Beaver Creek City Council members convened Wednesday night, Jan. 11, for their first meeting of the new year under new leadership.
Jacob Conger and Heidi Freese were elected in November and were sworn in as new council members at the start of the meeting.
They replace outgoing members Jeff Dysthe and Pat Bender who didn’t file for re-election. Council members thanked them for their leadership.
Bender served for 16 years, and the council remarked that there were 22 years of Dysthe leadership between brothers Jeff and Jamie Dysthe.
Jeff served the final term, which ended Dec. 31, 2022.
Others on the current council include Mayor Josh Teune and council members Cody Dietrich and Alan Harnack.
Salaries and fees
Among other business at their first meeting of the year, the council approved the 2023 fee schedule.
Most remained the same for things like permit applications, service hookups and garbage and recycling collection.
Among increases were fire calls, from $750 to $1,000, and water and sewer rates, which increased $3 and $2 per resident per 1,000 gallons, respectively.
Salaries for city staff also increased for 2023.
City maintenance director Travis Helgeson’s salary increased from $44,595 to $46,379 and clerk Jane Blank’s part-time salary increased from $16,534 to $17,196.
Snow hazards
Council members thanked Helgeson for his thorough work in clearing Beaver Creek city streets during the heavy snow at the start of January.
They also noted that many residents were piling snow in city rights of way, which is against city ordinance.
They recognized that the exceptional amount of snow created hardships for many, but they noted that snow piles on streets are a hazard for everyone.
A new Facebook post on the city’s page offers more information.
It states: “Residents, please be aware that it is a violation to plow, blow, shovel or otherwise place snow onto public roadways. The placement of snow can create a hazard such as slippery areas or frozen ruts or bumps. This includes pushing snow from your property across the roadway to an opposite ditch or property. Other hazards created by improper placement of snow on or near a roadway include drainage problems, drifting, sight obstruction and [reduced] accessibility.”
Beaver Creek Days
The Beaver Creek City Council will host a planning meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24, in the clerk’s office at City Hall to discuss a summer celebration.
The point of the meeting will be to share ideas and gather community input for a summer “Beaver Creek Days” of sorts.
The city’s Facebook page will share more information.