BONNERS FERRY — The Bonners Ferry City Council approved new stormwater and development policies Tuesday, marking the first time the city has adopted formal standards in those areas. The council also revised the city’s road standards. 

City staff said the changes are intended to give developers clearer expectations when building in Bonners Ferry. 

“It makes it easier for developers to know what is expected,” city officials said in a staff report to the council. 

According to staff, Bonners Ferry currently lacks comprehensive policies covering stormwater, all development types and road standards, even though most projects already must comply with state and federal regulations and are typically engineered.   

City engineer Mike Klaus said the policies are intended as a temporary stopgap while the city reviews its code for possible gaps and duplication. He said city ordinances are expected to be updated by the end of the current fiscal year to provide more complete guidance. 

The council voted on the stormwater, development and road policies separately, with each measure passing. 

Under the new stormwater policy, new installations must be inspected by the city before they can be used. 

“Stormwater features which have been installed and stabilized must be inspected by the city and approved before a certificate of occupancy will be issued and/or before any improvement can be used,” staff said in the report. 

Engineered plans submitted within city limits must also show all stormwater features and calculations required under the policy unless waived by the city administrator. 

The stormwater policy also includes provisions for developments next to Idaho Transportation Department right-of-way. 

“Any development directly adjacent to the highway right-of-way owned by ITD shall coordinate directly with ITD for any additional stormwater requirements,” the memo states. 

Another provision requires administrative site plans for most building projects. 

“Any development other than a single-family lot or a single duplex on a single lot shall require an administrative site plan,” the memo states. 

The exemption for single-family lots and duplexes led to a split vote on the development policy, with Councilor Adam Arthur voting no because he wanted the exception removed. 

The council also approved updates to road standards already in city code. 

“All new streets shall have a minimum compacted base depth of 4 inches,” staff said in the report. “Ditches shall have a maximum 2:1 slope from edge of road to bottom of ditch.”