Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the City Code Updates topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council workshop reviews code cleanups: parks alcohol rules loosened and utility billing lookback shortened to one year
Summary
At a workshop, Rathdrum staff proposed minor city code updates; council agreed to allow alcohol consumption in parks during park hours (with no glass containers and limits on event service rules) and to shorten the utility billing corrections lookback period from two years to one year, with appeals and payment arrangements available.
City staff led a workshop on housekeeping updates to the Rathdrum City Code, covering park rules, alcohol permitting, application procedures and utility billing corrections.
On parks and alcohol, staff proposed clarifying an exception to the city's open‑container rule for permitted park events. After discussion, council agreed to allow alcohol consumption in city parks during park hours for permitted events and — for typical picnic scenarios referenced by council members — to remove the requirement for a separate city permit for family‑served alcohol (for example, a parent serving wine at a private picnic). The council retained a ban on glass containers in parks for safety and referenced the Idaho liquor definitions for serving and catering permit requirements.
On utility billing, staff proposed a two‑year lookback period for correcting billing errors; council debated fairness for customers and administrative burden. After discussion about vulnerable households and administrative feasibility, the council settled on a one‑year lookback as the default for billing corrections, while noting that customers can contest charges and the code provides an appeal mechanism and existing options for payment arrangements.
Other cleanup items discussed included clarifications to application procedures for catering permits and removing an overly broad prohibition on horses in limited park contexts (the code will permit pony rides at city events while restricting street riding for safety). Staff indicated the amendments are noncontroversial and do not require further public hearings; staff expects to bring an ordinance for formal adoption at a future meeting.
