[0:12] I. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States

[0:16] of America and to the Republic for which it stands One nation

[0:21] under God It is the law with certainty and justice

[0:25] for all thank you We're moving into our next items

[0:35] on the agenda, which is the consent calendar.

[0:37] What are Council's wishes ?

[0:38] Mr. Mayor, I move that we consider items Eight through C

[0:44] OK.

[0:45] So it's a motion to approve items eight through C i'll

[0:48] second of a motion to approve items.

[0:51] Eight through C from Councilman Stone and Councilwoman

[0:55] pierce Any discussion on that on those items Rachel

[1:01] roll call vote Press read yes.

[1:04] Yes.

[1:05] Jason brown.

[1:06] Yes.

[1:06] Sherri vomer Yes Nathan Murray.

[1:08] Yes.

[1:09] Grayson stone.

[1:10] Yes.

[1:10] And Ruth pierce.

[1:11] Yes.

[1:12] OK.

[1:12] Motion carries 7 to 0.

[1:15] So we still have item three D, What is order

[1:19] council's wishes Mr. Mayor?

[1:22] For me?

[1:22] Yes.

[1:23] I have a really hard time giving an open ended

[1:26] window to the release date.

[1:28] Given the impact that this will have

[1:31] on local families traveling to and from drum back and forth

[1:37] traffic plans.

[1:38] I would love to have a date certain

[1:41] associated with this plan case a date

[1:44] certain for an announce opening.

[1:46] OK.

[1:47] So this pertains ular item is just

[1:50] we you know a couple of weeks ago,

[1:52] we approved the traffic plan and the general item

[1:57] moving it from August 2 to July 20.

[2:00] But you're specifically asking for a more

[2:04] specific day on when there when they're going to open.

[2:06] That's correct OK.

[2:08] Any other discussion by council or what?

[2:15] And the fact that it's Go ahead, Nathan.

[2:18] The agenda notice from August 2 to July 20.

[2:21] So it's going backwards.

[2:22] Yep.

[2:23] But councilwoman Stone would you be i

[2:28] guess what a smaller window be appropriate because, I

[2:31] mean it's 13 days.

[2:33] And I imagine they'll announce it a day or two before.

[2:36] I don't think it's you can still plan ahead 24 to 48 hours

[2:40] like with a small one to be acceptable is what

[2:43] I'm asking Grayson, go ahead.

[2:50] Yeah, go ahead.

[2:50] Yeah Sorry.

[2:52] Yeah Thank you.

[2:53] Mr..

[2:53] I'm used to talking to you.

[2:54] I hear you're good.

[2:55] You're good.

[2:55] Go ahead.

[2:56] My biggest thing is I know that the struggles that our families

[2:59] are dealing with as far as planning ahead

[3:00] and and so on and so forth.

[3:02] But I think maybe a Five day window would be good

[3:08] Would you be amenable to that, Councilman Murray?

[3:12] I just I don't like thinking that this is going to I

[3:15] don't think this is going to be a mess,

[3:16] no matter how it plays out.

[3:17] We all know it's going to be a mess the day it opens.

[3:20] So let's have counsel and former speaker.

[3:22] I think part of the reason why you want to not give

[3:25] a specific date is something that's

[3:29] going to be as popular as this.

[3:30] And this is something that happens with a lot of larger

[3:35] corporations So when you give an exact date,

[3:38] you start getting people camping out

[3:40] And I imagine the traffic could be a lot

[3:45] worse anticipating that date.

[3:47] Let's say it opens on a Thursday people start camping out

[3:50] on Wednesday morning and that can cause issues as well

[3:56] So I understand why they're not wanting to do a specific date.

[4:00] And I understand that, you know, people want to be

[4:02] prepared for that as well.

[4:04] It's my understanding morning commute won't

[4:06] be as impacted because they don't open until later I don't

[4:12] remember exactly the times that they open,

[4:15] but I can see where they would not want to give an exact date

[4:22] Mr. Mayor, for me.

[4:23] Go ahead.

[4:24] So I think it's not just the families It's the surrounding

[4:27] businesses, the have to prepare as well

[4:31] And so I think if we're going to treat one business one way,

[4:34] we have to give the same attention

[4:37] to the other businesses to prepare

[4:39] for what's going to happen Mayor You know,

[4:45] I would agree with Mr. Stone.

[4:47] And since we have not required every business when they've

[4:50] opened the exact same, you have to tell us the exact same time

[4:53] and date that you're going to be opening allowing

[4:56] them to have a window of time.

[4:58] I think this is perfectly acceptable.

[5:00] And as soon as we're ready I'll make the motion

[5:02] Councilor Ruth Yes So, you know, this

[5:06] is not in announce First Rodeo.

[5:08] And so i'm guessing they have really thought through this.

[5:13] I am not excited about having a date certain

[5:16] and people start camping out.

[5:20] And I mean, that's really going to impede traffic

[5:22] And it's I think they're fairly close to being ready to go

[5:26] And they'll announce they'll give us some warnings.

[5:29] So it won't just be this morning.

[5:32] We're opening up at ten.

[5:33] I'm sure they're going to give us a day or so

[5:38] but I'm comfortable with giving them

[5:41] this extended time as a state.

[5:43] And the agenda other.

[5:47] Oh, go ahead.

[5:48] Mr. Mayor I've talked to Chief Brooks about life safety issues.

[5:52] And if he's willing to come down and talk about life safety

[5:55] issues revolving around this, are

[5:57] you willing to come down Is there something specific

[6:00] that you're concerned about And in my conversation with him,

[6:04] there's absolutely conversations that

[6:07] have happened without knowing this specific date Chief.

[6:16] Good evening I'll say that again.

[6:19] I think the conversations that we've had

[6:22] have all been discussed.

[6:23] I think in the traffic plan Obviously,

[6:26] my concern is going to be the amount

[6:29] of traffic that's going to be in the area

[6:30] that's pretty much a given.

[6:33] The other piece that I'm concerned about

[6:35] is the wrap around behind the strip mall

[6:39] behind Dick's Sporting goods.

[6:41] If we were to have an event there,

[6:42] we need to be able to clear that out

[6:45] quickly so that we can have access

[6:47] to those suppressions systems.

[6:48] So other than that, we're going to treat it

[6:51] as any other business, opening up

[6:54] It's just going to have a lot more people Yeah,

[6:57] but I'll stand for any questions.

[6:59] Any questions for Chief I think there's no doubt.

[7:02] I mean, the reason we're having this conversation

[7:04] is because it's a highly anticipated tD opening.

[7:08] There's going to be some issues and things that we need to work

[7:10] through as far as I can see and look in the documentations type

[7:16] of stuff.

[7:16] I know that in and out group is going

[7:19] to be there and try to help us respond

[7:21] to those types of things.

[7:22] But I mean, there's always going to be

[7:23] a level of concern of trying to how do we navigate through that?

[7:27] Do you in moving the date up does that do.

[7:31] That?

[7:32] That doesn't necessarily add to or eliminate

[7:33] any of that concern?

[7:34] Does it know we're going to work with them.

[7:36] However, we need to.

[7:38] I think they had 12 flaggers if I counted

[7:40] that correctly on the plan.

[7:41] So if we respond out there, we're

[7:43] going to have to be just in good communication with them

[7:45] to be able to clear out and just allow us access.

[7:49] Perfect OK.

[7:51] Any other conversations ?

[7:53] Okay.

[7:53] Councilman Reid I think you meant.

[7:55] Yeah.

[7:55] OK Got moved to approve consent.

[7:57] Calendar item d, a request to approve an amendment

[8:00] to the special event Grand opening

[8:02] for In and Out Burger from July 20th to August 2nd, 2026.

[8:07] The other way around july 20th.

[8:11] Yeah.

[8:12] Move it from August and back to July 20.

[8:14] Is that what it is?

[8:16] OK.

[8:16] August 2 to July 22.

[8:18] That can have a motion in a second

[8:20] to approve consent Calendar item three

[8:24] D, which is a request for buy in and out

[8:27] to move their special event.

[8:28] Grand opening from august 2nd to July 20, 2026.

[8:33] Any further discussion on that item ?

[8:36] Okay, Rachel, Roll call.

[8:37] Vote, please.

[8:39] Greg Hopkins Yes.

[8:40] Jason Brown.

[8:41] Yes Sherri vomer.

[8:42] Yes.

[8:43] Nathan Murray.

[8:43] Yes.

[8:44] Grayson Stone.

[8:45] No Chris Reed Yes Yes.

[8:47] OK.

[8:48] Motion carries 620.

[8:50] Thank you.

[8:51] 1062, one.

[8:52] Sorry.

[8:53] Yep.

[8:53] Sorry Grayson.

[8:54] I did again.

[8:55] Then a 6 to 1 motion carries 6 to 1.

[8:59] Appreciate the conversation session on that

[9:00] will move into our next item which

[9:02] is an action item to confirm the reappointment

[9:05] of kendall Madison courtyard.

[9:09] Randall Court Johnson, and jr. Taro toro.

[9:14] I'm sorry.

[9:15] I apologize.

[9:16] Your first name Munoz.

[9:17] To the impact and improvement reimbursement commission and we

[9:21] have will Good evening mr. Mayor and council members.

[9:26] We as a mayor brown just stated, we

[9:30] have a request to reappoint Three members to our impact fee

[9:37] and reimburse man committee.

[9:39] This kendall madsen, Randall Court Johnson.

[9:46] And then Dorado Otto munoz.

[9:49] These these three have served on the commission

[9:53] for quite some time.

[9:55] And they've been very influential

[9:57] and provide a great discussion for us

[9:59] to so learn and to keep the impact fee committee viable

[10:06] And those rates.

[10:07] But not out of hand as well.

[10:10] So we'd like to thank them.

[10:12] And then also with what title he has completed his

[10:18] second term and the impact fee committee

[10:22] in on july 7th of this year.

[10:25] So earlier this month, we passed an ordinance

[10:28] to allow for the council to the waiver to that rule.

[10:34] The rule of you can only serve two consecutive terms

[10:38] and and so we are requesting that first,

[10:42] the council approves a waiver for otto

[10:46] to serve a Third consecutive term.

[10:49] And after we go through that process,

[10:53] then we would request to appoint kendall

[10:57] or reappoint Kendall and Court to the

[11:01] for their second full terms.

[11:03] So you're asking ultimately for two Two motions, one, waiving

[11:09] the requirement for the third term and then an

[11:13] appoint the other two.

[11:14] Correct?

[11:15] OK.

[11:15] What are council's wishes?

[11:17] I'm ready to make a motion.

[11:18] Jason, go ahead.

[11:20] I move to waive the term limits as outlined in Twin Falls

[11:23] Municipal Code two dash 1-1 for Gerardo el Toro munis

[11:29] and reappoint taro munis for a third consecutive

[11:34] term on impact Fee and Reimbursement

[11:36] Commission So I have a second.

[11:38] I'll second that Kevin motion in a Second to waive the A geisha

[11:48] to a to approve taro Munoz and waive the requirement or allow

[11:54] him to serve a three year term in accordance with City code

[11:58] 2-1-1 which allows the council to waive the limit

[12:03] and appoint him to a third consecutive

[12:06] term any further discussion ?

[12:12] OK, Rachel rourke.

[12:13] Ruth Pierce Yes.

[12:15] Reed.

[12:16] Yes Erick Hawkins.

[12:17] Yes.

[12:17] Jason Brown.

[12:18] Yes.

[12:19] Harry Belmar.

[12:19] Yes.

[12:20] Jason stone.

[12:20] Yes.

[12:21] Nathan Murray Yes.

[12:22] Okay.

[12:22] Motion carries 720.

[12:25] So we have one more item.

[12:27] There is to appoint appoint Kendall and Court.

[12:30] I'm ready.

[12:30] OK, go ahead.

[12:31] I moved to appoint Kendall Matson and Randall Court Johnson

[12:35] to serve their second consecutive term on the impact

[12:38] and Reimbursement Commission Have a second.

[12:42] Second, I have a motion and a second to appoint Kendall

[12:45] Madison Mad Madsen and Randall court Johnson

[12:49] to a second term on the impact impact and improve reimbursement

[12:55] commission.

[12:56] Any discussion, any further discussion any Rachel

[13:00] Roll call vote, please.

[13:02] Nathan Murray Yes.

[13:03] Grayson Stone.

[13:04] Yes Jerry vomer.

[13:05] Yes.

[13:06] Jason Brown Yes.

[13:07] Yes Yes.

[13:09] Yes.

[13:10] OK.

[13:10] Motion carries 720.

[13:11] Thank you.

[13:12] You.

[13:13] Thank you all four for participating

[13:15] in that commission Okay.

[13:20] Our next item is a further conversation

[13:23] on the city city's f y 2627 budget

[13:28] and particularly focus areas.

[13:31] One Seven and eight.

[13:33] And we have our deputy city manager Gretchen Hi.

[13:38] We're really pleased to be here tonight.

[13:40] We have quite a collection of folks to visit with you.

[13:43] We're excited to present focus areas, healthy community,

[13:47] which is number One, responsible community which is number seven.

[13:52] And then the internal organized mission,

[13:54] which is number 8 to you tonight Our agenda will

[13:57] be a little bit different whereas last week when Travis

[14:02] presented the depth of the budgeting

[14:04] process, the financials and how we arrive at the space

[14:07] that we're at tonight, we move towards the purpose

[14:10] of what the budget does and hopes to accomplish

[14:13] through both talking about the outcomes

[14:15] that we want to deliver the tie into the strategic plan,

[14:19] reporting on some of the things that we have accomplished just

[14:22] to give you a little bit of feedback

[14:23] and to report to the public as well So as by law,

[14:31] we're required to balance a budget for your presentation

[14:34] and for you to take action on.

[14:36] We really try to translate our community priorities

[14:39] into services We want to make sure that we are investing

[14:43] responsibly, both in people in infrastructure and maintenance,

[14:46] as well as public safety.

[14:48] These are the hallmarks of providing an excellent community

[14:51] for our citizens to enjoy a high quality of life In addition,

[14:56] we need to plan for both today's needs and the future of what

[14:59] the community will grow into Some of the stuff in front

[15:04] of you in this particular slide talks about what the community

[15:06] is doing now, how we grow, how we change,

[15:10] what the impact of income and expenses

[15:13] looks like for our citizens and that we budget accordingly

[15:17] based on what our community can responsibly

[15:20] and reasonably afford.

[15:22] And wants, not just our needs, not just what we perhaps maybe

[15:27] see for them moving ahead.

[15:31] This is what the budget impact to bills that our citizens see

[15:36] looks like.

[15:37] So you can see that even though our tax rate will reduce

[15:40] slightly that the monthly change that our citizens can

[15:44] look for in the if this budget is adopted is about $3.51 more.

[15:52] And then as you go down, we're looking at a 5% increase

[15:55] for water and sewer a reduction in sanitation

[15:58] depending on the contract that is awarded for a total change

[16:02] for essentially a monthly average of about

[16:05] $7.93 These are the hallmarks, the principles that we

[16:18] budgeted for.

[16:19] We want to make sure that our strategic investment in capital

[16:23] is balanced with our long term sustainability We incorporate

[16:28] citizen feedback as we try to drive our strategic priorities

[16:33] We make sure that our citizens or collaborate or departments

[16:36] are collaborating in order to provide most

[16:38] efficient services that we can We do that

[16:42] through long term planning.

[16:44] We do that through our community groups that

[16:47] meet on a monthly basis to advise our departments

[16:49] and at the end, we end up with a balanced budget needs

[16:54] to be sustainable more stable.

[16:55] And as well as responsive to the environment

[16:58] that we may find ourselves in And you'll

[17:02] hear from other people that talk tonight about the other things

[17:05] that are included there as well about being the employer

[17:08] of choice in the organization of choice

[17:16] This reflects the taxable value of the community.

[17:20] We don't set what that value is.

[17:23] It comes from the county assessor's office.

[17:26] But this is what has been determined as our taxable value.

[17:30] And you can see the change in that throughout last year

[17:34] to this year And then you can see

[17:36] what we expect to spend from the budget

[17:39] based on what those values look like.

[17:42] Our taxable weighted funds 65 million non tech supported fund

[17:47] which are all of our enterprise, which are fee based, 37 million

[17:53] included in the budget is the statutorily allowed 3% increase

[17:56] in property tax the inclusion of 90%

[17:59] of the value of new construction and then

[18:01] a portion of the foregone balance

[18:03] that's equal to 1% of revenue This is just

[18:12] a little bit of a more history.

[18:13] Look back at the taxable value of the city.

[18:16] And you can see how we have grown where

[18:21] and then a breakdown of where each of that value

[18:23] has come from.

[18:25] Included Sorry June two mental process right there Maybe

[18:39] if I read the smart popcorn, I would

[18:41] have had that answer immediately,

[18:42] but I didn't do active course.

[18:44] So there you go.

[18:46] Your properties within the city have a value of about 700

[18:49] million plus and you can see how we then

[18:55] have grown as a city over the course of the last Six years

[19:02] And again that then plays into what the tax rate is.

[19:05] You can see that we have one of the lowest tax rates in Idaho

[19:09] by comparable cities and how we have tried to maintain as close

[19:12] to a flat rate as we can by controlling costs being very

[19:17] judicious in how we budget and trying to perform to the city's

[19:21] expectation in our communities Expectations So that kind

[19:27] of concludes the overview but I can

[19:30] done tell you a little bit about how

[19:32] our budget is then distributed.

[19:35] If you look at the total d of the $102.2 million budget,

[19:41] you can see that these are the way these are broken out

[19:44] We have the governmental funds, which are tax supported.

[19:46] Add about 65 million enterprise funds,

[19:49] which again, are fee based.

[19:51] Those are processes in the city that

[19:53] operate like a small business.

[19:55] They spend what they bring in.

[19:57] And then we have our other non major funds

[19:59] that are on the small part of that transfers

[20:01] and other areas as a service organization.

[20:07] Obviously One of the largest cost for us to perform services

[20:10] is are the people that perform them And on this graph,

[20:14] you'll see that across all of the funds

[20:16] are largest portion is personnel We have our maintenance

[20:20] and operations as of the next piece Capital

[20:24] is an equal amount.

[20:25] And then any other debt service or transfers

[20:27] to internal services that we have This budget

[20:31] is a 1.1% increase over the prior years Budget.

[20:35] Most of that change is driven by the use of one time capital

[20:39] This is the investment for the public

[20:42] and what we intend to accomplish through these use of funds

[20:46] and how it connects to the strategic plan

[20:48] are the things that you're going to start hearing next

[20:50] through the different focus areas So just

[20:57] a brief introduction before we get into the focus areas

[21:02] The strategic plan driven through all

[21:04] of the different focus areas, drives the attention

[21:07] towards specific areas.

[21:11] Each of those 8 or 7 are accomplished through the work

[21:15] of the people who work here, and that's the internal organization

[21:19] As I mentioned earlier tonight, you're

[21:20] going to hear from Healthy Community responsible community

[21:24] and the internal organization,

[21:27] Responsible Community i.t is really

[21:29] about our public engagement stewardship of their funds

[21:32] and trust in how we are delivering essentially

[21:36] the accountability piece of what we have moving forward We

[21:41] have purpose we try to put more in terms of reporting

[21:45] and responsible community in these last couple of years

[21:48] so that you really can see how hard we are trying

[21:50] to be transparent in the efforts in both presenting

[21:53] the budget and our efforts of engagement with the community

[21:59] So the first slide that will come forward or the first group

[22:04] is the healthy community.

[22:05] And I'd like to invite gentlemens to come

[22:08] forward Thank you, Gretchen.

[22:19] And hello again Mayor Brown and council members

[22:22] I appreciate the opportunity to come before you again

[22:26] and present this time in regards to our requests

[22:30] for this upcoming fiscal year in front of you

[22:33] is the entirety of that list that made

[22:36] it through long term planning.

[22:38] All of which are up for a question

[22:40] but not all of which will be elaborated through side by side.

[22:45] So if you have any questions, maybe photographic memory

[22:50] snapshot that next.

[22:53] So now this is just an update from two weeks ago.

[22:57] I was before You presenting project updates

[23:00] But what we didn't mention is we're all that came from.

[23:03] So it's kind of fun for the community.

[23:05] I think to know that we use a variety of resources

[23:12] to try to fund these public forward facing projects.

[23:16] And so this is just a quick list of some of the areas where we

[23:19] pull money from to try to make that happen largely

[23:23] with your support, of course.

[23:25] So that's all of our funds for Vista Bonita community

[23:30] development Block Grant for City Park, A combination

[23:34] of impact fees plus such a body donation

[23:37] for canyon Trail Junction.

[23:39] Elizabeth park will be impact fees We allocate a dollar

[23:44] from the sale of the fire station so a variety of ways

[23:48] to fund these projects.

[23:52] The first request for this upcoming year

[23:54] is going to be the tennis courts at Cascade.

[23:58] These courts and all of our courts

[24:01] are in a rotation to replace one at a time every seven years.

[24:06] The last time the Cascades courts or resurfaced

[24:08] was in 2020.

[24:10] So we're right on schedule for this one.

[24:12] The cracks and the images, of course,

[24:14] I take to make it look worse than it

[24:16] is If you really look at the crack pattern here,

[24:20] it's everywhere.

[24:21] There's an expansion joint on the concrete underneath.

[24:24] And as as expected and if you look

[24:27] at the same kind of beyond in the in the background

[24:31] That's right.

[24:31] On a line.

[24:34] And really doesn't interfere with play as much

[24:36] as if it were through the center of of the court.

[24:39] So these are really in anticipated locations

[24:42] And so we don't think the the slab is

[24:45] in need of any repair or replacement simply just

[24:49] resurfacing So good news Okay.

[24:54] Back when House average house cost was 68,000, I think.

[25:00] And we opened the Olympics in Barcelona and Bill clinton

[25:06] became our 42nd president, the city of Twin Falls purchased

[25:11] this beautiful boat, a loader We have used

[25:14] it well it's time to retire.

[25:18] And we propose purchasing a more compact skid steer unit

[25:22] with some more versatile attachments such as an auger

[25:26] and a grapple and a bucket We believe the auger is going

[25:31] to help us with replacement or installation of bollards

[25:34] and fence posts Maybe some signs the grapple will help us

[25:39] with cleanup and brush clearing, such as a Rock

[25:41] Creek trail and the bucket just for general purpose.

[25:45] Loading and moving material With this request,

[25:50] we also are asking for a tilt deck trailer

[25:53] to load and transport this piece of equipment

[25:56] to a different locations Chance.

[25:59] Yeah.

[26:00] What is the cost on that I imagine

[26:03] we're going back to slide one.

[26:04] Yeah, sorry I didn't have a photographic memory.

[26:07] 885,005.

[26:10] Oh, that's not bad.

[26:12] Yeah Yeah.

[26:13] He has a photographic memory No, he's just looking at this.

[26:16] He can have the slides up.

[26:20] Thank you We're.

[26:22] I'll just thank you with this.

[26:24] I and he's out of favor and feisty

[26:26] to one of those on these slides.

[26:28] But you know it's more fun to go back We

[26:32] at the Parks Department are pretty good at implementing

[26:34] the First two hours.

[26:36] We've reduced our expenditures by reusing old chemical barrels

[26:42] as our trash receptacles and parks

[26:44] I believe it's time for us to implement the third hour

[26:48] and recycle all said barrels If we can also

[26:53] implement a fourth hour and replace

[26:56] them with trash and closures that would be much appreciated.

[27:00] I think places like Sunway Shoshone Falls and Turkeys Lake

[27:06] and Harrison and our Downtown main Street Corridor

[27:10] all have these trash enclosures.

[27:12] And I'll look better for it.

[27:14] And I think this will greatly improve our spaces.

[27:16] A especially starting in those spaces that are

[27:18] like more prominent or popular, like City Park with a lot

[27:22] of events and people attending.

[27:24] So that's part of the request is just trash enclosures It

[27:28] includes replacing sort of benches and tables,

[27:30] though, as those fall apart and come into disrepair,

[27:33] as well Switching over briefly to the golf course,

[27:39] there's a few requests that the golf course the stucco

[27:42] has been in disrepair for some time,

[27:46] but recently, we've detected some leaks

[27:49] near and around some windows and other locations.

[27:53] So we think it's time to do these repairs

[27:56] and make repairs on the stucco But when we do so,

[27:59] if we could also paint the whole building

[28:02] and re stain the underside of the soffit and balcony, that

[28:06] would be along with the painting project If any of you

[28:13] have heard Travis Hoffman's presents to the commission

[28:18] he emphasizes that his new philosophy and model of the golf

[28:22] course is improving service and value

[28:25] and therefore, that will generate revenue.

[28:28] And in support of that philosophy

[28:30] I think if we can allocate some resources to enhancing the user

[28:35] experience at the golf course, that that will in turn generate

[28:39] some revenue, which we share Another item at the golf course,

[28:46] this relic hiding in dark corners that seldom people see

[28:51] is probably due for replacement.

[28:56] We are some of you may know this, some may not that a golf

[29:01] courses we use reels to mow the lawn

[29:05] and makes more of a slicing motion and/or sorry a scissor

[29:10] like motion instead of a slicing or chopping

[29:12] motion with a rotary blade.

[29:14] And those blades get sharpened every week

[29:19] And so this machine gets used every single

[29:22] week on multiple reels It was the president for this one

[29:26] because their president I said, who it

[29:28] who is the president for this one?

[29:31] Right before Bill Clinton's.

[29:32] I it's about the same age.

[29:36] Okay.

[29:37] So it's 1991.

[29:39] This machine i think was purchased some

[29:44] it's also due for replacement.

[29:45] It's a special really tight and precise

[29:48] calibration that happens.

[29:50] And the new piece of equipment also

[29:52] has some built in safety mechanisms, which you don't see

[29:55] here, such as shields and guards or appendages

[30:02] I'm the that that's it for our general capital request

[30:06] that made it through long term planning.

[30:08] The next two slides, you'll see are what we call priority twos.

[30:13] This is council driven dollars.

[30:14] So this is for you to consider adding to our allocation

[30:18] for this upcoming year.

[30:20] We add this one to the list because this playground

[30:24] is 30 years old.

[30:26] And most playgrounds have a life of 20 to 25.

[30:31] And so it makes sense that right around age 25,

[30:34] this thing started to fall apart.

[30:36] Appreciate it.

[30:37] Depends on exposure and the amount of use

[30:39] And I think this playground as well loved

[30:42] But in the past four years since I've been here,

[30:44] it's been kind of one item at a time First it was the slide.

[30:48] We couldn't find a replacement for it,

[30:49] so we boarded it up The next was the bridge that

[30:52] got vandalized and broken up.

[30:54] We couldn't find a replacement, so we took it off.

[30:57] And then the next thing we found through inspection

[30:59] was a leaning post and the playground was deemed

[31:03] well, that portion of it.

[31:05] We decommissioned it.

[31:06] And so now what you see in front of you

[31:07] is half a playground that was, I guess,

[31:10] still worth keeping there.

[31:11] You know, just to provide the public something to use

[31:15] But it doesn't look good.

[31:16] And it really is just half a playground.

[31:19] And so the hope for us is to replace this playground

[31:24] And in so doing, we hope to take the opportunity

[31:27] to adjust the site to make it more accessible So this planned,

[31:33] you chose switching the playground from an L-shaped

[31:36] to just a rectangle, which allows us more

[31:38] versatility in the future for replacement

[31:42] And then also the sidewalk around it makes the playground

[31:44] itself more accessible and provides access from the parking

[31:48] lot to the restroom through the parking lot

[31:51] instead of around the blue building

[31:53] And if you have been there before the existing basketball

[31:57] court is kind of impeding on the old playground

[32:02] And this is a way to just kind of incorporate it,

[32:05] and make it a part of the facility by separating

[32:07] it with a short seawall.

[32:10] And so the funds that we're requesting are $356,000 to do

[32:16] all of this work, including the patch back of irrigation

[32:20] and landscape to that construction and change

[32:25] And the last thing we're requesting,

[32:29] this little mower is really the only one

[32:32] of this size that we have and it mows

[32:35] in particularly the the pool.

[32:39] So the grass near the pool, if we don't collects the clippings

[32:42] through a bagging system, a lot of those end up

[32:45] in the pool and our filters and you know,

[32:50] that can wreak havoc on our system.

[32:52] So primarily it's used for that, but it's

[32:53] also just the ideal size.

[32:55] It's in between the push mower size and our larger 72 inch

[33:00] deck.

[33:00] So this is a medium size that allows us to mow places

[33:05] around the fire station at a police station

[33:07] to the little triangles at intersections.

[33:12] Sometimes the roadways strips.

[33:14] If we have to get to those, you know,

[33:16] this is just a different size, and it's small enough

[33:19] to fit on most of our trailers and we can get

[33:24] around pretty quick with it.

[33:26] So the current Walker mower that we have is now not worth fixing

[33:34] and we've taken it to the shop and kind of

[33:36] deemed it is now going to go to salvage.

[33:39] And so we currently don't even have an operable mower of this

[33:42] size we're trying to make do with push mowers and I'm using

[33:46] our large area mowers to get into places we probably

[33:49] shouldn't be putting them So this

[33:52] request is amended for 40,000.

[33:58] I was going to say 35.

[33:59] So whatever it says on there, I think, is the official number.

[34:03] Am I right?

[34:04] Gretchen okay.

[34:04] Thank you.

[34:06] So this request is 40,000.

[34:08] And I believe that is all I have for if you can,

[34:12] any additional questions for chance on those particular items

[34:18] OK.

[34:19] Thank you.

[34:19] Thank you Chance Appreciate it.

[34:20] Thank you Looks like Josh is up Exactly.

[34:30] I appreciate the opportunity to talk to you about folks.

[34:34] Area seven, an encouraging response by community and public

[34:37] communication and our future of enhancing

[34:40] engagement in the community.

[34:42] So First off, TFA dot org, the city's website

[34:47] is is significant.

[34:49] We log over 460,000 visitors last year alone.

[34:54] We have almost a million page views.

[34:56] If we were selling advertising, this would be lucrative.

[34:59] But we have a lot of people who do come to our website.

[35:02] If you notice we have a lot of people who are not residents

[35:05] of the city of Twin Falls who are using

[35:06] our website specifically We do have a lot of people who

[35:12] use it to find recreation services,

[35:14] shortfalls and things like that from our site or area.

[35:18] And then I also would highlight we

[35:20] have a pretty high bounce rate.

[35:22] We have a lot of people who do come to our website looking

[35:24] for Twin Falls County information

[35:27] when they don't find it, they bounce to Twin Falls County

[35:31] Most of our visitors on our website are mobile

[35:34] And in addition to that, I just pointed out that the top pages

[35:38] is shown falls and that one always goes gangbusters

[35:42] along with utility services specifically

[35:44] people who are setting up turning off, trying to find

[35:47] their bills And then city pool and recreation kind of picks

[35:52] up the rest of the load there So with great reach

[35:59] comes great responsibility.

[36:00] So the city has made and will continue

[36:04] to make substantial strides towards ADA compliance.

[36:09] And so what that essentially is, is

[36:11] that it used to be in April 2026,

[36:15] but it got bumped to April 2027.

[36:17] Is the FCC and alphabet soup of federal organized actions

[36:22] are going to require us to follow wcag or guidelines

[36:26] for accessing ability.

[36:28] So in the corner, you can see there's a lovely

[36:31] and a a we're trying to achieve both those.

[36:34] And I will say that we have and the reason I highlighted in red

[36:39] is our accessibility compliance is

[36:42] a is a bar none above the rest, not only in just

[36:45] the public sector, but industry So a lot of that credit

[36:49] goes to Brett and also kathy Marcus, who

[36:52] retired from right department.

[36:54] They have been huge champions towards making our website

[36:57] compliant and they've made a lot of those corrections and changes

[37:01] that helps us to reach that We do have work that we do

[37:05] have to do, though, and that's something

[37:07] else that we pointed out.

[37:09] We want to talk about.

[37:11] So with our responsible community

[37:14] we have in the 2040 strategic plan,

[37:17] we have an initiative to enhance transparency

[37:20] through clear communication, accessible information

[37:22] and consistent reporting on city activities, service program

[37:26] and performance and so we're going to do that We're expanding

[37:31] our engagement to close the that loop as you've noticed,

[37:35] we I think we do a pretty good job

[37:37] of communicating with the community

[37:39] and with people outside of our community.

[37:43] But we don't always provide opportunities for engagement,

[37:48] feedback and to get involved on the projects

[37:51] that the city is starting when we're starting them.

[37:54] Oftentimes as we will communicate with the public

[37:58] and seek engagement after a design has been completed

[38:01] or the projects already underway.

[38:04] So reaching out to some other communities, that's

[38:06] one of the things we learned was a shortfall

[38:08] Communities that do engagement really well

[38:12] are on the front end.

[38:13] Get engaging with their citizens on decisions and projects

[38:17] and they're following through with them.

[38:19] And if they end, they're closing that loop

[38:21] by coming back to those citizens and advising them

[38:25] how maybe their input might have changed things

[38:28] or with the final solution ultimately was.

[38:30] But we do need to close that loop

[38:32] and we need to report back to our citizens to do that.

[38:36] We're going to rely heavily on technology so we have for about

[38:41] 4 or 5 years now have been contract iNG with Poco,

[38:45] which is a digital survey tool.

[38:47] It is the most robust and the largest survey tool

[38:50] that I can see out there for municipal governments like ours.

[38:54] What it does is it gives us the ability to reach, engage

[38:58] and allow follow up or reporting back with those citizens so

[39:02] citizens that verify their accounts with us

[39:06] We essentially the way it works is they can have a projects

[39:10] that they're interested in, that the cities working on

[39:12] and they can follow those projects until the end

[39:16] We provide the updates on that.

[39:17] We also provide a very healthy amount of we're

[39:21] trying to seek their feedback.

[39:22] So we're sending out surveys and polls

[39:25] and to get their feedback on it and then providing those results

[39:28] back to the residents.

[39:30] The reason that Poco is crucial to this

[39:32] is because it is the software the only software that we have

[39:36] that keeps those those residents, first of all,

[39:40] verifies that those are residents.

[39:42] Second of all, keeps them in touch with us and that we can

[39:46] pull survey them in and seek feedback or engagement I would

[39:51] like to say to that you know, thanks to council and staff,

[39:55] this is already funded There was up to $60,000 allocated

[39:58] for the expansion of the Poco services as well as other things

[40:03] that we'll be doing in terms of in-person outreach

[40:06] to get in touch with people and make

[40:08] them aware of our Poco service.

[40:11] But this has been funded and I very much appreciate that.

[40:14] That's going to help us a long way.

[40:18] The kind of ended of the slide here on the what

[40:22] I call like wet milquetoast goals The reason I had those are

[40:27] do seem a little small is because when the initial polls

[40:31] that we released through Poco we only retained or were

[40:34] able to verify i or only about a third will only about one third

[40:38] of respondents would verify themselves I mean,

[40:41] there are verified users.

[40:42] We know there are resident of the city,

[40:44] a twin falls and so we lose a lot of people who just do not

[40:49] want to complete the verification questions for one

[40:51] reason or another maybe a lack of trust,

[40:54] but they're not filling those out.

[40:56] What we've heard from Poco is as you develop, as we poll

[40:59] and as we develop a citizen base that number will increase just

[41:04] because people are becoming more confident

[41:06] and hopefully having more trust in the in the city.

[41:09] The other part of that is we need to retake those results

[41:11] and provide them back to our citizens

[41:14] so that they know that we're actually using their input

[41:16] in our decision making process.

[41:18] And then within that, hopefully we'll

[41:20] be able to generate more verified users in.

[41:26] Lastly, I'd like to leave on this is that so when we invite

[41:41] more people to the conversation and earlier to the conversation

[41:46] we may not hear what we want to hear.

[41:49] That feedback may be highly critical of past current

[41:54] or future services projects.

[41:57] The public information officer But I think what we should not

[42:01] do is view that as a failure.

[42:03] All too often.

[42:04] It can be an instance where it is.

[42:07] So negative that the wall goes up and the system shut down,

[42:11] and that's not what we want to do.

[42:12] In fact, from what we've heard from other communities,

[42:14] again the do engagement.

[42:16] Well is once you release that valve on the pressure cooker,

[42:20] it can get kind of messy.

[42:22] But those that follow through with it

[42:24] are the ones that retain the residents

[42:27] not only as their confidence but as engaged

[42:30] citizens in their community.

[42:32] So our ultimate goal is, is not to approve every suggestion

[42:38] that we have received through the polling service It's simply

[42:42] we just want to make a more transparent response

[42:44] and engage in community with that staffer.

[42:48] Any questions, any questions for Josh Grayson?

[42:53] Oh oh, thank you What other platforms are utilized ?

[42:57] and other than the website?

[42:59] Other than the website?

[43:00] So we we have a total of eight social media accounts

[43:04] across Instagram, Facebook We have one YouTube account

[43:08] for the city the media accounts, the social media accounts are

[43:13] across different apartments.

[43:15] So police, fire historic preservation, the city of Twin

[43:18] Falls grow, a Twin Falls, which is our economic development arm,

[43:22] and i fly Twin Falls for the airport

[43:27] So we have I think, a pretty robust social media.

[43:32] And then in addition to that, I did kind of touch on it

[43:34] is we're doing more in-person outreach as well.

[43:36] And I think that's going to be critical to the success of this

[43:39] as well.

[43:40] So we've already lined up for things like well,

[43:43] there's the national night out with the police department

[43:45] and Latino Fest, September 11th event just any event

[43:50] that we can get ourselves into.

[43:52] We're trying to do that now.

[43:53] So that we can just have a face there

[43:55] and engage with the public answer the questions.

[43:58] And I asked you that question not so much as a gotcha

[44:00] question, but just to applaud your efforts from what

[44:03] you're doing in the community.

[44:04] So okay.

[44:06] Can either questions for Joshua All right.

[44:09] Thank you.

[44:10] I'm over to appreciate it Mayor and council

[44:21] It's been a very long time since I've had to come before you back

[44:25] when we took over the Dale building was

[44:26] the last you were just giving us batteries a minute

[44:28] ago So how long ago?

[44:32] So i get to talk to you a little bit about infrastructure

[44:35] and we're going to brief you on a project that's going on.

[44:38] And then what's coming up and plans for next year

[44:41] So public safety communications is

[44:43] one of the most important infrastructures

[44:45] we have in the city.

[44:46] Not only does it.

[44:47] Keep our citizens safe.

[44:49] But it also keeps our public safety personnel safe.

[44:54] So this year we have went through the process

[44:58] of purchasing new antennas for our two main towers

[45:03] in the city of Twin Falls These tower,

[45:07] these antennas that provide all the communication,

[45:11] transmit and receive for all of our public safety communication

[45:14] radio systems We have been through the process of the tower

[45:20] study to verify that the towers can handle

[45:23] the weight and the load, the wind shear

[45:25] load to handle these new antennas

[45:27] We've also gone through the planning and zoning process

[45:31] to get that approval and currently,

[45:34] we are waiting on some final quotes

[45:36] for installation of these antennas

[45:40] Antennas are replacing, as you well aware,

[45:43] we have a tower at the police department

[45:45] and we have a tower on the canyon rim

[45:48] The antennas at the police department

[45:50] were we're going to go back to the old discussion again.

[45:55] These antennas were put in place when dispatch was brought

[45:59] back to Twin Falls, and we built the dispatch center

[46:01] in 2000, two.

[46:03] The antennas at the tower on the canyon

[46:06] rim They have been there since that built that structure

[46:10] was constructed in 2014.

[46:13] So they have served as well The antennas have

[46:16] a coating of fibroblasts and for the most part,

[46:20] industry standard is to replace them at 10 to 15 years.

[46:24] We have done extensive testing to verify that they've

[46:27] maintained through the years, but now we're

[46:30] at the point where we need to get them replaced before or they

[46:33] fail So if you notice, we have the police tower on the left,

[46:41] and there is two sets of antennas set at the top, which

[46:45] receives the transmission from the field and then a set

[46:48] partially down the tower, which is our transmit

[46:52] And out at the at the canyon rim, same thing.

[46:55] We have two at the top receive and two further down

[46:58] for transmit So coming up, look looking ahead we

[47:08] need to begin the process of a rolling

[47:11] replacement of our repeaters.

[47:13] The Twin Falls has 14 repeaters in service eight of them

[47:18] are on our digital P25 trunk system that we installed.

[47:24] If memory serves, back in 2016 is

[47:27] when we started that rolling install because we have 14

[47:32] repeaters, we want to begin the replacement process so

[47:35] that we're not too far out by the time we replace them all

[47:38] in a rolling replacement plan So we plan on replacing

[47:45] or repeaters on our primary tower and repeater

[47:49] stack which is on the left.

[47:51] You see that is the P25 digital stack

[47:54] at the police department tower, and that

[47:58] is in 26 and 27 budget year.

[48:02] And that's $112,000 for those four repeaters.

[48:05] The next year in 27, 28, we plan on replacing

[48:11] the other stack out at the Canyon rim for another 112,000.

[48:17] And then we'll finish replacing in consecutive years,

[48:21] the one offs we can replace the analog repeaters one at a time.

[48:25] If we need to.

[48:27] And so that's our plan for the public safety

[48:30] radio with a phased approach that will keep the system secure

[48:36] keep the level of maintenance and the level of service

[48:41] that the system must have to provide for our public safety

[48:48] So then the next one that we have coming up this one

[48:52] is infrastructure for you.

[48:54] This is mainly for council Any meeting

[48:57] that is in this facility the system that we are currently

[49:01] using is was constructed when this building was built for us

[49:06] and it's roughly ten years old.

[49:08] It is out of production and is out of service.

[49:12] So we've already had some issues where we've

[49:14] had struggles trying to find replacement parts

[49:17] and pieces for the system.

[49:19] And as you probably have well experienced,

[49:22] we're also getting glitches.

[49:26] We have to do a lot of babysitting of this system

[49:29] to keep it going So if we want to maintain the recordings

[49:34] for our open meeting requirements

[49:38] we are we did have this company come

[49:42] and do a walkthrough with us.

[49:43] We shared the things we liked about our system.

[49:46] We shared the things we absolutely

[49:47] dislike about our system And they

[49:50] have provided a quote for us.

[49:52] So that we can replace it and maintain the needed

[49:56] reliable ability that you guys require This will also bring us

[50:01] up to new technology It has integration into the Microsoft

[50:06] Teams so that when councilmen are not here, but still need

[50:12] to preside in the meeting, they can connect easier and have

[50:17] a better success at being part of the meeting

[50:20] when they're not here.

[50:22] And at that I'll stand for any questions and any questions

[50:26] The cherry So on this last part where

[50:31] you received a quote, what was your process

[50:34] on going through this company?

[50:35] Was it.

[50:36] The only company you chose or why did you choose this one

[50:39] and why is this the only quote When we decided to look

[50:42] at budgeting, we wanted to be able to maintain as much

[50:45] of the system that is still good.

[50:48] Our speakers are good the wiring is good,

[50:52] so there will be pieces that will be remain in place

[50:56] And this is actually the company that installed it.

[50:59] It was under a different name at the time,

[51:01] but they have been the ones who have helped service it,

[51:03] help take care of it and we will continue

[51:06] on the Crestron line brand of equipment any other questions ?

[51:16] OK.

[51:16] Thank you.

[51:17] Thank you.

[51:17] Appreciate it Takes us to our next focus area.

[51:23] It looks like the focus area eight Good evening.

[51:32] Council.

[51:34] So I'm going to talk a little bit about one section

[51:37] inside internal organization You may or may not

[51:40] remember a few of you were here in 2024 when I came to the dais

[51:45] and asked you if we could update our software.

[51:48] We had an updated our software since 2002,

[51:52] so it had been over 20 years.

[51:54] And my request was is to help us educate our staff,

[51:57] help us find something that's user friendly that we could use

[52:00] And so you approved $348,000 that we then

[52:07] encumbered into this last fiscal year, this current fiscal year.

[52:10] And we are now almost all the way through the process

[52:12] of transitioning.

[52:14] There's been a little bit of hiccups, a little bit of bumps.

[52:16] But what I do want to provide and show

[52:18] you is the massive transfer the transformation in our staff

[52:23] and how they're using the software

[52:25] to educate to educate themselves,

[52:28] to make educate iT decisions, and to ultimately

[52:31] make better decisions.

[52:32] For this for the city as a whole,

[52:34] we did a survey that we passed out to all of our staff

[52:37] to have them respond back and we had

[52:39] an 83% positive where people are more satisfied

[52:44] with the new software for us.

[52:45] And I wanted to provide you with some of these numbers

[52:48] because a few of you have heard some of the negative comments

[52:52] already.

[52:52] And what I would say is just wait

[52:54] We have some very positive things

[52:56] that are coming from this.

[52:58] People are enjoying it.

[52:59] Our city staff are liking it.

[53:00] We've had a lot of good feedback from city and from citizens

[53:04] as well outside in the community It's

[53:06] viewed as a meaningful improvement in our

[53:08] in our system This is also a visually visualization of how

[53:14] the staff appears and they on happiness and user friendliness

[53:19] in it's almost easy to look at this and say,

[53:21] well, seven out of ten people like it.

[53:23] That means three people don't.

[53:25] What I want to remind you is that we are only six months

[53:29] in how many of you gone through a transition in soft wear

[53:32] as significant as this.

[53:34] And seven out of ten of your staff

[53:36] are happy with the outcomes?

[53:38] I'm excited to say that this is money that was well spent.

[53:41] We are continuing to use this as a resource

[53:44] and to make better decisions going forward.

[53:47] It's user friendly and I think it's a resounding success.

[53:51] So with that, I'm going to transition

[53:53] it to christine Good evening, Mayor and council.

[54:02] I'm excited to be here tonight I'm

[54:05] going to focus on the HR Budget which continues to focus

[54:09] on one primary objective.

[54:11] Investing in our people So the city

[54:14] provides many different services, which you're aware

[54:17] but every single one of them depends on one thing.

[54:21] Our employees for every service that we provide

[54:24] from public safety and public works

[54:26] to parks and recreation the library and customer service

[54:30] depend on attracting developing and retaining

[54:34] talented employees.

[54:36] At the end of the day h.R. Just isn't about policies

[54:39] payroll or benefits.

[54:41] It's about making sure that the city has the right people

[54:44] in the right roles to deliver the level of service

[54:48] that our community expects and deserves When those first laid,

[54:54] I want to start by talking about our workforce strategy

[54:57] and highlighting three key areas.

[55:00] The first is compensation We're proposing a 3% performance

[55:04] adjustment and a 3% salary table adjustment This helps us remain

[55:10] competitive in today's labor market

[55:12] but it also helps us attract qualified candidates

[55:16] while recognizing the hard work and contributions

[55:19] of our current employees the second is sustained benefits.

[55:24] We're going to continue and investing in our employees

[55:27] benefits by maintaining our health

[55:28] insurance program along with contributing to employee's Veba.

[55:33] Any hSA accounts One fun fact that I learned today

[55:37] was that the Veba program gives our employees the option

[55:41] to invest those funds for their future health care expenses

[55:47] depending on their investment elections,

[55:49] employees have experienced annual account growth anywhere

[55:54] between 2 to 8% Further strength meaning their long term benefit

[56:01] And then third is remaining an employer of choice

[56:05] We're continuing to provider employee retention program

[56:10] because we know that retaining, experienced

[56:13] experienced employees is just as important as recruiting

[56:17] new employees.

[56:18] Our experienced employees bring institutional knowledge,

[56:22] mentor our new staff and help provide consistent, high quality

[56:26] service to our customers and citizens

[56:32] Switching gears a little bit and talking about investing

[56:35] in our employee well-being and wellness

[56:37] I want to talk about our city gym

[56:40] renovation As you may remember, this project was funded

[56:44] through the F y 25 Capital Improvement program

[56:47] and was intentionally designed with employees

[56:49] at the center of the process.

[56:52] Before any equipment was selected

[56:55] we brought together employees from multiple departments

[56:58] to help identify what was working, what could be improved

[57:02] and what equipment would best support.

[57:04] Employee wellness So our employees

[57:07] feedback directly shaped the final layout

[57:10] and equipment selection Our goal simply

[57:13] wasn't to renovate the gym.

[57:15] It was to create a wellness resource at our employees

[57:17] would utilize So since reopening,

[57:21] we've seen a 78% increase in gym usage.

[57:26] So going from 180 to 320 door swipes from June of 2025

[57:32] to June of 2026, which I think is pretty

[57:35] cool The second example is our self-funded health

[57:40] plan across the country Employers

[57:44] continue to face increasing health care costs.

[57:47] That's not a surprise to any of us.

[57:49] According to Mercer's national survey,

[57:52] employer health benefit costs are

[57:53] projected to increase at 7.4.

[57:56] Excuse me 6.7% this year, which is the highest

[58:00] increase in 15 years.

[58:02] In addition, I was at a local conference lately,

[58:05] and it was highlighted that some local governments are

[58:08] anticipating significantly higher increases 50% or more

[58:12] for our health care I'm going to pull a Gretchen

[58:20] and have a brain moment here A 50%

[58:25] increase to health care costs.

[58:28] So while we continue to monitor our plan closely,

[58:32] the city remains in a stable position

[58:35] But that stability didn't happen by accident.

[58:38] It was the result of years of thoughtful planning,

[58:41] ongoing monitoring and responsible management

[58:44] of our self-funded health plan Transitioning

[58:47] to a self-funded health plan has proven

[58:50] to be a successful long term strategy for the city.

[58:53] It's allowed us to continue offering a strong competitive

[58:56] benefit while responsibly managing costs in an environment

[59:00] where health care expenses continue to rise.

[59:05] We're also continuing to strengthen our benefit package

[59:07] by explore bring in introducing, introduce

[59:10] additional voluntary employee paid benefit options.

[59:15] One of those new options that we're exploring

[59:17] is voluntary infertility coverage.

[59:20] This benefit will provide employees with opportunities

[59:23] and support during a very important stage of life

[59:26] at no additional cost to the city.

[59:30] So this is just another example of how we're continuing

[59:33] to involve the benefit package to meet the changing

[59:35] needs of our workforce So in closing h.R. Remains committed

[59:43] to investing in our employees.

[59:45] They're the ones who make our city services possible,

[59:48] whether it's attracting talented employees,

[59:50] retaining experienced staff supporting employee well-being

[59:55] managing employee benefit at every investment

[59:58] that we make is intended to strengthen our workforce

[1:00:01] and ultimately the services that we provide to our citizens.

[1:00:05] Investing in our workforce begins long before the employees

[1:00:08] first.

[1:00:09] Stay with us.

[1:00:10] And continues throughout their career.

[1:00:12] The first step in that journey is attracting the right people

[1:00:15] to join our team.

[1:00:16] And with that, I'd like to turn it over

[1:00:19] to Evan, one of our HR Generalists good evening,

[1:00:27] mayor and council.

[1:00:28] It's always a pleasure to be here I that just mirrors echoing

[1:00:33] that going a little bit.

[1:00:34] But it's okay I apologize Like Kristin said, i'm

[1:00:39] a generalist in the HR Department

[1:00:40] and my main focuses are recruitment,

[1:00:42] internal recruitment and internal business

[1:00:46] Tonight i will highlight two main slides.

[1:00:48] The first will be requested positions that were not funded

[1:00:51] in the proposed budget And second are recruitment

[1:00:54] and workforce movement activity from the past fiscal year

[1:00:59] during the long term planning process, departments identified

[1:01:02] several staffing needs that were reviewed for ultimately not

[1:01:05] proposed in the budget In total, there

[1:01:07] were ten full time positions requested representing

[1:01:10] 16 total requests within an approximate cost

[1:01:13] of 1.0 million 1.07 million.

[1:01:16] I apologize.

[1:01:17] These requests covered several service areas,

[1:01:19] including operations Infrastrata for public safety

[1:01:23] and community services and legal support

[1:01:25] and organization support.

[1:01:27] The larger the largest staffing request was for to emergency

[1:01:30] communication officer positions, which reflects the continued

[1:01:33] importance of staffing capability capacity

[1:01:36] in our emergency communication center

[1:01:38] While these positions were not funded in the proposed budget,

[1:01:41] I think it's important that we recognize

[1:01:42] that they represent a real service need

[1:01:46] identified by the department.

[1:01:47] These are not just position titles or dollar amounts

[1:01:50] They represent workload management response time,

[1:01:53] emergency progression, employee progression, succession

[1:01:56] planning and service delivery.

[1:01:59] The key takeaway is that departments identify

[1:02:01] additional staffing needs, but those requests were deferred

[1:02:04] in order to maintain budget priorities

[1:02:07] From a human resources perspective,

[1:02:08] we will continue to track those needs.

[1:02:11] Support departments with recruitment where positions

[1:02:13] are approved and help evaluate workforce

[1:02:15] needs as the organization continues to grow With that

[1:02:19] in mind, I'll move forward from the requested positions

[1:02:22] to the current workforce activity including recruitment,

[1:02:25] new hires and internal movement for fiscal year

[1:02:29] 2627 from October 1, 2025 through July Sixth, 2026.

[1:02:36] H.R. Has supported a high volume of recruitment

[1:02:38] across the city During that period,

[1:02:41] we have processed 75 recruitments

[1:02:44] and reviewed a little more than 1000 applications.

[1:02:49] Those efforts resulted in a 134 new hires,

[1:02:52] 29 full time and 105 part time or seasonal employees.

[1:02:57] The full time hires help support long term staffing needs

[1:03:00] across departments While the part time and seasonal hires

[1:03:03] are critical for maintaining programs, seasonal operations

[1:03:06] and service levels throughout the year we also had

[1:03:11] 19 internal movements, which includes promotions, transfers

[1:03:14] and other career growth opportunities

[1:03:17] That number is important because recruitment

[1:03:19] is not only about bringing new employees into the organization.

[1:03:22] It is about retaining and developing

[1:03:25] the employees We already have that connects to One of our core

[1:03:29] recruitment messages in organizations best recruiters

[1:03:31] hearts and current employees.

[1:03:33] When employees feel supported, valued and able to grow,

[1:03:37] they become strong ambassadors for the city We also

[1:03:41] continue to use targeted incentives,

[1:03:43] incentives to support recruitment.

[1:03:45] The city currently offers a $500 referral bonus for general

[1:03:49] physicians and $8,000 sign on bonus for emergency

[1:03:52] communication officers, police officers

[1:03:55] and professional engineers.

[1:03:57] These tools help us remain competitive especially in areas

[1:04:01] where recruitment can be difficult.

[1:04:03] The quote on the right reinforces

[1:04:05] that the broader philosophy people are the center.

[1:04:09] Our central to the success of the organization.

[1:04:13] Strategies programs and services only

[1:04:15] work when we have the right people to carry it,

[1:04:18] to carry them out.

[1:04:19] Overall, these numbers show both volume and recruitment activity

[1:04:23] and the importance of investing in our workforce Human resources

[1:04:25] will continue supporting departments

[1:04:27] by helping attract qualified candidates,

[1:04:30] encouraging internal growth and maintaining staffing processes

[1:04:33] that support reliable city services With that,

[1:04:37] I will turn it over to Nancy and talk about the rest

[1:04:39] of our presentation Thank you Good evening

[1:04:48] Mayor and city council members.

[1:04:50] Thank you for the opportunity to present

[1:04:53] on the future leadership and management development

[1:04:57] and initiative in your folder.

[1:05:00] The meetings tonight folder.

[1:05:01] You should have a handout in there,

[1:05:04] which gives a little directive of the progress that we've made.

[1:05:10] What's next And then some of our expected outcomes.

[1:05:14] On the back is the work that we have done.

[1:05:17] It is a lesson plan of the committee working together

[1:05:21] has created a communication and training for supervisors

[1:05:27] as well.

[1:05:28] So just a little bit of information for you.

[1:05:32] So every organization eventually experiences leadership

[1:05:37] transitions through retirements, promotion

[1:05:40] and career advancements.

[1:05:42] The City of Twin Falls is no different.

[1:05:45] While many employees are promoted because they

[1:05:48] excel in their technical roles, supervisors

[1:05:51] are supervising people.

[1:05:54] That requires a different set of skills

[1:05:57] to do that rather than asking new supervisors to learn

[1:06:01] through trial and error We want to provide them with the tools

[1:06:06] to succeed in those transitions So this initiative directly

[1:06:12] supports the strategic plan that the Council adopted

[1:06:16] and helps translate those priority

[1:06:18] things into meaningful action.

[1:06:20] I'd now like to take you through each

[1:06:23] of these strategic priorities and show how the communities

[1:06:26] work is advancing.

[1:06:27] The city's long term goals.

[1:06:29] First, by expanding employee training and development,

[1:06:33] we're creating structured pathway that helps employees

[1:06:36] develop leadership and management

[1:06:38] skills before they move into supervisory positions Two.

[1:06:43] Strengthening their succession planning

[1:06:45] by investing in our current employees

[1:06:47] for building a stronger pipeline of future leaders and persons

[1:06:51] who have preserving institutional knowledge.

[1:06:55] 3 The Employee Retention and Workplace Culture Employees

[1:07:00] are more likely to stay when they see opportunity for growth

[1:07:04] and develop And one city culture We're

[1:07:08] creating consistent leaders ship expectations

[1:07:11] across all departments.

[1:07:13] So employees have a similar experience regardless of where

[1:07:18] they work in the organization And finally, employee

[1:07:24] engagement, a strong supervisors communicate better, recognize

[1:07:29] employee needs, and build teams that are engaged

[1:07:32] and motivated Ultimately this isn't

[1:07:36] about offering more training.

[1:07:38] It's about inspiring Same thing in our organization.

[1:07:42] These strong leaders creating employees

[1:07:45] engaged employees, provide excellent customer

[1:07:48] service and excellent customer and service builds public trust.

[1:07:53] In closing leadership and management development

[1:07:56] is an invest in our people and in the future of the city

[1:08:00] of Twin Falls By preparing today's employees for tomorrow's

[1:08:05] leadership roles, we're supporting the strategic plan

[1:08:10] and helping ensure our organization

[1:08:12] continues to provide exceptional service for years

[1:08:16] to come Thank you.

[1:08:19] With that, I'll turn the floor over to Gretchen So just as we

[1:08:30] are wrapping up in the current fiscal year,

[1:08:33] these are the Council directed capital project in the 770,000

[1:08:39] that the council was able to allocate with additional funds

[1:08:43] that were committed through some other opportunities as well

[1:08:47] so far tonight these are the four pieces that you've heard

[1:08:52] for proposed council directed capital for the upcoming

[1:08:56] year included into the funding.

[1:08:59] That's a little bit more than it has been historically

[1:09:02] in that the seven seven was also increased by the amount that

[1:09:07] used to disturb it through the Pug grants

[1:09:10] as the presentations move forward over the next couple

[1:09:14] of weeks, there will be some additional assets

[1:09:16] that come as part of this.

[1:09:18] And then at the end of all of the focus area presentation,

[1:09:21] you'll have the opportunity to review and ask additional

[1:09:24] questions, propose other things whatever else the Council may

[1:09:27] wish on that particular item This is the upcoming schedule

[1:09:33] of meetings next next time that we meet on the 20th,

[1:09:38] you'll hear on areas of 4 or 5 and 6,

[1:09:42] which are accessible environment whole and prosperous And then

[1:09:50] finally, if there are any questions the Council has from

[1:09:53] any of the presenters or anything else,

[1:09:56] we would be happy to answer those for you graciously.

[1:09:59] I think he was mayor.

[1:10:00] So on on question 38, on Slide 38,

[1:10:03] when we talked about positions that we needed to fill how do

[1:10:08] we prioritize those positions ?

[1:10:14] So i, I just wanted to look to see if you want.

[1:10:18] I didn't mean to be a gotcha question.

[1:10:20] I was just curious on how we how we prioritize because that

[1:10:23] spans three different kind of components of the community.

[1:10:26] Right.

[1:10:26] And so I'm just asking how we fill those

[1:10:30] So I'll give you a brief response.

[1:10:32] And then I will defer to the city manager

[1:10:35] when departments start this fiscal year planning

[1:10:40] and usually that begins in about October.

[1:10:43] We ask ask the departments to submit any positions

[1:10:47] they may be considering.

[1:10:49] They go through a pretty rigorous process

[1:10:50] in order to determine is this a new position?

[1:10:53] Is this a newly described position?

[1:10:56] We have those evaluated and then we put them all together.

[1:10:59] So that we can allocate dollars We know exactly how

[1:11:01] much each position may cost And then we

[1:11:05] the executive leadership team, reviews those requests.

[1:11:10] We have asked previously department leaders

[1:11:12] to come forward, provide additional information

[1:11:14] and answer questions, talk about what they need,

[1:11:17] or to illustrate what the actual workload looks like.

[1:11:20] And then we go through a deliberation I can tell you that

[1:11:24] this year, there was some real reservations

[1:11:27] about adding any additional staff beyond those that are

[1:11:30] already included in the budget.

[1:11:34] We have gone through some various processes in the past

[1:11:37] for how we have arrived at this, but this is probably

[1:11:40] the most efficient way that we've arrived at for determining

[1:11:43] which positions to fund.

[1:11:44] And I'll ask Travis, if you want to add So if you take a look

[1:11:49] at the positions and the totality of them,

[1:11:52] the $1,070,000 that is greater than your 3% revenue that you

[1:11:59] will collect from property taxes And one of the things that we

[1:12:04] want to make sure that we're doing is that when we bring

[1:12:06] on a new position we want to make sure

[1:12:10] that we can fund it long term.

[1:12:12] And when we're taking a look at all the revenue sources that we

[1:12:15] have and the revenue trends, we want to first make sure

[1:12:19] that the employee group that we have is made whole

[1:12:22] and they have the opportunity to grow, not only in position.

[1:12:26] But also to be able to meet the needs of their families.

[1:12:31] Being with us So we look at compensation We

[1:12:34] look at our health care, the cost of health insurance

[1:12:36] benefits and the other ancillary benefits

[1:12:39] that we have across the city at the end,

[1:12:44] the executive leadership team made a prudent decision

[1:12:47] and the recommendation was only to bring

[1:12:50] on two new positions inside of the city of Twin Falls.

[1:12:53] One that was requested by the council that assists

[1:12:56] in the management of projects.

[1:12:58] First and foremost, they'll start with Park projects.

[1:13:01] Then after that it'll transition to general projects

[1:13:03] as we move forward.

[1:13:05] We made that decision, as I shared last week,

[1:13:07] because the volume of park projects

[1:13:09] right now, as described by chance, not only this week.

[1:13:12] But two weeks ago, is significant

[1:13:14] And we want to make sure that that resources

[1:13:16] available to the entire organization

[1:13:19] as those project loads ebbs and flows.

[1:13:22] The second is a school resource officer in which

[1:13:26] 90% of that cost is being funded by Elevate Academy

[1:13:30] And that 90% figure was derived because they will utilize

[1:13:34] that position 90% of the working year

[1:13:38] So after we evaluated those two positions,

[1:13:40] we started looking at a priority list of the others

[1:13:44] and it really came down to a dollars and cents

[1:13:47] and financial sustainability long term

[1:13:51] we don't believe in adding positions because it

[1:13:54] fits our budget today.

[1:13:56] We want to make sure that we can absorb those costs long term.

[1:14:01] Remember, one of the slides that was shared

[1:14:03] is that this is one of the this is the last year that you will

[1:14:07] be able to capture 1% of the entirety of the forgone balance

[1:14:10] that has been a great cushion for us to be

[1:14:13] able to grow and to expand those days as I shared last week,

[1:14:18] are coming to an end.

[1:14:19] And what we're trying to do right now

[1:14:21] is before we find ourselves in a budget deficit

[1:14:23] where we have to make painful cuts we want to make sure

[1:14:26] that we're leveling out our expenses with our revenues

[1:14:29] moving forward and not growing.

[1:14:32] Our staff is one of the most effective ways

[1:14:34] we can do it because we can't control the cost of fuel

[1:14:37] at the pump.

[1:14:37] We certainly can't cost control the costs of inflation

[1:14:42] as it relates to capital projects OK Anybody else?

[1:14:51] Council members.

[1:14:52] OK Thank you very much.

[1:14:54] Thanks for everybody.

[1:14:54] The participated.

[1:14:55] And I appreciate you outlining budget for the upcoming year

[1:15:04] So that brings us to our next agenda item, which

[1:15:08] is the general public input Again, this is an opportunity

[1:15:11] for the general public to address the city

[1:15:13] council on issues that were not on tonight's agenda

[1:15:18] Please state your name.

[1:15:20] Whether you're a resident of the city of Twin Falls,

[1:15:23] and you will have two minutes No, I'm not.

[1:15:35] No I'm not.

[1:15:36] I want to echo.

[1:15:37] My name is Maria Hernandez, and i was born here

[1:15:40] and told jason Brown and the rest of the bunch.

[1:15:44] I just wanted to say real quick, raising Cain about in and out.

[1:15:48] If there is too many people, people

[1:15:50] can always Ihop over to Ihop.

[1:15:54] And it's all about changes and i think

[1:15:56] that's what we're looking at.

[1:15:57] Fleetwood Mac plays a song Jane does Thank you,

[1:16:03] Nathan, for joining me on that.

[1:16:04] Yeah, and it's all about adapting and changes

[1:16:10] but without it, we won't have growth as a city.

[1:16:12] So we have to mature as a city So like a UFC fighter,

[1:16:15] we have to roll with the Roundhouse is the punches.

[1:16:18] The knockouts everything.

[1:16:21] But we can't.

[1:16:21] What we can't do is tap out.

[1:16:24] We can't tap out on in and out.

[1:16:26] We have to stay because there's growth

[1:16:28] I moved this weekend for the purpose of downsizing

[1:16:32] and for budgeting.

[1:16:33] This is in My own personal journey.

[1:16:36] And so I found a little bit of emotion

[1:16:40] coming through me as I had left one area to go to another area.

[1:16:44] And it's like, you know what Sometimes you just got

[1:16:47] to do this So record all me and you are subject to the blues

[1:17:06] now.

[1:17:07] And the way you take a blues and make a song, you sing them out

[1:17:16] of jams and just sing them out again So

[1:17:25] songs and to feel like a will songs song, we blue thanks

[1:17:37] Maria.

[1:17:38] Appreciate it We're going right there.

[1:17:43] Is there anybody else in the general public

[1:17:45] tonight that would like to address the city council?

[1:17:48] If you can top that Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[1:17:50] We're going to require music at some point, right?

[1:17:53] So, Casey seeing no one at this point

[1:17:57] we'll move on to advisory board reports I'm a busy guy.

[1:18:09] I shouldn't do green light.

[1:18:10] Just make short of the green lights on for sure.

[1:18:12] Make sure to introduce yourself light down.

[1:18:17] OK.

[1:18:17] Introduce yourself if you don't mind.

[1:18:20] All of your.

[1:18:21] And I'm annoyed Your name please.

[1:18:25] I don't want to give my name.

[1:18:26] Thinks appreciate that.

[1:18:28] So I do live just a little ways away from here.

[1:18:31] And it is hot outside.

[1:18:33] And I walked and i'm tired.

[1:18:37] Put in a whole day of labor before I did all

[1:18:41] that And you guys are talking about budget and some of these

[1:18:44] are very large numbers and I've seen a lot of very expensive

[1:18:47] cameras attached to I owned by a guy who doesn't think

[1:18:53] that the human race deserves to proceed or exist These floor

[1:19:00] cameras are ridiculous.

[1:19:02] There are afford them in violation.

[1:19:03] And anyone who doesn't think so doesn't

[1:19:05] belong on that side of the dais That simple

[1:19:09] Any high school graduate?

[1:19:11] My son is 14 and he knows he didn't even Google it He just

[1:19:17] looked right at it, asked me one question,

[1:19:18] Who's on the other side of those cameras?

[1:19:20] And then he gets it.

[1:19:22] That simple.

[1:19:24] They don't belong here.

[1:19:25] They don't belong anywhere Thank you.

[1:19:30] Anybody else Hey, seeing down We'll

[1:19:36] move on to our next agenda item, which is advisory board reports

[1:19:42] buddy City manager's office Mr. Mayor,

[1:19:46] we First, I want to thank the folks that presented tonight

[1:19:52] If you were to jump online, you would see the city

[1:19:56] manager's recommended budget.

[1:19:57] But I think that this shows that really our organization

[1:20:02] functions as a team and we want to make sure that the team has

[1:20:05] the ability to provide direct input to the council

[1:20:10] and answer questions.

[1:20:11] So that you have a quality budget for your consideration So

[1:20:15] hats off to the team tonight that

[1:20:17] presented in next week's team as the bar

[1:20:23] has been set high off that Thanks, Travis and i

[1:20:27] think we'll all echo that.

[1:20:29] Thanks for the budget presentation

[1:20:31] tonight that brings us to our public hearing at this point.

[1:20:36] And i'll turn that over to Jonathan.

[1:20:39] Oh I need to read the rules I'm going to read out a land use

[1:20:45] public hearing but it's still a public hearing, so sounds good.

[1:20:48] Will open up.

[1:20:49] So that the council will follow these Nine steps

[1:20:52] for each request listed under the public hearing portion

[1:20:55] City staff will present the request and analysis.

[1:20:59] The applicant will then present their request to the Council

[1:21:02] and ask questions of the applicant or staff

[1:21:05] After questions have been asked The public hearing will then

[1:21:08] be opened during that time, anyone in attendance

[1:21:12] is given the opportunity to comment

[1:21:14] or ask questions about the request being considered.

[1:21:18] When giving testimony, please state step up to the podium

[1:21:22] State your name and address, then present

[1:21:24] your comments or concerns.

[1:21:25] After giving testimony, please sign the public sign

[1:21:28] in sheet, which is up at the top outside in the form in the lobby

[1:21:35] with your name and address as well.

[1:21:37] After the public comments concluded,

[1:21:39] the applicant will be invited to answer any questions

[1:21:41] and make closing statements.

[1:21:43] Staff will then answer or clarify

[1:21:45] any comments as needed Item eight

[1:21:48] After the closing statement, the public hearing will be closed.

[1:21:51] No further testimony or comment from the applicant or audience

[1:21:55] will be allowed and number nine, the Council

[1:21:57] will then have an open discussion

[1:21:59] and take action of the request.

[1:22:01] Okay There we go.

[1:22:02] Jonathan, thank you.

[1:22:04] Near Brown and members of the Council tonight's item

[1:22:06] is the action on the 2026 Annual Action Plan.

[1:22:11] That's what the federal government calls the annual plan

[1:22:14] for the See the Big program or Community Development block

[1:22:17] grant the entirety of the plan is in your packet.

[1:22:22] I'm not going to go over it word for word.

[1:22:23] And frankly a lot of these items actually come

[1:22:25] straight from the federal government's website.

[1:22:26] So we have some limited portion of what we change.

[1:22:29] And then they just generate this annual action plan.

[1:22:33] The key points of this plan or one, we will

[1:22:36] receive $311,413 this year.

[1:22:41] That is a decrease from last year

[1:22:43] If you want the percentage will will be only a soda because i

[1:22:49] told them we might want that.

[1:22:50] And he said they won't.

[1:22:51] And so if you want the percent then we will.

[1:22:53] Then we'll have it.

[1:22:54] Yeah.

[1:22:54] Like that percent going on there You

[1:22:56] owe us solid soda Will got set up a it is a decrease

[1:23:04] and it's a we've been decreasing from like 340 ish thousand down

[1:23:08] to 311.

[1:23:09] The trajectory we're on is by the end of this next five year

[1:23:11] plan will be below $300,000.

[1:23:14] The reason for that is the program

[1:23:16] is funded They just say through Congress

[1:23:18] But the dollar number has not changed in years.

[1:23:22] And as new cities come online, they're

[1:23:24] just dividing the pie more.

[1:23:26] So that's why we're receiving less money on a yearly basis All

[1:23:29] of these funds we are devoting to be used

[1:23:33] at the City Park Plaza project, that Park

[1:23:36] Plaza project Tents alluded to.

[1:23:39] We are finishing up the design of that with a lot of input

[1:23:43] from all the city departments, and we

[1:23:45] are going to be using Cdbg funds as well as believe it or not,

[1:23:49] it's the last, I believe Covid fund money

[1:23:51] we have to spend it by June.

[1:23:54] So that those two funds combined,

[1:23:56] all federal dollars, not any local dollars,

[1:23:59] would be spent to accomplish that project.

[1:24:01] So this request is simply to approve the program Year 2026,

[1:24:07] Cdbg annual action Plan.

[1:24:09] That's the project in a nutshell and I'll send for any questions

[1:24:13] if you have any questions at this time for Jonathan

[1:24:19] I don't have any Jonathan at this time

[1:24:22] Well, open it up for public comment Okay.

[1:24:31] See, nobody running to the podium.

[1:24:33] We'll go ahead and close the public comment period E 2026

[1:24:39] Community Development Block Grant Annual Action

[1:24:41] Plan Jonathan anything else?

[1:24:45] No further comments.

[1:24:46] We just have a it's a simple majority vote on approving

[1:24:48] the plan as presented.

[1:24:50] Okay What is council will any questions, discussion on,

[1:24:55] on the the action plan motion.

[1:25:01] Go ahead, Chris move that we approve the previous year 2026

[1:25:05] Community Development block Grant Cdbg annual Action Plan

[1:25:10] Craig Hawkins I'll second Kevin motion in a second to approve

[1:25:14] the key 2026 Community Development

[1:25:18] block Grant Annual Action Plan any further,

[1:25:22] any further discussion ?

[1:25:25] Kevin Rachel, Roll call.

[1:25:26] Vote, please.

[1:25:26] Bruce Pierce.

[1:25:27] Yes, Miss Reed Yes.

[1:25:29] Greg Hawkins.

[1:25:30] Yes Jason Brown.

[1:25:31] Yes.

[1:25:31] Sherri vomer.

[1:25:32] Yes.

[1:25:32] Grayson Stone.

[1:25:33] Yes Nathan Murray.

[1:25:35] Kay.

[1:25:35] Motion carries 720.

[1:25:39] That brings us to the conclusion of our meeting tonight.

[1:25:42] We will be back next week.

[1:25:44] Meeting is adjourned.

City Council Meeting

Agenda

Transcript