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minutes meeting date 2026-03-04 · fetched 2026-09-17 · 7511 characters · official file · plain text
March 4, 2026 This special meeting of the Jerome City Council was called to order by Mayor Barber at 12:00 p.m. The meeting was held at the Jerome Council Chambers and was open to the public. Present: Mayor Christopher Barber, Councilman Jason Peterson, Councilman Bryan Craig, Councilman Dale Ross, and Councilwoman Jeri Ahrens. Also present were staff members: City Clerk Bernadette Coderniz, Legal Counsel Ted Larsen, City Administrator Mike Williams, City Engineer Tyson Carpenter, Public Works Director Jon Caton, Building Official Kortnie Kent, Finance Director Ross Hyatt, Accounting and Budget Manager Lori McCrae, Planning and Zoning Manager Ida Clark, Human Resources Director Esmeralda Chavez, IS Director Carlos Hernandez, Fire Chief Mike Harrison, and Police Chief Duane Rubink. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mayor Barber led the audience in recitation of the pledge of allegiance. BUDGET WORKSHOP: The purpose of the workshop was to review a project proposal submitted to the Jerome Urban Renewal Agency (URA), and Mr. Williams stated the proposal included City participation in terms of occupying and/or purchasing one of the buildings in the design. He noted, however, that moving forward with the project was not contingent upon City participation. Mr. Williams explained how the City and URA had been strategic in acquiring land for future development, and the property in question is located at the northwest corner of Main and Lincoln for the purpose of improving downtown and creating a vibrant and inviting environment. The URA released a Request for Proposals (RFP) in December and one proposal was received from Starr Corporation, a firm with the desire to improve and enhance downtown Jerome. Starr Corp. is a general contractor also interested in the development side of construction, and Mr. Williams stated they are highly motivated and funded for the project. He reviewed the proposal at length and stated that Mr. Hyatt would review funding options. Mr. Williams reiterated that a decision was not expected but he wanted guidance on how to proceed. The proposal included the following: • A three-building concept to include retail space, restaurant/dining options, entertainment, government facilities, and executive rooms for short-term stays o Building A – pickle ball courts, restaurant and retail space o Building B – City Hall and Council Chambers with expansion opportunities o Building C – office space and extended stay living quarters for business executives • Construction in phases with Building A and potentially Building B done in the first phase • Total of approximately 9,500 square feet for City Hall and Council Chambers • Multi-levels for additional space should an expansion be needed • A good mix of uses to support one another and encourage attendance o A gathering area/plaza space with multiple dining options o A walkway and green space between the buildings for walkability and aesthetics Extensive discussion ensued and topics included: favoring the three-building concept but emphasizing the need for a focal point/plaza on the corner of Main and Lincoln rather than in between the buildings; the flexibility of redesigning the original concept; the need for a new meeting space; the cost for the potential development of a new City Hall and Council Chambers at approximately $2,750,000; procurement laws and funding; downtown as a good location for City Hall; investing in downtown to encourage others to do the same; existing City Hall and Council Chambers of approximately 5,700 square feet; the need for new Council Chambers and ideal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) spaces; the question of whether or not downtown is the best location for a City Hall and Council Chambers; plans for the fire department if the current city buildings are abandoned, and additional conversations needed regarding the National Guard buildings; a potential redevelopment opportunity for the former location of the police department; the unlikelihood of repurposing existing buildings due to their current condition; the remaining life of Area 3 (nine years); no additional plans for City Hall; trickle down economy and what a new development downtown could do; the timeline for redevelopment downtown; the development of downtown Twin Falls with corporate offices and investments; the need for many to pass through downtown Jerome; redeveloping the existing Council Chambers; the idea that having a City Hall and Council Chambers downtown would be beneficial to the community; and, funding options. Mr. Hyatt reviewed several funding options should the Council approve of plans to build a new City Hall and Council Chambers. Options presented to the Council included the following: • An outright purchase with internal cash reserves of approximately $1.5 million based on current General and Street Fund reserves available o $450,000 currently set aside for building replacement ($150,000 saved annually) o $260,000 in additional reserves above and beyond what had been estimated for the last year o $767,000 in additional reserves beyond this year’s budget based on estimated revenues o $1.2 million in Street Fund reserves • General Obligation Bond that would require 2/3 and would be difficult to pass • Lease-Purchase Agreement, a lease to own contract o Non-appropriation clauses required o Additional financing cost due to interest o Approximate payment of $169,245 with total interest paid of approximately $1.3 million • Straight Lease o Annual payment of approximately $186,000 Additional discussion was held pertaining to the following: forgone balances and wastewater plant bonds in 2013; the fact that City hall and Council Chambers exist to serve all departments; not wanting to depleting reserves; unrestricted funds above and beyond what is already restricted; Area 2 closure funds; unknown costs for redeveloping the National Guard buildings and the public works shop; the option of using some reserves; the cost of the new police station including interior fixtures; whether or not the lease could be sold and the future of the building and its tenants should that occur; the flexibility of making additional payments to reduce the amount of interest paid over time; negotiating terms of a lease-purchase; considering an outright purchase; procurement processes to be reviewed and considered; fitting a payment into the budget; and, the important investment in the community. Mr. Williams stated the next step would be to review the design further and dive deeper into design concepts and costs, and bringing the ideas back to Council within the next six weeks. The URA will review an Exclusive Right to Negotiate agreement with Starr Corp. at their meeting tomorrow; this will allow for six months of negotiations. Mayor Barber suggested the public be invited to see the development for transparency purposes once a final design is complete, and Councilman Craig stated an educational forum for the public would be wise. Councilwoman Ahrens noted that Starr Corp. will most likely have methods for reaching out to the public. ADJOURNMENT: There being nothing further to discuss, Mayor Barber adjourned this March 4, 2026 special meeting of the Jerome City Council at 1:06 p.m. By: Mayor Christopher J. Barber Attest: Bernadette Coderniz, City Clerk
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