Caldwell council approves downtown urban renewal, infrastructure MOUs and ARPA-funded tech purchase in final meeting of 2024

The Caldwell City Council concluded its final meeting of 2024 with a string of approvals that advance downtown redevelopment and city infrastructure projects.

The council voted 5–1 to adopt Bill 86/Ordinance 3647, a site-specific urban renewal plan for a downtown parcel that includes agency- and privately owned pieces of the dirt lot adjacent to the plaza. The measure authorizes the urban renewal agency to use the RFP process to dispose of agency-owned property and to use tax-increment financing for eligible public improvements during the plan period; Councilor Register recorded the lone no vote. City staff told council the plan limits the project list to items found financially feasible by the study and that the agency, not the council, will determine the exact RFP requirements and timelines.

Councilors also unanimously accepted the 2023 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) for the City’s CDBG program. Community Development Director Robin Collins told the council the city received $444,484 from HUD for program year 2023 and highlighted outcomes including the completion and rapid lease-up of 26 new affordable rental units (Westview Lofts #2) and acquisition of 10 lots for 10 new affordable homes (Elgin Street project).

Infrastructure approvals followed. The council approved a memorandum of understanding with Element Ridge (Westland Development) to accept a donated two-acre site for a future 3,000,000-gallon ground-level water tank in exchange for the city paying frontage improvements adjacent to the tank. Council also approved two similar MOUs authorizing developer-sited test wells and potential municipal wells (Florida Karcher LLC and Toll West/Florida Carcher developments), each with city review checkpoints and reimbursement not to exceed $2,000,000. Staff said the city’s hydrogeologist will oversee technical standards and that developers can sometimes accelerate schedules by coordinating contractors.

Public safety technology also moved forward: the council approved a two-year, ARPA-funded purchase of the Peregrine centralized data-management system for the police department at an estimated $130,000 for the first two years ($65,000 per year for four applications). The Deputy Chief said the system integrates records, body-worn video and other data sources and could reduce staffing needs for data analysis; staff confirmed the system integrates with the department’s Spillman records system.

City staff reported the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) came in under bid on a large project, freeing roughly $1.8 million in ARPA funds that must be re-obligated this fiscal year. Council approved addenda to accept refunded funds and directed staff to obligate them for one-time capital items before federal deadlines; the contracts will be ratified at the January meeting.

On downtown maintenance, council authorized a notice of award to Sunny Ridge Construction LLC for the 602 Cleveland parking-lot paving project at $375,320 (under the budgeted $450,000). Staff told council the lot can be capped rather than excavated and that DEQ had reviewed the capping approach for historical petroleum impacts; council approved the award 5–1 (Councilor Register opposed).

Other votes included: a resolution finding a small residential area near Chicago and 5th appropriate for urban renewal planning (Resolution 439-24); passage of an ordinance repealing the city’s youth master-plan committee code sections (Bill 85/Ord. 3646); and annexation of Sky Ranch Logistics into the Caldwell municipal irrigation district (Bill 87/Ord. 3648). Council also approved routine accounts payable and payroll for the period.

Votes at a glance: Bill 86/Ord. 3647 (urban renewal adoption) — Passed 5–1 (Register no). Resolution 438-24 (CAPER acceptance) — Passed unanimously. MOU (Element Ridge) — Passed unanimously. MOUs for municipal wells (Florida Karcher LLC; Toll West/Florida Carcher) — Passed unanimously. Peregrine purchase (two-year ARPA funds) — Passed unanimously. ITD addenda to reallocate returned ARPA funds — Passed unanimously. 602 Cleveland parking-lot notice of award — Passed 5–1 (Register no). Ordinance 3646 (repeal youth master plan committee) — Passed unanimously. Ordinance 3648 (irrigation district annexation) — Passed unanimously.

What happens next: Many approvals move to implementation steps under staff direction or the urban renewal agency: RFP(s) for the downtown parcel will be issued by the urban renewal agency; MOUs for wells and the water tank require project-level reviews and design phases; returned ARPA funds will be expended through cooperative purchase agreements or ratified contracts in January. The council also recessed into an executive session to discuss probable litigation at the meeting’s end.