APPROVEDThe City Council held meeting # 1504 on Monday, October 15, 2018, in the Council Chambers at City Hall.
Call to Order:
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm by Mayor Teske.
Present were Ms. Williams, Ms. Smith, Mr. Zimmerman, Mr. Beach, Mr. Dufficy, Mr. Taylor, City Administrator Jim Hammons, City Clerk Audray McCollum and City Attorney Dean Chisolm.
Mr. Yoder offered the prayer.
Mr. Zimmerman Made a Motion to approve the minutes from meeting #1503 held on October 15, 2018.
Mr. Beach Second.
Williams, Smith, Zimmerman, Beach, Dufficy, Taylor voted FOR.
MOTION PASSED.
Announcements: None
Committee Reports:
City Administrator: Mr. Hammons said the Fire Wise project is going well, and logs are being hauled to the mills. Mr. Hammons will meet with Mr. Scott and discuss the brush clearing around the new building location.
Mr. Hammons said the street sweeping is complete from the chip sealing project.
City crews will start picking up leaves on October 25th and 26th and November 1st and 2nd. The public needs to bring their leaves to the curb and have them boxed or bagged.
Fire: None
Police: Chief Kessel reported there was a school threat on October 4 written in the men’s bathroom at the high school. The threat said there would be a school shooting on Wednesday, October 10th. There was extra police staff assigned for the homecoming events. An investigation was started immediately that involved school staff. A video camera helped identify a short list of suspects. Chief Kessel notified the State Division of Criminal Investigation and the FBI. Both agencies provided the department with threat assessment resources. Based on the investigation the threat was assessed as not credible by the State and FBI. Regardless, Kessel still staffed the schools with extra officers throughout the week. Chief Kessel said the investigation was almost complete at the local level. Kessel is still working with outside agencies to analyze the evidence and identify a suspect who made the threat.
Chief Kessel is working on a grant to get a school resource officer who could help identify children that may display this type of behavior and help them before they act out. Kessel said there would be extra patrol at the school s until then.
Mr. Dufficy asked if the schools had the funds for a resource officer? Kessel said no, they might be able to help. Mr. Beach asked what the annual budget would be?
Kessel said with wages and benefits around $52.000.00 annually. Kessel said the city does have a vehicle. Kessel said he would not hire a new officer; the city would not have to pay for the academy.
Ms. Smith asked if the officer would work all year. Kessel said the city would use the officer in the summer during the busy season. Mr. Taylor asked about closing the school campus. Kessel said the school was against a closed campus. Ms. Williams appreciated the way Chief Kessel and the officers handled the situation.
Council discussion followed.
Resolutions/Ordinances: There will be an ordinance committee meeting on Tuesday, October 16th at noon to discuss the purposed zoning changes.
Lights/Streets/Sidewalks: There will be a committee meeting Wednesday, October 17th at 6:15 to discuss an alley issue.
Building: None.
Water/Sewer: There will be a meeting on Friday, October 19th at noon to discuss sewer revenues.
Cemetery/Parks: None.
Finance: None.
KRDC: Meeting Thursday, October 18 at noon.
City-County Board of Heath: Mayor Teske was sad to announce that city representative John Thorton had passed away. The city will be advertising for a replacement.
Mr. Dufficy attended the meeting and said the board recommends everyone get a flu shot. The public needs to get burning permits for fall burning. The board is happy that more people are recycling. The board is preparing for the departure of the EPA and are aiming for a smooth transition.
Public Comment on Non- Agenda Items:
DC Orr,1117 Nevada, said the planning board has not been transparent with the public about the purposed downtown zoning changes. Mr. Orr asked the planning board to have their meetings after work so more public could attend the meetings.
Orr said the city’s webpage was a mess, and the public could not access the information. Mr. Orr found one set of minutes from the planning commission from 2015 and was unable to find any agendas.
Orr said the planning commission was operating illegally and anything presented to the council should be considered illegitimate. The board did not follow the open meeting law.
Mr. Orr asked the council to send the zoning request back to the planning commission and reorganize the planning board.
Ms. McCollum said all the planning board agendas are posted on the city’s web page.
New Business:
Dann Rohrer-Cabinet View Golf Club.
Dan Rohrer,123 Swede Gulch Drive, Cabinet View Golf Club. Mr. Rohrer thanked the Mayor and the council for putting him on the agenda. Rohrer came to update council on the potential new housing development. Rohrer stated the club delivered the past documents to City Attorney Chisholm for review. The club has been in contact with their engineer, putting together development cost and organizing a fundraiser for an estimated $30,000.00 to move forward with the development.
The golf club is a nonprofit organization, and their goal is to cover the expenses without taking out a loan. The club raised $20,000.00 a few years ago on a preliminary plat that would make the total $50,000.00 on planning.
Before the club moves forward with the fundraiser, they ask the council to disclose any unexpected expenses. The golf board is behind this and would like to move forward in good faith. Rohrer said, “this development is a win, win for the city and for Cabinet View Golf Club. This area lacks good quality building spots especially close to town. The development would bring 115 potential lots.” Mr. Rohrer thanked the council for their commitment and working with the club and the club commits to working with the city.
Mayor Teske said he has gone through the paperwork from the past and had unanswered questions. Teske said none of the council was present when the project started in 2004.
Rohrer gave the council his background knowledge of the proceedings from 2004 to the present.
Rohrer said there has never been any documentation stating the golf club was responsible for the sewer main, yet they were told they owed $750,000.00 to the City of Libby for the sewer main.
Council discussion followed.
The golf course asked the council for a letter from the City of Libby stating the golf course was not responsible for the sewer main.
Mr. Chisholm requested up to 4 weeks to research the past paperwork and the new proposal; he then would provide a letter to the council . The council would then provide a letter to Cabinet View Country Club.
Council Comments:
Mr. Zimmerman said, “this had been a black cloud over everyone, now is the time to make a move the city could recoup some funds and place them in an account to help others.”
Ms. Smith said, “the city needs to get better at documenting.”
Mr. Beach said, “This matter has been in the community for a long time. This would be great for the city an opportunity to recoup funds .”
Ms. Williams said, “This was before my time if the documentation was there, it would have surfaced, it’s time to move on.”
Mr. Taylor said “this needs to be researched if this was an expired document then we have no other options. Mr. Thede (former City Administrator) is available. If the city is owed money, the city needs to be paid that money.”
Mr. Dufficy said he was a member of the county club and would like to see the back nine developed. Dufficy would like to research the issue and move ahead.
Ms. Williams disclosed that KLCB owns a share of the golf course.
Public Comment:
DC Orr,1117 Nevada, said he was a member of the council in 2009 and gave his background knowledge between the City of Libby and Cabinet View Country Club. Mr. Orr said, “the city needs to put this behind them and move ahead with the subdivision and get what you can out of the loan.”
UNFINISHED BUSINESS:
Libby Web Site Re-Design:
Ms. Williams is back in contact with Nate and getting him information that he needs.
Council Rules and Procedure:
Ms. Williams gave council an updated version of Council Rules and Procedures to the city attorney and is waiting for feedback.
Council then discussed the appointment of board members.
Mayor Teske asked council how they would like to proceed with the appointment of board members because the Council Rules and Procedures was not finalized.
Dufficy and Taylor would like the council to interview and appoint the board members.
Smith would like each board to make their recommendation to the council.
TABLED FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.
General Comments from the Council:
Ms. Smith wished everyone a safe and happy Halloween.
Adjournment:
Ms. Williams MADE a MOTION to adjourn the meeting.
Mr. Dufficy SECOND.
Williams, Zimmerman, Beach, Taylor, Dufficy voted FOR:
MOTION PASSED.
The meeting ADJOURNED at 8:05 pm.
__________________ Attest; ______________________
Mayor
Brent Teske Audray J. McCollum, City Clerk/Treasurer