City to consider permits, fees for local yard sales

You have got to be kidding right?? And I suppose there soon be a tax on oxygen?

Assinine!

You are kidding right? This is getting out of hand. The city of Mountain Home is looking to soak all of the tax payers money to help them go forward with petty things such as this. It is actually a simple fix. We have the city council, such as Issac and she cant figure this out? Why punish others that do take the signs down. By the way, she must be pretty bored to have to go around and pull signs down. Issac are you on the sign police patrol? Or do you want to be a policewoman? There is a address on each one of the signs? (I sure hope so). Going forward, make a city law if you do have a yard sale sign have a time set from the date of the yard sale the sign must be taken down or pay a penalty. Why take it out on those who do the right thing. Can't wait for the next election. Issac causes alot of termoil with the city and speaking for myself and hearing others,it is time for her to put her nose back in her store. She is not helping the city of Mountain Home. Time to take a set Issac!!

You have got to be kidding! Looks like I will be in violation of the law because there is no way I will get a permit for a garage sale! Maybe the city is running out of "important" issues to address at the meetings.

We need to can Isaac!

Maybe the answer is actually enforcing the ordinances the city already has. Charging for the permit is not going to cure this issue.

We have never put signs on any telephone poles since we became aware of notices stating it is not lawful to do so(posted on the pole at the Maverick, I believe)and don't want to point the police in our direction by listing an address on the sale sign. If this has become such an issue, why not simply follow the signs to said yard sale and issue a citation to the parties responsible? No reason to punish the rest of us for a few people's mistakes, IMHO.

There is an ordinance stating that signs may not be posted on city poles. People do NOT follow that law. I can't see making everyone get a permit, I can see fining those who fail to follow the law on the signs. It looks trashy to drive through town and see signs all over the poles and someone has to take them down and since the people putting them up don't, then I guess a city employee has to do it, right? That is not the fault of the city, blame the right person, the one who puts the sign there.

The city employee should remove the sign, make a note of the address and then a fine should be given to that person, a big enough fine so that people will think twice before doing it again. Everyone should not have to suffer because some people choose to ignore the law.

Really! Punish everyone for a few select rude people! I can't believe it. How about sending a a bill to the ones who don't remove their signs!

Oh you've GOT to be Kidding!! Ridiculous! I, for one, rather liked the small town feel of the yard sale signs posted here and there. Granted there's always going to be those ones who leave them up afterward (WRONG). I took my signs down one day and the lady who lived there thanked me for not tossing it into her yard. What kind of people..?If it's an ordinance already, I didn't know about it. Why isn't it getting enforced?

Sooo glad we moved out of Mtn Home. The "Shifty Fifty" controlling how, where and who does business. The Mayor and council looking for more ways to soak honest, hard working tax payers out of their hard earned paycheck. Extorting a CHURCH of all things so they can pay for their pet projects while letting other places...i.e Kurly's use "public" parking without having to pay for it.

The way business is conducted by the Good Ol' Boys..and Girls...is a slap in the face of the citizens. They get away with things because alot of the people who live there are Air Force. Mountain Home has a way of taking advantage of this with no remorse. From the price of fuel, to the price of groceries, to the price of housing is soley based on the fact that there is a base 10 miles outside of town. Come to Twin Falls and see the difference in prices. I lived in a 1570 sq ft home in Mtn Home. Paid $1100 a month for the "priviledge". Moved to Twin Falls....same rent...but now a 2000+ sq ft home, 3 car garage and 3/4 acre lot. Homes that sell for $180k-190k in Mtn Home, sell here for $130k-150k. WOW $50,000 difference in a town 5 TIMES larger. The economy here is robust, there are new businesses opening on a regular basis. The city is upgrading the water system and streets. There are opportunities for my kids to do anything from swimming year round to gymnastics to motocross. I have multiple choices for a night out with my wife. I dare you to drive the downtown area and find more than a few empty store fronts and most of these are because the business found a larger spot to expand. There is more than just Walmart when it comes to a place to purchase even the most basic items. All because the city leaders here aren't afraid of allowing new business...even if it competes with the Taco John's down the street. They encourage people with a dream to come to town and give it a try. How long did the old Kmart sit empty before the Auto Ranch picked it up? Why? Alberstons closed their store in Twin Falls and within a couple years Dell was there. Dell moved out and the City, with the help of the state, went out and recruited C3 to come to town with a new call center to occupy that building.

The people of Mtn Home need to start voting these bumbs out and get people who actually want the city to thrive to run for office. The citizens of Elmore as a whole need to toss the WECRED out and take back their tax dollars that are being wasted by these clowns. They need to get the right people on planning and zoning so the "Shifty Fifty" can't dictate who gets to operate a business in Mtn Home.

I was sad when my job took me away from Mtn Home. I enjoyed my time there and met lots of good, honest, hard working people who want better for their families. But looking back on these web pages and seeing things from outside the bubble I'm glad I left. As long as the base is there, Mtn Home will be there. If the base leaves then the Good Ol' Boys will have to turn on themselves for new revenue....Good Luck!

There are some very good points made here. Your input at the next council meeting (Sep 13th) will help ensure we proceed down the right path on this. Meetings are the 2nd and 4th Monday at 6PM at City Hall. Hope to see you there!

Since the signs have addresses on them, it wouldn't be hard to find those who don't remove them. I say we throw a bag of trash in their yard for every sign they don't remove, along with thier sign. They'll get it. And before anyone gets their underwear all in a bunch, I know we can't really do that. I'm just saying.....

increase the water rates, permits to have a yard sale???? GREEDY GREEDY Cut back on the bells and whistles you folks want, get them later when the economy gets better. After the elections some of these folks should be looking for new jobs cause thet aren't doing g very good one now. I hope the voters are smart enough to see this

So many ordinance's on the books now that don't get enforced, so a better idea write a new one and add a fee to it then it gets a better chance of enforcement.. Then once you have a fee in place you can do what other parts of the country are trying to do, have those people that have the yard sale collect sales tax and report it to the State which would probably require a tax number. Then it all can be reported to the IRS as income from the yard sale. Why not just band yard sales and let everyone take the stuff they no longer want to the dump, lots of room there for the unwanted items that may let people make a few bucks. While you at it charge everyone in Railroad park on Sat to sell their wares there also, and have them collect sales tax. Its already been said if people want to put signs on poless or boxes on the side walk its up to those people to remove them or be fined, don't lay the problem on the few that abuse yard sales.

I guess it's one more governement that is after money. I will keep the name of Alain Isaac and other who vote in favor of this, for next time I see them on a ballot. I don't even have garage sales! I say just fine those who leave the signs up after the sales, and not make all pay. But then, follow the money I guess.

Why do you think these families are having yard sales? ( they the need $$ ). go after the ones that leave the signs up..the address is on the signs.:)...hello!!!

Councilman Schroeder, do you really need us, the people of Mountain Home, to tell you this is beyond assinine? Is this the caliber of elected officials running this city, if so, there should be a nice shake up next election day. We dont need elected officials there making useless remarks like this one made at the meeting. We need "leaders", who enforce the rules and laws we "already" have, not introduce new ones that dublicate or conflict with current laws. This pathetic display by Mrs. Isaac is one of the many reasons why the people of Mountain Home are done with the elected officials. With the public works issue, the WECRDs games, the school districs shenanigans, and now this. Where does it end, which one of you will be the shinning light and be the thinker we need, the elected official we hope leads this town. Right now its going to be a rough election year unless theres some major changes, your now crossing lines with peoples lives, of which they arent willing to let you just cross.

I don't need folks to come explain it to me; we need the whole council to hear all these remarks in the meeting where a decision might be made. If you stop in to City Hall and give a listen to the last few minutes of the last council meeting you will hear what I said about this proposal- the author did a nice job paraphrasing so that it could be printed in the paper.

How many people were able to get their kids clothes for school from yard sales where they could afford them? I agree the people that put up signs and don't take them down should be made to pay a fine. They would only do it once. Why punish everyone because of a few. In the economy of today, yard sales help a lot of people.

I can't believe this. I can see it now, on some Saturday morning the garage sale police showing up at my place and taking their fee out of my garage sale money box.

I drove around and looked and yes there are still signs up for last weeks yard sales, but there are also signs for lost dogs, cats, etc also nailed on the poles. Never heard them mentioned. What will they do to stop that.

You want to enforce the laws in this town besides yard sale signs how about the law about leaving motor homes on the streets for more then a few days, or watering the yard and making it so people have to walk into the street because the sprinklers are watering the sidewalk, or how about controling the weeds on your property, or............. A person could go on and on. To me all it is is whoever thought up this idea is being petty. There are alot more fish to fry than going after people because they want to have a yard sale. Look at bringing in more business to Mtn. Home instead of focusing on petty issues.

I think this is the stupidest thing I have ever heard of...getting a permit for a yard/garage sale. Not to mention trying to increase the price for water. This town is nuts. I am only hear because this is where the military put us and it would be a nice town to retire in if it were not for the money hungary government in this city. I say they should go after the people who leave the signs up and not the people who obey laws and remove their litter from the curb. The people who leave signs should be fined for littering because that is what it is.

Follow the money---it is all about the money.

A few bad apples will always spoil the bunch. Get out and vote and vote the idiots out. Pretty simple. Attend the meetings, which few do. If not put up with what you get.

Rocklady, if they can meater it they would tax it.

Reamber to get all the names down and vote them out. Tired of the sickness.

City Council (especially you Schroeder),

You may want to pay attention here. Not all these folks will show up at the meeting for one reason or another. You see the comments right here and there are quite clear. If you want to keep your jobs, drop the cocky attitude and LISTEN to us. Remember who hired you and who will fire you if you neglect too. Why are you so worried about some signs and tacks, when you allow this town to be trashed by companies and residents that don't take care of their property and/or abide by the law. There are a couple comments here mentioning the ordinances that are never enforced, simply ignored or the ordinance office looking past obvious violations. I don't blame the ordnance office for the entire office being incompetent. They are quite useless, but that's your fault! The city hired and over sees them. How about you do your job and work on fixing these kind of things before you work on your screams to add more tax upon us.

It is good to see that all the other ordinances of the city have already been enforced and the councel is now looking for more to do to earn their salary!! Right... This woman has way too much time on her hands ....

I am, and have been paying attention- to this and all of the issues before us. I hear them loud and clear. I have noted all the comments, and have also to date received 1 email, 0 telephone calls and about 5 stop-on-the-street conversations concerning the issue, in addition to letters at city hall. This item is on our agenda for the Sept 13th meeting. I understand that many people cannot attend the meeting and understand our duty to address concerns like those raised here. One thing I won't do is engage in a debate in this forum on this topic- the appropriate forum for that debate is in the public city council meeting. I will make clear that I was opposed to the idea when it was suggested, and remain opposed to the idea of a fee or license for yard sales. I'd be happy to elaborate via email or phone call- or at the meeting on Monday the 13th.

You are absoulutely right that it is you who hired us and you who will fire us if we do not fulfill our commitment- that is fair, proper, and the way our government is supposed to work- hold us accountable- if we fail to meet your expectations, fire us.

I agree with all of you, but i also agree with Councilman Schroeder. If you want change you need to go to the meetings and tell them you all are unhappy about it.

City of Mtn. Home, WHY do you think everyone is having yard sales to sell all their stuff? Because of MORE and higher property taxes!!! I can't believe this!