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minutes meeting date 2026-04-01 · fetched 2026-09-17 · 10392 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 APRIL 1, 2026. ROLL CALL SHOWED THE FOLLOWING PRESENT: Paul Gritton, Mayor Ryan Carpenter Paige Byram Daniel Larsen EXCUSED: Mitchell J. Hart, Council President ALSO PRESENT: Dan Squires, Director of City Services Andrea Haderlie, City Clerk Thomas Smith, City Attorney CeJay Golightly, Chief of Police Celeste Schneider, Deputy Clerk Hope Hansen, Librarian Jeff Young, Director Brandon Hall Howard Hawkins Jon Winmill Jerrod Cantrell Brandon Nilsson and Family Bryce Somson 1. Roll call & Additions to Agenda: Mayor Gritton calls the meeting to order, noting the date as April 1, 2026, and asks Councilwoman Byram to lead the invocation. Councilwoman Byram offers a prayer, and Mayor Gritton leads the Pledge of Allegiance. Mayor Gritton mentions Councilman Hart's absence and anticipates Trent Clark's attendance for an update on the Enders committee. Councilman Carpenter motioned pursuant to Idaho Code 74-204, to amend the agenda for this meeting as follows, adding an appointment at 5:10 PM Enders Committee update from Trent Clark. Councilman Larsen seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion carried. 2. Review & Approval: Mayor Gritton requests the approval of minutes from the March 18, 2026, meeting and the special meeting on March 20, 2026. Councilwoman Byram makes a motion to approve the minutes, which is seconded by Councilman Carpenter. All were in favor, and the motion carried. The payables for March 17 through March 31, 2026, are under review. Councilman Larsen motioned to approve accounts payable, including payroll. Director Squires confirms that the City Park, Kelly Park, and Ender’s cameras are operational and all are on the same system. Mayor Gritton asks for the specific locations of the cameras. Councilman Carpenter asked 6855 police radar remote. Chief Golightly stated it was a replacement. Councilwoman Byram asked about the police department's overtime. Chief Golightly stated that unplanned trips out of town have caused overtime. 3. Appointments: Mayor Gritton recognizes Brandon Nilsson for his bravery in rescuing a person from near drowning at Alexander Reservoir on March 8, 2026. Brandon Nilsson is awarded a plaque and certificate for his courage and dedication. Mayor Gritton also expresses appreciation for volunteers and their contributions to the community. Mayor Gritton notes Trent Clark's absence. 4. Citizen Input Mayor Gritton opened the floor for Citizens' Input, but no citizens offered comments. He then closed the floor, noting the lack of participation. 5. Unfinished Business: Director Squires updates on various projects, including the ITD Hwy 30/Second South sewer line replacement and the bore under the railroad tracks on South Second East. He will proceed once the cost estimates for the Second South sewer replacement are finalized, then begin door-to-door outreach to residents and businesses to explain the average cost range (about $3,000–$3,500), and encourage them Page 2 of 3 to replace their side sewer lines, and the city will do 36 month no interest for the replacement or lump sum options. Director Squires mentions the approval of materials proposals for the waterline and sewer lines, as well as the tentative schedule for the bore under the railroad tracks project. He will follow up within the next week or so by contacting Rail Pros to confirm participation and scheduling for the Second East under- rail track project, tentatively set for the week of May 18, including arranging engineering rail monitoring. Director Squires will coordinate with Sunrise Engineering, the grant recipient for Energy Efficiency and Conservation, to obtain a complete power system study covering substations, transformers, efficiency, and growth capacity within the next few weeks. All the sand has been hauled. Thank you to the County for their help. The Ledger Creek project was discussed, with updates on trail progress and the Army Corps of Engineers' cease-and-desist order on the lower section. Director Squires updated that they will complete construction of the upper trail section of Ledger Creek, making a couple of trails ready for use. Director Squires reported on the upcoming director for Recreation, who will start on April 20, 2026. Director Squires stressed the importance of an environmental review for SRF funds. He will hold a Zoom meeting with DEQ staff and Sunrise representatives to identify the necessary environmental review documentation to enable the city to qualify for State Revolving Fund water and wastewater loans. Director Squires updated that the Rotary Club will draft and send a letter to local media outlining the Fourth of July parade route restrictions, including no parking one hour before and immediate removal after the parade, using the existing alternative route permits. 6. New Business: Librarian Hansen provides updates about the library and staff attending the LCEI Conference. Bathroom restoration is underway; they found a leak, which has now been repaired. The updates also include a community read event and the Dia de los Muertos celebration. Chief Golightly reports that winter parking has ended, the department will participate in the aggressive driving task force grant on April 6, 2026, and the Fourth of July parade route will be moved to Hooper Ave. Parking will not be allowed on Hooper Ave until an hour before the parade. He reported that Bancorp sold one of the patrol cars with a residual value of 500.00. Director Young notes that the street sweeper should be repaired and returned by the end of next week, hopefully by Wednesday. The TIMCO representative contacted me about the compressor for our sweeper; it is from an older model with discontinued parts, but they found an alternative compressor that is expected to fit and work properly. Our goal is to install the replacement and have the sweeper ready by week's end to begin cleaning the town streets. The bathrooms are now open, so prepare for the busy summer season. Gather all the basketball bleachers and picnic tables, which were purchased by the Friends of the Park, including the picnic tables and bleachers, among other equipment for the basketball court. Deputy Clerk Schneider is covering for Recreation until the new Director is trained. Women's volleyball starts tomorrow and will be held every Thursday for five weeks. We still plan to host the open mic night. ShaLynn and Melissa from the office offered to help since she can't be in two places at once. We are currently accepting registrations for baseball, softball, T-ball, and coach-pitch, including forms for itty-bitty ball. If enough players sign up, baseball and softball teams will start mid-May; Deputy Clerk Schnieder are coordinating with Grace & Bancroft on this. If local players are insufficient, we aim to form at least one team. The season begins mid-May, with teams from Marsh Valley, Bear Lake, Grace, and Bancroft. T-ball and coach-pitch will continue through June, two days a week—probably Monday and Wednesday. Itty-bitty ball for 3-4-year-olds also runs during the day through June. She told Dan I’m happy to assist with the Slamming' Jam event and help train the new director to avoid being overwhelmed, especially with Fourth of July preparations. She has been inventorying equipment and working on Page 3 of 3 orienting the new director so she’s prepared to take over. Director Squires will attend Planning and Zoning to request a conditional use permit for the placement of a shipping container for storage at the ice rink. Clerk Haderlie reported that the Local Government Transparency Report is now due on July 1 each year, and the audit must also be completed by July 1 to report it. She mentions working on policies and beginning the budget. Councilman Hart prepared a Capital list for the streets department, and the fund is currently healthy. Director Squires and Director Young are seeking Council approval to place an order for the new street sweeper using FY27 Healthy Streets funds, and they have arranged for delivery and acceptance of the vehicle between November and January. The Council reevaluates street department capital priorities against the loader lease payment and decides whether to delay purchasing a road grader in favor of higher-priority equipment. Councilman Carpenter motioned to approve the Source Well purchase price for fiscal year 2027. Councilwoman Byram seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion carried. Clerk Haderlie introduces the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for fiscal year 2027 and seeks council approval for further discussion. Clerk Haderlie presented the selected Employee Assistance Program (such as BPA or Intermountain Healthcare) as a benefit option in the upcoming employee insurance package and related budget. Council gave Clerk Haderlie okay to proceed. Clerk Haderlie presents proposed financial policies, including the general financial policy, utility collection disconnection policy, and AIC procurement policy. Council members request more time to review and understand these policies and suggest discussing them at the next meeting. The council agrees to review the proposals and provide feedback in advance. Clerk Haderlie asks the council to gather comments on the revised utility collection and disconnection policies and to prepare the final version for approval at the upcoming meeting. Additionally, Clerk Haderlie requests the council to review the proposed 2026-7 AIC procurement and purchasing policy resolution and submit suggested edits before the next meeting. 7. Citizen Input: Mayor Gritton opened the floor for Citizens' Input, but no citizens offered comments. He then closed the floor, noting the lack of participation. Councilman Carpenter motioned to adjourn. Councilwoman Byram seconded the motion. All were in favor, and the motion carried. PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL ON APRIL 15, 2026. _________________________ Paul Gritton, Mayor ATTEST _________________________ Andrea Haderlie, City Clerk
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