Leslie May Shumate

City votes to proceed with Wave Park using city money.

The Salmon City Council, the city staff along with representatives from the Whitewater Park Association, East Central Idaho Development Association (ECIPDA) and representatives from the engineering firm Keller and associates met Friday in a Special Session to review exactly where the Wave Park/City agreement stands.

City Administrator Emery Penner had prepared a 35-page packet of information, maps, a synopsis of past negotiations, future options and the research he has done concerning a possible joint river-dredging effort. Both entities could use the dredging and dewatering that the Wave Park project would require. The city needs to lay a new water line across the river to improve the city’s infrastructure and the Wave Park needs to construct the concrete forms on the river bed which will cause the waves for the park. It was thought that working together on the dewatering and permitting would save money.

The city has contracted with ECIPDA, also known as the Development Company, to apply for a Block Grant to improve city infrastructure. If granted the money must be spent by this November. The city originally decided to use the first phase money on a generator for the water treatment plant, two pressure reducing valves on the bar hill, replacing the water line on Broadway Street and replacing the water lines under the east-side river channel which would involve dewatering the river. Penner found trying to combine the project with grant monies is where things became very complicated. He said Rick Miller of the Development Company told him that, by state law, grant funds cannot be spent if there is the slightest hint of benefit for a third party plus, such an agreement would require environmental applications to HUD (Housing and Urban Development) which take up to a year to decide since the Salmon River is involved. Another catch, besides everyone’s different time lines, was that anything done under a block grant has to be completed and functional within the grant’s specific time frame.

Penner’s bottom-line recommendation to the group was to go back to the original plan and use city money to fund its share of the dewatering. He said a water-line casing, as per Department of Environmental Quality regulations, could be installed and capped on the Idaho Department of Lands river bed so that when the time came for infrastructure-grant improvements, a water line could be threaded through the casing without having to dewater the river.

Councilor Jim Bockelman made a motion to move up to $200,000 out of the city’s cash-allocated account, to be used for the water line casing under the river. The motion to approve was unanimous.

The next question was whether or not to spend money dredging what most likely will eventually be filled in again by Mother Nature or, to spend the money on armoring the Island Park river banks against being washed away. From an engineering standpoint former engineer and Councilor Jim Baker favored the proposed dredging of approximately 130 yards of material now residing in the channel across from the east side of Island Park and he said he’d like to see the ‘armoring’ of the Island Park east side bank extended further north. The armoring consists of three-foot angular boulders and rip rap. He didn’t favor removal of trees and brush near the channel’s east side. The city had previously agreed to a $42.000 contribution for the armoring work and materials. The bank reinforcement work would be done while the river is de-watered. Whitewater representative Breanne Green confirmed that the proposed dredging as presented would not affect the Wave Park. It might however, require more engineering

Penner suggested breaking the project into two votes, whether or not to dredge and whether or not to armor.

Bockelman made a motion to do the dredging with the city’s $42,000 contribution as proposed in the first plan. The motion carried on a five to one vote with Robin Phillips casting the lone ‘no’ vote. Bockelman then made the second motion which approved up to $15,000 to extend the river bank armoring as far to the north as the funds will allow. The motion passed unanimously’ Penner then asked the council members to study and digest the Phase II agreement with the Whitewater Association for further discussion prior to the month of May.

Possible more fun in the Sun.

A proposal to allocate unallocated Local Option Tax (LOT) money from previous years to fund construction of a Splash Pad at City Park was brought before the January 6 meeting of the Salmon City Council. There would be a stipulation that construction begin by June of 2022. The unallocated funding amounts to $73,000. There would be grant applications filed for the rest of the cost of the pad.

City Administrator Emery Penner said the water feature would consist of a 2400 square foot concrete pad with plumbing that would shoot water out of cannons and fountains.

Councilor Robin Phillips said that some constituents had told her they would rather see the money go to putting a bubble over the swimming pool so the pool could be open for an extended amount of time or, use the money to fund the pool being open for more days in the regular swimming pool season.

City Clerk Mary Benton responded with what was researched several years ago. She said at that time just the bubble cover would have cost $200,000. Added to that would be the cost of hiring employees to work there in an extended season, which would be very expensive. Benton said those extra costs would also have to be taken into consideration.

Penner said the yearly pool budget is $70,000 and the pool only takes in $30,000 which means it operates with a yearly 40 percent loss. If covered there would be heating costs in the winter as well as the cost of more equipment maintenance. With a Splash Pad there are no pumps needed because the water pressure does all the work. The pad has 17 different apparatuses installed within the pad including water cannons, waterfalls and water slides. Maintenance is very low since the water pad would be operated on a timer. Penner said the Splash Pads have proven to be very popular in other areas.

The pad was equated to kids running through a sprinkler on a hot Summer’s day.

Councilor Jim Bockelman made a motion to approve using unallocated LOT funds from the original Ordinance 09-742 for the Splash Pad.

Councilor Neal James wondered why the decision had to be made that evening. He said he’d rather see plans and some pictures and get more information before voting on whether or not to use the LOT money. Councilor Jim Baker agreed. He said he likes the Splash Pad idea but would like more information before allocating funds.

Councilor Russ Chinske asked if the overflow water could be collected and used to water the golf course or lawns and Penner said he would look into it. Councilor Fred Waidely asked what the water source would be and Penner said it would be city water and amount to half a cubic foot per second per day which the city water source could support. He said in low flow water years the flows could be adjusted.

Bockelman’s motion to approve using unallocated money from the old LOT fund was passed five to two with Chinske, Phillips, Waidely and Bockelman in favor; Baker and James opposed.

So far this year, $91,507.37 has been collected under the newly approved LOT Ordinance 19-839. The council voted unanimously to allocate that money to the March LOT allocation cycle. The upcoming cycle will award approved applicants with funding. The March funding opportunity will be advertised in the newspaper and on the radio.

Then the council, on a vote of four to two, gave City Finance Director Amy Fealko official permission to apply for a $150,000 Idaho Parks and Recreation Department Grant. It will be a year before the matching grant is awarded. Baker and James cast the two ‘no’ votes.

Councilor sworn in and Covid-19 report.

The first order of business at Wednesday evening’s meeting of the Salmon City Council was the swearing in of former/new council member Russell Chinske. He took the pledge by telephone and agreed to the rules to be followed in order to be a City Councilor.

Chinske served as a councilman from 2014 to 2018 when he chose not to run for office again. He is a teacher at the Pioneer Elemental School in Salmon’s School District 291. He will serve for one year which is the remainder of late Councilman Ken Hill’s term in office. Ken Hill’s four-year term would have been up in January 2024. As per Idaho requirements of appointees, Chinske will be in office until the next election which will be in November of this year. The council seat will be on the ballot as a two-year term.

During the council’s Roundtable Discussion councilors Jim Bockelman and Neal James welcomed Chinske back to the council and City Attorney Fred Snook commented he thought that Hill would be pleased. He said Hill had indicated to him he thought a lot of Russ.

Hill was the council’s president and during the meeting the council unanimously voted for Councilor Fred Waidely to be the new Council President.

District 7 Regional Director of Eastern Idaho Public Health Geri Rackow told the council the health of Lemhi County is looking good and is under the ten per 10,000 population rate of Covid-19 infections. The Governor’s Committee on Priorities is scheduled to meet in a few days, Friday, to reexamine the ratings. Last time the Public Health Board met County Commissioner Ken Miner, the county’s representative on the Board, urged that the local rating remain where it is in the yellow range due to the overcrowding of hospitals in surrounding areas and the fact this hospital would have nowhere to send local patients in need of ICU services.

Rackow said there have been a few new local cases of Covid-19 however; the number of cases testing positive is dropping. She hopes that continues although results of holiday gatherings are yet to be fully known.

The first 90 doses of vaccine were received December 14 and she said they were quickly distributed. The second doses are due to be given next week. Hospital workers, medical providers, the out-patient clinical staff, long-term care medical facilities, dentists, pharmacist’s, and EMS volunteers were among Idaho’s number one priority group. That grouping is being constantly reviewed Rackow said Idaho has received fewer doses than originally anticipated but as soon as they are received, they are distributed. Locally 89 vaccinations have been administered. Rackow said the Eastern Idaho Public Health Office has a web site where information is added on a daily basis.

Councilor Robin Phillips asked if Lemhi County would soon be moved to a ‘Green’ rating and Rackow said that’s to be discussed this week. Councilor Jim Bockelman asked how Idaho is doing in getting the vaccines distributed and she said things are generally going smoothly. She said Eastern Idaho Public Health was given 1100 doses to cover the eight counties in the district and EMS people are helping to get the vaccines to those who are in line to receive them. Bockelman also asked if it is true that a person has to have had a flu shot to get the vaccine and she said ‘no.’ “You do not have to have a flu vaccine before you have a Covid-19 vaccine. The only interaction with the Covid vaccine is, you cannot get a Covid vaccine if you’ve had any other vaccine within 14 days prior. So, if you’ve had a flu shot within the last two weeks, then you would not be eligible to get a Covid vaccine until 14 days have passed.”

Steele Memorial Hospital CEO Jeannie Gentry added that some people in the priority group have declined the vaccine so that shot is moved to the next candidate. There is no requirement to get a vaccination. She added, it will be several months before vaccinations are available for everyone.