Idaho Falls council approves contracts, vehicle sale, ERP testing change order and personnel updates

The Idaho Falls City Council on Sept. 25 approved a package of contracts and administrative changes affecting the city’s utilities, public safety and land‑use planning.

Idaho Falls Power Director Steven Foreman described the first item as engineering work for switchgear — the large metal cabinets that house high‑voltage relays and controls. "Switchgear is the large metal cabinets that have switches in it," Foreman said, explaining the city is hiring engineering services to design and document the equipment. The council approved a professional services agreement with LMS Electric Inc. for work on the switchgear, with a contract ceiling disclosed to the council of $311,168.

The council also approved the sale of five used law‑enforcement vehicles to the College of Eastern Idaho for use in its law enforcement program. Municipal Services Director Alexander told the council the vehicles had reached their useful life and the surplus value was estimated "about $2,000 each"; the sale was approved for a total of $10,000, with one councilor recorded as voting against the sale.

Margaret Woodborn, appearing on behalf of city staff, presented a change order to the city’s ERP implementation contract with Whitlock Consulting Group to add testing services. Woodborn said the change order would allow Whitlock to assist with testing protocols and scenarios ahead of implementation and described the total cost as $98,400 — roughly $88,400 for testing services plus about $10,000 for travel. Council members said contingency funds exist for planned implementation needs and approved the change order.

The council approved changes to the Idaho Falls Police Department personnel manual to clarify the injury‑on‑duty policy and reduce the risk that officers could experience delayed pay following an on‑duty injury. The police chief and a human‑resources representative told the council the change came after staff and officers raised concerns during prior review.

Councilors also approved memoranda of understanding for the school resource officer (SRO) program: an agreement with Idaho Falls School District 91 and a separate MOU with Alturas Preparatory Academy. Chief Johnson explained the usual cost‑share model averages 70% paid by school districts and 30% by the city; he noted a state grant will cover about 78% of the Alturas position for the current year but the MOU sets a 70/30 split for future renewals.

The council approved a final plat for the MLB Rolandette Industrial Park, a single‑lot subdivision near McNeil Drive and Rolandette Avenue. Community Development Director Center said the plat is an atypical final‑plat submittal because the developer reduced the lot count during the review process; the council amended the reason statement so that the record reads, as discussed, "access to the subdivision will come from McNeil Drive and Rolandette Avenue."

Finally, the council adopted a resolution to accept the 2025 Bonneville Metropolitan Planning Organization High Capacity Roadway Study and Access Management Plan, an update intended to preserve right‑of‑way and coordinate access across jurisdictions.

Votes at a glance: LMS Electric contract approved (motion carried); sale of five surplus police vehicles to College of Eastern Idaho approved (total $10,000; one nay recorded); ERP Whitlock change order approved ($98,400); police manual injury‑on‑duty update approved; SRO MOUs with District 91 and Alturas approved; final plat for MLB Rolandette Industrial Park approved; BMPO 2025 roadway study and access management plan adopted.

The council adjourned with brief community announcements and no further action scheduled at that meeting.