HomeMy WebLinkAboutPH #1 Amending FY23 Budget440d,t\
CHUBBUCK
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Memo
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Devin Hillam, Community Services Director
Date: February 28, 2023
Community Services Department
290 E Linden Ave., Chubbuck, ID 83202
208.237.2430
www.CityofChubbuck.us
Re: Parks Impact Fee Monies for the Budget Amendment
In October 2022, we discussed funding qualifying system improvements in smaller parks known as Hiram
Park, Long Park, and Brookstone-west with the use of parks impact fees, in conjunction with other planned projects
in parks specifically named in the Parks Capital Improvement Plan- Miller Park, Espie/Truman Park, and Downtown
Park. At the time, we anticipated around $80,000 improvements in each smaller park. In 2023, in conjunction with
monies received from the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation ($88,000 grant), we'll be doing some park system
improvements on land currently owned by the CDA (which will be donated to the City) next to City Hall- picnic
tables, shade structures, and some recreational amenities for events like the Farmer's Market and Food Truck
Roundup, and other community events in the downtown Chubbuck Village area.
We have completed 2 public input surveys about desired amenities in Long Park and Hiram Park. Most of
the respondents for the surveys lived around the respective parks and survey results found that for Long Park, a
pickleball court is preferred, and for Hiram Park, a play toy is desired. Although we anticipate costs being less this
year than last, based on feedback from residents, it is likely that more than $80k per park will be needed to design
and install amenities which require very low levels of ongoing maintenance, and which are attractive. For Long and
Hiram parks, I don't anticipate that we'll exceed $100,000/park and for Brookstone- West, that cost should be much
lower. Finally, with regards to Miller Park and Truman Park, I'd like to construct a pathway mostly on top of the dirt
trail users have created in Miller Park and use remaining monies to contribute to Truman Park improvements, in
coordination with other funding injections the Copperfield Landing PUD developer. I anticipate approximately
J:\Administration\00 Community Services Dept Admin\Memos to Council\2.28.23_Memo re parks impact fee
projects.docx 1
$600,026 in new collected parks impact fees in FY23 from just two multi -family residential projects alone- one on
Quinn and the other on Knudsen Blvd.
With these projects, I anticipate parks impact fee funding breakdowns to be:
• Downtown Park- $100,000
o Benches, tables, shade structure, recreational amenities (such as permanent
cornhole stands)
• Long Park- $100,000
o Likely pickleball court, trees, seating area, and some concrete and irrigation
realignment work
o Will accept donations for additional projects if offered (about 35% of survey
respondents said they'd be interested in donating)
• Hiram Park- $100,000
o Likely play toy, trees, seating area, and some concrete and irrigation realignment
work (about 35% of survey respondents said they'd be interested in donating)
• Brookstone- West- $50,000
o Considering benches since SD#25 has a bus stop for elementary, middle, and high
school students at the park and will seek public input for other improvements -
possibly natural play elements (low boulders, artificial stumps, etc.
• Miller Park- $125,000
o Perimeter multi -use path to replace existing dirt desire path created by community
users
• Copperfield Landing's Trueman Park- remaining funds (not sure currently on
improvements and timing - may not be in FY23)
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projects.docx 2
2023 Parks Impact Fee
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CHUBBUCK
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City of Chubbuck
Council Meeting Minutes
October 1.9, 2022
6:00 PM
City Hall Council Chambers
290 East Linden, Chubbuck, ID 83202
CALL TO ORDER: Mayor England
PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG: Councilmember Heiner
INVOCATION: Tony Seikel from the Portneuf Sangha
COUNCIL PRESENT: Roger Hernandez, Melanie Evans, Dan Heiner, and Norman Reece.
STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: Mayor Devin England, City Attorney Ryan Lewis, Interim Public
Works Director Bridger Morrison, Community Services Director Devin Hillam, Development
Services Manager Sean Harris, Lt. Robert Butterfield, Fire Chief Merlin Miller, Human
Resource Director Scott Gummersall, City Treasurer Rich Morgan, and City Clerk Joey Bowers.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: October 5, 2022.
Councilmember Heiner motioned for approval of the Council Meeting minutes.
Councilmember Hernandez seconded motion for approval of minutes.
Roll Call: Heiner -yes, Evans -yes, Hernandez -yes, Reece -recused, motion passed.
GENERAL BUSINESS:
1. Approval of Alpine Crossing Div. IA Preliminary Plat and the findings, facts and
conclusions of law. (Council will discuss the application and if it meets City code).
Brady Smith from Rocky Mountain Engineering represented the applicant. Mr. Smith
presented an application for 19 single family residential lots.
Development Services Manager Sean Harris stated that this application had been
reviewed by City Staff and appears to meet the standards of Titles 16, 17 and 18 of City
Code, and recommended approval with conditions.
Councilmember Hernandez motioned to recommend approval of the Preliminary Plat for Alpine
Crossing Div. IA, as presented. Conditional upon the applicant provide secondary irrigation
facilities design and constructed in accordance with section 16.12.230 of city code, which will
require a pump station, and provide an 8' wide temporary storm water retention easement along
the northern right-of-way of Sawtooth Street, extended east to the western boundary line of Park
Meadows 6th Addition. This is outside of the subdivision boundary, so an easement document
signed by School District 25 recorded in Bannock County will be required. Design and
construction of the northerly storm water swale shall be completed as part of this development.
Councilmember Hernandez seconded motion for approval.
Roll Call: Heiner -yes, Evans -yes, Hernandez -yes, Reece -yes, motion passed.
2. Approval of the Alcohol license for Beer and Wine for Fast Stops (Common Cents).
(Council will discuss if all City, State and County requirements have been completed).
City Clerk Joey Bowers presented an Alcohol license for Beer and Wine for Fast
Stops.
Councilmember Hernandez motioned to approve the Beer, Wine, and Liquor License as
presented, conditional upon on all City, State, and County fees are paid in full.
Councilmember Heiner seconded motion for approval.
Roll Call: Evans -yes, Hernandez -yes, Reece -yes, Heiner -yes, motion passed.
Parks & Recreation Development Impact Fee Use Policy Recommendation regarding the
use of monies in existing parks and for new public trail/paths for qualifying system
improvements.
Community Services Director Devin Hillam stated that the City of Chubbuck had
adopted Parks and Recreation development impact fees and as part of the fee adoption
process, the City adopted a Park and Recreation Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) which
provides an overview for how the fees were calculate and to establish those costs that
qualify for impact fee use; the plan largely implements requirements from Idaho Code
Title 67 Chapter 82 Development Impact Fees. One thing from both the plan and Idaho
Code is that impact fees can only be used to fund improvements related to new growth
and cannot be used to fund maintenance of existing improvements. When the Plan and
fees were adopted, there were 3 large parks that were discussed in detail- a park
expansion at Espie Park, a new park on Angela to be called "Miller Park", urban type
park improvements in Chubbuck's downtown/Chubbuck Village. Some of the criticisms
of the Parks and Recreation Impact Fee have been that the monies are collected, and
nothing has been done with them. The CIP states that "Qualifying system level
improvements include neighborhood or community parks, public trails, open space,
recreation centers, sports fields, and special use parks (such as fitness parks and skate
parks)." The Parks Department would like to spend these monies within the 3 large parks
mentioned in the CIP and in existing parks where those monies can provide system
improvements throughout the entire City.
The City Council directed the Parks Department to look at and use parks impact fees
on system improvements throughout the entire City, but at the same time keeping an eye
on using those fees towards the 3 destination parks proposed within the Park and
Recreation Capital Improvement Plan.
CLAIMS:
City of Chubbuck claims for October 19, 2022 as presented to Mayor England and
Council.
Councilmember Heiner motioned to approve the City of Chubbuck Claims as presented.
Councilmember Hernandez seconded motion for approval.
Roll Call: Heiner -yes, Evans -yes, Reece -yes, Hernandez -yes, motion passed.
ADJOURN: Mayor Kevin England adjourned at 6:20.
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CHUBBUCK
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Memo
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
Community Services Department
290 E Linden Ave., Chubbuck, ID 83202
208.237.2430
www.CityofChubbuck.us
From: Devin Hillam, Impact Fee Administrator 1104
Date: October 12, 2022
Re: Impact Fee Committee Recommendation: Qualifying System Improvements in Parks throughout
City
item.
Please review the attached memo to the Impact Fee Advisory Committee to find details of this agenda
After a discussion at an Impact Fee Advisory Committee Meeting on October 11, 2022, and having
reviewed the attached materials, the Committee recommended in support of the request to affirm that
impact fee monies can and should be spent in existing park areas in the City, and on trail and multi -use
path improvements, while also continuing to save for, and plan, the 3 named park areas in the Capital
Improvement Plan- Miller Park, Espie (Truman) Park, and the downtown park. There is currently a Parks
Impact Fee balance of over $550,000.
If the Council affirms, I plan to survey residents in the neighborhoods to discover what uses, if any,
are desired and then work with residents to determine final improvements which will serve the
neighborhood as well the entire city- those improvements may be some like those found at other city parks
(tot lots) which relieve pressures and increase capacities for those lots in the city, while other improvements
may be unique to only those parks and aren't found elsewhere in the city. To be sure, my goal is to provide
excellent public parks and spaces but it is also a high priority to ensure that new improvements moving
forward require minimal ongoing maintenance cost to the City, since the parks budget and the department's
resources are extremely constrained.
Current Parks efforts relative to impact fees will therefore include:
1- Qualifying system improvements at parks such as Hiram Park, Long Park, and Brookstone Park
(minimal since Sunset West Park is built and nearby, Miller Park will be close, and the new
Brookstone developments will have some public parks improvements).
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Council—re Impact Fee recommend to fund qualifying system improvements in smaller parks.docx
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2- Truman Park/Espie Park (name TBD)- Through collaboration with the new Copperfield Landing
developer, this park will largely be funded through use of locally collected impact fees at
Copperfield Landing, as well as private matching funds from the developer. By agreement, the
developer is putting $5,000 in escrow per unit in Copperfield Div. 6 (55 residential units) towards
future park improvements. The City is still pursuing the original vision of the park to be a water
educational center with improvements like pickle ball, bocce ball, etc., but the Parks and
Recreational Division recognizes that the park as drawn will be labor intensive for ongoing
maintenance and so we'll be working with the Copperfield Landing developer to revise the Park
Plan.
3- Downtown food truck park- Through a mix of Blue Cross Foundation of Idaho grant funding
($85,000) and impact fees, a phased approach will be taken to build a food truck park/farmers
market area on the CDA -owned lot west of City Hall (which the CDA will give to the City for said
purpose). Although the long term goal will be to provide locations where trucks can have access to
natural gas, water, and sewer (and thusly pay lease fees for pad site use to the City), the initial phase
will likely work to just create pad spaces without hookups, and some seating areas. This initial phase
is intended to stay low cost in order to continue saving funds and planning for Miller Park and
Truman/Espie Park.
4- Develop a phased improvement plan for Miller Park so that rather than waiting to accumulate
millions of dollars before improving the property, incremental projects can occur. This is another
park which, if built as designed, will be labor and resource intensive for ongoing maintenance and
so we'll seek concept changes which decrease anticipated maintenance costs while still providing
the community with a park with regional attractions.
Action sought•
A motion affirming the desires of the Parks Director and City Impact Fee Administrator, as
recommended by the Impact Fee Advisory Committee, and as authorized by Idaho Code and the
City's Park Impact Fee ordinance and Capital Improvement Plan, to use collected Parks development
impact fee monies to fund qualifying system improvements in small, existing parks in the City, and
to fund qualifying trail and multi -use path system improvements in the City.
Attached:
1. Impact Fee Advisory Committee Memo regarding the request, as reviewed on Tuesday, October 11,
2022.
J:\Planning\Impact Fees\2022 Update\System Improvement Policy_Sept 2022\10.12.22 Memo to
Council—re Impact Fee recommend to fund qualifying system improvements in smaller parks.docx 2
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Memo
Community Services Department
290 E Linden Ave., Chubbuck, ID 83202
208.237.2430
www.CityofChubbuck.us
To: Impact Fee Committee; Honorable Mayor & City Council
From: Devin Hillam, Community Services Director
Date: September 26, 2022
Re: Parks & Rec Impact Fee Use Policy Discussion
Background Information
The City of Chubbuck has adopted parks and recreation development impact fees and as part of
the fee adoption process, the City adopted a park and recreation capital improvement plan (the Plan)
provides an overview for how the fees were calculate and to establish those costs that qualify for impact
fee use; the plan largely implements requirements from Idaho Code Title 67 Chapter 82 Development
Impact Fees. One thing from both the plan and Idaho Code is that impact fees can only be used to fund
improvements related to new growth and cannot be used to fund maintenance of existing improvements.
When the Plan and fees were adopted, there were 3 large parks that were discussed in detail- a park
expansion at Espie Park, a new park on Angela to be called "Miller Park", urban type park improvements in
Chubbuck's downtown, Chubbuck Village. Largely ignored in the Plan however, is the possibility to use the
parks impact fees for park and recreation improvements not located in those 3 areas, provided the impact
fee funded projects are "system improvements" that will have a benefit on parks and recreation use
throughout the entire city (the "service area"), and will not benefit just one single development.
Some of the criticisms of the Parks and Recreation Impact Fee have been that the monies are
collected, and nothing has been done with them; furthermore, criticisms of the fee also site a desire to use
the monies for projects within existing parks where other developments are under construction. I believe
there is merit in those criticisms, and I am proposing to change that through using the funds through a
combination of both saving for the large park expansions while also targeting funds for system
improvement projects in existing parks in Chubbuck. The City's legal counsel and I believe that the capital
improvement plan provides that authority without need to amend the Plan. Page 4 of the Plan states that
"The Parks CIP documents the City's impact fee qualifying existing and future expenditures. Qualifying
J:\Planning\Impact Fees\2022 Update\9.26.22 Memo to LUDC & Council—re Impact Fee policy for
System Improvements.docx 1
system level improvements include neighborhood or community_ parks, public trails, open space, recreation
centers, sports fields, and special use parks (such as fitness parks and skate parks)" (underlined emphasis
added).
Request
I am requesting your policy consideration and guidance- are the three large parks the only parks as of right
now where the City wishes to spend Parks and Recreation development impact fees or does the City wish
to spend the monies in a combination of parks including the 3 large parks and in existing parks where those
monies can provide system improvements? For the Impact Fee Advisory Committee, your guidance will be
a recommendation to the City Council. For the City Council, your guidance will be treated as policy for how
to administer the funds.
Staff Recommendation
I recommend a policy that allows for, and promotes, a mixture of parks system improvements,
including continuing to save for the 3 large parks as well as planning and building system improvements in
other parts of the City. If this is the policy, as the Impact Fee Administrator, I am committed to ensuring that
they are spent only for that purpose and that monies will only add capacity to the system and will not be
used to fund renovation or maintenance. In the City, we have at least 3 areas which were donated as park
land under the prior development code, but that do not have any amenities. Those include: Long Park in
the Briscoe/Cambridge Estates development area, Hiram Park in the Bilyeu development area, and 2 areas
separated by a street in the Brookstone development. If the City so desired, I would like to poll nearby
residents to these spaces to see what improvements/amenities would be used and/or preferred and then
select impact fee funded improvements based on their input. The goal would be for recreational spaces on
these existing parks which add to the system capacity, meaning even if another big toy is added, it will
decrease demand at an existing big toy in the city and therefore quality as an expense. That said, many of
these parks already have big toys and other common amenities in them- my hope is to identify other ways
to create usable recreational space compared with the "big toy, slide, swing" park model that is common in
Chubbuck.
Attached:
1- Maps showing the location of existing parks proposed for new system improvement investments
2- Parks & Recreation Capital Improvement Plan
3- Idaho Code Title 67 Chapter 82 Development Impact Fees
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System Improvements.docx 2
LONG PARK
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BROOKSTONE PARKS
HIRAM PARK
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CHUBBUCK
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Memo
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
Community Services Department
Parks & Recreation Division
290 E Linden Ave., Chubbuck, ID 83202
208.237.2430
www.CityofChubbuck.us
From: Devin Hillam, Community Services Director
Aaron Schilhabel, Parks & Recreation Manager
Date: December 21, 2022
Re: FY21 Unexpended Funds- Request to use in FY22
During a year of managerial and employee turnover that saw the Parks & Recreation Division move into the
Community Services Department, elevate the one existing employee to the role of Parks & Recreation
Manager, and hire 3 new full-time employees, extreme caution was exercised in expending funds so that
we could assess through practice how much was needed to truly operate the division. As such, the Division
ended fiscal year 2021 with approximately $73,569 unexpended and with the needs of the Division apparent,
we are asking for Council permission to use those monies for needs in FY22 for important operational needs
that address existing deficiencies, and which will help make the department more efficient.
Those items are:
• Install cameras at Cotant Park- $6-7k: Although we are current planning to install these cameras
to deter (or prosecute) the constant vandalism of facilities, the ability to use FY21 funds to do so
will free up operational funds for things like weed killer, fertilizer, contractors, etc. in FY22.
Purchase used vehicle- $20-30k: When the former Parks & Recreation superintendent went on
sick leave and the city's Facilities Maintenance Dept hired another employee to help with property
maintenance, the Superintendent's truck from the Parks & Rec Division was loaned to Facilities
Maintenance under the promise that a new truck was ordered for Facilities Maintenance. Now, as
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1
supply chains have crunched the ability to get new vehicle orders, it means the Parks & Recreation
Division is down a vehicle. Furthermore, existing vehicles in the Division are short in supply and
often, it means that rather than addressing numerous job sites at once with multiple employees,
multiple parks staff and seasonal employees must carshare to either the same job sites or be
dropped off to work and wait to be picked back up again. Purchasing a used vehicle will help solve
transportation issues now while the division is down a loaned rig, and in the future when that loaned
vehicle is returned from Facilities Maintenance and seasonal workers are brought on.
• Seasonal equipment storage (new or reconstruct)- $15,000: The Division needs room to keep
its seasonal equipment out of the elements when not in use in order to decrease unnecessary wear
and to prolong their use. We are exploring some existing buildings that could have some
renovations, and outside of those options, may need to look at other storage building ideas.
• Playground surface treatment- $24,569 (may be less depending on used vehicle cost):
Playground surfaces throughout much of the City consist of not much else but very compact dirt
which, beyond just being an uninviting play area surface, creates contact low growth weed issues
that are difficult for the Division to maintain adequately throughout the growing season.
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440d,t\
CHUBBUCK
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Memo
To: Honorable Mayor & City Council
Community Services Department
290 E Linden Ave., Chubbuck, ID 83202
208.237.2430
From: Devin Hillam, Community Services Director I- D�
Date: February 7, 2023
www.CityofChubbuck.us
Re: Council will discuss with the Community Services Director, additional funding requests in FY23 for the
following items: Comprehensive Plan Amendment, Tennis Court Resurfacing, Parks Development Impact
Fee balance, and use of the FY22 Parks & Recreation Balance in FY23. (Action Item)
At the January 0 Council meeting, I presented a request to reopen the budget to allow for the use of FY22
unexpended Parks & Recreation Division funds in FY23, an amount of approximately $73,569. The Council approved
the use of the funds to move forward but a budget hearing and ordinance were then required and the
hearing/ordinance were scheduled to be held on February 1, 2023, but scrivener's error occurred on the notice and
as such, the events were postponed. Since the budget needs to be reopened, I also seek Council input and approval
to include in the same hearing/ordinance, some additional funding requests tied to my department's operations.
First however, I'd like to provide an additional idea that occurred since the January 41" meeting regarding one of the
parks funding needs — vehicles; following a discussion about vehicle funding, I am seeking to reopen the budget to
use the fund balance to pay for a comprehensive plan update, to authorize the expenditure of parks development
impact fee revenues which have been accumulated to date, to allow the use of grant monies received from the Blue
Cross of Idaho Foundation for park improvements, and to earmark FY23 tennis court surfacing monies for FY24 (if
unexpended).
1. Parks & Recreation Division Vehicle Need- alternate method proposed: At the 1/4/23 meeting, we
discussed an urgent need for at least on additional truck in the department and I proposed that between
$20k -$30k of the $73,569 would be used to purchase a used truck. Since that time, I've been exploring the
possibility to transferring one or two of the Building Division's trucks to the Parks & Recreation Division,
and then leasing replacement vehicles for the Building Division with some of the unexpended FY22 parks
funds. Due to the nature of Parks & Recreation, trucks are needed and I don't believe that a lease would be
feasible with the amount of wear that their duties place on trucks. However, a lease option could be perfect
for the Building Division since their use is predominantly road travel and trucks aren't even required- small,
fuel efficient SUVs (AWD or 4WD) is all that they would require to access job sites. However, before exploring
the lease option in more detail, I wanted to seek Council feedback for full transparency.
2. Comprehensive Plan Update- will need to open the budget: As I've informed the Council previously, our
existing Comprehensive Plan, while still very valid in several of its goals, policies, and objectives, and while
it has been amended from time -to -time, is extremely outdated. Our Plan, called "Our Valley, Our Vision"
was adopted by the City Council in January 2002. At the time, it was created through a regional planning
effort by Chubbuck, Pocatello, and Bannock County and since its adoption, both Pocatello and Bannock
County have had updates, minor and major, to their own plans and the regional cohesion of plans has
J:\Administration\00 Community Services Dept Admin\Memos to Council\2.7.23 Funding Requests_parks_comp
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somewhat dissolved. Comprehensive Plans are required by the Local Land Use Planning Act in Idaho Code,
particularly in order to have valid land use ordinances (See Idaho Code 67-6508).
Our Plan's projects are outdated- our projects run only through 2020. Any input given from the public
around the turn of the century on the Plan and its goals, policies, and objects is surely outdated and revisions
needed after extensive public input. Unfortunately, going through significant plan updates is not cheap. By
state law, comprehensive plans must address each of the following elements (usually as separate chapters
in the plan):
• Property Rights
• Population
• School Facilities and Transportation
• Economic Development
• Land Use
• Natural Resources
• Hazardous Areas
• Public Services, Facilities, and Utilities
• Transportation
• Recreation
• Special Areas/Sites
• National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors
• Public Airport Facilities
• Implementation — This is the portion that could effectively turn into a constantly reviewed City
Strategic Plan.
Rather than try to update plans in-house, most jurisdictions in my experience rely heavily on consultants
(hence the cost). Consultants can play a neutral facilitator role in public open houses and forums, and have
the resources in personnel, software, and experience, to efficiently and effectively help local communities
through the Plan update process. Those jurisdictions that do in-house updates, like Pocatello and Idaho
Falls, have planning staff much larger than Chubbuck's, with planners whose entire jobs revolve around
long-term planning. At Chubbuck, with my shift in duties to oversee numerous divisions, we have a one
employee planning staff (Don Matson) and a consultant is entirely necessary (although we are committed
to doing what we can in-house to save costs). To help with costs, Don and I recently applied for a Blue Cross
of Idaho Foundation Grant to address the healthy community components of our Plan upon its update- we
recently were notified that we received the grant, which should be around $30,000; through the grant we
will obtain neighborhood, date -based information to find determinants of physical health and economic
health (things like life expectancy, social engagement, substance abuse, happiness/well-being, mental
health, environmental quality) so that Chubbuck's Plan can create objectives and policies based on hard
data, for the ultimate benefit of our residents.
Comprehensive Plans tend to cost between $100,000 to $150,000 for communities of our size. For our
initial request, I would like to start with a commitment of $80,000 which, together with our grant monies
from BCIF should get us significantly or even completely where we need to be (we won't know with more
certainty until we go through the RFP process to find consultants). I have been reluctant to seek RFPs until
I know that funding was committed. The investment in the Comprehensive Plan is also critical to a future
next step of exploring a streets development impact fee; the Public Works Director recently contacted a
firm inquiring about the process to start the streets development impact fee process and they advised us
that we needed to review and revise our outdated plan first. The updated plan will be critical to the ongoing
success of every department in the City as they plan and implement.
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plan_grant_tennis_etc .docx 2
Because the Plan update process can take several months, it is likely that if funds were allocated this year
by the Council, not all would be used this fiscal year and in that case, I'd request that those funds drop to
the fund balance and be earmarked for use in FY24's budget for the same purpose. Again, knowing that at
least $80,000 is secured will allow us in good faith to seek RFPs, the process through which we will learn the
final cost and will require a contract to be signed by the Council.
3. Parks Development Impact Fees: Parks Impact Fees can only be used for very specific, identified capital
improvement projects which increase the capacity of our parks. Currently, Council is aware of, and has
accepted using funds in FY23 for capital improvement projects at Long Park, Hiram Park, Brookstone West,
a gathering space on property that the CDA will donate to the City for a park, and possible park
improvements at the park in the Copperfield Development and in Miller Park. However, none of the monies
were budgeted for use this year and so I am requesting that the budget be opened to allow for the
expenditure of all of the monies that we have in the parks impact fee account, $565,348.06, for these
qualifying and identified projects. Although I certainly do not anticipate spending all of the monies, having
flexibility to respond to fund needed improvements would make for a more efficient and effective process.
I am currently surveying residents and reviewing responses for park improvements at Long Park and Hiram
Park with a stated city impact fee contribution of $70,000. If given the opportunity to spend an additional
$20,000 to install more amenities in a park for the benefit of users from the whole city, especially in
coordination with donations from surrounding residents, I believe that the flexibility is greatly needed to
respond in a timely manner. Again, these funds only have very specific uses- opening the budget to allow
for the expenditure of all of the funds is very, very far from a blank check to the administration.
For Hiram, Long, Brookstone West, and the City Hall park (not including grant monies received to create
the space from the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation), I estimate that in FY23, we'll spend approximately
$390,000. But, if the Copperfield Landing developer, who will be constructing park improvements instead
of paying parks impact fees, wishes to build some park improvements this year, having flexibility to add
more improvements through use of our existing revenues seems to only make sense. Moreover, if the City
decides to not seek farming use of Miller Park, we could easily use parks impact fee monies this year to
fund an asphalt (or chipped gravel) path around the park on the goat trail that the community has already
created through the weeds; having flexibility in available funds to do improvements like that seems to only
make sense.
4. Use of Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation Grant monies for downtown gathering space[park
improvements: The Parks & Recreation Division was awarded $88,000 for use in creating an excellent,
usable gathering space in the downtown area. While the project has morphed away from creating a
dedicated food truck park to creating a less costly space (as a way to preserve parks impact fee monies for
parks around the City), the idea continues to be supported by BCIF staff and City staff. This new proposal
will draw on input already given by the public through BCIF at Chubbuck Days to create seating area for
events like farmers markets and food truck roundups, while creating some permanent recreational
attractions to draw the public into the downtown area. Currently, a landscape architect is working on the
plan, costing, and design. These monies have already been received and must be spent by October 31, 2023
(per the terms of the plan).
5. Earmarking of Tennis Court resurfacing monies for FY24 if unable to find contractor in FY23: The
Parks & Recreation Budget currently has $60,000 allocated for tennis court resurfacing in FY23. Although
Ron Osborn (City employee/tennis extraordinaire), Aaron Schilhabel (Parks & Recreation Manager), and I
believe that the costs to resurface the court will likely be higher, we request that if those funds aren't used
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in FY23, that they drop to the fund balance and be reallocated back for the same purpose with the turning
of the new FY24 budget. Ron believes that due to good care, that the court likely will be fine through this
coming season but until the snow melts and he can survey the court, he won't be able to determine the
status of the courts to generate an accurate request for proposals to seek qualified contractors to do the
work of resurfacing. Ron is currently out on medical leave and his return date is unknown at this time.
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