[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6528425,"mediaKeyId","3395557-08dfe366c1d1cda0f08d717858cf3b5b","parentId",3395557,"title","Council reviews draft changes to alcohol permitting, seeks clarifications on change-of-use and park rules","audioSeconds",1926,"startMs",7335000,"endMs",9261000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3395557-08dfe366c1d1cda0f08d717858cf3b5b&start=7335&end=9261","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3395557-08dfe366c1d1cda0f08d717858cf3b5b/thumbnail_7335000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6528425/Idaho-Falls/Bonneville-County/Idaho/Council-reviews-draft-changes-to-alcohol-permitting-seeks-clarifications-on-change-of-use-and-park-rules","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6528425-04e803b7ee03af416ba9d631670a45dd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771181424&Signature=N6Y4AyOB3njekl4-jMxoUm~j3cjE~ME4lobT7bpw4IdpTjqfvjh-LJek~I3DRK~x-FYVsL5OeFQ7HKSrF1nAYrT39PzPzBN4bcYoewuuhRMhXmimsnCZnJ7478sIKH66r0apJxRom0x4y3ZGSAbLQRau2V8XCG4QhyrJtRx2XdE~YoeP9VMrEH4K1SLLDnHqlAwDNDWMBxjmf9iOJv9kMvxEqM-D~BD6bhvkMGwBBImx-qZRaxHjkinpFY0B8cvGv2Z5AxV5O8wVRLqtS71qo1ycRP39IM4pkVWIX5FlXdHbHleR5JB4aPY2jJ08UQd7Ig5xShkvcNo47MsekoKViQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Idaho Falls City","date","2025-05-19T00:00:00Z","article","City legal and staff presented proposed changes to the city’s alcohol permitting code at the May 6 City Council meeting, asking councilors to clarify whether temporary event permits should trigger building code change‑of‑use reviews and to align park event rules with charitable-event permits.

City attorney (name not given in the presentation) opened the discussion by reminding the council that the state legislature authorizes cities to regulate the sale, dispensing and consumption of alcohol and that Idaho’s state code uses separate chapters for on‑premises liquor, beer and wine. The draft ordinance staff presented would:

- Clarify that a permanent license to dispense alcohol (a business authorization) may trigger a change‑of‑use analysis and related building-code requirements, but that temporary permits for limited special events should not automatically be deemed a change in use;
- Rename the local \"liquor catering permit\" to \"alcohol catering permit\" so the permit name matches state code and clearly covers beer, wine and distilled spirits when an authorized licensee is dispensing; and
- Remove a local requirement that special-event permits on public property obtain a variance if they are within 300 feet of a school or house of worship (the state requires that variance only for permanent licenses, staff said), while retaining that distance requirement for permanent business licenses as required by state law.

Parks and event rules

Staff also proposed reconciling inconsistencies between the city’s charitable-event permit rules and the rules that apply to permitted events on city parks. That would remove a 1,250-square-foot limit (the “alive after 5” rule for a particular plaza) for charitable events on public property and replace it with the city’s standard special-event review (a site plan, security and trash plans, and other requirements). Staff suggested language limiting a Riverwalk stage consumption area so it would not encroach on public sidewalks or streets; Parks staff confirmed the distance from the current stage to nearby restrooms is about 65 feet and supported a site-specific approach rather than a fixed park‑wide square footage cap.

Renewals and administration

Councilors suggested two clarifications: make explicit that a routine renewal of an existing permanent license should not trigger a change‑of‑use reexamination, and provide practical guidance for applicants and the clerk’s office on advance notice and turnaround expectations for temporary permits. Councilors discussed using an application-level recommendation (for example, a suggested two business‑day lead time) rather than a hard ordinance deadline so clerks can exercise limited discretion for last‑minute requests.

Next steps

Staff said they will revise draft language to make the renewal exception explicit, align charitable-event and park-permitted-event rules, update terminology to \"alcohol catering permit,\" and add clarifying restrictions to prevent consumption areas from spilling into public sidewalks or roads. The city attorney said staff would return to council with the revised ordinance for further consideration and possible placement on a future meeting agenda.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Idaho Falls City - City Council Work Session - May 19, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City legal and parks staff presented proposed changes to the city’s alcohol permitting rules on May 6, asking councilors to clarify whether temporary event permits should trigger building‑code change‑of‑use reviews and to reconcile park rules that currently differ from charitable-event permits.","taxTitle","Idaho Falls, Bonneville County, Idaho","taxId",4472,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6528430,"City finance staff report rising cash balances, conservative revenue assumptions and planned capital spending",3621,4515000,8136000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3395557-08dfe366c1d1cda0f08d717858cf3b5b&start=4515&end=8136","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3395557-08dfe366c1d1cda0f08d717858cf3b5b/thumbnail_4515000.jpg","/articles/6528430/Idaho-Falls/Bonneville-County/Idaho/City-finance-staff-report-rising-cash-balances-conservative-revenue-assumptions-and-planned-capital-spending","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6528430-d364c4fc233bcbd84f84ff3bd350da81/orig.mp4?Expires=1771181424&Signature=QVmiiwgbR2rsQ2kC9BfPks8QftQQQpb9-1oz0YuICJ4zc77wMq4OSeM9dVjr3ghSHJXY0w9DZJwMD3O-DuM3xzNRc0-i~q8R-b7M~y1U-v8SwR~u7o3Y9Gk5PcgiwORP7OIsRXBh5UXzWYK6ScjCoP1SOH0EppS2~qStVIup6VTunhSGBaKPqAnUP83em8CEBJ36NiicnGRrfMLTeUpL3SZU6PkaERMusWOwFrVpY0EeewgbNmzCYBY2s-V--So2Hk-PK~XrqnKkPiO0UHe5aIV5fvFHUNdtxlhOIKkLd44fRAQlEt65Oy~5r9b8bw2SNTutGhMIM1CpRsNOi92xlw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City finance staff presented a first-quarter financial update to the City Council on May 6 that showed higher cash and investment balances, conservative revenue recognition practices and a schedule for remaining capital and one-time projects.

Mark (city treasurer) told councilors the city’s total cash balances had increased “from about $146 million four years ago to $210 million” and attributed the rise to capital bond draw timing, new restricted funds such as impact-fee accounts, and improved cash in several enterprise funds, including the airport and utilities.

Investment policy and yield

Mark described the city’s investment approach as safety-first with a laddered maturity strategy for liquidity and diversification across U.S. Treasuries, agency securities, commercial paper and CDs. He said the city’s target is to keep at least 75% of investments maturing inside two years and the remainder in the two-to-five-year band; staff noted the portfolio mix was temporarily off target because the city is investing two to three times per year as large receipts arrive.

Staff also explained that market yields are tied to the federal funds rate; the presentation cited a current market yield around 4.5% and summarized inflation and unemployment trends that the Federal Reserve considers when setting policy.

Revenues, expenditures and reserves

Assistant finance staff reviewed citywide revenue and expense trends through March 31. Finance reported that many city revenues are seasonal, so a number of categories (parks, utilities and permits) are below 50% of annual budgets at quarter end and are expected to ramp during the spring and summer months. Property taxes appear in the year’s first half because of scheduled payments.

On the general fund, staff said wages and benefits are near expected levels for the time of year and capital spending remains lower than budgeted at the quarter mark because many capital purchases are on order or in construction.

ARPA and one-time budget items

Pam and finance staff provided a status list of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)–funded projects and previously approved one-time budget requests. The finance slides list about 11 remaining ARPA-funded projects in procurement or construction, including the north fire station, generator installation, training-center work, City Hall elevator, and park and storm projects. Finance staff said the city must obligate ARPA funds by Dec. 31, 2024 and spend them by Dec. 31, 2026; staff said most projects are under contract and the city has the cash on hand.

One-time requests approved in the prior budget cycle — park maintenance equipment, police fingerprinting software, aquatic center boiler replacement and several facilities repairs — are underway and, in some cases, have been completed or are out to bid.

Councilor and staff discussion

Councilors asked about timing assumptions for revenue estimates and whether the city’s reserves are sufficient for unplanned large liabilities. Finance staff noted the city’s general fund cash level is lower than enterprise reserves and some reserves are restricted to specific purposes; they pointed to policy changes and conservative revenue estimates as actions that improved fiscal stability over recent years.

Ending

Finance staff said they will return with the next quarterly update and will include project-by-project details for ARPA and capital spending as construction and procurement proceed.","Finance staff told the council that citywide cash and investments rose from about $146 million four years ago to roughly $210 million now, and outlined investment strategy, seasonal revenue timing and ARPA and one-time budget items still in progress.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6528435,"Idaho Falls Fire Department presents staffing, budget and regional response plans to council",3219,46000,3265000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3395557-08dfe366c1d1cda0f08d717858cf3b5b&start=46&end=3265","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3395557-08dfe366c1d1cda0f08d717858cf3b5b/thumbnail_46000.jpg","/articles/6528435/Idaho-Falls/Bonneville-County/Idaho/Idaho-Falls-Fire-Department-presents-staffing-budget-and-regional-response-plans-to-council","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6528435-3473dbf7dd3b3614c2724d7826af0956/orig.mp4?Expires=1771181424&Signature=n-2GPXZPWWmkvTD5Q7zGdeetaZmXkrZD2QCJq5X54mMjGghg-g7Tv52GhMPfqHRFIQiVRD5qpL80ldNwvQHRjbr7FHuCt9p5dbbmcLYTissY5OKSZTZx46YJjgJu2mCE9iHOo0fCz2Ztwtv0JmHXGtBB4hsMfGQLQelviDfDx7fxitrDHGV57JivBRaUVylEssnuPfFs3d9Qay0YhOrotogWEPV50bdgUD6suLudMJsAUdo~W8vUY13JAk67aG5lSDaIm3twVTU2sNSOxFPBk~L6-3lCwj2Uc4LKwO4362Eaw0gXnocl-Oev1AHlRcHdcp1BMGIbVBArOleHW4nJAQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Idaho Falls City Council heard a detailed “focus” report from the Idaho Falls Fire Department on staffing, budgets, apparatus and regional response on May 6.

Fire Chief Nelson told the council the department is now the second-largest in Idaho and “the largest all-hazard EMS transport agency in the state,” and described a staff of about 44 sworn personnel on duty per day and additional administrative employees.

Nelson said the department’s minimum-staffing model intentionally places more resources in operations than in administration. “My stance since 2019 really [has been] to run lean in the fire administration side of the house, and put those people into operations,” he said. He told councilors the department currently has roughly 33 firefighters and 11 administrative staff and that “92% of our staffing is in operations.”

The chief outlined differences between Idaho Falls and similarly sized departments: Idaho Falls staffs ambulance transport directly, while some comparable jurisdictions contract ambulance service to separate providers. That operating choice increases personnel assigned to engines and ambulances, Nelson said, and explains the higher share of operations staff.

Budget and grant funding

Nelson and department staff reviewed the department’s current revenues and grants. The department reported it had recovered $93,000 of a projected $1.3 million (details provided to council by department staff) and that a previously paused federal SAFER grant has resumed review; the department said it expects additional SAFER-related funding to be recovered later this fiscal year. Nelson also told councilors the department expects a state award of roughly $2–2.5 million as its share of recently budgeted state funds for regional hazardous-materials (hazmat) teams; the presentation said an $8.6 million total statewide appropriation was divided among teams and Idaho Falls expects approximately $2.5 million in equipment and vehicle funding if the grant award is executed as presented.

Operations, training and apparatus

Deputy/Assistant chiefs reviewed daily minimum staffing, the department’s cross-staffing model in which engines carry EMTs and medics, and five-year call-volume trends. The department said engines assist ambulances on roughly a third of ambulance patient calls and that engine and ambulance call volumes differ: engines assist on about 4,000–5,000 calls a year while ambulances run about 14,000–16,000 patient calls annually.

Staff also described plans and schedules for capital projects: construction of a new north-side Station 6 (an estimated 18-month build, with current schedule projecting move-in around January–February 2026), continued planning for a vehicle storage facility (80-by-230-foot conceptual size), and upgrades to training facilities. The department said it ordered three new pumper engines on lease purchase arranged years ahead and expects delivery in late 2026–early 2027.

Training and regional capability

The department emphasized regional roles: Idaho Falls participates in statewide technical-rescue teams alongside Pocatello, Coeur d’Alene and Boise and has proposed becoming the regional training hub for aircraft rescue firefighting and other specialties. Nelson said the department’s training tower (built 1964) is deteriorating and limits live-fire training; staff and councilors discussed planning and funding alternatives including modular training structures and regional partnerships.

Council priority: multi-jurisdiction service model

Chief Nelson presented an ongoing review of an enhanced service agreement with Bonneville County Fire District No. 1 (the district that serves Ammon). Nelson said the current service contract (cited in the presentation as approximately $1.8 million) could be expanded toward a model that would add personnel and services across district boundaries without formal consolidation or a change in levies; the expanded contract model, Nelson said, could add daily staffed personnel (moving the department’s daily staffing closer to 50 on-duty personnel) and add prevention, training and command positions. Nelson said the district’s current contract payments could be repurposed to achieve equalized response levels “for the same amount of money” and that district leadership had asked for more data before making a decision.

Council questions and context

Councilors asked how the department’s internal staffing model compares to nearby jurisdictions; Nelson said comparative departments that do not run transport directly have lower operations headcount because ambulance transport is staffed by separate agencies. Councilors also pressed about response volume trends, the timing of apparatus deliveries, and how grant and SAFER funds affect the administrative budget.

The presentation ran through performance and finance details including claims about the department’s shift from red to black on EMS finances over recent years and the department’s plan to submit cost-recovery data to the state and federal Ground Emergency Medical Transport program. Nelson said the department submitted a plan amendment in January 2023 and expects initial cost-recovery payments to be available later in 2025.

Ending

Councilors thanked department staff for the report and praised the department’s community reputation and recent financial results. The council did not take formal action during the presentation but discussed next steps for additional data collection and joint discussions with the fire district about an enhanced service agreement.

","Fire Chief Nelson told the City Council that the Idaho Falls Fire Department is the state’s second-largest department and outlined staffing levels, station projects, a regional hazmat award and proposals to expand a contract with Bonneville County Fire District No. 1 to create a unified service model without consolidating levies.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council reviews draft changes to alcohol permitting, seeks clarifications on change-of-use and park rules

City finance staff report rising cash balances, conservative revenue assumptions and planned capital spending

Idaho Falls Fire Department presents staffing, budget and regional response plans to council