City outlines goals for 2012

Despite ongoing budget constraints compounded by fewer dollars in new tax revenue, Mountain Home is expected to see some significant improvements over the coming year, according to city officials.

During a public hearing Jan. 9, representatives from several city departments outlined initiatives currently taking shape across the community.

The city started the new fiscal year Oct. 1 with a $63,000 tax revenue shortfall triggered, in part, by the city's real estate market crash that began in 2008. In fact, the number of building permits issued last year showed no encouraging signs, according to city building official Mike McCain. Most permits issued over the past 12 months involved home or business renovations and repairs versus new construction.

To weather the economic turmoil, the city continues to operate under a bare bone's budget while holding the line on discretionary spending, according to city treasurer Paula Szafranski.

"We were being cautious and watchful" to remain proactive versus other communities that were forced to make drastic budget cuts after the state's economy crashed in 2008, she said.

However, an influx of state and federal dollars will help the city improve its infrastructure while allowing for future growth. An overhaul of the city's underground utility system and subsequent road repairs topped the list of those anticipated projects.

According to public works director Wayne Shepherd, a $2.5 million project on Haskett Drive is the first in a series of long-term projects aimed at improving the city's water transmission system. Last June, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality awarded the city the low-interest loan, which will increase the system's reliability and alleviate high-pressure issues in those lines.

In addition, Shepherd expects work to start this summer on a separate stormwater drainage project on East 8th North Street. Paid for by the Department of Homeland Security, it involves replacing an eight-block stretch of stormwater lines from North 6th East Street by Elmore Medical Center to North 14th East Street that would continue down to American Legion Boulevard.

Workers are expected to replace the aging surfaces of both roads.

Meanwhile, the city parks and recreation department is currently making improvements at two community parks. For example, Legacy Park is expected to see the addition of playground equipment donated by the Mountain Home School District.

The department also expects to make improvements at Optimist Park when it installs more bleachers at the rodeo grounds and the Mud Boggs race track, according to parks and recreation director Stan Franks.

In 2011, the Mountain Home Parks and Recreation Department offered more than 100 programs for an estimated 4,500 people, Franks said. This year, he hopes to offer more hands-on lessons, like cooking classes geared for teens and adults.

Similarly, access to additional resources at the Mountain Home Public Library took a significant step forward in recent months following an overhaul of its online resources. Last summer, contractors replaced the library's older communication lines with high-speed fiber optic cables, giving it a nearly 20-fold increase in Internet connectivity.

At the same time, it replaced its aging batch of 19 computers with two dozen brand-new machines and monitors.

"Technology is on the move at the library," said Librarian Luise House.

The library's next challenge involves finding a balance between the library's "hard copy" works and the community's increased demand for electronic books, House said.

While most city department heads touted upcoming improvements, others like city fire chief Phil Gridley emphasized the benefits of resources already available. Specifically, he highlighted his department's state-of-the-art fire training facility, which is helping his firefighters gain needed hands-on experience.

That training complex saw additional use last August during the Idaho Volunteer Fire and Emergency Services Association's annual conference here. Bringing together veteran and rookie firefighters from across the state, it marked the first time that Mountain Home had hosted the yearly event.

City police chief Nick Schilz hopes to expand his department's relationship with county and state law enforcement agencies. In addition to keeping the community safer, that partnership is helping to stop the flow of narcotics through this part of the state, he said.

Meanwhile, the police chief hopes his department's relationship with its county counterparts will lead to a long-term solution regarding the county's dispatch center. Budgetary constraints in recent years prompted city and county leaders to meet in hopes of avoiding significant changes or cuts in dispatch services.