Roberts holds public hearing on ordinance to require permits for site improvements, visible addresses and adoption of state public-works standards

The City of Roberts held a Planning & Zoning public hearing on April 14, 2026, to consider Ordinance No. 2026.575, a proposal to amend Ordinance No. 498 (6/2015) to require permits for site improvements, mandate visible address numbers for new construction, adopt the Idaho Standards for Public Works Construction (ISPWC) for city public works projects, and revise penalties for violations.

Mayor Robert "BJ" Berlin opened the hearing at 6:55 p.m. and read the public notice and the ordinance title and summary aloud, saying the proposal would "require permits for all site improvements, including driveways, sidewalks, patios, decks, retaining walls, grading, or other flat work that may affect public safety, drainage, or municipal infrastructure; require all newly constructed residential and commercial buildings to display visible address numbers from the street consistent with the adopted Fire Code; adopt the Idaho Standards for Public Works Construction (ISPWC) as the official standards for design, construction, and materials of all public works projects within the City; and revise penalties for violations to provide infractions for first and second offenses and misdemeanor penalties for subsequent offenses." The full text of the notice was made available for public inspection at the city clerk's office during regular business hours.

Clerk/Treasurer April Galbraith told the mayor that "no one had signed in to speak." Mayor Berlin then opened the floor for favorable comments, opposition comments and neutral comments in turn; the record shows no testimony was given during any of the three comment periods. With no public testimony recorded, Mayor Berlin closed the hearing at 6:59 p.m.

Because the hearing record contains no motions, votes, or public testimony, no formal action on the ordinance is recorded in the transcript. The ordinance text as read would, if adopted, (1) require permits for a broad set of site improvements; (2) require visible street-facing address numbers on newly constructed buildings consistent with the city's adopted fire code; (3) adopt the ISPWC as the city's public-works design and construction standard; and (4) change the penalty structure to specify infractions for initial offenses and misdemeanor penalties for repeat violations. The transcript does not specify a timetable for further council consideration, a vote date, an effective date for the ordinance, or which edition (year) of the fire code would govern the address-number requirement.

Attendance listed in the hearing record included Mayor Robert "BJ" Berlin, members of the City Council and city staff; the transcript lists several staff positions as absent. Specific council names appear in the attendance list in the record but the transcript contains inconsistent spellings for some names; the hearing record itself is the source for those listings.

Copies of the proposed ordinance were available at the office of the City Clerk for public inspection. The council may consider additional proceedings or a vote on the ordinance at a later meeting; the transcript does not record any subsequent action or a scheduled vote.