Minutes
(Minutes subject to council approval)
CITY OF NEZPERCE, IDAHO
REGULAR MEETING
May 12, 2025
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE NEZPERCE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEZPERCE, IDAHO, HELD ON May 12, 2025.
PLACE: Nezperce City Hall, 606 Maple Street. Time: 7:00AM
THE MEETING WAS CALLED TO ORDER BY Mayor Tyler Nelson at 7:01AM
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
PRESENT were Councilmembers Tyler Nelson, Kelby Heartburg, Kimberly Ingram (via Teams) and Mike Jensen, Maintenance Department Craig Cardwell, Fire Chief David Kuther, and Clerk/Treasurer Rhonda Schmidt. Visitor was resident Dan Johnson. Cm. James Zenner was absent.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Dan wants to know what is up with the dumpster situation. He said that he can come up with more money and manpower for cleanups. He added that he plans to put up an 800 square foot manufactured home on a lot on Beech Street in between his other two. He has started a building permit and Cardwell reviewed the site to verify that the sewer that runs across Johnsons lot doesn’t interfere with the placement of the home. Dan is working to get the foundation plans drawn. The council had no issues with the project.
MINUTES of the previous meetings of 04/14/2025 were approved by a motion by Cm. Heartburg, motion was seconded by Cm. Jensen, motion carried.
TREASURER’S REPORT AND MONTHLY BILLS:
The Clerk’s Monthly Treasurer’s Report dated April 14, 2025, was examined, and approved, showing the following:
Funds on Hand $432,193.77
All bills and payroll disbursements were examined and approved for payment upon motion by Cm. Jensen and seconded by Cm. Heartburg in total of $63,154.79 which included a grant disbursement of $26,009.11 check numbers 18089 through 18130. Receipts from the last meeting were shown as $64,463.41. Checks and stub approvals were signed appropriately by all parties as well as all signed the Claim Approval Report for May.
BUSINESS TO BE CONDUCTED
- LC Sheriff Contract FY2025-2026: The contract for the coming year is for $49,978.27, which is a 3% increase over last year’s contract while the in-kind services for the city hanger property was increased by 6% for a total of $12,258.68. Therefore, the city will pay $37,719.59 in the coming year. Following review of the contract for sheriff services Cm. Ingram moved to accept the contract as presented, Cm. Jensen seconded the motion, motion carried.
- Nuisance Report: Cardwell informed the council that he needs to speak with the homeowner at 202 Oak Street regarding the placement of a dumpster, so he hasn’t yet ordered anything. The roll off on 5th Avenue is nearly full and will have it replaced with another for residential use. Cm. Ingram added that they are in conversation with Dawna Lux regarding the removal of the condemned house on the corner of Pine and 2nd. Clerk Schmidt added that Code Enforcement Officer Bateman informed her and sent pictures that Arnie Gehrke hauled 13 cars off his property this last weekend with more to go this coming weekend. Clerk Schmidt also informed that the certified letter to Montgomery was refused at the post office. Cardwell and Schmidt spoke with KrisAnn about getting anything she wants out of the annex building behind the Methodist church as a dumpster will be ordered for that building and anything left in the building will go in the dumpster with the building.
- Land App Project Update: A pre-construction meeting for Phase 2 was held last Thursday morning with Crea Construction, a couple subcontractors, JUB and the city. Crea will finish a couple outstanding jobs from Phase 1 and get that phase completed to move on to Phase 2. Crea has submitted several submittals that JUB is working through. No firm number on the cost of construction for the building to be constructed between the reservoirs. JUB worked up plans for the necessary drainage needed for the project. Cardwell has a contractor reviewing the building plans as Cardwell has had issues finding a contractor with a public works license.
- Legion Hall Update: Clerk Schmidt informed the council that Tony Tenne with the Idaho Department of Commerce was in Nezperce for a site visit to the reservoirs as that block grant is completed, final paperwork has been finished. Clerk Schmidt took Tony to the Legion Hall to discuss remodeling the Legion Hall and moving the seniors to the building. The city can apply for $250,000 and because it is a senior center we will not have to complete an LMI survey. Dodd Snodgrass suggested that the RFP for architecture be advertised and chosen should be the next step to move forward.
- Maintenance Computer and Printer: Cardwell informed the council that he needs a new computer and printer for the public works office. Ingram moved to purchase a new computer, Cm. Heartburg seconded the motion, motion carried. Clerk Schmidt will order the computer.
DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS
- Maintenance
Sewer: Cardwell informed the council that they are discharging to get the ponds as low as possible prior to Phase 2 starting up. Following the EPA impromptu visit Cardwell received a list of questions which were completed and returned to the EPA but there wasn’t any other correspondence. Cardwell saw a guy who appeared to be taking samples from Long Hollow Creek and suspected that he was a tribal representative. Cardwell added that the new control building should be completed this week.
Streets: Cardwell had gravel hauled to town 3 days last week and the remaining gravel will stay where it is until later in the year. Cardwell will be prepping Beech and Cedar Streets for chip sealing this July.
Parks: The plants for the pots have been purchased and Cardwell asked Jensen how many pots he would like to see vegetables in. No set number discussed was left to Cardwell’s discretion. Maintenance will be mowing and spraying parks for broadleaf. He will check with Michelle Koepl about spraying at the county and follow up with a few residents as well.
RV Park: Cardwell informed that Ken Kuther is thinking about putting in an RV park on his property on south Birch Streets for year-round rentals. That property is zoned residential so he would need to get a conditional use permit.
- Clerk
Clerk Schmidt informed the council about the $100 gift card for residents that sign up for BMS Pay.
Schmidt applied for .gov domain which was approved and brings several layers of protection for the website after a zoom meeting with a website provider that specializes on city websites called TownCloud. Schmidt has been comparing website costs between TownCloud and GoDaddy and asking other Idaho cities about their experiences with TownCloud. From the zoom meeting a TownCloud website is user and administrator friendly and is ADA compliant for those with disabilities.
To simplify things for the city and county the county proposed combining 3 parcel numbers on the Payne field to one parcel number.
9th Avenue – Clerk Schmidt showed the council a street map of Seeds Inc. property to see that the county has 9th Avenue in a different location than what the city has. This makes sense as it has used and maintained while the city map location of 9th Avenue has a couple buildings encroaching the street area and could not be used as a street. With this change the clerk will need to renumber a few of their buildings.
- Fire Department
Chief Kuther will be picking up some used fire department gear from Richland and will need to purchase some additional equipment. They also need to update some used equipment that doesn’t last.
- Code Enforcement
Steve’s report was included under Nuisance update.
COUNCIL COMMENT/OTHER
Mayor Nelson will continue working with Lions Club president Wyatt Lux regarding a long-term lease agreement for the Senior Center Building.
ADJOURNMENT: Cm. Ingram moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:44AM, motion was seconded by Cm. Heartburg, motion carried.
Other/Upcoming Events:
Upcoming Council Meetings: June 9th and July 14th at 7AM
The next regularly scheduled city council meeting will be on Monday, May 12th at 7:00AM at City Hall.
Tyler R. Nelson, Mayor Rhonda J. Schmidt, Clerk-Treasurer