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News

The City of Filer Codes are now on the web. Go to information links located on the bottom of the page.

New City Code on animals and watering days:

Watering:

When using the City of Filer potable water source, lawn irrigation is restricted to the following schedule:

Even numbered addresses: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday.

Odd numbered addresses: Wednesday, Friday, Sunday.

When deemed appropriate, based on evaluation of projected supply and demand of the city's potable water sources, the City Council may move to additional restrictions for use of the city's potable water supply as follows:

Even numbered addresses: Tuesday, Saturday.

Odd numbered addresses: Wednesday, Sunday.

When using the City of Filer potable water source, watering will only be allowed on appropriate irrigation days before eleven o'clock (11:00) A.M. or after six o'clock (6:00) P.M.

B. Warning and Fine: Any subscriber found to be in violation of the alternate day sprinkling schedule will be served with a written warning for the first violation. Thereafter, any subscriber found to be in violation of the alternate day sprinkling schedule will be assessed a fine in the amount of twenty five dollars ($25.00) for each violation. The subscriber will be served with a written notice of the violation and fine, which will be assessed on the next City water billing.

C. Appeal Procedures: Any subscriber assessed a fine may appeal the fine by filing an appeal with the City Clerk. The appeal must be filed within ten (10) days of receipt of the written notice of fine and the hearing to show cause why the fine should not be imposed. Said appeal shall be scheduled at the next regular City Council meeting following receipt of the appeal.

D. Exceptions: Water customers may use water essential to protect the general public health, safety or welfare. Irrigation systems may be operated at any time for maintenance purposes (not to exceed 10 minutes per station). Customers may apply for relief from the watering schedule for purposes of establishing a new lawn not to exceed three (3) months.

E. Alternate Water Management Plans: A water customer may request relief from applicable restrictions by filing an alternative water management plan with the City Council. The city will provide customers with the ability to design water management alternatives that give customers flexibility in meeting the restrictions while achieving maximum conservation goals. The city must give approval to the plan and may require periodic reporting and posted notice of alternate water management plan."

Animals:

5-1-2: NUISANCE ANIMALS:

A. Nuisances Defined: For the purpose of this Section, nuisances shall be defined as follows: the keeping of livestock of every kind and description, including chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese, rabbits, hogs, pigs, horses, cows, lambs or sheep, donkeys or mules within the City limits, except in the areas hereinafter specified.

B. Area Restrictions:

1. No person shall keep and harbor any hogs or pigs, poultry (more than two female chickens), more than two rabbits, or any other livestock at any place within the City limits, except as otherwise permitted in this Code.

2. No person shall Persons may keep and harbor any of the following animals: horses, cows, goats, lambs or sheep, donkeys or mules within outside that portion of the City which is bounded on the west by the City limits, on the south by Highway 30, on the east by that portion of Fair Avenue which touches the City limits and on the north by the Union Pacific Railroad Company tracks.

3. Cattle, horses, donkeys, mules and sheep may be kept only north of the Union Pacific Railroad Company railroad track in the City. Also, horses may be kept in the City and in the other areas within the City where horses were being pastured on June 4, 1991, and have been pastured each year since then.

C. Number of Animals Allowed Where Permitted: Where animals are permitted to be kept, under the provisions of this Section, they shall be limited in number as follows:

1. With respect to horses, cows, mules and donkeys, there shall be no more than one per one-half (1/2) acre of land pasture.

2. With respect to calves, there shall be no more than three (3) per one-half (1/2) acre of land pasture.

3. With respect to sheep, there shall be no more than five (5) per one-half (1/2) acre of land pasture.

4. With respect to poultry and rabbits (more than two female chickens or more than two rabbits, there shall be no more than ten (10) per premises.

D. Permits: No person shall keep any poultry (more than 2 rabbits or more than two female chickens) within the City unless they first obtain a permit from the City.

Before being issued a permit, the applicant shall circulate a petition among those households located within three hundred feet (100') of the applicant's property. The petition shall state the number and type(s) of animals the applicant wishes to keep and shall give the location of the property on which the applicant wishes to keep the animals. The applicant must receive the approval of seventy five percent (75%) of the households located within one hundred feet (100') of his property before an animal permit will be issued. The permit shall not be issued if seventy five percent (75%) of the households located within one hundred feet (100') of the premises where any of the animals are being kept or maintained have not signed the petition.

The City, prior to the issuance of a permit, may inspect places and premises where any of the animals are kept or housed and, if a violation of this chapter is found to exist, the City shall deny issuance of the permit to the applicant.

The applicant for a permit to keep or maintain animals in the City shall pay to the City Clerk upon granting of such permit a fee of two dollars ($2.00) per rabbit or chicken, for each year or part of a year preceding the following first day of March. The permit will then be renewable on March 1 of each following year for two dollars ($2.00) per rabbit or chicken, per year.

D E. Premises Requirements: All premises where livestock are kept and harbored must be maintained in a sanitary condition so as not to create a nuisance from odor and flies.

E F. Enforcement: No service of notice to observe the provisions of this Section shall be necessary.

G. A violation of this section is an infraction, punishable by a fine of $100 dollars, plus court costs. Each day of violation shall be considered a separate violation."

 

Update on Sewer Project

  With one new member and an incumbent beginning a new term, the Filer City Council on Tuesday organized itself for the year and returned to discussion of its new sewer treatment plant.

Suellen Lammers and Rick Dunn were sworn in to four-year terms on the council, after both ran unopposed in the November election.

Lammers, 60, a former teacher, already has seven years on the council under her belt. Continuing for another term was the best way she saw to remain active in city affairs.

“We’ve got the sewer plant up and running, but now have to make decisions about arsenic,” she said. “We also need to look at attracting new businesses that fit in our community.”

Dunn, 57, served on the council as an appointee in 2008 and was defeated by David Gaither for a two- year council term in 2009. He currently serves as TwinFalls County Planning and Zoning administrator.

“This is a great community and I enjoy living in Filer,” Dunn said. “My background can help make sure the city doesn’t find itself backed into a corner at some point down the road.”

Councilman Bob Parent was selected as council president for 2012.

In other business, tentative plans are being made for a March open house to give the public an opportunity to tour the newly constructed sewer plant.

“We were hoping to have something last month, but the city can’t take full possession of the facility until we’ve had at least 30 days without incident or alarms going off,” said city Maintenance Director Bud Compher. “We’re still learning and haven’t gotten to that quite yet.”

John E. Swayze may be reached at 326-7212 or idahocolumninch@aol.com

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Filer residents will pay nearly double next year for monthly sewer expenses.

Hearing no public concern Tuesday, the Filer City Council voted to increase monthly sewer rates from the current $47.50 to $70.50 in 2012. The additional $23 will help meet the annual $591,000 payments on 30-year bond loans used to finance the city’s $12.5 million sewer treatment and collection facility.

Mayor Bob Templeman said required notices about the change have been published, and the city held several informational meetings on the hike. The rates start Jan. 15, though residents won’t see them until March 1.

The council also heard the results of its latest financial audit, hearing that the city’s finances are solid.

Accountant Raymond Ware, of Ware and Associates in Twin Falls, presented the results to the council.

“As in years past, we’ve again given you an unqualified opinion which is the highest rating we can,” Ware said. “Everything we looked at was pretty good.”

Though the city’s general fund balance has steadily increased for several years, the council was cautioned that growth in expenses continues to keep pace.

“General fund growth is almost an illusion because in 2006 and 2007 you really had the same amount of dollars to spend forward.” Ware said.

In other business, officials are considering bringing a drug dog on staff with the city police department.

Patrolman Jason Van Leeuwen told the council he would be willing to donate his German shepherd pup for the training program, which would eliminate problems with borrowing a canine officer from county sources.

“The dogs are generally pretty specific to their handlers and the price of a trained dog averages $9,500,” Van Leeuwen said “I would have 160 hours of certified handler training for scent imprinting and 16 hours of training per month.”

Council members asked that a full list of care and training expenses be provided before they would make a decision on the request.

John E. Swayze may be reached at 326-7212 or idahocolumninch@aol.com.