For the week of August 20 - 26, 2003

Council moves Airport West replat applications

Wastewater user fees to increase

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By MATT FURBER
Express Staff Writer

The Hailey City Council moved through all of its special meeting agenda items Monday, Aug. 18, passing 10 of 11 consent agenda items, established more new lot configurations for the Airport West subdivision and took final action on the fiscal year 2003-2004 city budget.

A motion to authorize the mayor to sign a contract for a wastewater master plan by Corollo Engineers was struck, as the contract was not yet completed. The item is set for the next regular meeting, Monday, Aug. 25.

A consent item of note was the authorization of a $95,000 federal grant to the city for a traffic study to be carried out by the Hailey engineer’s office.

Applications for the replat of three large blocks in Airport West were approved breaking them into 29 lots ranging from 9,600 square feet to 54,000 square feet. City staff recommended that a conceptual road leading from the subdivision to Broadford Road be closed to traffic except for emergency access.

Wastewater user fees were increased 7 percent from $22.95 per month to $24.56 per month for the period of Oct. 1, 2003, through Sept. 30, 2004. The new city budget of $9.6 million will also be in effect starting Oct. 1 after it is published and certified.

Former Mayor Al Lindley questioned whether Mayor Susan McBryant and council could receive healthcare benefits included in the new budget.

McBryant clarified that under the rules of Blue Shield insurance policies, elected officials can be covered as part time workers specifically because they are public officials.

McBryant will take the healthcare benefit, and councilman Don Keirn will take the dental benefit.

McBryant also addressed the council to let them know that she had been doing some thinking about annexation pressure in the city.

Valley Christian Fellowship wants to build a new facility north of the city and McBryant is exploring ways that they may be able to hook in with city sewer system without being annexed. McBryant was making no suggestions yet, just exploring issues, she said, giving the council a heads up about what is coming.

"If you look around the city you can see who is knocking on our door," she said. "And they are knocking vigorously."

 

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