City of Soda Springs | minutes | meeting 2026-07-15 | 07/15/26 Agenda Minutes source: https://sodaspringsid.com/CITY COUNCIL MINUTES 7-15-26.pdf?t=202608051336360 Page 1 of 5 MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SODA SPRINGS, CARIBOU COUNTY, IDAHO, HELD JULY 15, 2026. ROLL CALL SHOWED THE FOLLOWING PRESENT: Paul Gritton, Mayor Mitchell J. Hart, Council President Ryan Carpenter Paige Byram Daniel Larsen via Zoom EXCUSED: ALSO PRESENT: Dan Squires, Director of City Services Andrea Haderlie, City Clerk Thomas Smith, City Attorney via Zoom Morgan Rowland, Director Pyper Smith CeJay Golightly, Chief Brandon Hall Brock Byram Dave Bagley via Zoom Ashley Wright Melissa Gallegos Fiona Katrine 1. Roll call & Additions to Agenda: Mayor Gritton called the meeting to order at 5:00 PM. Councilman Hart opened the meeting with a prayer, expressing gratitude for the freedoms and opportunities in the community, and Mayor Gritton led the Pledge. Mayor Gritton addressed housekeeping matters, including the sign-in process and roll call, confirming the presence of all council members and the attorney. Councilman Hart made a motion to add to New Business Planning and Zoning (P&Z) matter on Subdivision Highland Way condominiums to the agenda. Councilman Carpenter seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion carried. 2. Review & Approval: The council reviewed the minutes from the July 1, 2026, meeting. Councilman Hart moved to dispense with the reading of the minutes and approve them as written. Councilman Carpenter seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion carried. Councilman Hart questioned a duplication in the payables list, which Clerk Haderlie attributes to a Caselle glitch. Clerk Haderlie will have the deputy clerk look into it. Councilwoman Byram motions to approve the accounts payable from July 1, 2026, to July 13, 2026. Councilman Hart seconded the motion. Councilman Carpenter abstained from voting on vendor 140 because it is his employer. All were in favor, and the motion carried. Councilman Carpenter inquired about the status of the electric utility analysis and PRV environmental review, which Director Squires confirms is on track. Councilman Hart asked about the budget for Trevor Robbins, which is confirmed to be $270,500, funded entirely by grants. 3. Appointments: Ashley Wright provides an update on the Fall Festival, including the date (September 12, 2026), vendors, and activities like cornhole and pie-baking tournaments. Ashley requests permission for a beer garden, which is discussed and approved by the council, with the condition that a city catering permit be obtained. Council agreed to allow it with the city catering permit application and permit process. Clerk Haderlie mentioned to Ashley that the catering permit is online at sodaspringsid.com for the Eruption/Lava team for the Fall Festival beer garden so they can apply for the required city catering permit. Once the city catering permit application for the Fall Festival beer garden is received, Clerk Haderlie will bring it back before the council for approval and subsequent processing. Mayor Gritton opens a public hearing for a request by Mullen Investments LLC to vacate a portion of First South Street. Dave Bagley, the attorney for Mullen Investments, explains the need to vacate the landlocked street and confirms Union Pacific's approval. Page 2 of 5 Mayor Gritton asked Clerk Haderlie if there were any written comments. Clerk Haderlie stated that there were no public comments and no opposing opinions for the applicant. Mayor Gritton opened the floor for public comment. Brock Byram thinks what they're doing is absolutely fantastic. He thinks this should just-it's not usable, so he thinks it's a great thing. In my situation, we were asked by a former city employee for a donation to the city to move things along when they built 220 South of $15,000, and he hopes the city's not trying to collect money from the Mullens because they do great things. But he was just wondering how that plays out moving forward when we had a very similar situation between our properties as well. Mayor Gritton stated he does not have an answer to his question at this point. Brock stated he hopes the city is not trying to gain from something like this financially, and if the land is available for purchase, whether other parties are entitled to it. But I get it where they own everything around that; it makes total sense to them. Mayor Gritton closed public comment. The council discussed the public hearing; Councilman Larsen questioned that, looking at this platting and some of the code that was in the file, it does show that parcel owned by the UPRR where it says it's reverted to the owner's half on either side of the thing. Would Union Pacific get a portion of that on the West End? Attorney Smith explained the legal requirements for vacating a right-of-way and the reversion of property to adjacent landowners, Idaho Code 50-311 & 50-1321. Clerk Haderlie commented many years ago that UPRR already vacated the road, looking at city records. Attorney Smith asked Dave to provide Union Pacific’s email confirmation of the First South Street vacate request so it can be placed in the official record. Ensure that Union Pacific’s email confirming agreement to the First South Street vacate request is filed with the city records in case any future issues arise. Councilman Hart moved that, having completed the process and determined it is expedient for the public good, we vacate the portion of First South Street overlying the respective landowners. We vacate that, and the land reverts to the underlying owners of that land. Councilman Carpenter seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion carried. 4. Citizen Input Finalize the Alice in Wonderland online ticketing system, obtain a QR code, distribute posters at City Park and other locations, coordinate newspaper coverage, and begin promoting tickets to drive advance sales for the August 15 show. Send the vendor flyer for the Alice in Wonderland event to local vendors this week and begin sharing it with friends and community contacts. Meet with contacts at the high school to review their previous Alice in Wonderland set designs and determine which elements can be reused for the Soda Springs production. She will visit Ace Hardware with a wish list of needed materials and see what can be provided for the Alice in Wonderland show set. Coordinate mosquito abatement spraying on the lower part of City Park approximately one to two days before the August 15 Alice in Wonderland show to minimize mosquitoes during rehearsals and performances. She will contact the Golf Course and/or the golf course to explore borrowing golf carts to assist patrons with mobility access during the Alice in Wonderland outdoor show. She will develop a map layout for audience members showing the route from the ticketing and merchandising area around the pond and disc golf trail back to the main stage for the Alice in Wonderland show. 5. Unfinished Business: Director Squires provided updates on various projects, including the Second South project, the power study, and the installation of cameras at City Park. He will reach out to HK Construction to request an updated project schedule report at an upcoming council meeting on the Second South utility project. He will set up Idaho Power metering transformers at the city substation, including coordinating with Bonneville Power to install the equipment and configure it to provide real-time load data for grant reporting. He is having motion-sensing security cameras installed at City Park—on the wall near the pavilion and over the pickleball courts—and ensuring law enforcement has access to the camera feeds. Director Squires asked Council if they would allow the removal of the damaged spruce tree east of the City Page 3 of 5 Park pavilion. Council gave Director Squires permission to have the tree cut down. Director Squires mentioned there have been interested parties in airport hangars and wanted permission to pursue new airport hangar leases and build hangars on the empty leases. Council discussed the potential for additional hangars at the airport and the benefits of attracting more aircraft to meet federal funding thresholds. Director Squires will arrange to meet with Councilman Larsen after his return to review the airport plat and hangar space options and prepare recommendations for the next council meeting. Councilman Larsen will review FAA or FAR guidance within the next two weeks to clarify the aircraft count threshold required for eligibility for federal airport funding, and be prepared to brief the council. 6. New Business: Chief Golightly discusses the police lease proposal, explaining the financial benefits of purchasing vehicles versus leasing. The council decides to keep the budget increase for leases and revisit the decision in September. He stated the 4th of July parade went well, and they did an aggressive driving grant. Director Rowland provided a report on the Recreation Department. She introduced Pyper Smith, the recreation assistant, highlighting the success of recent sports programs, Slam N Jam and soccer (currently 101 kids have signed up), and the upcoming flag football and volleyball seasons. The council thanks the Recreation Department for its efforts in organizing the Fourth of July activities. Clerk Haderlie provided the council with issues with the credit card system and the potential switch to a more cost-effective alternative with Caselle. Clerk Haderlie and staff have been working to get the issues resolved with no results since July 2, 2026. Clerk Haderlie stated that she and Deputy Clerk Schneider have drafted and sent a breach-of-contract letter to the Credit Card vendor because we have to give them 30 days' notice per the contract. Attorney Smith mentions ongoing work with Melissa on the subdivision planning and zoning process. Director Squires stated he approached Trevin and asked him if he would be interested in becoming the city building inspector. We contract through the county, which has worked. It was, you know, a measure to fill a gap until we decided what we wanted to do, whether we wanted to hire within or continue to use the county. As long as Trevin and he asked him, knowing who Trevin was, he knew he could knock this out of the park, and Trevin agreed to do it. And Trevin knocked it out of the park. He passed his residential building inspector test on the first try, so he is now a residential building inspector, working on the commercial side. The council recognizes Trevin Barfuss for passing his residential building inspector exam and his willingness to take on additional responsibilities. Accept a grant from Blue Cross Idaho Foundation for the Health to update the comprehensive plan for $25,000.00. Councilman Hart moved that we accept the grant from Blue Cross and authorize your signature on it ahead of receipt of the $25,000 to help review and refresh it. It's not to redo it, but to refresh our comprehensive plan. Councilman Carpenter seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion carried. Clerk Haderlie explained that we always have one of our staff members go to Project Warmth, and usually it's the utility clerk. We donate to Project Warmth. We donate prizes, raffle prizes, that type of thing. We pay for our city teams to enjoy the day, also, because our citizens get this money. This money stays within our community. She thinks it's important as city staff that we are a bigger part of it, and we all volunteer. The City Hall Financial staff are willing to volunteer and work that day out there. We need permission to close City Hall. Mayor Gritton calls for a motion to close City Hall on August 21st for staff to volunteer for Project Warmth. Councilman Carpenter made a motion to close City Hall on Friday, August 21st, 2026, so our staff can volunteer for the worthy cause that benefits our city directly. Councilwoman Byram seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion carried. Councilman Hart, Councilman Carpenter, and Councilwoman Byram all supported the motion to close City Hall, allowing city staff to volunteer for the worthy cause. Page 4 of 5 Councilman Larsen reports on his attendance at the nuclear forum in McCammon, highlighting the presence of nuclear scientists and representatives from INL and ISU. He expresses his support for nuclear energy and discusses the potential benefits and challenges of small and medium-sized reactors. Councilman Larsen mentions the environmental benefits of nuclear energy compared to other power sources and the potential for job creation in local communities. He recommends visiting the INL visitor center for more information on nuclear energy. Councilman Carpenter inquired about the size and power output of the microreactors discussed. Councilman Larsen explains the varying sizes of reactors and their potential impact on local water consumption and job creation. Councilman Hart and Councilman Larsen discuss the feasibility of locating a reactor in Soda Springs and the potential benefits for the community. The conversation touches on the environmental impact of current local industries and the cleanliness of nuclear energy. Councilman Hart provides an update on the Highland Way development, explaining the transition from townhouses to condominiums. He details the changes in the preliminary plat to accommodate condominiums and the establishment of a homeowner’s association. Councilman Hart mentions the addition of a playground and fencing around the development. The Planning and Zoning Commission has recommended approval of the preliminary plat, subject to Keller Associates' review. Councilman Hart suggests scheduling a special meeting to address the Highlands Way development and ensure timely approval. Attorney Smith advises scheduling the special meeting within 10 days to comply with the subdivision approval process. Councilman Hart and Councilwoman Byram discuss the need for a full Planning and Zoning Commission and the potential impact on the development. The council agrees to consider the special meeting to expedite the development process. Clerk Haderlie will schedule the meeting and post it. Discuss with Keller Associates how to structure fees for subdivision engineering reviews, potentially using Highlands Way as a pilot to understand typical costs and inform adjustments to the subdivision filing fee schedule, and add it to the fee schedule. Monitor the Highlands Way condominium preliminary plat review process with Keller Associates and Melissa and coordinate timing for a special council meeting to act on the plat, ideally by July 24. Run the question of whether the city’s ownership of the deteriorating north-side street under the townhome plat should be limited to townhomes versus condos with General Counsel and report back to council. 7. Budget Review Mayor Gritton and Councilman Hart discussed the budget review, including the adoption of the fiscal year 2027 tentative budget. Clerk Haderlie updated the council on the budget worksheet and a copy of the budget upload into Caselle. Councilman Hart motioned to adopt the FY 2027 tentative budget and work towards finalizing the budget over the next month. Councilman Carpenter seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion carried. 8. Citizen Input: Melissa Gellagos provides an update on her plans for a fundraiser, including old-fashioned games, a pinning contest, and a motorcycle show. She mentions the potential dates for the event and the need for volunteers to help with setup and cleanup. Councilman Carpenter and Councilman Hart offer their support and resources for the event. Melissa confirms the event will be alcohol-free and will include raffle baskets and toolboxes as prizes. Councilman Carpenter praised the city/county wall in City Park and the volunteers who have done an amazing job painting it. Mayor Gritton mentioned a movie in the park for the next three Mondays. Councilwoman Byram announced a community walk audit to identify safety and age-friendly improvements for the city. 9. Executive Session 6:55 PM Councilman Carpenter moved that the council, pursuant to Idaho Code 74-206, convene in executive session to (1)(f) Communicate with legal counsel. Councilwoman Byram seconded the motion. Page 5 of 5 Roll call vote: Mitch Hart yay, Daniel Larsen yay, Ryan Carpenter yay, and Paige Byram yay. All were in favor, and the motion carried. 7:20 PM Councilman Carpenter motioned to adjourn Executive Session with no decision made. Councilwoman Byram seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion carried. Councilman Hart motioned to adjourn the regular meeting. Councilwoman Byram seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion carried. PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL ON AUGUST 5, 2026. _________________________ Paul Gritton, Mayor ATTEST _________________________ Andrea Haderlie, Clerk