Public participation and council decisions

Public Input:

At our city council meeting last night (8/12/2021), we heard from a number of residents during our public comment period. We appreciate residents taking the time to attend the meetings. The more direct comments and opinions we can get from the public, the better.

Zoning and Densities

All the public comments last night were connected in some way to the city's current zoning definitions, including the densities allowed in each zone. With new property development applications on the horizon, residents wanted the city to address their concerns that our current density levels in our zoning are too high.

Debate and disagreement

In the later half of the meeting, the council debated what approach to use to address our zoning definitions and densities. As often is the case, all the members of the council didn't see eye-to-eye. All were determined to take some kind of action to address concerns, but there was disagreement on the action to take.

I appreciate the debate. I would be very worried if the council never had disagreements because I would worry that we weren't looking fairly at all possibilities and concerns.

Shared goal

I'm not speaking definitively for the other members of the council, but to me, it seemed clear that each member of the council had the same end goal in mind: to make sure our code and ordinances and comprehensive plan were all in line with the desires of our residents for reasonable, appropriate growth.

To that end, we asked the mayor to form a temporary group, including members from P&Z and City Council and the city attorney to work on writing up necessary changes that can be presented to Planning and Zoning and then to City Council following a relatively quick timeline. Please be on the look out for opportunities for public input in this process. Thanks for your help!

(Painting by Norman Rockwell - U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16925968)

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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