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City Council Grab Bag: utility bills, council pay, elections, public comment, Old Farm Estates, housing density

It's time for another update on some things going on with the city council.

Utility Bills

The base water rate was dropped $5, and the base sewer rate was raised $5. These are separate accounts, and we need to build up the reserve in the sewer fund for upcoming improvements with the line from Sugar City to Rexburg.

Council Pay

The council, I think, was prepared to vote to increase the city council pay from $200/month to $400/month. I think $400 would be a more appropriate amount considering the time and effort it takes to serve well on the council. However, even though the pay increase had been discussed at numerous council meetings, the public notice for the increase didn't go out in the newspaper early enough--I think it was a week after the deadline set by state law. So, the increase didn't come to a vote. As council pay raises can only be proposed in election years, it will be another two years before this can be addressed again.

Elections

This is an election year. Three of the seats on the city council are open for the election. I have thrown my hat in the ring. I have learned a lot in this past year or so on the council, and I think I can keep getting better at the job if given the chance by the voters. I would appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve on the city council.

Public Comment

I speak only for myself here--but I'm pretty sure the mayor and other council members would agree--I'm always glad to hear from the residents of Sugar City. We council members are residents too, and we study and consider and debate the issues that come before us, but we are very grateful to hear from a wider representation of the Sugar City public. Of course, some of the more controversial issues bring out people in greater numbers, but even on more "minor" issues, we like to hear from people.

Old Farm Estates

As the process moves forward, the proposed new development agreement and master plan for Old Farm Estates will soon be up for a vote by the council. Basically, there are two options on the table: keep the current agreement that is already in place or approve the new proposal. I encourage everyone interested to look over the various documents on the city's website related to this.

Housing Density

Finally, the city is working on modifying and clarifying our various zoning and density definitions. Keep your ears open for more on this.

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