in his/ her demeanor and appearance? O YES O NO 22.1Nas the fficer able to res O YES O NO 23. If your issue was unable t be res 4.1) Iv the issue to your satisfacti n? lved immed`it tely, did the Officer explain a activities that w.uld take place, such as Detective follow-up, court, etc.? O YES O NO 24. If you were the victim of a crime, was the Officer(s) empathetic regarding any questions or concerns you may have had? O YES O NO 25. If you were the victim of a crime, did the Officer(s) offer any crime prevention suggestions for yourself or your property? O YES O NO 26.If you were arrested, were you treated fairly and with respect? O YES O NO 27. If you were charged with a violation (criminal or traffic) did the Officer explain the procedures to follow in order to take care of the violation? O YES O NO 28. During the last 12 months have you personally been stopped for a traffic violation by a McCall City Police Officer? O YES O NO McCall City Council Regular Minutes August 8, 2013 ATTACHMENT 1 McCall Police Department 2013 Community Survey 29. If you answered YES to #28, were you greeted professionally by the Officer? If you answered NO to #28, skip to question #36 O YES O NO 30. W s the Officer pr klessi ZTA. O YES O NO 31. Was the Officer able t O YES O NO fit nal in his/ her appearance and de eanor? adequ telly explain the traffic violation y 32© Did you receive a cit tion for the vi O YES O NO O Verbal Warning lation? re st pped for? 33. If you were charged with a violation (criminal or traffic) did the Officer explain the procedures to follow in order to take care of the violation? O YES O NO 34. If you received a warning for an equipment violation, were you given adequate time to correct the issue? O YES O NO 35. How would you rate your overall contact with the Police Officer you were in contact with? O Excellent O Good O Average O Poor McCall City Council Regular Minutes August 8, 2013 ATTACHMENT 2 STATE OF IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY 1445 North Orchard Boise, Idaho 83706 ® {208) 373-0550 C.L. "Butch" Otter, Governor wvnrw.deq.idaho•gov Curt Fransen, Director August 5, 2013 Mr. Dale Caza Operations IVlanager Payette Lalces Recreational Water and Sewer District 201 Jacob Street McCall, ID 83638 RE: Recycled Water Permit No. M-236-01, Payette Lakes Recreational Water and Sewer District Preliminary Decision to Issue a Draft Permit Dear Mr. Caza: This letter serves as notification of the Department of Environmental Quality's (DEQ) preliminary decision to prepare a draft recycled water permit for Payette Lakes Recreational Water and Sewer District (PLRWSD). DEQ will proceed with the processing of this permit application. A draft permit and staff analysis should be issued for a 30-day public comment period within 60 days. As stated in the previous letter, you will be given an opportunity to review the draft permit prior to its issuance for public comment. Please contact me with any questions, concerns, or additional requests at (208) 373-0117 or via e- mail at gary.carroll@deq.idaho.gov. Sincerely, 7-• ?/ C. Gary ,urroll, P.E. Boise Regional Office CGC/vas ec: David Watkins, P.E., JUB Engineers, Inc. Brett Converse, Ph.D., P.E., JUB Engineers, Inc. Todd Crutcher, P.E., Boise Regional Office Chas Ariss, P.E., Wastewater Program, State Office Janette Young, Wastewater Program, State Office TRIM Record 2013AGH1195 McCall City Council Regular Meeting August 8,2013 s: 0.. °n "e.,° `" ._°_' ATTACHMENT 3 D AUG 7 zo�--�D McCall City Council Councilmembers, I am not available to attend your budget hearing meeting on Aug. 8, 2013 but am writing my opinion on proposals shown in the local paper as considerations and a different perspective. Considered is a 9% taking of past tax dollars and thoughts of using LOT funds for two projects of sidewalks. While we have just experienced a bit of a return to better business activity in the community a substantial jump in taxes is hardly what the business community needs to shoulder. With recent market and tax levy adjustments there is a cost shifting from residential values to the commercial and particularly lakefront properties. While our residence may drop approximately 100.00 dollars in property taxes our business will experience a 2-3,000.00 dollar increase. This cost shift is born by those who are the economic backbone of the community, employing families, and providing local services our guests look for. We have all witnessed the loss of family businesses over the last 8 years and just because we see a slight bump in the economy it is not the time to recapture all the taxes available to you. Many of us are doing with less in our businesses, less income, less staff and additional work hours to compensate for the past years. It is time for government to operate in more of the manner the private sector has to. We have seen growth in local government much of the last 5 years but controlling this is imperative to our sustainability. I do not support the taking of the 9% and suggest only taking 3% and aligning your goals and staffing levels to meet that budget. It was reported that there was consideration of the Council using LOT funds for repairing sidewalks in Legacy, and improving a walkway along the lake on private property for public access to connect legacy and Art Roberts Parks. I believe the City needs to hold the prior contractor of the sidewalks accountable for the poor product delivered and quit looking for the taxpayer to bail the City and contractor out. I do not believe the city should be constructing public amenities on private property either. The city should work as a partner with the land owner and work it through their departmental budget but not keep looking for additional ways to get around their budgets and access other tax dollars designed for other projects. Thank you for the opportunity to comment on how my tax dollars are being budgeted, I'm sorry that due to a busy summer scheduling of other meetings I am not attending in person but this may allow for a shorter meeting and others to participate. Sincerely, McCall City Council Regular Meeting August 8, 2013