Sentinel Media records · public agendas and minutes, text only, refreshed nightly from each body's own site · not a newspaper
minutes meeting date 2026-07-01 · fetched 2026-09-17 · 10960 characters · official file · plain text
Page 1 of 3 MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SODA SPRINGS, CARIBOU COUNTY, IDAHO, HELD JULY 1, 2026. ROLL CALL SHOWED THE FOLLOWING PRESENT: Paul Gritton, Mayor Mitchell J. Hart, Council President Ryan Carpenter Paige Byram Daniel Larsen EXCUSED: ALSO PRESENT: Dan Squires, Director of City Services Andrea Haderlie, City Clerk Thomas Smith, City Attorney CeJay Golightly, Police Chief Hope Hansen, Librarian Jeff Young, Director Randy Corder Brandon Hall Melissa Gallegos Mike McEntire 1. Roll call & Additions to Agenda: Mayor Gritton calls the July 1, 2026, City of Soda Springs Council meeting to order, noting Councilman Carpenter will lead the prayer and Mayor Gritton will lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Mayor Gritton requests housekeeping measures, including asking gallery attendees to refrain from comments unless solicited and to sign the attendance roll. Councilman Carpenter motioned to add Executive Session Idaho Code 74-204 (1) (a) and (f) to the agenda, which Councilman Larsen seconded. All were in favor, and the motion carried. 2. Review & Approval: Mayor Gritton asks the council to review the minutes from the June 17, 2026, meeting and entertains a motion to approve them. Councilwoman Byram moves to approve the minutes, which Councilman Carpenter seconds. All were in favor, and the motion carried. Mayor Gritton requests the council review payables from June 16 to 30, 2026, and payroll for June 2026. Councilman Hart moves to approve both the payroll for June 2026 and the accounts payable for June 16-30, 2026, which Councilman Larsen seconds. All were in favor, and the motion carried. Councilman Hart comments on the payroll, noting it is down a police officer, and some officers are running about 20% overtime due to training and vacations. Director Squires discusses the cost of engineering services, comparing the current firm with the previous one and noting that the current firm performed additional GIS mapping. Councilman Hart and Director Squires discuss the cost of railroad monitoring and the overall project cost, noting it came in almost $25,000 under budget. 3. Appointments: Center for Hope South Proposal: Melissa Gallegos from the Center for Hope South proposes an event on August 1 featuring motorcycles, music, active games, raffles, and food trucks. Mayor Gritton expresses concern about approving the event without specifics, such as vendor details and potential alcohol sales. Councilman Carpenter suggests partnering with the fall festival to avoid conflicts and increase participation. The council supports the event but requests more detailed planning and specifics before final approval. 4. Citizen Input There was no audience input for Citizen Input. 5. Unfinished Business: Director Squires provides updates on ongoing projects, including the completion of the South Second East project and the ongoing work on Second South sewer lines. The Ledger Creek trails project is progressing, with over 80 trees planted, and a citywide safety meeting was held. Director Squires discusses establishing a safety committee and training a city employee to conduct safety Page 2 of 3 classes. The council discusses the need for regular safety meetings and the importance of near-miss reporting. The council reviewed proposed rate resolutions for water, power, sewer, and garbage, with modest increases (water up 3.5%, power up 1%, sewer up 4.75%, garbage up 3.5%). The capital improvement fund component was held flat. The only fee schedule adjustment was an increase in airport lease rates. Councilman Hart reviewed the rate resolutions for water, power, sewer, and garbage, as well as the fee schedules. Clerk Haderlie commented that Council will adopt the resolutions on September 19, 2026. Mayor Gritton entertains a motion to approve the General Service Agreement with Keller and Associates, which is seconded and approved by the council. Attorney Smith discusses concerns about capping liability at $1 million, but the council agrees to proceed with the agreement. A master service agreement with Keller and Associates for engineering services was discussed and approved, with a $1 million liability cap. The council felt this was reasonable for the scope and trial period of the agreement. Councilman Hart motioned to approve the agreement. Councilman Carpenter seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion carried. Director Young presents quotes from Independent Fencing and Kenny Daniels for a new fence around the city shop and substation. The council discusses the urgency of replacing the old, poorly maintained fence. Councilman Carpenter moves to approve the expenditure of $104,630 for new fencing, which Councilman Larsen seconds. All were in favor, and the motion carried. Councilwoman Byram suggests informing neighbors about the fence replacement to address any concerns. Randy Corder discusses the boundary between his property and the city's property, noting that the fence was placed in 1943. Attorney Smith explains the need for a public hearing and public notice if the city transfers property. The council agrees to table the decision and consider it further in an executive session. Randy Corder expresses urgency in resolving the issue to facilitate the sale of his property. Randy Corder addressed the council regarding a longstanding fence line issue with city property along Ledger Creek. He requested that the fence line, which has existed for 80 years, be recognized as the property line to facilitate the sale of his land. The council discussed the need for a public hearing and agreed to consider the request further in executive session, with Mr. Corder agreeing to cover associated costs. 6. New Business: Director Hansen reports on the success of the summer reading program, with over 671 participants, and thanks various contributors and the city crew for their support. The library's upstairs project is completed, and an open house will be held in conjunction with the ribbon-cutting for the pickleball courts and mural. Director Young provides updates on the substation cooling oil levels and the need for maintenance and upgrades. The council discusses the importance of regular inspections and the need to prioritize and order necessary parts and repairs. Obtain a prioritized price list from Watts Ash Electric covering substation maintenance and upgrades (metering, cutouts, insulators, lightning protection, etc.), then coordinate scheduling a single outage to complete as many needed repairs as possible. Mayor Gritton and Councilman Hart praise the town's holiday decorations, including banners and lights. Director Young mentions moving banners from Hooper Avenue to Main Street and plans to finish the work by next week. Schedule and execute the replacement of all irrigation and bathroom water lines under the Hooper Avenue parking lot before Liddle begins paving, coordinating trenching and asphalt work with the paving contractor to ensure the entire job is completed efficiently. Chief Golightly discusses Fourth of July preparations, including fireworks and parking arrangements. Councilman Hart and Chief Golightly discuss the logistics of the Fourth of July parade and the locations for viewing fireworks. Chief Golightly provides details on the fireworks viewing locations, including the Stake Center and Caribou Medical Center. Councilwoman Byram inquired about the legality of fireworks, and Chief Golightly confirmed that aerial fireworks are illegal in the State of Idaho and the Page 3 of 3 City Code. Councilman Carpenter and Chief Golightly discuss the timing of fireworks and the importance of following the rules. Mayor Gritton thanks Chief Golightly for his participation in planning meetings for an anticipated event. Clerk Haderlie reports the completion of the FY2025 audit, the submission of local government registry reporting, and a change order for drive-thru window replacement due to termite damage. Councilman Hart moved to approve the change order, and Councilman Carpenter seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion carried. Mayor Gritton confirms that the motion passes. Clerk Haderlie mentions the monthly building permit report and business license list, and Councilman Hart offers to help with audit recommendations. Councilman Carpenter appreciates the business license list and building permit report. Director Squires provides updates on water and wastewater issues. 7. Budget Review Council reviewed the Budget worksheet and had no comments on the Enterprise funds for Water, Power, and Sewer. They are proposing the increases discussed earlier in the meeting. Chief Golightly and Councilman Hart discuss plans to transition from leasing police vehicles to purchasing them. Chief Golightly presents two similar plans, one accelerating the transition to 2032 and the other delaying it to 2034-35. Councilman Hart emphasizes the need to own vehicles to avoid high lease costs, and Chief Golightly explains the financial benefits of purchasing. Mayor Gritton suggests scheduling the proposal for a vote at the next meeting. 8. Citizen Input: Councilman Carpenter thanks the fire chief and other volunteers for their quick response during an emergency call. Councilman Hart praises the speed and efficiency of the fire department's response. Councilwoman Byram announces a walk audit to identify park benches for an AARP grant and invites the community to participate. Organize and host the AARP walk audit around Soda Springs on July 20–21, including sending out a calendar invite to community members, arranging music via the playlist, and meeting at City Park for the official evening walk. Mike McEntire thanks the council for their efforts and expresses optimism about the town's future, noting the need for greater citizen involvement. 9. Executive Session 6:47 PM Councilman Carpenter motions to adjourn to executive session to discuss (a) consider personnel matters and (f) Communicate with legal counsel regarding pending/imminently likely litigation. Roll call vote: Mitch Hart Yay, Daniel Larsen Yay, Ryan Carpenter Yay, and Paige Byram Yay. All were in favor, and the motion carried. 8:02 PM Councilman Carpenter motioned to adjourn the Executive Session with no decision made. Councilman Hart seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion carried. Councilman Hart motioned to adjourn the regular council meeting. Councilwoman Byram seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion carried. PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL ON JULY 15, 2026. _________________________ Paul Gritton, Mayor ATTEST _________________________ Andrea Haderlie, Clerk
Text is extracted by machine from the official file linked on each page; the official file is the record. Sentinel Media, LLC.