Twin Falls City Council Meeting – February 9, 2026

The Twin Falls City Council met on Monday, February 9, 2026, at 5:00 PM in City Council Chambers, 203 Main Ave E, Twin Falls, ID. Mayor Jason Brown presided with a quorum of all seven members: Vice Mayor Craig Hawkins and Council Members Ruth Pierce, Christopher Reid, Nathan Murray, Cherie Vollmer, and Grayson Stone, who attended by phone. The council unanimously approved the consent calendar, awarded an airport well-drilling project, approved a school district fee waiver, heard three public comments, and voted unanimously to enter executive session. The regular meeting moved into executive session at 5:22 PM and the meeting ended at 5:50 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Motion by Council Member Vollmer, seconded by Council Member Pierce, to approve the February 2, 2026 minutes; accounts payable for January 22–February 4, 2026; special event permits for the Bunny Brunch and Walk a Mile in Her Shoes; findings of facts and conclusions of law for PZ25-0111 Cook's Corner annexation/zoning development agreement; and declaring city equipment surplus for online auction sale. Passed 7-0.

Items of Consideration

• Magic Valley Regional Airport Well Drilling Project: Assistant City Engineer Lee Glaesemann requested awarding the project to Hiddleston and Sons, Inc. for $284,525.75. He explained the airport water system facility plan identified water source redundancy and PFAS contamination as two issues. The city received a $2.5 million Drinking Water Emerging Contaminants grant from the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. Bids were opened on January 23, 2026, with one bid received from Hiddleston and Sons. Council Member Murray asked whether there is a guarantee that the second well would not contain PFAS. Glaesemann responded there is no guarantee; if the new well tests free of PFAS, the city may drill a second well, but if contamination is found, granular activated carbon filtration could be added. Council Member Reid moved approval, seconded by Council Member Pierce. Passed 7-0.
• I.B. Perrine Elementary HVAC remodel/upgrade fee waiver: Building Official Matthew Long, joined by Dr. Brady Dickinson of the Twin Falls School District, requested a fee waiver for Permit #25-3965 at 452 Caswell Ave W. The project has a total valuation of $5.6 million; permit fees totaled $29,048.25, with a 10% building department holdback of $2,904, making the waiver request $26,143.42. Long emphasized that waiving fees does not reduce required plan reviews or inspections. Dickinson said the project uses state facility upgrade funds for outdated HVAC systems, following Phase 1 projects at Morningside, Harrison, and Lincoln, with Phase 2 now including Perrine and later Robert Stewart and Bickel. Council Member Pierce moved approval, seconded by Council Member Vollmer. Passed 7-0.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Maria Hernandez, a Twin Falls resident, expressed appreciation for the College of Southern Idaho Fine Arts Department and Arts on Tour for accommodating her with a ticket to the Tango After Dark production in January. She praised the performance by Argentinian composer German Cornejo and thanked the community for supporting the Latino group from Argentina.
• Brad Archibald raised concerns about electric bicycles and electric scooters being classified as pedestrians while traveling 20–30 miles per hour on sidewalks and in bike lanes. He reported three recent near-misses and said police told him they would address the problem when it happens. He also said a proposal he heard about was denied because the city lacked money, and he urged the city to regulate and enforce e-bike and e-scooter rules. Mayor Brown acknowledged the city has been discussing the issue and suggested he speak with Police Chief Hicks after the meeting.
• Theran Kolp, a three-year resident, made graphic allegations involving content he said he watched on an app related to the Epstein files and argued that the Second Amendment protects against tyrannical government. Mayor Brown stopped him after his two-minute limit, stating the Epstein files are not something city government can address. The speaker briefly continued and was told his time had expired.

Executive Session

• Council Member Pierce moved, seconded by Council Member Reid, to convene into executive session under Idaho Code § 74-206(1)(b) and (f) to consider the evaluation, dismissal, or discipline of a public officer, employee, staff member, individual agent, or public-school student, and to communicate with legal counsel about legal ramifications and options for pending or imminent litigation. The motion passed 7-0, and the council entered executive session at 5:22 PM.

Key Outcomes

• Consent calendar approved 7-0.
• Awarded the Magic Valley Regional Airport Well Drilling Project to Hiddleston and Sons, Inc. for $284,525.75; motion passed 7-0.
• Approved the fee waiver for I.B. Perrine Elementary HVAC remodel/upgrade Permit #25-3965 in the amount of $26,143.42; motion passed 7-0.
• Approved the executive session motion 7-0. No further open-session action was taken after the executive session, and the meeting ended at 5:50 PM.