Hayden Oks 10-Acre Subdivision Sewer Issue Resolved; Citizens To Get Copies Of Reports, Minutes

Of its many votes on minor subjects Tuesday night, the City Council passed two that caused some rumbling in the audience.

One vote approved Virginia’s Place, a subdivision east of Ramsey Road that will put 34 single-family homes on 10 acres at the end of what is now a dirt road. That issue has filled the council chambers in meetings past.

Another motion directed City Clerk Lila Truesdell to have an extra agenda packet in the city lobby and send two copies of the staff reports and minutes to Brian Marcus and Kent Bailey, two active citizens.

The latter vote was more controversial.

The main conflict regarding Virginia’s Place has been whether residents on Orchard Avenue would have to pay as much as $6,000 to hook into the sewer lines.

The council solved that problem for now by adding to its motion that residents can wait until their septic systems fail before hooking into the sewer.

That left only one real opponent - Harold Moline, who lives on nearby Chateaux Street:

“This is kind of a hodgepodge-looking deal to me, really,” Moline said, referring to a compromise that allowed the developer to only install a curb and sidewalk on the road’s south side. “We’re the only street that’s going to have half a curb.

“That looks a little bit strange.”

Otherwise, all parties went away satisfied.

“I’d hate to be going to court,” said Steve White, the developer, implying that was the next step if the council had again denied him.

But it wasn’t until the meeting was nearly over that the real controversy erupted.

Bailey, the chairman of the government committee for the recently renamed Hayden/Hayden Lake Chamber of Commerce, rose during the public comment section.

He wanted to know why he can’t seem to get the staff reports and minutes on a regular basis, without a hassle. At other meetings, Bailey and Marcus said the paperwork was provided. But, for Tuesday night’s meeting:

“I went to city staff,” said Marcus, a longtime member of the now disbanded planning and zoning committee. “I was told `We don’t do that anymore.”’

The information is public record, under the federal Freedom of Information Act.

But as Truesdell pointed out, she has the right to ask that people fill out a request form. She then has three days to respond, and can charge for photocopies.

Bailey said that was fine by him. But some council members didn’t see the need for it.

“This has been brought to my attention several times by both parties. I’ve stayed out of it,” Councilwoman Darlene Ferrians said.

But, she added: “When we have a couple of citizens who faithfully come to meetings request this information, we should be more than happy to give it to them.”

“Are you trying to say we’re intentionally keeping information from these gentlemen?” Councilman Frank Martin asked.

“Did I say that?” Ferrians retorted. “I just think we’re making a mountain out of a molehill.”

After several minutes of often heated discussion, Ferrians moved to put an entire staff packet in the city lobby for the public to look through, and provide staff reports and minutes for Marcus and Bailey at each meeting.

Councilman Chris Beck voted against the motion, saying it was excessive. Martin also voted no, which set up a rare tie vote, to be broken by Mayor Ron McIntire.

He put his head in his hands. Then, before voting to approve the motion, he said:

“I think the whole thing has been overblown. That’s my personal opinion.”