Last night’s meeting was much longer than normal due to an Executive Session and a Waste Water Working Group Meeting. Overall, the entire council was talkative and spoke their minds. As opposed to the last meeting, there was little Council friction about most issues but enough to keep it interesting.
The Interesting Issues
1. Water – Waste Water: If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand time…Water is big business and last night’s meeting proved it again. There was a presentation about our waste water, the budget for waste water and projects involving waste water.
In short, our water rates will be going up 4.9% for the typical user. That’s the bad news. The good news is the City made some very wise decisions in the past that have set present day Mountain Home up with adequate funding into the foreseeable future. There are a few near-term projects to improve our waste water pipe lines with funding already in the City coffers. A new and very expensive sewage lagoon is planned in about 7-15 years. I believe this new lagoon is why our water rates will be going up.
2. Hicks Family Attempting to REPLACE a Memorial Plaque around the 10th Green: This issue kind of got out of control in my opinion but there was some great discussion surrounding this thorny issue. The final decision was to approve the Hicks Family plan to place a tasteful “non-headstonelike” and durable stone memorial near the 10th green on our local golf course. This memorial will replace one that deteriorated and had to be removed in the past few years. In addition, the family will also foot the $1,800 bill for the purchase and planting of 5-7 trees in the same area.
The thorny issue is the fact, or maybe the impression, the Desert Canyon Golf Course doesn’t have a well defined policy on placing memorial plaques on or around the golf course. It seems like a well established fact no one wants the golf course to start looking like a cemetery. It also appears as if there have been a fair number of memorial plaque requests the City has turned down. Councilman Urquidi finally put this issue to rest for the night by agreeing to get the golf course people to draft up some real and permanent memorial plaque guidelines.
3. City Impact Fee’s: There was a longish discussion between the City Manager and the Council about City Impact Fee’s (CIF). For the most part a lot of this stuff went into one ear and out the other. Don’t get me wrong…this is extremely important stuff as it will affect our tax rates. Want more info about what was discussed…contact the city. Sorry, but my mind drifted during this issue.
4. Executive Session: Last night’s meeting started at 5:30pm and the Council had to go into Executive Session at 6:10pm. This session is a meeting held behind closed doors to discuss things that might be a little too sensitive to discuss in public. I do know this session had something to do with a City “legal issue”. The legal issue wasn’t discussed, but we do know the Council got on a conference call with “the lawyers”.
5. Mountain Home Museum Director Resigned: A group of 4 folks from the Mountain Home Museum addressed the Council about the sudden opening for a Museum Director. These passionate folks were looking for guidance about hiring a new director, continued City funding for this position and their options. I think the Council’s non-official decision on this issue had something or even everything to do with last night’s Executive Session!
- The entire Council stated how important they think the Mountain Home Museum is to our community. My impression was Councilwoman Alain Isaac was the only member that was willing to “consider” funding this position.
- The rest of the Council suggested the Museum find alternate sources of funding. They thought Elmore County should pony up some money for the Museum and maybe take up the slack with more volunteers.
- Mayor Rist was quite frank and almost stern with the Museum staff in telling them the City WILL NOT fund this position in full or in all likelihood not at all.
Executive Session Outcome Will Have Long Lasting Effects
So, why do I think the July 25th, 2011 Executive Session involving lawyers had something to do with the Museum not getting much or any funding in this upcoming budget? I think the Mayor made it semi-clear the information learned during the Executive Session phone call was bad news for the City, our tax payers and the budget.
My thinking is the “No Limits Christian Ministries” lawsuit is why the Council is on edge about the upcoming budget. Someone has to pay for these legal fees.
- Is this lawsuit going to have drastic effects on non-essential services and programs in the City of Mountain Home?
- Could we lose the Mountain Home Historical Museum due to the “No Limits Christian Ministries” church lawsuit?
- For some reason I believe the whole story about this “No Limits Ministries” lawsuit will affects Mountain Home in a bad way for a very long time. The taxpayers will have to write additional checks just to maintain what we already have.
There You Have It – Tim’s Review of the July 25th City Council Meeting
Shed some crocodile tears for me as I missed dinner to attend this marathon Mountain Home City Council meeting. It was a fun and informative meeting I’m glad I attended. Have any questions or comments about what you read? Let me know by leaving a comment or use my Contact Us form.
