Bluff council leans to 15-minute idling limit, discusses capital fund earmarks and fee schedule changes

The Bluff Town Council on March 31 discussed policy-level changes spanning vehicle idling, capital improvements fund designations and updates to the master fee schedule, while directing staff to prepare formal drafts for future action.

On a draft idling ordinance, staff recalled an earlier version that set a 2-minute limit and recommended revisiting the enforcement approach. One council member said, "The 2 minutes seems to be exceedingly short" and proposed 10 minutes as a more reasonable baseline for stops such as a short errand; another member emphasized concerns about long-term truck parking and suggested the limit serve to curb overnight or persistent idling. After debate over enforcement and special cases (school buses and safety inspections), the council agreed to instruct staff to draft language using a 15-minute idling limit within town zones, with exceptions for safety/inspection and an enforcement provision that allows fines of up to $500 depending on circumstances.

Council also discussed adopting a more formal approach to the capital improvements fund so that the town may earmark existing and future capital dollars to specific projects (for example, playgrounds, airport contributions or green space). Staff noted the CIP adopted in September 2024 estimated total project costs at about $6.6 million, with a then-planned town contribution of $1.4 million, and recommended adding columns to track how much of the town’s cash balances are currently allocated to each listed project. Council asked staff to return with suggested allocations and a plan to present options during the coming budget discussions.

On the master fee schedule, staff proposed a public hearing April 7, 2026, and sketched several changes: adjust language to reflect 'fiscal year' rather than 'calendar year,' increase plat and plat-modification fees to reflect legal review costs (examples discussed included $500 for plat adjustments, $600 for minor map modifications and $1,500 for major subdivisions), keep cemetery plot 'right to bury' purchases at $100 while charging grave opening/closing and other services 'at cost' (vendor price), and simplify community-center rentals. Malia (community center/parks staff) recommended removing half-day rates, setting Bluff Community Center at a flat $100 per day, including cleaning in that price and retaining at-cost replacement fees for damaged items.

Staff and council agreed to clean up inconsistencies between the ordinances and the master fee schedule (for example, moving fines to ordinance text where appropriate and keeping fee amounts in the master fee schedule for easy updates). Staff will prepare the draft ordinance for idling, a revised master fee schedule with redlined changes, and options for capital fund designation for review during April budget work and at the April 7 public hearing.

What happens next: Staff will draft the idling ordinance (15-minute default limit with safety exceptions), update the master fee schedule for a public hearing on April 7, and return with recommended CIP designations and any needed ordinance cleanups.

Quotes pulled from the record are attributed to council members and staff as identified in the meeting transcript.