September 3, 2026 – Council Minutes

MINUTES                                                 

RIGBY CITY COUNCIL

THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 3, 2026

7:00 PM

Mayor Nichole Weight called the meeting to order.

The Pledge of Allegiance was given by Councilwoman Hillman.

The prayer by Councilwoman Allen.

ROLL CALL ATTENDANCE:

Councilwoman Melanie Allen                  Present

Councilman Kevin Bradshaw                  Absent

Councilman Alex Espinosa                     Present

Councilman Timothy Howe                     Present

Councilman Reed Stone                         Absent

Councilwoman Tonya Hillman                Present

ALSO PRESENT-

City Attorney, Sam Angell

Public Works Director, Mitch Bradley

Police Chief, Allen Fullmer

Planning and Zoning, Tess Soll

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Public comment –

Barbara Monroe addressed the board regarding local law enforcement practices and municipal oversight.

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Amendment to Agenda

Councilman Howe moved to remove action item four (Discussion and Possible Approval of Draft Irrigation Water Ordinance for Referral to Planning & Zoning) to allow it to go to planning and zoning. Also move item number two (Open/Consider Bids for Maintenance Building) to number five to give Mr. Bradley time to get to the meeting. Seconded by Councilwoman Allen.

Action Item – CONSENT AGENDA

The following business items may be approved by one motion and a vote.  If any one member of the Council so desires, any matter listed can be moved to a separate agenda item. 

Councilwoman Allen made the motion to Separate the Consent Agenda.                                              Seconded by Councilman Espinosa.

1. Council Minutes – Special Meeting August 13, 2026 

Councilman Howe made the motion to Approve  Minutes for the Special Meeting on August 13^th. Seconded by Councilwoman Allen.

roll call vote:

Councilman Espinosa –         Yes

Councilman Howe –                Yes  

Councilwoman Allen-             Yes

Councilwoman Hillman –      Abstained

Motion carried.

• Accounts Payable- August 2026

 Councilman Howe made the motion to Approve Accounts Payable for August 2026. Seconded by Councilman Espinosa.

roll call vote:

Councilman Howe –             Yes  

Councilwoman Allen-           Yes

Councilman Espinosa –        Yes

Councilwoman Hillman –      Yes 

Motion carried unanimously.

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DISCUSSION ITEM: Rocky Mountain Power New Franchise Fee

Nathan Cardin, Regional Business Manager for Rocky Mountain Power, introduced a proposed Franchise Agreement Ordinance with the City. The main change from the previous agreement is a reduction in the term length from 30 years to 15 years, while maintaining the existing 3% franchise fee for using city streets and rights-of-way for power facilities. Following a brief discussion confirming no other major changes were made to the 20-section agreement, the council noted the next steps: the ordinance will be posted in the local newspaper before returning for the required formal readings to secure final approval.

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ACTION ITEM: PUBLIC HEARING: Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Proposed City Budget

Mayor Weight Opened the Hearing at 7:10 PM.

Public Comment: None.

Mayor Weight Closed the Hearing at 7:10 PM

Council Discussion: Council members noted that the budget had been thoroughly reviewed during prior preparation meetings, with no further concerns raised.

Councilman Howe made the motion to Adopt the 2026-27 Proposed City Budget.                                           Seconded by Councilwoman Allen.

roll call vote:

Councilwoman Allen-            Yes

Councilwoman Hillman –       Yes 

Councilman Espinosa –         Yes

Councilman Howe –               Yes  

Motion carried unanimously.

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ACTION ITEM:Open/Consider Bids for Maintenance Building

Mayor Weight opened the submitted bids and read the total amounts aloud into the record. City Engineer Mitch Bradley arrived during the bid opening and was directed to review the lowest bid following the meeting to verify that all qualifications, specifications, and project requirements are met.

Contractor	Bid Amount	Notes
Headwaters Construction	$2,316,325.00	Lowest bidder
Quality Steel	$2,567,067.00
Alpine Construction Management LLC	$2,664,138.00
Koyle’s Classic Construction	$2,878,732.00
R. Jay Taylor Construction Inc.	$3,431,310.00

Councilman Howe made the motion to Approve Headwater Constructions bid contingent on meeting all necessary criteria. Seconded by Councilwoman Hillman.

roll call vote:

Councilman Howe –               Yes  

Councilman Espinosa –         Yes

Councilwoman Hillman –        Yes 

Councilwoman Allen-             Yes

Motion carried unanimously.

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ACTION ITEM:Executive Session: Pursuant to Idaho Code § 74-206(1)(F) To Communicate With Legal Counsel Regarding Pending Litigation or Controversies Not Yet Being Litigated but Imminently Likely to be Litigated

Councilwoman Hillman made the motion to Enter into Executive Session at 7:16pm. Seconded by Councilman Howe.

Councilman Espinosa made the motion to Close Executive Session at 7:34pm. Seconded by Councilwoman Allen.

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ACTION ITEM:Discussion and Possible Action regarding Boundary Line Adjustment, Land Transfer, or Settlement concerning City-Owned Property adjacent to Highway 48

The Council stated they have no interest in altering the ownership of the city property, but noted they remain open to hearing from the property owner should they wish to discuss the matter at a future meeting.

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INFORMATIONAL UPDATE: Council Liaison Updates

Liaison Report:

Councilwoman Allen (Airport & Rodeo Boards)

• Airport: The board received positive community feedback and is working to establish official city email addresses for improved continuity. They are also proposing to hire an airport manager to oversee operations and fee collection, though the idea is receiving some pushback from community members.
• Rodeo: The rodeo season is wrapping up, and there is great excitement about completing planned projects at the rodeo grounds before next year.

Councilman Howe (Library & Police Department)

• Library Board / Friends of the Library:
  • The Friends of the Library group has decided to part ways with the city library due to differing goals, as they are seeking a larger community center (possibly through a library district or the county).
  • Councilman Howe requested the raw survey data previously collected by the group so the city can analyze the community’s feedback regarding library services.
• Police Department:
  • Newest hires Officer Hammer and Officer Sayer began their law enforcement program at Idaho State University (ISU) two weeks ago and are expected to graduate the first week of December.

Councilwoman Hillman (Urban Renewal & Parks)

• Urban Renewal: Funding for the current district is wrapping up. Discussions are underway regarding the potential creation of a new district.
• Parks Department: Councilwoman Hillman and the Mayor noted receiving numerous positive community compliments regarding the parks, praising the summer crew’s hard work.

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Action Item- Adjournment

Councilman Howe made the motion to Adjourn. seconded by Councilwoman Allen.

Motion carried unanimously.

APPROVED__________________________________

                       Nichole Weight, Mayor

Attest__________________________

            Kiesha Keller, City Clerk

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