Mayor threatens veto over limited readdressing

Mayor Joe McNeal has threatened to veto any action the city council might take to readdress any homes or businesses in the city, as council moves toward making a few select changes at specific locations requested by the county and emergency service authorities.

County Commissioner Larry Rose and Enhanced-911 (Emergency Services) County Board Chairman Vicki Smith asked city council members to approve some minor address changes in Mountain Home at last week's city council meeting.

"We have been working on this system for about 10 years and are now in the final stages," Smith said. "We are not here tonight to ask you for any money, we are here only to ask for your cooperation and some of your time so that we can complete our project and have good, viable addressing in the County of Elmore."

"And that includes the City of Mountain Home, hopefully."

According to Smith, the entire county has already been readdressed right up to Mountain Home city limits.

At this time, Smith and Rose are not asking to readdress the entire city, just change a few addresses that cause conflicts for local emergency service employees.

"We would like you, as the city council, to help us in getting these problems solved. That's all we're asking," said Smith.

"It's an issue of safety and liability, and it's not going to go away," she continued. "At this point, we are simply asking that you work with us."

Rose was a little more demanding with the council, and particularly Mayor Joe B. McNeal.

"I know you made campaign promises that you wouldn't change addresses," he said. "But the same people who voted for you, voted for the city council members and at least three of them think that we might have a problem."

Council members Tom Rist, Alain Isaac and Mark Russell all met with the Elmore Board of County Commissioners two weeks ago to discuss this issue.

Russell pointed this out at the beginning of the discussion.

"As you may recall, this issue came up due to some correspondence provided to the city through the Planning and Zoning Director (Elmore County) Bonnie Sharp, and return correspondence from the mayor to the county," he said.

Apparently the council was in consensus that the commissioners had some conflicting addresses in the city and also some city streets that transition to the county.

"If I'm not mistaken, the council was in consensus that they were worthy of discussion and consideration of possible solutions based on the advice of emergency services personnel and the concerns of the county." said Russell.

"I don't recall the date, but the city council first asked for this being an agenda item and it was denied," he continued. "So then I asked for a joint council meeting with the commissioners and that was approved."

At that meeting, Isaac, Russell and Rist all voted to change an address on 18th Street because it was within 100 feet of a duplicate number on the same street.

That request was subsequently denied by the city, following opposition from the mayor.

So Russell and Rist then met with City Attorney Jay Friedly and an attorney from the Association of Idaho Cities to determine how to pursue the matter legally.

"So that when the council votes on that ordinance, it will be lawful," Russell said.

Rist said the ordinance to make the changes approved during the meeting with the commissioners is currently being drafted and should be voted upon at the next meeting.

"I would like to reiterate that we at no time talked about changing all the addresses within the entire city," Rist said. "The addresses that were being changed were a very few handful and one in particular that we voted on that was a duplicate address."

Rist further addressed rumors that the city was attempting to readdress the entire city.

"In respect to some of the rhetoric that we are going to change all the addresses in the city, that is not true," he said. "That was brought up and it was decided that we are not going to change all the addresses in the city, nor do we plan on doing that."

"But with the emergency addresses, yes, we felt very strongly from the people who were advising us, that we should change them."

Isaac confirmed that the council has voted to go forward with this issue. "I think we do have a consensus that, on a case by case basis, we want to work in cooperation with the county and E-911 to solve safety issues," she said.

Russell then invited McNeal to participate in the E-911 and readdressing discussions and not interfere with the procedure.

"We certainly hope the mayor will not block any city employees from attending," he said. "We really urge you to participate in order to hear what has to be said and join us in solving these problems."

McNeal had previously made a statement regarding the issue before it was discussed in public forum.

"Before we open this up for ordinance decision and discussion, I'm going to make a statement here," he said. "This E-911 Ordinance discussion and readdressing is brought up by the council. The mayor has no role in this whatsoever except that he said that he would not participate in this and would not have any readdressing as long as he was mayor."

"I would let you know that this is a council action and a council action only. And that if, a E-911 Ordinance happens to get passed, I will veto it and I will use the power of the people to not get it passed and that I will do whatever I can to make sure that there will be no readdressing of the city."

Rose said he keeps trying to understand the logic behind the mayor's position.

"If you want to keep this screwed up address system you got here, that's hunky-dory," he said. "But we need to make it flow."

McNeal said, "Unless the people of this community want their addresses changed, I am still at the stand that helped put me in this office."

"I will do what I can to keep that promise."

"The same people that voted for you and the city council, voted to put in the E-911 system," Rose said. "And it became our responsibility, because Mountain Home is in Elmore County believe it or not, to do it."

"So that's what we're trying to implement. We're not trying to force anybody to have anything they don't want to have."

Rose also mentioned the oath that McNeal took when he took office.

"When you took office, I believe you took an oath to serve and protect the people of Mountain Home and all those things," he said. "I don't think you have that in your mind."

"If we come to you with something the majority of your council doesn't agree with, they say no, we're not going to do it. That's all you got to do," he said. "We're just trying to make it so our emergency vehicles and services can take care of the people."

"It's what they voted for. It's what they want."

"Look, this issue will not go away," McNeal summarized. "I don't want to make it personal. The council has the power to do what they need to do to pass the ordinance. My answer to that ordinance will be to veto it and if they override that, it will become law."

"I say the only way to solve this problem is put it on an advisory ballot and let the people decide," he continued. "If the people want to put this thing in, then I'll be behind them 100 percent."

"If you put it on a ballot or the council overrides my veto, it will become law."

McNeal told Rose that the process was being worked and that he will indeed veto the ordinance once the council has it drafted. "The law says that if I veto that ordinance and if it comes back to this council and they override that veto, it becomes law," he said.

Rist said that he fully expects what the mayor said to happen.

"He'll veto this at the next meeting and the council will override that veto," he said.

The ordinance is expected to be voted upon at the next regularly scheduled city council meeting and at press time, there are no official plans to have the E-911 Readdressing issue put on an advisory ballot.