Minutes & Money

City Staff and City Volunteers

At last night's city council meeting, I was impressed, again, by the dedication of the city employees and volunteers. For the employees, working for the city is their job, of course, but I am glad they take the job seriously and are determined to do their best to keep Sugar City running well.

As for the various volunteers, we have a number of wonderful volunteer committee members who willingly offer their time and energy and experience. I know there are many city residents who would be great additions to The Planning and Zoning Commission, the Tree and Beautification Committee, the Historic Preservation Commission, the Parks and Recreation Committee, etc. These committees make significant and lasting contributions to our great city. If you are interested in helping, please contact city hall.

Budget 2022

We had another round-table style 2022 budget work session last night. Planning the city's budget is serious business. The council members and the mayor get out our 20/20 glasses for looking at previous years and our crystal balls for predicting the future, and then discuss and debate. We take input from city staff, as well. In the end, the council sets the budget, and the mayor keeps the city running well within the budget.

We made good progress and expect to present next year's budget at an official public hearing soon. The public can always follow along with the budget discussions during our regular city council meetings when the budget is on the agenda.

Staying Informed and Engaged

And speaking of following along, the city clerk maintains minutes for every meeting. If you ever want to review what was discussed and what action might have been taken, you can find meeting agendas and minutes on the city's webpage, Sugarcityidaho.gov (click on the "Meetings & Agenda" option on the menu at the top of the page).

I encourage everyone to stay informed and to participate in the city's government. There is built-in transparency for the process of city governance, but it does require residents to take a few steps to stay actively engaged.

Railroad Ave Project; Fiber Project; Public Notification; Sugar Salem Moody Cemetery; Sugar Days

Railroad Ave Project Back in 2018, the city approved a project to improve the safety and usability of Railroad Ave as it comes into town from the south. The engineering was completed, and the project was ready to go. For various reasons, there was no funding at the time, so the project has been on hold since then. Recently the city was awarded a grant that will cover the entire cost of the project--something that rarely happens. The map above shows the plans. The redesign will allow for a much better and safer flow of traffic in and out of Sugar City, especially for the truck traffic from Sun-Glo and Dickinson Foods. The traffic in the area will be rerouted as necessary during the project, with as little inconvenience as possible. Please be on the look out for notices and signs about the project, as it should be starting soon. Fiber Project The project to install fiber in the older areas of the city as part of the Fybercom & Madison County & Sugar City agreement is underway--

New Tennis Courts Proposal

New Tennis Courts Proposal The city council is considering a joint development and use agreement between Sugar City and Sugar-Salem School District for 6 new tennis courts (including line markings for 12 pickleball courts). Background It's been some 40 years since Sugar City got new tennis courts. Many residents and school students have enjoyed the two courts at Smith Park and the two courts at Veterans/Neibaur Park. The courts have long outlived their safe use, and the city plans to tear out the courts at Smith Park and last month locked up the gate for the courts in Veterans Park. In the years I've been serving on city council, I've seen at least three major presentations made to the council regarding the need for new tennis courts. The tennis program in the school has expanded dramatically over the last several years. Somehow the tennis players have managed to practice on the two beat up courts in Veterans Park. But that really isn't a viable option. The mayors and c

City Impact Area: County Decision

Impact Area A city is required to have an impact area surrounding the city's boundaries within the unincorporated county. The impact area allows the county, city, and property owners to plan for possible or probable land development. Residents of the impact area are not in the city limits, but they can have the benefit of having a proportional number of impact area residents serving on the city's planning and zoning commission, giving them a voice in any future development. Any landowner who wishes to develop their property within the impact area deals with the county as usual; however, as we strive to consolidate development--saving, as we can, more farm and other ag and open land--the land owner is required to follow the basic development ordinances laid out in the city code with the intent that the land being developed in the impact area will eventually become part of the city (annexation). One of the main issues with county land development is water protection and water

Sugar City, Idaho: The Dayley Report

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