Hayden looks to fiscal year 2019

HAYDEN — City Council members handled fiscal year 2019 issues at their meeting Tuesday night. The body tentatively adopted a city budget, approved a draft capital improvement plan, and approved the Hayden Area Regional Sewer Board budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

During discussion on the capital improvement plan, council member Matt Roetter said he thought the city’s circulation impact fees are too low to keep up with the city’s growth.

He cited receipts of approximately $420,000 in 2017 and a projected $494,000 in 2018, compared to almost $10 million in capital improvements planned for the next few years. The fees are collected by the city when a builder builds homes, he said.

“My concern is that the impact fee for circulation is way too low based on the needs of the city of Hayden and the amount of growth that we have. We have hundreds of lots coming online and we need a way to pay for that growth. We can pay for it with one-time impact fees or have citizens pay for it through taxes. I’m a proponent of impact fees so it is paid in the beginning,” Roetter said.

He asked that the council send a message to the city impact fee advisory committee to increase impact fees.

Mayor Steve Griffitts said Roetter’s comment was valid, and that the city would “look at grants and opportunities for revenue” while staying within its means.

City administrator Brett Boyer pointed out that the capital improvement plan serves in part to prioritize anticipated projects. Not all of the projects listed in the plan can be paid for by impact fees. Neither did he think the city would collect $10 million in the next several years.

Council member Richard Panabaker wanted to know if the HARSB budget included a cost of living increase for its workers. Administrator Ken Windram reported the budget did indeed provide for a 2 percent raise.

During the meeting, Griffitts and city attorney John Cafferty announced that a court order had been signed to evict Butterball Rodents from a warehouse at 11944 Reed Road.

The city had worked with Butterball owner Michael West for more than a year regarding violations of Hayden ordinances against animal-based business in that zone, and numerous complaints from neighbors about odors.

The process took a long time and may have caused residents to wonder what was being done about it, said Panabaker. “You have to give them their day in court to make sure it’s done correct,” he said.