Twin Falls City Council - December 22, 2025 Meeting Summary

The Twin Falls City Council met at 5:00 PM on Monday, December 22, 2025, in Council Chambers, 203 Main Avenue East, Twin Falls, Idaho. All seven council members were present: Mayor Ruth Pierce, Vice Mayor Jason Brown, and Council Members Craig Hawkins, Spencer Cutler, Christopher Reid, Grayson Stone, and Cherie Vollmer. The executive session, originally listed as item 2 on the agenda, was moved to the end of the meeting at the council's request. The council approved the consent calendar and all six items of consideration, with Council Member Cutler abstaining only from the two Starr Corporation contracts.

Consent Calendar

• Approved 7-0: the December 8, 2025 City Council minutes; Accounts Payable for December 11-17, 2025; December 17, 2025 Travel Requests; the October 2025 Wells Fargo Credit Card Summary; termination of the airport hangar ground lease (Block 13 Lot 1) with Gary Wolverton Jr.; a new airport hangar ground lease (Block 13 Lot 1) with Rebecca L. Jones; and an Alcohol License for St. Luke's.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Maria Hernandez spoke in support of Parks and Recreation Director Wendy Davis, saying she planned to give her a children's illustrated book titled The Pool. Hernandez also spoke in favor of pickleball, describing a friend who lost 30 pounds playing pickleball and recently won a tournament.
• County Commissioner Don Hall announced his recent appointment to fill Lance Clow's remaining term for Legislative Seat 25A and pledged cooperation, collaboration, and an open door to the City of Twin Falls. He initially did not state his name, but later identified himself as a Twin Falls resident.

Discussion Items

• Animal Shelter Expansion Contract: Assistant City Manager Mandi Thompson requested approval of a CM/GC contract with Starr Corporation (spelled "Star" in some transcript references). The city received nine responses to the September RFQ, interviewed six firms, and ranked Starr Corporation first. The negotiated fee was a 7.5% construction manager fee with no additional pre-construction services fee. The project will use funds raised by People for Pets, with the city managing construction. Council Member Cutler abstained because he has relatives employed at Starr Corporation. Bidding could occur in spring, with possible two-phase construction depending on funding and bids. Approved 6-0, Cutler abstaining.
• Fire Station 1 Remodel Contract: Thompson requested approval of a second CM/GC contract with Starr Corporation for the Fire Station 1 remodel under Idaho's additional-phase provisions tied to the 2021 fire facility project. The 2022 bid market forced removal of Station 1 improvements from the original scope. The fee is again 7.5% with no additional pre-construction fees. Planned improvements include restrooms and locker facilities for female firefighters comparable to Stations 2 and 3, kitchen renovations, additional sleep rooms, and a laundry room with clean/dirty separation. Cutler again abstained. Approved 6-0, Cutler abstaining.
• HMI Remediation Project: Assistant Public Works Director Erin Steel requested $225,000 from water reserves for design services and temporary stormwater repairs related to the HMI property remediation. A city water line developed a substantial leak on the HMI property in 2019, and design work was underway but the prior appropriation was unbudgeted and needed reauthorization. The request includes $88,000 for contingency and temporary stormwater repair. Council Member Reid thanked staff and said the issue had been ongoing since 2018, while staff background described the leak as developing in 2019. Approved 7-0.
• Shoshone Falls/Dierkes Lake Emergency Repairs: Parks and Recreation Director Wendy Davis requested $76,372.03 from Shoshone Falls/Dierkes Lake cash reserves, consisting of approximately $65,000 for emergency road repair and $11,372.03 for dock ramp replacement. The road repair was tied to an emergency declaration made a few weeks earlier. Approved 7-0.
• Harmon Park West Tennis Courts: Davis requested authorization to use a cooperative purchase agreement for $351,409 to rebuild the Harmon Park west tennis courts, including pickleball courts. Discussion covered noise-related lawsuits elsewhere, including a Boise case about pickleball noise, and a $20,000 add-on for reinforced posts with sound-dampening material. Vice Mayor Brown spoke against sound dampening but in favor of installing reinforced poles now. The council instead approved a motion authorizing up to $400,000 for the cooperative purchase agreement, with the balance from cash reserves to allow negotiation and reinforced posts, and authorized the director to sign. Council Member Reid also asked about automated lighting; Davis said newer systems can be app-controlled and would be part of the improvements. Approved 7-0.
• City Pool Addition and Remodel: Deputy City Manager Mitch Humble requested $70,000 in additional architectural services funding. The original FY24 budget included about $140,000 for architecture, and the contract was signed in September 2024. The project grew from a remodel to an addition, roughly doubling the scope, and the pool staying open during construction extended the timeline. The original architectural contract was spent, with about six months of construction administration remaining. Funding would come first from pool project contingency savings, then from savings on the old Council Chambers capital project, which was about $600,000 under budget, and only then from cash reserves if needed. Approved 7-0.

Executive Session

• The council voted 7-0 to enter executive session under Idaho Code Section 74-206(1)(B), (C), and (F) to consider personnel matters, acquisition of real property not owned by the city, and communication with legal counsel regarding pending or imminent litigation. The public portion was suspended at 5:39 PM. The regular meeting adjourned at 6:45 PM.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar: approved 7-0.
• Animal Shelter contract: approved 6-0, Cutler abstaining.
• Fire Station 1 contract: approved 6-0, Cutler abstaining.
• HMI remediation funding: approved 7-0.
• Shoshone Falls/Dierkes Lake allocation: approved 7-0.
• Harmon Park tennis courts cooperative purchase agreement: approved 7-0 at up to $400,000.
• City Pool architectural services additional funding: approved 7-0.
• Executive session motion: approved 7-0.
• The next regular meeting will be January 5, 2026, when the council will elect a mayor. City offices will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. Airport Director Bill Carberry will retire on December 30, 2025, with a retirement gathering at Happy Landings. The Twin Falls Chamber of Commerce rescheduled its monthly board meeting.