Pocatello City Council Work Session 09 10 26

The City of Pocatello City Council Work Session held on September 14, 2026, included several procurement-related discussions. The Historic Preservation Commission updated the council on a $17,000 grant-funded project to update the downtown historic district's National Register boundaries and discussed potential future projects including a municipal historian position. The Planning and Zoning Commission reported on their activities, including six annexations and ongoing zoning code updates. A significant portion of the meeting focused on the city's updated sewer collection system master plan, highlighting current system capacity, future growth impacts, and capital improvement projects funded primarily through incremental rate increases without bonds. The council also reviewed proposed fiscal year 2026 budget amendments, including a $480,000 increase in fleet expenses largely due to police vehicle upfitting and increased departmental supply usage. Discussions on the disposition of the historic Washington facility considered options for sale or lease with preservation stipulations. The council deliberated on a request from Four Golf, the golf course concessionaire, to waive allowable operating expense limits due to rising labor and maintenance costs, with options to amend the contract to accommodate extended operating seasons or inflation adjustments. Finally, the council discussed the need to hire a technical consultant to develop regulations for data center developments, emphasizing community engagement and coordination with state environmental agencies. No votes were recorded during the session, but several action items were identified for future council consideration, including budget ordinance adoption, contract amendments, and consultant procurement.