CROUCH CITY COUNCIL: September 8 Meeting

The City of Crouch has received matching funds for its grants and has funds committed to the Department of Commerce Gem Grant for the Wastewater project.


Grant Activities:

IDOC – Jerome Mapp presented updated documents on the progress of the grant and requested a payment of $1500 for his services and a payment to Forsgren and Associates, for $1560. Council President, Dawn Smith, reaffirmed that the funds come out of the grant money. Mapp stated it comes from the Block grant fund.

Mapp and others will be meeting to talk about the surveys and the need to contact the individual owners of the properties under consideration, to let them know they are considering their property for the water tank site. Mapp stated he had not spoken with Larry Leasure yet.

Smith said she knew information was getting thrown around that is a waste of time for the water and she wants to make sure they don't waste their time and money on certain locations for it. Council decided to talk about land acquisition later, out of open meeting. Preparing the information about the route of the pipeline is the goal for the next meeting.

Gary Ashby, of Forsgren and Associates, brought up the bond election. He says the Department of Commerce likes the idea of the sewer project. “It’s the $500,000 Block Grant we would apply for. Rural Development would follow a similar schedule. Talking with them encouraged us to get the application in as soon as we can, pertaining to the new fiscal year. It is first-come-first serve.

“They like the project and want to be able to fund it. In the funding package, we made the assumption of 50% grant and 50% loan. We are sure we will get the funding. The thing we are unsure about is the grant loan ratio, 40/60 or 70/30.”

The City would use Rural Development money for only part of the project; they are hoping to use Block Grant money for design work, administration, and land acquisition. That factors into going out for the bond election in November. The next the bond election would not be until May 24. Ashby says that having the bond election in November will not make things go any faster and it may be too quick to educate the public.

There was confusion regarding information from different agencies, about needing a bond approval before the application process. Dawn Smith remarked that Rural Development said the City had to have a bond approved. Ashby said “no”. The Mayor said, “We talked about it in conference with them. There can be a stipulation that would refer to it being pending on passing a bond." Dawn stated, “DEQ said we could not fill out the applications until we had a bond election. So what do we tell people?”

After batting Commerce, Rural Development and DEQ around,Gary Ashby said, “Rural Development is the one that has the grant. If we don't take any of their loans we don't get any of their grants.” He has checked Heath Price and says they can get things moving and have the bond election come in later.

Dawn Smith continued her thought: “If we have debt forgiveness through DEQ, why are we not pursuing that? That's why we were pushing, that it's available now but will be off the table later." Ashby stated he would check. "Two months ago, they still had money and they were having a challenge to get rid of it.”

Mayor Bob Powell stated it is a Catch 22; getting the extra time would help educate and talk to the community. Dawn said, “Considering there are hundred voters and there are five of us, we could each take 20 people. If it means that we are going to spend more money, I say we do it in November. Can we do the ordinance for November tonight, and then we'll find out if we can push it off until May, without it affecting the money?"

Concerns at hand are getting the public surveyed, a public meeting, getting documents to those who don’t show up, the cost of the project for each person, and the price of the property.

Council passed the motion for Ordinance 2010-04, to PROVIDE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION OF IMPROVEMENT TO THE SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM OF THE CITY OF CROUCH, BOISE COUNTY,IDAHO; CALL A SPECIAL ELECTION FOR THE SUBMISSION TO THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF THE CITY THE QUESTION OF INCURRING AN INDEBTEDNESS AND ISSUING REVENUE BONDS IN THE PRINCIPAL AGGREGATED AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $1,200,00 TO PAY A PORTION OF THE COST THEROF; ESTABLISH THE DATE, TIME, AND PLACE OF ELECTION; PROVIDE FOR PUBLIC NOTICE OF ELECTION; PROVIDE FOR REGISTRATION OF VOTERS; PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS; AND PROVIDE AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
(Mayor) The Motion having carried will become effective upon publishing in the Idaho World newspaper.

Jerome Mapp stated he would like to be the grant administrator for this project for the amount of $25,000. Mapp said that it would be like the water grant, which he worked on for two years before he received any funding, and it would be the same for this. Smith said, “I don’t have a problem with Jerome but last time we had to prove that we had reviewed other grant administrators.” The Council agreed Mapp does a good job, so he will bring a contract to the next meeting, for approval consideration.

New Business:

Garden Valley Postmaster Karen Ralstin stated she is asking for the Council's help in establishing a “No Parking Zone” around the boxes on the corner of Village and Old Crouch. Concern for the person delivering the mail, as well as others, makes it a safety issue. The Mayor stated his box is there and it can be a challenge. Ralstin said that if the boxes are blocked, they are not even supposed to deliver the mail. Dawn Smith said the property is owned by Village Associates but Council could make a motion to do it. Smith didn’t think Village Associates would have a problem with it and would gladly speak to them about it. Ralstin stated the post office would pay for it the signage.

Land Use/Zoning:

Motion was passed to send a letter to the County, in approval of vacating the center line between the two Burgess properties, on Shadow Road, in Castle Mountain Creek Subdivision.

Community Hall Report: A little bit of down-home-in-the-country government:

There was a leak in the men’s restroom which was fixed

When the list of bills was presented for Council's approval, the Mayor questioned the $800 for the bat removal. Deputy Clerk Jody Waltham said they counted eight bats. $100 a bat.

The insulation project is still on going. The Mayor said that the bats are going out on their own now. Waltham stated yes, and that there was a bat door in place. The Mayor suggested Dawn go up with a broom. Waltham said someone should flood the attic with light at night and force the bats to leave. Council Jackie Kraupp asked if they had sealed up the holes. Waltham said they had not. They were waiting for the bats to leave and then seal it. Council Richard Messick said County Clerk Kim Bosse told them that the holes were sealed so that when the bats do leave they couldn’t get back in. Waltham said all she knew was that when the insulation people were up there last time they could still see holes. The Mayor said they are small and can slip in. Messick said last he talked with Bosse, she said they had all the holes sealed and they were just waiting for them to leave. Waltham said well, when the last bats are gone, they will get back up there...and that last time the insulation guy about broke his leg trying to get down. The Mayor stated if they were rabid, they might try and do something. Kraupp was getting chills from all the bat talk. The Mayor said bats are good, they eat bugs. Bats won’t bother you, they go right around ya. Kraupp stated she still doesn’t like them. Waltham said if they’re out in the daytime, they’re rabid. Mayor said, or on the ground, don’t touch them.

Council passed a motion to have a letter sent to Central District Health, to look at the Lindstrom property to see why there are cabins being built with no sanitary system.

Jody Waltham stated that an ad had been placed in the Idaho World for snow plow removal for the winter. Messick requested that the City modify what they are plowing, too. Council is concerned that if the streets are blocked up there all summer, why plow it for them now? Council thought maybe those businesses could plow the area themselves. Smith commented that it felt like it hasn’t been fair that the whole strip mall is considered one property and all the way around the Longhorn is considered one property. She stated she would like, as they work on the street plan, to see how much each property owner owns, so they can come up with a more fair way to split the plowing cost. She said, “If they want to give us the roads for our sewer and water lines then that can be different. Then there would have to be some easements.”

That’s it folks.

Next meeting of Crouch Council will be Wednesday, November 10, at 6:30 p.m., in Crouch Community Hall. Information may be obtained by calling the Clerk at 208-462- 4687.