| Cottonwood
City Council meets
The Cottonwood City Council held their regular May meeting Monday, May 9. The audit report was given with the auditor reporting no major issues. The report was approved by the council. Tom and Robyn Riener and Jay Hinterlong were in attendance regarding a stormwater issue. Apparently the city started a line through their properties, got to a point where they needed a survey done and that’s where it got held up. Councilor Jack Duman and public works supervisor Roy Uhlenkott said they would get on it and get a timeline set up. A youngster appeared before the council and publicly apologized for breaking into the snack bar and pumphouse at the ballfields, promising never to do it again. Denis Duman has sold his airport hanger. The council approved terminating Duman’s lease and the approved a lease for the new owner. The Cottonwood Riding Club lease was approved for another 10 years. The Prairie Community Library’s lease was also approved for another 10 years. The janitorial contract for the Hall is up June 30. Land and Buildings Commissioner and Mayor Shelli Schumacher stated she has not been happy with the work done by the current contractors. Joe Wright pointed out that since the annual amount of the contract is less than $25,000 they do not have to call for bids but can make a request for proposals which lets them treat it more like a job interview than a call for bids where you feel obliged to accept the lowest bidder. The personnel policy from the city’s insurance provider was reviewed with some discussion. It was then approved for adoption by the council. In reports Pat Holthaus reported 3.3 million gallons of water were pumped last month with 2.4 million sold. After the other water they can account for it came to a 13% loss. The water line replacement on the upper end of town is done and put on line last week. It was also reported the water meter reading wand system had a malfunction that doesn’t appear fixable. A replacement costing $765 was ordered. Ron Grant reported cleanup was done at the agriforest and he would like to get a lagoon seepage test done some time in the next year or so. Uhlenkott reported they have switched over and are now sprinkling in the agriforest. Jack Duman reported he is working on the scope of work for the sidewalk project for the engineers. Work will be done in 2017. They are just waiting on the grinder to get the East St. project going. He said he is also including Elizabeth St. in that project to fulfill a promise made to property owners there some time ago. Grant reported there were no city fires in the past month but there were two vehicle fires on Highway 95 as well as a dumpster fire. Schumacher reported the cabinets have arrived for the hall basement remodel. Sheetrocking in the kitchen should start this week and once that is done the cabinets can be installed. Pacific Cabinets donated the cabinets to the project. In the Planning and Zoning report Schumacher and Carol Altman discussed information they got at an Association of Idaho Cities info session that said small towns don’t really have to have a separate P & Z Commission. The Council itself could serve in that capacity. Joe Wright said to do that they would need to amend their ordinance but he agreed that they don’t legally have to have a separate commission. Grant made a motion to amend the ordinance, second by Duman and passed on a roll call vote. This has to go through the public hearing process and a legal notice on this is on page 10. A special meeting was set for June 6. The council meeting adjourned at 9 p.m. The next regular meeting would be Monday, June 13 at 7 p.m. although that could change as the mayor and one of the councilors may not be able to attend, leaving them short of a quorum. |
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