Christmas Lights, Santa, and City Council Updates

Christmas Lighting in Heritage Park

The lighting celebration in the park was great! We would have loved snow instead of the wet drizzle we got, but hey, it's still Christmas time!

Sheri Vail's wonderful kids choir from Central Elementary performed a number of holiday songs, and managed to welcome Santa with three rousing versions of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town."

We appreciate the Mayor, the city council, and the city staff who made the night a success. And we thank all who came to start the season off right with with us in the park. The light displays throughout the park and town look great!

Council News

In our December council meeting we passed the annexation of the properties along South Railroad Avenue as presented in the Planning and Zoning meeting earlier in the month. We also approved two special use permits for two businesses in the business park.

Speaking of the business park, nearly all the lots have been sold. We are glad to see new businesses setting up shop there. They're a good addition to our community.

We also approved on the fifth reading the new parking regulations for the city. We appreciate the public's input on the parking regulations in the city. We hope the new ordinance will help clarify the rules regarding the use of city streets, especially during winter plowing and street sweeping.

Finally, and not least important, the city council is anxious over the growth of Rexburg and that city's intentions regarding expansion into Salem. We encourage Sugar City residents and residents of Salem to pay close attention to current or upcoming impact area and annexation proposals.

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 underw...

2025 Budget; Utility Fees; Sugar City's First Stoplight?; Construction Updates

2025 Budget Last council meeting, the city council passed the 2025 budget. This is a summary of the budget. If you'd like to see more details, please stop by city hall and ask to see it. We also heard from the city auditors regarding our finances from the past year, and we got a good report. You can also see a copy of that report at city hall if you wish. The city runs on public funding, and I think the current budget reflects this understanding--that we have to be wise in what we budget for and how we plan for current and future city needs. Cities have to be careful not to get into the habit of thinking "We need more money," and, instead, be in the habit of thinking "We can make this work." Utility Fees Here are the new fees for water, sewer, and garbage. "Last Year" = 2024 budget; "This Year" = 2025 budget (beginning Oct 1, 2024) Sugar City's First Stoplight? Councilmember Carter Stanford pointed out that the new stoplight on the nor...

Smart Growth; City Budget 2025; Clean Water and Clogged Sewage Pumps

Smart Growth This week, Madison County Commissioners voted to approve an amended Sugar City impact area in the Salem area. With the new boundaries approved, Sugar City is able to add additional voting members from within the impact area to our Planning and Zoning Commission, giving them a representative voice on the commission. We're excited to bring them onboard. Sugar City and Salem have been a combined community for many years, and as growth continues in our region, we're glad to cooperate officially with Salem residents in planning for our unified future. Above is a current snapshot of the County's GIS map, showing Sugar City's boundaries in blue and Rexburg's in red. (The impact area boundary lines are not shown here but are basically extended out from our city borders into the surrounding county area.) Most of us are aware of the current, mainly residential, growth in various areas of Sugar City. The two next biggest areas of growth will most likely come in th...

Sugar City, Idaho: The Dayley Report

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