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Council tables resolution to delegate certain easement signings to staff until Nov. 24

Garden City City Council · November 17, 2025

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Summary

Garden City council discussed and then tabled a resolution that would allow staff to execute certain easements when the city is grantee; several councilmembers requested the item return Nov. 24 to allow Mayor-elect Jacobs to participate and to preserve council review of sensitive Greenbelt/pathway easements.

The Garden City Council heard legal and staff presentations Nov. 10 on a resolution and accompanying policy that would permit limited delegation to staff to execute certain easements where the city is the grantee and the easement terms or conditions had previously been approved by a decision maker.

City attorney Wadhams described the proposal as "an attempt to streamline the process" so that staff could record preapproved template easements (for example, water, sewer and pathway easements) without returning to council for a second signature when the council or decision maker already approved the underlying condition. He recommended clarifying language and changing Idaho terminology from "special use permit" to the locally used "conditional use permit." Wadhams said the approach would be narrow and apply only when the city is the grantee and the easement had prior approval.

Development services staff (Ms. Thornborough) said the change was intended to speed recordation and reduce repeated council appearances for standard, template easements; she cited past examples where a business's certificate of occupancy was delayed by repeated administrative steps.

Councilmembers expressed general support for efficiency but several said they preferred to have Mayor-elect Jacobs weigh in and were reluctant to delegate certain easements affecting the Greenbelt or pathway access without council review. One councilmember suggested a date‑certain postponement to Nov. 24 so the incoming mayor could participate. The council voted to table the resolution to 11/24/2025 to allow additional review and input.