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City manager updates commission on police station funding, Ammon water tank site search and code enforcement options
Summary
City manager Rich Heavner said the city's mid‑biennium state request for the civic center (police + city hall) was not awarded; staff will meet with Representative Gomberg’s office to refine the 2027 request and are exploring URA financing. He also reported Verdantas' geotechnical review ruled the current Ammon water tank site unsuitable and staff are seeking alternate publicly‑owned locations; code enforcement is limited when property ownership is unclear.
City manager Rich Heavner gave an overview of several facility projects, starting with the proposed civic center renovation (intended to house police and some city functions). He said the city's request for state capital funds in 2025 was not approved and that a 2026 mid‑biennium request — reconfigured to include both police and city hall — also was not awarded. Heavner said feedback from Representative Gomberg’s office suggested changing the building’s proposed use for the mid‑biennium request may have reduced its competitiveness and that some state hesitation stemmed from prior awards to local entities that remain incomplete. "We are continuing to pursue state funding," Heavner said, and staff plan to meet with the representative's office to determine the best approach for the 2027 session. He also described URA (Urban Renewal Agency) financing as an alternative avenue if state funds remain unavailable.
On the Ammon water tank replacement, Heavner said the city’s engineering consultant Verdantas (previously known by another name) performed a geotechnical review and found the current site would not pass modern geotechnical permitting standards. "The site would not pass for the geotechnical permitting process," he said, and staff are narrowing several potential alternate sites — some owned by other public agencies — and will pursue intergovernmental agreements if a suitable location is found. He said initial geotechnical fieldwork will follow once a prospective site is identified.
Heavner also addressed dilapidated properties and code enforcement: many problem properties lack a clearly reachable owner, complicating enforcement. The city’s current tool is to abate and place a lien on the property, which may or may not be reimbursed; staff are exploring URA funds for abatement in URA boundaries where allowed by the adopted plan.
