Twin Falls City Council Meeting - March 30, 2026

The Twin Falls City Council met on Monday, March 30, 2026, at 5:00 PM in City Council Chambers, 203 Main Ave E, Twin Falls, ID. Mayor Jason Brown presided. Present were Vice Mayor Craig Hawkins and Council Members Ruth Pierce, Christopher Reid, Nathan Murray, and Cherie Vollmer. Council Member Grayson Stone was absent. All votes were unanimous (6-0). The meeting included a proclamation, consent calendar, several action items, public input, and a public hearing on an annexation.

Proclamations

• Mayor Brown read and proclaimed April 2026 as "Strengthening Families Month" in Twin Falls.

Consent Calendar

• Approved unanimously: March 16, 2026, City Council minutes; Accounts Payable for March 12–25, 2026; March 18, 2026, Travel Requests; Alcohol License for Pizzeria Antico, LLC; declaration of city equipment #5118 (1996 Tender) as surplus for online auction; Final Plat for Knife River Industrial Park (5 lots on 45.40 acres, northwest of Hankins Road and Eldridge Ave).

Discussion Items

• Board Member Re-appointment (Twin Falls Housing Authority): Council approved the re-appointment of John Michael Mason to a second five-year term. Executive Director Sunny Shaw described the Authority's 196 apartments, management of two other troubled housing authorities, and a transition away from HUD's public housing portfolio.
• Tree Streets Waterline Project: Awarded to A & B Excavating for a low bid of $1,456,980, with a 25% contingency bringing total budget authority to $1.82 million. Five qualified bids were received. Staff Engineer Jesse Schuerman noted the engineers' estimate was about 57% higher, indicating competitive pricing. City Manager Travis Rothweiler cautioned about volatility due to oil prices.
• Public Art Commission Funding: Council considered amending Resolution R-2022-010 to increase the funding percentage for public art. Parks and Recreation Director Wendy Davis presented the commission's work and challenges with the current mechanism (0.05% of general fund capital dollars, yielding ~$2,732 annually). Current cash reserves are $57,337, with estimated maintenance costs of $35,773 for 28 city-owned pieces valued at $148,384. Council directed staff to gather detailed maintenance cost data and explore alternative budgeting approaches for maintenance and acquisition.
• Public Notice Sign Requirements: Discussion on modifying Title 10, Chapter 2, Section 10 following the discontinuation of sign rentals. Council favored moving to corrugated plastic signs (2x3 feet, ~$20–35 each), standardizing design with city logo and QR code, and having the city provide signs at cost to applicants. A code amendment was initiated to implement the changes, with a target schedule for completion by May.
• City Hall HVAC Repair: Approved $13,599 from contingency funds for repair of wall-mounted HVAC units, including three replacement units for the 21 existing 7,000 BTU units and one 9,000 BTU unit for a different unit type, plus wall and paint matching. Contingency balance after this will be approximately $176,401.

Public Comments

• Maria Hernandez, a Twin Falls resident, praised teen Aurelia Gilmartin (Lighthouse Christian School) for organizing the "Field the Dome" diaper drive, collecting 12,089 diapers for Voices Against Violence, Valley House, and Sage's Women Center.

Public Hearings

• Annexation of ~41 acres (1651 Sunway Dr N): Approved with staff-recommended conditions as amended. The property will be zoned COM (commercial) along Pole Line Road West and Sunway Drive North, and TN-1 (town neighborhood) to the west. The applicant's representative, David Tebow (EHM Engineers), noted a sequencing conflict with conditions #1 and #5 regarding canal right-of-way and maintenance. Council amended condition #5 to require the owner to relocate the canal at time of development. The public hearing was open from 6:28 PM to 6:29 PM with no public testimony.

Key Outcomes

• All six action items were approved by unanimous 6-0 votes.
• The council directed staff to refine the public art funding strategy and bring back detailed maintenance cost projections.
• A code amendment process was initiated to modify public notice sign requirements, with a target completion by May 2026.
• The meeting adjourned to executive session at 6:32 PM under Idaho Code §74-206(1)(c) and (f) (real property acquisition and legal consultation). The regular meeting did not reconvene.