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Sunday, January 31, 2010
TBIR Grand Opening
TBIR had a hugely successful grand opening this weekend. Lots of smiling kids and parents. For more info on TBIR and hours of operation check out http://www.tbir.org
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Friday, January 22, 2010
Sonoran Institute ~ Western Dispatch January 2010
What do we do with all these unbuilt
subdivision lots?
Friends,
The housing bust may have a silver lining.
The recession and collapse of Western housing markets provides a unique opportunity for rethinking and reshaping how future development in the West plays out. We see an opportunity to address this oversupply of subdivision lots throughout the Intermountain West and we are taking it.
The Sonoran Institute has partnered with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy to convene the best and the brightest to develop recommendations for reshaping this oversupply of subdivision lots. If we can better understand the factors that drove the boom and the sprawling, highly-subsidized, unsustainable patterns of development, we can better advise communities on policies that will avoid similar debacles in the future. Our goal is to improve the quality of development, mitigate the negative fiscal impact of scattered development, protect land values, and ultimately to improve the health of our lands and natural resources.
Last November, in Salt Lake City, we held our first workshop of this multi-year project with the University of Utah's Metropolitan Research Center. We invited land policy experts, land planners, real estate market analysts, local officials, bankers, lawyers and smart growth advocates from around the West.
The group zeroed in on the legal, economic and geographic context of development entitlements (i.e. subdivisions) and examined promising policy options that would address "premature" and obsolete subdivisions. A premature subdivision is land that is entitled and, in some cases, made ready for future development, but is unlikely to develop for many years. Throughout 2010, we will be following up with a second round of workshops in both rural and urban regions. Teton County, Idaho's Valley Advocates for Responsible Development (VARD), another partner in this effort, will lead the first series of workshops focused on their county.
Teton County, Idaho - In Need of Reshaping
Teton County is primarily rural and surrounded by world-class natural amenities: stunning mountains and rivers, robust wildlife, and skiing and other outdoor recreation opportunities - all the essential ingredients for huge growth.
Historically, development in Teton County remained close to the highway which runs through the county. In the 1990s, however, development began to spread into the farthest reaches of the valley. In the last five years, Teton County has granted development entitlements that could quadruple its population.
With the real estate bust, Teton County is now struggling with a high number of abandoned subdivision plans, thousands of vacant residential lots, and staggering bankruptcy rates. The financial toll has been enormous. In 2009 alone, $156 million in property fell into foreclosure.
Teton County became an exceptional example of "rural mega-sprawl" - large lots that cut off wildlife migration routes, roads that don't connect to anything, empty mansions neighboring unfinished mansions, and vacant lots dotting the countryside.
Haunted by Premature Subdivisions
Teton County is paying a high price for approving premature subdivisions. This problem is not, however, limited to Teton County; premature subdivisions have taken their toll throughout the Rocky Mountain West, where "rural sprawl" has become a way of life. In western Montana, the fastest-growing development size is a 10-to-40-acre "exurban" lot located miles from the nearest town.
Excessive entitlements and premature subdivisions are also a problem in the urban areas and emerging Megaregions of the West. In Arizona's Sun Corridor, approximately 1 million undeveloped lots have been entitled.
The fiscal and environmental impact of widespread premature subdivisions is enormous. Nearby communities strain under the need to build and maintain infrastructure, plow roads and provide services to faraway subdivisions. The sprawl also destroys wildlife corridors, degrades water resources and erases working farms and ranches.
Next Steps
How do we mitigate the hardship that so many communities throughout the West are now experiencing?
We need to first identify and learn from our mistakes, a process that began with our Salt Lake City session. As we convene other planning sessions in the months to come, we will identify potential approaches and policy options to reshape local development patterns, while protecting - and improving - property values.
Ultimately, our long-term goal is to have the understanding, consensus and smart policies in place so that when the economic clouds part and construction resumes, we build more prosperous and livable communities in the Intermountain West.
Sincerely,
Luther Propst
Executive Director
Sonoran Institute Offices:
Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona; Bozeman and Helena, Montana; Cheyenne and Sheridan, Wyoming; Denver and Glenwood Springs, Colorado; Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
Visit our website at www.sonoraninstitute.org
What do we do with all these unbuilt
subdivision lots?
Friends,
The housing bust may have a silver lining.
The recession and collapse of Western housing markets provides a unique opportunity for rethinking and reshaping how future development in the West plays out. We see an opportunity to address this oversupply of subdivision lots throughout the Intermountain West and we are taking it.
The Sonoran Institute has partnered with the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy to convene the best and the brightest to develop recommendations for reshaping this oversupply of subdivision lots. If we can better understand the factors that drove the boom and the sprawling, highly-subsidized, unsustainable patterns of development, we can better advise communities on policies that will avoid similar debacles in the future. Our goal is to improve the quality of development, mitigate the negative fiscal impact of scattered development, protect land values, and ultimately to improve the health of our lands and natural resources.
Last November, in Salt Lake City, we held our first workshop of this multi-year project with the University of Utah's Metropolitan Research Center. We invited land policy experts, land planners, real estate market analysts, local officials, bankers, lawyers and smart growth advocates from around the West.
The group zeroed in on the legal, economic and geographic context of development entitlements (i.e. subdivisions) and examined promising policy options that would address "premature" and obsolete subdivisions. A premature subdivision is land that is entitled and, in some cases, made ready for future development, but is unlikely to develop for many years. Throughout 2010, we will be following up with a second round of workshops in both rural and urban regions. Teton County, Idaho's Valley Advocates for Responsible Development (VARD), another partner in this effort, will lead the first series of workshops focused on their county.
Teton County, Idaho - In Need of Reshaping
Teton County is primarily rural and surrounded by world-class natural amenities: stunning mountains and rivers, robust wildlife, and skiing and other outdoor recreation opportunities - all the essential ingredients for huge growth.
Historically, development in Teton County remained close to the highway which runs through the county. In the 1990s, however, development began to spread into the farthest reaches of the valley. In the last five years, Teton County has granted development entitlements that could quadruple its population.
With the real estate bust, Teton County is now struggling with a high number of abandoned subdivision plans, thousands of vacant residential lots, and staggering bankruptcy rates. The financial toll has been enormous. In 2009 alone, $156 million in property fell into foreclosure.
Teton County became an exceptional example of "rural mega-sprawl" - large lots that cut off wildlife migration routes, roads that don't connect to anything, empty mansions neighboring unfinished mansions, and vacant lots dotting the countryside.
Haunted by Premature Subdivisions
Teton County is paying a high price for approving premature subdivisions. This problem is not, however, limited to Teton County; premature subdivisions have taken their toll throughout the Rocky Mountain West, where "rural sprawl" has become a way of life. In western Montana, the fastest-growing development size is a 10-to-40-acre "exurban" lot located miles from the nearest town.
Excessive entitlements and premature subdivisions are also a problem in the urban areas and emerging Megaregions of the West. In Arizona's Sun Corridor, approximately 1 million undeveloped lots have been entitled.
The fiscal and environmental impact of widespread premature subdivisions is enormous. Nearby communities strain under the need to build and maintain infrastructure, plow roads and provide services to faraway subdivisions. The sprawl also destroys wildlife corridors, degrades water resources and erases working farms and ranches.
Next Steps
How do we mitigate the hardship that so many communities throughout the West are now experiencing?
We need to first identify and learn from our mistakes, a process that began with our Salt Lake City session. As we convene other planning sessions in the months to come, we will identify potential approaches and policy options to reshape local development patterns, while protecting - and improving - property values.
Ultimately, our long-term goal is to have the understanding, consensus and smart policies in place so that when the economic clouds part and construction resumes, we build more prosperous and livable communities in the Intermountain West.
Sincerely,
Luther Propst
Executive Director
Sonoran Institute Offices:
Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona; Bozeman and Helena, Montana; Cheyenne and Sheridan, Wyoming; Denver and Glenwood Springs, Colorado; Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
Visit our website at www.sonoraninstitute.org
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
January 27, 2010
Victor City Hall
City Council
Meeting Agenda
7:00 Pledge of Allegiance and Agenda Approval
Minutes Review
Davhi Wilson and Susan Fenger – Envision Victor, GIS Discussion
And Grant Writing Updates – 30 minutes
Anna Trennadue – VARD – Sonoran Project – 15 minutes
Arnold Woolstenhulme – GIS project for Trail Creek – 15 minutes
Public Hearing – Sign Ordinance – 30 minutes
Public Hearing – Residential 1A Zone/Subdivision Process – 30 minutes
Visitors
Update on DEQ/Main St./North Well – Rob Huesveldt – 20 minutes
Selection of Council Representative to Fire District’s Capital
Improvements Committee – 5 minutes
Maintenance
Bills
Victor City Hall
City Council
Meeting Agenda
7:00 Pledge of Allegiance and Agenda Approval
Minutes Review
Davhi Wilson and Susan Fenger – Envision Victor, GIS Discussion
And Grant Writing Updates – 30 minutes
Anna Trennadue – VARD – Sonoran Project – 15 minutes
Arnold Woolstenhulme – GIS project for Trail Creek – 15 minutes
Public Hearing – Sign Ordinance – 30 minutes
Public Hearing – Residential 1A Zone/Subdivision Process – 30 minutes
Visitors
Update on DEQ/Main St./North Well – Rob Huesveldt – 20 minutes
Selection of Council Representative to Fire District’s Capital
Improvements Committee – 5 minutes
Maintenance
Bills
Monday, January 18, 2010
Tuesday Night Sprint Series
6:00pm Every Tuesday Night,- Pioneer Park, Victor
The Tuesday Night Sprint Series supports the Teton Nordic Team. This is a
great opportunity to get out and enjoy the new Pioneer Park Track at night
under the lights. The series cost $5/night or $30 for the full 8 week
series. All abilities are welcome. You can register and pay at each event.
Kids that are registered with TNT are free.
The Tuesday Night Sprint Series supports the Teton Nordic Team. This is a
great opportunity to get out and enjoy the new Pioneer Park Track at night
under the lights. The series cost $5/night or $30 for the full 8 week
series. All abilities are welcome. You can register and pay at each event.
Kids that are registered with TNT are free.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The Seven Values of Victor. ARE THEY YOURS?Envision Victor hosts night of celebration and American Idol-style voting!
Envision Victor will celebrate 2009 and ring in 2010 during this fascinating and entertaining family event on Friday, January 15 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm at Victor Elementary School. The event is free and open to the public, and child care and snacks will be provided on-site.
Envision Victor is a groundbreaking community planning initiative that is focused on engaging citizens, bridging divisions and honoring shared values to create a vibrant and healthy community driven by the values of its citizens. Currently in the first phase of the project, Envision Victor is led by an Advisory Committee of Teton Valley organizations and is funded in large part by the Orton Family Foundation.
Over the last year, Envision Victor has worked hard to collect the stories of our residents, gathering a clear sense of the qualities of Victor that are most precious to them. The results are striking; Victor residents from across the community share an incredible number of common values. Envision Victor has narrowed this list down to seven core qualities, which will guide the next wave of planning and activities for the project.
“It has been inspiring to realize just how much we have in common here,” said Project Coordinator Dahvi Wilson. “Whether you have lived in Victor for a long time, or you are just arriving, you know Victor is a special place, and you probably share some similar ideas about why. On the 15th, we will celebrate this common ground and make sure we've narrowed our list of Victor's core values down to the right seven. These will direct our next year of work and the future shape of our town.”
Excitingly, the event will incorporate American Idol-style, real-time voting to help determine who is present, who is not, and how those in attendance feel about the seven values we have identified and the Envision Victor project in general. Each audience member will be given a voting "key-pad" to use at his or her seat, allowing everyone to vote anonymously and to instantaneously see the results of everyone's responses.
“The answers we gather on the 15th will determine how we proceed with the project in 2010 and beyond,” said Wilson. “For this reason, it is critical that we hear from as many people as possible. Whether you have participated with Envision Victor a lot, or never before, we hope you will join us on the 15th. We promise it will be fun!”
For more information about this event or other Envision Victor initiatives, please visit our website: www.envisionvictor.com.
Envision Victor will celebrate 2009 and ring in 2010 during this fascinating and entertaining family event on Friday, January 15 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm at Victor Elementary School. The event is free and open to the public, and child care and snacks will be provided on-site.
Envision Victor is a groundbreaking community planning initiative that is focused on engaging citizens, bridging divisions and honoring shared values to create a vibrant and healthy community driven by the values of its citizens. Currently in the first phase of the project, Envision Victor is led by an Advisory Committee of Teton Valley organizations and is funded in large part by the Orton Family Foundation.
Over the last year, Envision Victor has worked hard to collect the stories of our residents, gathering a clear sense of the qualities of Victor that are most precious to them. The results are striking; Victor residents from across the community share an incredible number of common values. Envision Victor has narrowed this list down to seven core qualities, which will guide the next wave of planning and activities for the project.
“It has been inspiring to realize just how much we have in common here,” said Project Coordinator Dahvi Wilson. “Whether you have lived in Victor for a long time, or you are just arriving, you know Victor is a special place, and you probably share some similar ideas about why. On the 15th, we will celebrate this common ground and make sure we've narrowed our list of Victor's core values down to the right seven. These will direct our next year of work and the future shape of our town.”
Excitingly, the event will incorporate American Idol-style, real-time voting to help determine who is present, who is not, and how those in attendance feel about the seven values we have identified and the Envision Victor project in general. Each audience member will be given a voting "key-pad" to use at his or her seat, allowing everyone to vote anonymously and to instantaneously see the results of everyone's responses.
“The answers we gather on the 15th will determine how we proceed with the project in 2010 and beyond,” said Wilson. “For this reason, it is critical that we hear from as many people as possible. Whether you have participated with Envision Victor a lot, or never before, we hope you will join us on the 15th. We promise it will be fun!”
For more information about this event or other Envision Victor initiatives, please visit our website: www.envisionvictor.com.
Monday, January 11, 2010
NEWSLETTER
JANUARY 2010
Happy 2010! We hope that the new year has started off fantastically for everyone. Now that the holidays are over and the decorations are slowly being put back in storage, it’s time to bring everyone up-to-date with some items of importance concerning all who live in the City of Victor.
TRASH CONTAINERS
With Thursday being designated as this area’s trash pick up day, we ask that you NOT put your trash bins out until Thursday morning during the wintertime. This poses a hazard for our Public Works staff when they are plowing the streets and may end up with your bin being misplaced. We also ask that you remember to remove the trash bins after they have been emptied to save your bin from moving to another’s property or being destroyed. Thanks for your cooperation with this effort.
WATER RUN IN WINTER
The city has a concern pertaining to those of you residing in the Old Town
Section of Victor. If You are running water to keep your pipes from freezing, please use an outdoor hose instead of running water
in an indoor sink. It’s more costly to pump the culinary water and even more cost is incurred when the water going down the drain gets transported to Driggs through our sewer system. A trickle of water running the width of a pencil would be an appropriate “size” to run. We appreciate your cooperation.
SNOW REMOVAL
Our Public Works department is asking for residents’ cooperation as they plow your neighborhoods. Please do not push snow across the city streets or roads. It is illegal. All driveways need to have the snow pushed inwardly instead of out to the road. The ruts that are left if the snow is pushed into the streets will build up and cause future hazardous driving conditions. Thanks for your attention to this matter.
SEWER SYSTEM – RESIDENTS OF
WILLOW CREEK AND BROOKSIDE HOLLOW SUBDIVISIONS – Please be cautious as to what you are flushing into the sewer system. People residing in these two subdivisions are flushing sanitary products, heavy weighted paper towels and disposable medical bedsheets. Another concern is GREASE – it not only builds up in the pipes but also does serious damage to the lift stations. Public Works has to unplug the clogged up lift stations two to three times a month due to the above problems. For example, Pump Station #3 had recently broken down and the cost to fix it was $7,000. (Four days later the pump was clogged again and had to be cleaned out.) If you consider that cost and times it by say three yearly episodes - you can imagine what problems this causes with the city’s budget. If this $21,000 was billed back to each household - there are 151 households on the pump station - the cost to each household would be approximately $139.07.
The City does have access to the necessary technology to be able to track down the offenders. Victor’s City Council is considering area specific rates and/or fines to try to rectify this situation. Please take the steps necessary to see that this does not have to occur. Due to the severity of the situation, a Spanish translated version of this section immediately follows.
SISTEMA de alcantarillado – residentes de WILLOW Caleta Y subdivisiones hueco de BROOKSIDE – por favor ser cauteloso como a lo que están volcando en el sistema de alcantarillado. Personas que residen en estas dos subdivisiones están vaciando productos higiénicos, toallas de papel ponderada pesada y sábanas médicos desechables. Otra preocupación es la grasa: no sólo se acumula en las tuberías sino también hace daño grave a las estaciones de ascensor. Obras públicas tiene que desconectar la obstrucción por estaciones de ascensor dos a tres veces al mes debido a los problemas mencionados. Por ejemplo, bomba estación # 3 recientemente había roto y el costo para arreglarlo fue $ 7,000. (Cuatro días más tarde la bomba fue atascada nuevamente y tuvo que limpiarse.) Si se tiene en cuenta los costos y tiempos por decir tres episodios anuales - se pueden imaginar qué problemas esto provoca con presupuesto de la ciudad. Si este 21.000 dólares se facturó a cada hogar - hay 151 hogares en la estación de bombeo - el costo de cada hogar sería aproximadamente $ 139.07.
La ciudad tiene acceso a la tecnología necesaria para poder realizar un seguimiento de los infractores. Ayuntamiento de Victor está considerando las tasas específicas de área o multas para intentar rectificar esta situación. Por favor, tomar las medidas necesarias para ver que esto no tiene que ocurrir.
LEASH YOUR DOG!
For those of you who rent homes/are a renter – please be advised that the City of Victor does have a leash law and we are requesting that all owners inform their tenants that dogs are not allowed to run loose in neighborhoods. Those who follow the rules are having a hard time walking their dogs when these “at large” dogs are harassing the leashed pets. Please do the responsible thing and be a good neighbor and a good pet owner.
MUSIC ON MAIN
Teton Valley Foundation has filed a request for proposals for a possible new venue for this popular musical summer event. Victor’s City Council is considering submitting an application. If you’d like to comment the matter, please drop off your written comments to City Hall, attend the January 13th City Council meeting, or send your emails to susanc@victorcityidaho.com.
ENVISION VICTOR UPDATE FROM DAHVI WILSON
Happy holidays and a joyous New Year from Envision Victor! It is hard to believe that a whole year has already passed, but the project has made some incredible progress, and we are very excited about what is on the horizon. Let me tell you a bit more.
Envision Victor is well on track with its two-year work plan to implement a new kind of planning in our City – a process that is focused on engaging our citizens, bridging our divisions, and honoring our shared values – in order to realize a vibrant and enduring Victor for years to come. In this first year, our goal was to build a strong sense of what makes Victor so special to the residents who live here. Through public gatherings, story circles, story nights, and story interviews, we heard from people all across our community, and we helped Victorites make some new friends. We learned more about our common ground, and to our great delight, we realized just how much Victor residents share. We also worked on some great action projects including the opening of Pierre’s playhouse, several volunteer landscaping days, designing visual gateways along the highways entering Victor, and creating the new Victor Community Partnership to support our non-profits and small businesses.
Envision Victor has been busy, and we are well prepared to start the second phase of our project this January. Now that we have a sense of what matters most to the residents of our town, we are ready to begin exploring how our development plans can support those values. On January 15, we will unveil our findings from 2009, sharing the seven values that rang out as central themes for Victorites through our story sharing exercises. This event will be held at Victor’s Elementary School from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Please join us for this important event. We look forward to celebrating the discovery of this common ground, and we welcome the input from community to make sure we’ve gotten it right. Once we hone in on these seven values, we will build an interactive and highly cutting-edge tool that will allow us to assess how particular development options support or detract from them.
And we will still need your help! Understanding our community’s values is only the first step. From here, we will have to define what these values mean to us and how they are reflected in our community’s physical form. Over the next several months, we will be hosting story circles, interactive public meetings, house parties, and town gatherings to make sure we hear from you. The plans we create today will shape Victor for years to come. We hope you will participate in some of these meetings and encourage your friends and family to do the same. For our part, we will work to make all of our gatherings fun, interesting, and meaningful. We look forward to seeing you soon!
EMAIL ADDRESS
The City is trying to build an electronic database of property owners email addresses so that we can communicate more quickly, regularly and efficiently. Please email your contact information to susanc@victorcityidaho.com We realize that not everyone has an email address and will, of course, continue our quarterly newsletter mailings to supplement our more frequent e-newsletters.
PLEASE NOTE: When sending in utility bill payments, please do not staple your check to the bill. If you choose to write the account number on the memo line, you don’t need to send in the stub. Also note that the last day of the month is not the due date. Please check the bill to see when the payment is due and you will avoid late charges. Thank you.
JANUARY 2010
Happy 2010! We hope that the new year has started off fantastically for everyone. Now that the holidays are over and the decorations are slowly being put back in storage, it’s time to bring everyone up-to-date with some items of importance concerning all who live in the City of Victor.
TRASH CONTAINERS
With Thursday being designated as this area’s trash pick up day, we ask that you NOT put your trash bins out until Thursday morning during the wintertime. This poses a hazard for our Public Works staff when they are plowing the streets and may end up with your bin being misplaced. We also ask that you remember to remove the trash bins after they have been emptied to save your bin from moving to another’s property or being destroyed. Thanks for your cooperation with this effort.
WATER RUN IN WINTER
The city has a concern pertaining to those of you residing in the Old Town
Section of Victor. If You are running water to keep your pipes from freezing, please use an outdoor hose instead of running water
in an indoor sink. It’s more costly to pump the culinary water and even more cost is incurred when the water going down the drain gets transported to Driggs through our sewer system. A trickle of water running the width of a pencil would be an appropriate “size” to run. We appreciate your cooperation.
SNOW REMOVAL
Our Public Works department is asking for residents’ cooperation as they plow your neighborhoods. Please do not push snow across the city streets or roads. It is illegal. All driveways need to have the snow pushed inwardly instead of out to the road. The ruts that are left if the snow is pushed into the streets will build up and cause future hazardous driving conditions. Thanks for your attention to this matter.
SEWER SYSTEM – RESIDENTS OF
WILLOW CREEK AND BROOKSIDE HOLLOW SUBDIVISIONS – Please be cautious as to what you are flushing into the sewer system. People residing in these two subdivisions are flushing sanitary products, heavy weighted paper towels and disposable medical bedsheets. Another concern is GREASE – it not only builds up in the pipes but also does serious damage to the lift stations. Public Works has to unplug the clogged up lift stations two to three times a month due to the above problems. For example, Pump Station #3 had recently broken down and the cost to fix it was $7,000. (Four days later the pump was clogged again and had to be cleaned out.) If you consider that cost and times it by say three yearly episodes - you can imagine what problems this causes with the city’s budget. If this $21,000 was billed back to each household - there are 151 households on the pump station - the cost to each household would be approximately $139.07.
The City does have access to the necessary technology to be able to track down the offenders. Victor’s City Council is considering area specific rates and/or fines to try to rectify this situation. Please take the steps necessary to see that this does not have to occur. Due to the severity of the situation, a Spanish translated version of this section immediately follows.
SISTEMA de alcantarillado – residentes de WILLOW Caleta Y subdivisiones hueco de BROOKSIDE – por favor ser cauteloso como a lo que están volcando en el sistema de alcantarillado. Personas que residen en estas dos subdivisiones están vaciando productos higiénicos, toallas de papel ponderada pesada y sábanas médicos desechables. Otra preocupación es la grasa: no sólo se acumula en las tuberías sino también hace daño grave a las estaciones de ascensor. Obras públicas tiene que desconectar la obstrucción por estaciones de ascensor dos a tres veces al mes debido a los problemas mencionados. Por ejemplo, bomba estación # 3 recientemente había roto y el costo para arreglarlo fue $ 7,000. (Cuatro días más tarde la bomba fue atascada nuevamente y tuvo que limpiarse.) Si se tiene en cuenta los costos y tiempos por decir tres episodios anuales - se pueden imaginar qué problemas esto provoca con presupuesto de la ciudad. Si este 21.000 dólares se facturó a cada hogar - hay 151 hogares en la estación de bombeo - el costo de cada hogar sería aproximadamente $ 139.07.
La ciudad tiene acceso a la tecnología necesaria para poder realizar un seguimiento de los infractores. Ayuntamiento de Victor está considerando las tasas específicas de área o multas para intentar rectificar esta situación. Por favor, tomar las medidas necesarias para ver que esto no tiene que ocurrir.
LEASH YOUR DOG!
For those of you who rent homes/are a renter – please be advised that the City of Victor does have a leash law and we are requesting that all owners inform their tenants that dogs are not allowed to run loose in neighborhoods. Those who follow the rules are having a hard time walking their dogs when these “at large” dogs are harassing the leashed pets. Please do the responsible thing and be a good neighbor and a good pet owner.
MUSIC ON MAIN
Teton Valley Foundation has filed a request for proposals for a possible new venue for this popular musical summer event. Victor’s City Council is considering submitting an application. If you’d like to comment the matter, please drop off your written comments to City Hall, attend the January 13th City Council meeting, or send your emails to susanc@victorcityidaho.com.
ENVISION VICTOR UPDATE FROM DAHVI WILSON
Happy holidays and a joyous New Year from Envision Victor! It is hard to believe that a whole year has already passed, but the project has made some incredible progress, and we are very excited about what is on the horizon. Let me tell you a bit more.
Envision Victor is well on track with its two-year work plan to implement a new kind of planning in our City – a process that is focused on engaging our citizens, bridging our divisions, and honoring our shared values – in order to realize a vibrant and enduring Victor for years to come. In this first year, our goal was to build a strong sense of what makes Victor so special to the residents who live here. Through public gatherings, story circles, story nights, and story interviews, we heard from people all across our community, and we helped Victorites make some new friends. We learned more about our common ground, and to our great delight, we realized just how much Victor residents share. We also worked on some great action projects including the opening of Pierre’s playhouse, several volunteer landscaping days, designing visual gateways along the highways entering Victor, and creating the new Victor Community Partnership to support our non-profits and small businesses.
Envision Victor has been busy, and we are well prepared to start the second phase of our project this January. Now that we have a sense of what matters most to the residents of our town, we are ready to begin exploring how our development plans can support those values. On January 15, we will unveil our findings from 2009, sharing the seven values that rang out as central themes for Victorites through our story sharing exercises. This event will be held at Victor’s Elementary School from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Please join us for this important event. We look forward to celebrating the discovery of this common ground, and we welcome the input from community to make sure we’ve gotten it right. Once we hone in on these seven values, we will build an interactive and highly cutting-edge tool that will allow us to assess how particular development options support or detract from them.
And we will still need your help! Understanding our community’s values is only the first step. From here, we will have to define what these values mean to us and how they are reflected in our community’s physical form. Over the next several months, we will be hosting story circles, interactive public meetings, house parties, and town gatherings to make sure we hear from you. The plans we create today will shape Victor for years to come. We hope you will participate in some of these meetings and encourage your friends and family to do the same. For our part, we will work to make all of our gatherings fun, interesting, and meaningful. We look forward to seeing you soon!
EMAIL ADDRESS
The City is trying to build an electronic database of property owners email addresses so that we can communicate more quickly, regularly and efficiently. Please email your contact information to susanc@victorcityidaho.com We realize that not everyone has an email address and will, of course, continue our quarterly newsletter mailings to supplement our more frequent e-newsletters.
PLEASE NOTE: When sending in utility bill payments, please do not staple your check to the bill. If you choose to write the account number on the memo line, you don’t need to send in the stub. Also note that the last day of the month is not the due date. Please check the bill to see when the payment is due and you will avoid late charges. Thank you.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
January 13, 2010
Victor City Hall
CITY COUNCIL
MEETING AGENDA
6:30 Executive Session - Updates on ongoing lawsuits - 30 minutes
7:00 Pledge of Allegiance and Agenda Approval
Minutes Review
Old Business
Continuation of Parking Ordinance Public Hearing - 15 minutes
TBIR Maintenance Agreement - 30 minutes
Bills
Swearing In of New Councilmen - Election of Council President –
Council Assignments - 30 minutes
Signature Stamp Authorization - 15 minutes
Music on Main - Request For Proposal - Teton Valley Foundation is
asking for an RFP for a location for yearly musical event
- 45 minutes
Timberline - Discussion regarding developer's agreement - 30 minutes
Slug Lines - Beginning discussion regarding locations for transportation
pick-ups for those looking to get to ski hills, other towns, etc.
- 5 minutes
Administrative
Fourth of July Celebration - Discussion regarding when the City will
be celebrating the 4th with the breakfast, parade, etc.
- 15 minutes
Maintenance
Victor City Hall
CITY COUNCIL
MEETING AGENDA
6:30 Executive Session - Updates on ongoing lawsuits - 30 minutes
7:00 Pledge of Allegiance and Agenda Approval
Minutes Review
Old Business
Continuation of Parking Ordinance Public Hearing - 15 minutes
TBIR Maintenance Agreement - 30 minutes
Bills
Swearing In of New Councilmen - Election of Council President –
Council Assignments - 30 minutes
Signature Stamp Authorization - 15 minutes
Music on Main - Request For Proposal - Teton Valley Foundation is
asking for an RFP for a location for yearly musical event
- 45 minutes
Timberline - Discussion regarding developer's agreement - 30 minutes
Slug Lines - Beginning discussion regarding locations for transportation
pick-ups for those looking to get to ski hills, other towns, etc.
- 5 minutes
Administrative
Fourth of July Celebration - Discussion regarding when the City will
be celebrating the 4th with the breakfast, parade, etc.
- 15 minutes
Maintenance
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