Residents press council to record water-pressure discussion after Solara plat hearing; substitute motion approved
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Summary
Residents and a councilmember asked that discussion about water pressure related to the Solara plat be added to official minutes. Council adopted a substitute motion to approve the consent calendar while instructing staff to note the water discussion for the prior meeting.
Council and members of the public pressed the Rathdrum City Council on whether discussion of water-pressure evidence tied to the Solara plat had been properly reflected in meeting minutes.
During consideration of the consent calendar, a councilmember raised concerns that prior minutes omitted deliberations about what was admissible in testimony concerning water pressure at the November 12 hearing. Resident speakers including Stacy O’Connell and Laura Fuller also said they believed numerical statements about system capacity (they cited 40 pounds per square inch) were not fully recorded at earlier hearings and urged the council to ensure the record reflects those exchanges.
City counsel explained Idaho code does not require minutes to include conversational detail beyond motions, votes and attendance, but told council that if they want additional discussion noted the clerk can amend the minutes or prepare an amended set for later adoption. The concerned councilmember moved a substitute motion to approve the consent calendar while expressly adding notation about the water discussion for the Solara plat from the prior meeting. The substitute motion was seconded and the roll call was taken; the motion passed, which substituted and superseded the original consent approval.
The council did not reopen the substantive land-use decision at the meeting. Staff and counsel advised the public that formal reconsideration of a land-use vote follows a specified written process and should be filed with the mayor or city administrator if applicable. Planner and staff offered to meet with requesting residents to review the planning-and-zoning record and confirm whether the audio record contains the disputed remarks.
What's next: the clerk may amend the minutes or present an amended minutes packet at a future meeting; members of the public were directed to file a formal reconsideration if they seek rescission of the earlier land-use decision.