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minutes meeting date 2025-12-08 · fetched 2026-09-17 · 8885 characters · official file · plain text
City Council Work Session Meeting Minutes 680 Park Avenue Idaho FallsJD 83402 I DAHO FALLS Monday, December 8, 2025 3:00 PM City Council Chambers Call to Order and Roll Call There were present: Council President Lisa Burtenshaw Councilor Michelle Ziel*Dingman Councilor Jim Francis Councilor John Radford Councilor Jim Freeman Councilor Kirk Larsen (Wo Teams) Absent: Mayor Rebecca L. Noah Casper Also present: Bryce Johnson, Police Chief Julie Combe, HR Manager Wade Sanner, CDS Director Zach Jones, Interim City Attorney Darin Jones, Human Resources Director Cody Gordon, Building Official Kerry Beutler, Assistant CDS Director Emily Geisler, City Clerk Council President Burtenshaw called the meeting to order at 3:05 p.m. with the following items; Human Resources. Police: (Chief Johnson, Director Jones, HR Manager Combe) Update: Workday (ERP) Implementation of City Salary Schedules City staff provided an update on the Workday ERP implementation, focusing on a necessary adjustment to the police department salary schedule. In the current system, police officers move through three different pay grades (9,10, and 11), but Workday requires each position to stay within a single grade. To accommodate this, staff proposed creating a separate Police Department salary schedule that aligns exactly with existing pay steps for officers, sergeants, lieutenants, and captains. This change does not alter pay amounts, steps, vacation accruals, or budgets; it is strictly an administrative adjustment to allow automatic progression through the steps in Workday without manual overrides. Staff clarified that other departments, like Fire and Power, do not face the same issue; Fire fits within its existing grades, while Power uses a spreadsheet workaround for market-based salaries. Testing with live data has been successful, and the full system is on track for end-to-end testing in January. Council members discussed communicationto employees,emphasizingthat pay remainsunchanged and only limited explanation is needed to avoid confusion. Community Development Services: (Director Sanner, Cody Gordon, Kerry Beutler) Presentation: Annual Department Focus Report The City of Idaho Falls has been actively addressing key priorities in community development, including traffic management, housing diversification, park standards, and riverfront preservation. Traffic and Infrastructure: Traffic studies highlighted the impact of neighborhood streets being converted into collector roads. This shift has reduced congestion on residential streets, such as Craig Avenue, and improved arterial traffic flow. While traditional traffic studies may not account for these indirect benefits, the City continues to monitor real-world traffic patterns, including impacts from mapping apps redirecting cars through neighborhoods. 1 City Council Work Session Meeting Minutes 680 Park Avenue Idaho Falls, ID 83402 I DAHO FALLS Housing Development and Market Monitoring: Efforts to diversify housing options have focused on dispersed development throughout the City, particularly near the river, promoting walkable centers and providing "missing middle" housing opportunities. GIS analysis confirms that multi-unit developments are not overly concentrated in any one area. The City is monitoring market trends, code compliance, and development processes to ensure efficient and affordable housing, vi/hile also balancingprotectionfor existing neighborhoods. Advisory committees, including developers and community members, are being considered to provide ongoing input, with attention to setbacks, density, and compatibilitywith established neighborhoods. Challenges include developer capacity, market demand, lending constraints, and property rights considerations, which limit the ability of the City to mandate specific housing product types. Parks and Public Spaces: The City is reviewing park standards and zoning to provide flexibility for future park development. While many communities default to commercial standards, Idaho Falls is exploring more tailored approaches that reflect community needs, site-specific conditions, and long-term funding constraints. Planning staff are working to create clear criteria and evaluation processes for parks, with an emphasis on innovation and best practices. Snake River and Environmental Priorities: Collaboration with Bonneville County has led to an MOD preserving a 75-foot buffer along the Snake River. The City plans to evaluate current zoning along the river in 2026 and may develop either a comprehensive river plan or overlay regulations, depending on future Council input and planning needs. This reflects ongoing efforts to balance growth, environmental stewardship, and long-term City planning. Community Engagement and Oversight: City staff emphasize the importance of regular reviews, site visits, and collaboration with the Planning Commission to evaluate development outcomes. Transparency, advisory committees, and community engagement are central to ensuring that planning decisions are consistent with City priorities and responsive to both new and existing residents. Additionally, coordination with schools, developers, and other stakeholders remains a critical component of infrastructure and housing planning, despite statutory limitations on the City's influence over state-controlled entities. Overall: The City of Idaho Falls Community Development Department is proactively managing growth through strategic planning, market monitoring, and community engagement. Efforts focus on maintaining quality of life, expanding housing choice, ensuring sustainable infrastructure, and protecting natural resources, while balancing the realities of market forces, developer capabilities, and property rights. Mayor and Council: Calendars, Announcements. Events, Reports, Updates, Concerns, Questions. Proclamations. Notes or Minutes from Boards and Commissions: Council President Burtenshaw Board Meetings: The IDA board meeting on December 12 has been canceled, and the BMPO meeting on December 17 will also not occur. Upcoming personal schedule. Councilor Ziel-Dingman 2 City Council Work Session Meeting Minutes 680 Park Avenue Idaho Falls, ID 83402 I DAHO FALLS UTV Light Parade: Scheduled for Friday, December 19 at 7 p.m. at Freeman Park, with a new route along the east and west sides of the Riverwalk. Registration spots are filled. Councilor Francis Parks: Signage is being developed fortrails to address congestion areas and promote pathway etiquette. Public Works: A new Water Superintendent, Gregg Roderick, will be onboarding, as the current superintendent is leaving early in the new year. Weed Ordinance: Councilmember Francis is working with the legal department to create a scaled enforcement system, similar to other infractions, moving from infraction to misdemeanor in a phased manner. Councilor Freeman Fire Department: Ribbon-cutting for Station Six will take place at 10 a.m. on December 22. DAMPS next week. Councilor Radford Impact Fee Public Hearing: Scheduled for Thursday. Library Events: Mrs. Claus will visit the library on Tuesday, December 16 at 10:30 a.m., and the Extreme Book Nerd Kickoff is planned for January. Councilor Larsen Nothing at this time. Executive Session: The Council will not reconvene after the executive session. Motion: Called pursuant to Idaho Code Section 74-206(l)(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. The mere presence of legal counsel at an executive session does not satisfy this requirement. Also being called pursuant to Idaho Code 74-206(l)(b) to considerthe evaluation,dismissal or discipliningof, or to hear complaintsor charges brought against, a public officer, employee, staff member or individual agent, or public school student, o Moved by: Councilor Francis o Second: Councilor Freeman o Vote: Aye: Burtenshaw, Dingman, Francis, Freeman, Larsen, Radford. Nay: none, o Motion carries. Topic 1: Litigation There were present: Council President Burtenshaw, Councilor Dingman, Councilor Freeman, Councilor Francis, Councilor Larsen (via phone), Councilor Radford, Zachary Jones, Margaret Wimborne, Pam Alexander,and MayorCasper (via phone at 4:57pm). Start: 4:55 PM, Ended: 5:21 PM o o Topic 2: Personnel There were present: Council President Burtenshaw, Councilor Dingman, Councilor Freeman, Councilor Francis, Councilor Larsen (via phone), Councilor Radford, Zachary Jones, and Mayor Casper (via phone). Start: 5:21 PM, Ended: 5:36 PM (Mayor and Councilor Larsen left at 5:35 PM). o o 3 City Council Work Session Meeting Minutes 680 Park Avenue Idaho Falls, ID 83402 I DAHO FALLS There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:46 PM Rebecca VtJoah CasD^r Emily Geisler, 4
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