Stories in this Regional News Roundup are excerpted from weekly newspapers from around the region. This is part one, with part two scheduled to appear in Sunday’s Tribune.
McCALL — A building on Davis Avenue known as “the toaster” could be ready for a city of McCall employee to move into this summer after action taken last week by the McCall City Council.
Council members unanimously voted to approve a $90,000 contract to remodel a 1,100-square-foot guest house that was donated to the city last year for use as employee housing.
The two-bedroom, two-bathroom building was moved by truck last June from a lot at 111 W. Lake St. to a city-owned lot at 1614 Davis Ave. near Reedy Lane.
“It’s really exciting to get to phase two and have something ready by this summer for (employee) housing,” McCall mayor Bob Giles said.
The employee housing is also a welcome sight for McCall human resources manager Traci Malvich, who said the lack of housing is a major barrier to hiring for vacant city positions.
“We have made offers to several qualified candidates for a variety of vacant positions, but ultimately they decline, primarily citing housing cost and/or availability as their reason,” Malvich said.
The city currently has six full-time position openings, including a police officer, an assistant golf professional and workers for the streets and water departments.
Not filling the positions means existing employees must pick up extra work, or the city must hire contractors to complete critical tasks.
“Both scenarios come at a cost,” Malvich said.
The city employed an average of 96 people across 2022, including 78 full-time positions.
Still to be determined are which employees will be eligible to live in the home, monthly rental rates, lease terms and management of the home, community and economic development director Michelle Groenevelt said.
Overall, the toaster project will cost a total of about $192,000, including work completed over the last year to prep the site for the home and the cost of moving the home by truck.
The $90,000 renovation will remodel a bedroom and a bathroom in the former guest house into a kitchen to make it a livable home, McCall building official John Powell said.
The home was moved using a $48,000 Idaho Gem Grant, a state program that helps rural communities fund economic development projects.
About $54,000 in tourism tax money was spent on site work at the city’s Davis Avenue parcel, pouring a concrete foundation and connecting the home to water and sewer service, Powell said.
The contract was awarded to Dalrymple Construction Services of McCall. The work is being paid for using money from the city’s tourism local-option tax, which levies a 3% tax on motels and short-term rentals.
The building was donated to the city last year by Boise residents Todd and Christine Ketlinski, who called the building “the toaster” because of its futuristic design and shape.
The Ketlinskis bought the building in 2020, but planned to demolish it to build a new home on their West Lake Street lot until city planner Brian Parker suggested the donation.
— By Drew Dodson, The Star News (McCall), Thursday
