JOSEPH — Two resolutions will be considered by the Joseph City Council when it meets Thursday, April 6, one on long-debated transient merchant fees and another on providing an incentive for utility customers to pay online.

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. at the Joseph Community Events Center, 102 E. First St., and can be viewed on Zoom. Zoom meeting details are available on the city’s website.

Under the merchant fees ordinance — which will have its first reading — the fees would be assessed of any business without a permanent address in Joseph to fund municipal services. At $475 a year, some temporary businesses have objected to the licensing fee, saying it was too high. However, owners of brick-and-mortar businesses that pay taxes to provide services all year long have disagreed, saying the temporary fee was justified since transient merchants don’t have the expenses incurred by brick-and-mortar businesses.

The ordinance up for consideration Thursday also requires a transient merchants to obtain a business license.

The application fees for both temporary and transient businesses are $25, with a business permit fee of $45 a month for temporary businesses and $50 a month — but not less than $350 — for a transient business. The distinction between temporary and transient businesses is detailed in the ordinance, which is available at City Hall and can be viewed on the online agenda for the April 6 meeting.

The ordinance also includes penalties for violations, exceptions and a process for appeals.

The other ordinance up for consideration offers water and sewer customers a $1 decrease incentive for automatic payment of their bills and a $1.50 decrease for paperless billing.

Another matter on the agenda is an update on the city’s plans for law enforcement coverage.

At a March 14 work session, the council came to a consensus that a contract with the Wallowa County Sheriff’s Office to fund a deputy dedicated to coverage of Joseph would be the best option for the city.

Also considered were funding a Joseph Police Department — an option considered too costly — and doing nothing, which was considered unacceptable.

The council put off deciding on the issue because it wanted to hear from city residents. The city has posted on its website an online survey seeking the opinions of residents on the matter.

Also on Thursday’s agenda, the council will:

• Consider a request from Kris Crowley, pastor of the Tenderfoot Christian Fellowship, which meets at the Community Center, for a portable annex building.

• Review Budget Committee applications and approve the committee.

• Consider street closure requests for vendors for the 2023 Chief Joseph Days Rodeo and parade. Chief Joseph Days is scheduled for July 25-30.

• Consider procedures for grants and donations from the city.

• Hear a presentation from the civil engineering firm Anderson Perry on utility projects.

• Hear department reports.