Skip to main content

New City Council Member, Updated Comprehensive Plan, Volunteers Wanted

 

 

New Councilman

We  welcomed a new member to city council this week. Connie Fogle resigned from the council last month. I was sad to see her go. She served the city well, and I appreciated her wisdom and sincere service. She is a busy woman, but always made time to fulfill her council responsibilities. I wish her the best and hope to see her around town.

Daniel Baird was appointed by Mayor Adams, approved by the council, and sworn in to take Councilwoman Fogle's position. He will serve by appointment until the election this fall when he will have to run for office if he is to remain on the council. Welcome, Councilman Baird!

By the way, there will be three council members and the mayor's spot up for election this November. If you are interested in running for office, please stop in city hall and speak with the clerk.

Comprehensive Plan Update

The public hearing regarding the updates to the city's comprehensive plan was last week. There weren't very many people there, but those who were offered some good input regarding the plan.
 
You can read the finding of facts from the public hearing on the city's website or by using this link:
 
I know the mayor and city council appreciate public input when it comes to planning for our community's future. It's better to be proactive than reactionary. We should all stay informed and participate as best we can in keeping our community a great place to live.

Volunteers Wanted

Speaking of participating in our community, the city likes to help facilitate various events and activities during the year. For example, the city usually has plans for an Easter Egg Hunt, Arbor Day celebration, a community breakfast, Sugar Days, Independence Day parade in Rexburg, and Christmas Tree Lighting in December. Last year, we also had the very sucessful Treats in the Streets event in October. We also have a Tree and Beautification Committee and the Historical Preservation Commission, and, of course, the Design Review Board (regarding the look and style of new building, landscaping, etc.) and the very important Planning and Zoning Commission.
 
All of these events and committees could use a lot more help from the residents. If you are willing and interested in helping with any of these events or committees, please contact city hall for more information. We live in a community that has a strong tradition of service and volunteerism. Let's keep that going when it comes to civic service.
 
Don't you just love, Sugar?
 

Popular posts from this blog

FY 2026 Budget and Alcohol Ordinance

FY 2026 Budget The city council passed the budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2026, which begins October 1st. (City budget fiscal years run from October to September.) It's a good budget, and I think the council and mayor are doing a good job keeping track of how our taxes and other public monies are being used. As normally happens, some fees were adjusted. (Of course, most of the time that means they went up when the government and businesses are talking.) The city has to hold public hearings for any fee increases above 5%. We only had one fee increase above 5% and it went up because of the increased cost of postage at the post office: the Paper Utility Statement fee went up to $1.09. The utility fee increases are listed below and compared with the fees from last year (or currently until October). Costs for maintenance, repairs, and capital projects demand that we increase fees each year to keep up with inflation and rising costs, overall.  None of us like utility fees to increas...

Sugar Days and America250 Celebration! State-Wide Drought Declaration

Sugar Days 2026 Sugar Days is just a couple months away: June 20th.  We plan to have the traditional community breakfast 8-10am, followed by the bounce houses, rock wall, music, and vendors running through the day. We'll raffle prizes for the kids on the hour, every hour as well! This year we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, so we have some America250 activities and events we're planning this year. We applied for and received a special state grant to help fund some of our America250 Idaho activities. Some of the ideas we're considering and/or working on: Patriotic music performances by residents and choirs and bands throughout the day Dramatic speeches celebrating our nation and Idaho or reenactments of famous patriotic speeches Commemorative clothing or other tokens for participants Patriotic-themed children's parade Red, white, and blue balloons for kids Kiosk with US, Idaho, and Sugar City history information and more...

Public Information, Sewer Use Rate Increase, City Budgeting

  Public Information Recently, I was happy to see that some people notice the announcements regarding youth soccer that I occasionally post on social media.☺ (I've volunteered for the past decade or so with a local organization.) I'm not always sure those announcements for Sugar Soccer are very effective. Of course, the real reason the soccer information was screen shot and reposted, was to demonstrate to residents of Sugar City how hard it might seem to be informed regarding topics and issues being discussed and acted upon by city council. I sympathize with residents who can sometimes feel caught off guard regarding some issues coming up in city council. The mayor, council members, and city staff spend hours each week staying as informed as we can be. Understanding a proposed ordinance, development application, zone change request, or budget item can take hours of discussion and research. Sometimes we have to hear from state and other local government entities. Sometimes we ha...