Twin Falls City Council Regular Meeting – October 27, 2025

The Twin Falls City Council met at 5:00 PM on Monday, October 27, 2025, in Council Chambers at 203 Main Avenue East, Twin Falls, Idaho. Mayor Ruth Pierce presided; Vice Mayor Jason Brown and Council Members Craig Hawkins, Christopher Reid, Spencer Cutler, Cherie Vollmer, and Grayson Stone were present, and a quorum was confirmed. The Council approved routine consent items, awarded a construction contract, approved equipment purchases through Sourcewell, authorized use of 911 funds, discussed proposed Public Parks code changes, adopted four ordinances, and approved an alley vacation after a public hearing. All votes were 7–0.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the City Council minutes from October 13, 2025.
• Approved accounts payable for October 9–22, 2025.
• Approved the August and September 2025 Wells Fargo credit card summaries.
• Approved October 15, 2025 travel requests.
• Approved the final plat for Easternsun Subdivision No. 2: 58 lots on 23 (±) acres near the 700–1000 block of Hankins Road (PZ25-0131).
• Approved an airport hangar ground lease assignment from Darrell and Cindy Schmidt to Jerry Jaques and authorized the mayor to sign.
• Declared city equipment #8214, #8223, #7238, and #5585 surplus and authorized sale by online auction.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Frances Alves, a Twin Falls resident, thanked Planning and Zoning staff for their work on the sign ordinance but asked them to re-examine the definition of ‘developed.’ She said that once infrastructure such as roads, curbs, and gutters is installed, a subdivision is considered developed, reducing allowable builder signage from 80 square feet to 32 square feet before lots are sold. She suggested adjusting the definition, for example delaying the change until half the lots are sold.

Discussion Items

• Pole Line Road widening design contract: Staff Engineer Trent Essex requested approval of a $245,000 contract with JUB Engineers, including a 5% contingency, funded from the Street Department’s new budget. The design will coordinate full arterial widening between Burr and Bridgeview with sewer work so the road is not torn up twice; the preliminary construction estimate is about $4.5 million. Council Member Stone asked whether 5% contingency was enough, and Vice Mayor Brown asked for location clarification. The Council approved the contract 7–0.
• Airport FAA capital improvements presentation: JUB Engineers’ Kent Atkin and Airport Manager Bill Carberry presented upcoming FAA-funded projects. FY26 projects include final design for the primary runway, the Northwest Apron pavement project, terminal accessibility and security work, snow removal equipment replacement, and pavement maintenance. FY27 targets runway reconstruction (Runway 8-26) at an estimated $25–27 million, with multiple phases including grading, replacement of the 1980 electrical system, signs, and lighting. Atkin said the 8,703-foot by 150-foot runway is adequate for forecast demand. Asked about the federal government shutdown, Atkin said FY25 grants were not received until September and funding timing is uncertain; Carberry added that the FAA has never missed a funding year, but last year was close.
• FAA Northwest Aircraft Apron Pavement Project: Airport Manager Bill Carberry requested awarding the bid to Idaho Materials & Construction, Inc. for $1,427,165. Four bids were received with close pricing, and construction is expected this spring. The Council approved the award and authorized the mayor to sign 7–0.
• 2026 Vactor Jet truck purchase: Wastewater Collection staff requested approval to purchase a 2026 Vactor Jet truck for $327,000 through a Sourcewell cooperative purchasing agreement and to authorize the Public Works Director to execute the contract. The truck will replace a 2012 unit that has exceeded its useful life; delivery was estimated at about one year. Approved 7–0.
• 2026 John Deere 524P wheel loader purchase: Streets Superintendent Mark Thomson requested approval to purchase a 2026 John Deere 524P wheel loader for $146,215 through a Sourcewell cooperative purchasing agreement, with a 2014 loader traded in. Delivery is expected in about 90 days. Approved 7–0.
• 911 dispatch software purchase: Police Captain Brent Wright requested authorization to use 911 funds for $43,184.02 to purchase dispatch enhancement software, including Prepared911 ($9,700 first year, $7,500 annual subscription), RapidSOS Unite ($14,760 first year, $10,260 annual), Esri indoor maps ($11,800 annual), a one-time phone interface fee of $4,092.02, and $2,000 for training. Wright said the city was able to do in-house what a third-party vendor had proposed for the school district. School official Dr. Dickinson spoke in support, saying the mapping would pinpoint the exact location of 911 calls inside school buildings, saving time and helping prevent swatting incidents. Council members asked about training timing and liability; City Attorney Bruce Castleton said there is no added liability because the software is not an obligation. Approved 7–0.
• Proposed changes to City Code Title 8-3: Public Parks: Parks and Recreation Director Wendy Davis and Police Chief Matt Hicks requested Council input on proposed ordinance changes. The proposal would expand definitions of vehicles to include e-bikes, electric scooters, and monowheels; regulate trail behavior rather than ban device types, including a 15 mph speed limit and a rule against reckless riding; add a detailed definition of camping; and change penalties so a first violation is an infraction that can escalate to a misdemeanor rather than an automatic misdemeanor. Chief Hicks said the camping language was developed over about a year in response to complaints about sleeping, waste, and tents in parks, was influenced by Idaho Senate Bill 1141 (which currently applies to cities over 100,000, not Twin Falls), and was reviewed with the homeless coalition, Valley House, St. Luke’s, Twin Falls County, the Housing Authority, South Central District Health, and faith-based groups. He described a tiered enforcement approach: education, referrals, verbal warnings, infraction citations, and arrest only as a last resort. Proposed penalties are $10 for camping violations and $100 for other park violations, escalating to a misdemeanor. Council members generally supported the direction. Cutler thanked staff for balancing accountability and compassion; Stone supported the e-bike definitions and asked about lowering the first fine; Reid asked for a definition of ‘public space,’ raised enforcement concerns and dog waste complaints, and said he favored behavior-focused rules and would not support excluding bikes from the trail even eight months later (the minutes record a differing version of his comment as supporting a future option to exclude bikes); Brown said he would personally prefer pedestrians and runners only but recognized the reality of mixed trail use and supported education and signage; Vollmer said mobility scooters should be excluded from restrictions; and Hawkins said he liked having a legal mechanism to address bad behavior. City Manager Rothweiler said resources would be applied where problems exist. Staff will use the input to prepare a proposed ordinance.
• Ordinances O-2025-020 through O-2025-023: Planning and Zoning Director Jonathan Spendlove presented four ordinances. The Council dispensed with the rules and read each ordinance by title only. O-2025-020 rezones property at 807 Wendell St. with a zoning development agreement. O-2025-021 rezones the 900 block of Falls Ave W from R2/NCOPUD to R6 CDA for a multifamily development at the southwest corner of Falls and Grandview. O-2025-022 vacates easement and right-of-way adjacent to Perrine Court within Block 18 of Perrine Point Subdivision. O-2025-023 vacates easement and right-of-way adjacent to Magic Road within Block 4 of Perrine Point Subdivision. Each ordinance was adopted 7–0.

Public Hearings

• Alley vacation at 1600, 1608, and 1638 2nd Ave E: The Council held a public hearing on a request by EHM Engineers, Inc. on behalf of River Sound Investments, LLC to vacate a platted public alley. City Planner Lisa Strickland said the alley is approximately 20 by 264 feet, platted in 1946, unimproved, contains no utilities, and does not provide a necessary public connection. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval 5–0 on September 20th. Applicant representative Ben Light confirmed the owner controls all five adjacent parcels. The hearing was opened at 6:32 PM and closed at 6:33 PM with no public testimony. The Council approved the vacation 7–0.

Advisory Board Report & Announcements

• Council Member Hawkins reported that he attended a meeting about upcoming ADA compliance requirements for the city website; IT staff are working through the CivicPlus platform to ensure ADA compliance.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the consent calendar 7–0.
• Approved the $245,000 JUB Engineers Pole Line Road widening design contract 7–0.
• Awarded the FAA Northwest Aircraft Apron Pavement Project to Idaho Materials & Construction, Inc. for $1,427,165 and authorized the mayor to sign 7–0.
• Approved the $327,000 Vactor Jet truck purchase through Sourcewell 7–0.
• Approved the $146,215 John Deere 524P wheel loader purchase through Sourcewell 7–0.
• Authorized the use of $43,184.02 in 911 funds for dispatch software 7–0.
• Adopted Ordinances O-2025-020, O-2025-021, O-2025-022, and O-2025-023, each 7–0.
• Approved the alley vacation on 2nd Ave E 7–0.
• The meeting adjourned at 6:33 PM.