***Monday, April 25, 2022, at 9:00 a.m., Commissioners met in regular session with Chairman Dan Dinning, Commissioner Wally Cossairt, Commissioner Tim Bertling, Clerk Glenda Poston, and Deputy Clerk Michelle Rohrwasser.
9:00 a.m., Commissioners, Clerk Poston and Road and Bridge Department Co-Superintendent Randy Morris met at the top of Paradise Valley Hill at the location of Jeff and Renae Bennett’s residence to assess the feasibility of a proposed approach, Road and Bridge Variance Application #4-2022. Jeff and Renae Bennett met with Commissioners at the site at 9:07 a.m.
Mr. Morris pointed out the private driveway located north of the stop sign on Paradise Valley Road. Those present discussed current utilities and where they’re located. Commissioners and Mr. Morris recommended the current entrance at the intersection of Paradise Valley Road and Shamrock Road. Commissioners will continue the hearing for Variance #4-2022 to Monday, May 2, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. in order to make a decision regarding the approach or find a resolution for the current variance request. Those present discussed improving the 40-foot sight triangle and requesting a surveyor for the location of the current access.
Commissioners, Clerk Poston and Mr. Morris returned to Commissioners’ Office at 9:30 a.m.
Gregory Lamberty and Marty Martinez joined the meeting.
Assessor Dave Ryals joined the meeting.
Mr. Morris said Road and Bridge talked to HMH Engineering about engineering services on three bridge projects if Road and Bridge is awarded funding.
Commissioner Cossairt moved to sign the Agreement for Professional Services with HMH Engineering for bridge project engineering. Commissioner Bertling second. Motion passed unanimously.
Mr. Morris discussed the bridges that could be improved.
The meeting with Mr. Morris ended at 9:40 a.m.
Commissioner Cossairt moved to sign the Certificate of Residency for Jasmine Daniels. Commissioner Bertling second. Motion passed unanimously.
Commissioner Cossairt moved to approve the minutes of April 4 & 5, 2022 and April 11 & 12, 2022. Commissioner Bertling second. Motion passed unanimously.
County Civil Attorney Tevis Hull contacted Commissioners via telephone.
9:47 a.m., Commissioner Cossairt moved to go into executive session pursuant to Idaho Code 74-206(1)b, to consider the evaluation, dismissal or disciplining of, or to hear complaints or charges brought against, a public officer, employee, staff member or individual agent, or public-school student. Commissioner Bertling second. Commissioners voted as follows: Chairman Dinning “aye”, Commissioner Cossairt “aye”, and Commissioner Bertling “aye”. Motion passed unanimously. The executive session ended at 9:56 a.m. No action was taken.
Assessor Ryals left at 9:56 a.m.
Commissioner Cossairt moved to sign the Independent Contractor Agreements with Ergon Asphalt and Emulsions for CMS-2P and HFE-150 liquid asphalt products for the Road and Bridge Department. Commissioner Bertling second. Motion passed unanimously.
Commissioner Cossairt moved to sign the tanker trailer lease agreement with Ergon Asphalt and Emulsions for the Road and Bridge Department once the agreements have been prepared by the county civil attorney. Commissioner Bertling second. Motion passed unanimously.
Commissioner Cossairt moved to approve the Boundary County Petition to Vacate Platted Areas form for Planning and Zoning. Commissioner Bertling second. Motion passed unanimously.
Commissioners discussed having talked about increasing lease rates for hangars, but didn’t think that could happen at in the middle of a lease.
The call with Attorney Hull ended at 10:10 a.m.
Commissioner Cossairt moved to authorize the Chairman to sign the Federal Aviation Administration grant for Airport Improvement Project #3-16-0004-018-2020 Amendment #1. Commissioner Bertling second. Motion passed unanimously.
Sheriff Dave Kramer joined the meeting at 10:28 a.m.
Sheriff Kramer spoke of the delay in receiving the last new vehicle for the Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Kramer explained that he reviewed his fleet of Sheriff’s Office vehicles to predict life expectancy, etc. and in order to meet the deadline for a new vehicle, he would need to place an order the very first part of May and if not, he may not be able to get a vehicle through the state. If the Sheriff’s Office can get approval to purchase a new vehicle, the Sheriff’s Office can select a vehicle from the state bid list with state pricing. The payment for the vehicle would not be due until the next budget year. Sheriff Kramer said he also reached out to the Idaho Department of Agriculture Rural Development about funding assistance and he would like to get permission to send a letter of interest for funding through the Department of Agriculture to assist in funding a new vehicle.
Bonners Ferry Herald Reporter Emily Bonsant joined the meeting at 10:31 a.m.
Sheriff Kramer explained that if he places an order for a vehicle, the order can be cancelled if need be.
Undersheriff Rich Stephens joined the meeting at 10:32 a.m.
Commissioners were in favor of Sheriff Kramer sending a letter of intent as it pertains to funding and ordering a new vehicle for the Sheriff’s Office.
Undersheriff Stephens said the Sheriff’s Office was exploring the Department of Agriculture because they have a program that assists rural law enforcement agencies in purchasing patrol vehicles and equipment and this could help offset costs up to 30%.
Sheriff Kramer said he’s looking at another police Tahoe to replace what Undersheriff Stephens is currently driving, which will be used by the jail. Sheriff Kramer said his office will have vehicles to surplus. Sheriff Kramer informed Commissioners that Bancorp Corporation leases fleet vehicles to agencies and in talking with other agencies, in the month of May, Bancorp will have two police Tahoes that the Sheriff’s Office could lease and not have any payment due until the new budget year or if the surplus Sheriff’s Office vehicles are sold, those funds could be put toward a vehicle. The new vehicle would be a 2022 special use Chevy Tahoe. If the Sheriff’s Office had Bancorp outfit the vehicle at a cost of $25,000.00, the resulting lease payment for the vehicle and outfitting would be approximately $12,000.00 or $13,000.00 per year. Undersheriff Stephens said the Sheriff’s Office hasn’t explored leases, but is looking into how they work. Chairman Dinning expressed concern about starting multiple leases at the same time as they will come due at the same time and it creates a financial crunch at end of lease term when vehicles are bought out or are returned. Sheriff Kramer said he’s looking to surplus five of his office’s existing vehicles.
Sheriff Kramer said he would send the lease to County Civil Attorney Tevis Hull to get his approval. Sheriff Kramer said the vehicle is a 2022 Chevrolet Tahoe special service vehicle and the lease payment for the vehicle only is approximately $4,000.00 per year for the three-year term and approximately $5,000.00 for the four-year term. For the vehicle and to outfit the vehicle at a cost of $25,000.00, the lease payment would be $13,550.00 for the three-year term and $12,565.00 for the four-year term.
10:52 a.m., Max Schnuerle and Phil Schnuerle joined the meeting.
Commissioners suggested Sheriff Kramer go forward with lease and the purchase of a Sheriff’s Office vehicle.
Mr. Lamberty left the meeting at 10:55 a.m.
11:00 a.m., Treasurer Sue Larson joined the meeting.
Commissioners held a tax deed hearing for delinquent year 2018 taxes. Present were: Chairman Dan Dinning, Commissioner Wally Cossairt, Commissioner Tim Bertling, Clerk Glenda Poston, Deputy Clerk Michelle Rohrwasser, Marty Martinez, and Bonners Ferry Herald Reporter Emily Bonsant. The tax deed hearing was recorded.
Commissioners said there is one property that is to be tax deeded for delinquent taxes.
Commissioner Cossairt moved to tax deed Parcel #RP65N01E354360A, Tax 3, Section 35 Township 65 North Range 1 East. Commissioner Bertling second. Motion passed unanimously.
The tax deed hearing for delinquent year 2018 taxes ended at 11:08 a.m.
Ms. Bonsant left the meeting at 11:09 a.m.
Phil Schnuerle and Max Schnuerle left the meeting at 11:13 a.m.
Treasurer Larson left the meeting at 11:22 a.m.
Commissioners tended to administrative duties.
Courthouse Maintenance John Buckley joined the meeting at 11:24 a.m.
Mr. Martinez left the meeting at 11:25 a.m.
Mr. Buckley said he has nothing new to inform Commissioners on for improvements to the roof of the Sheriff’s Office. Brandon Schmidt of Sasquatch Builders provided a quote of $94,664.00. Commissioners asked Mr. Buckley about making contact with contractors and Mr. Buckley said he has tried contacting everyone in the phone book and as well as people he knows. Mr. Buckley said he will provide a list of the people he has contacted. Coordination will need to be done with the Sheriff’s Office and jail staff so they know when work is going to be done. It was said that Attorney Hull will need to be consulted on the agreement.
The meeting with Mr. Buckley ended at 11:40 a.m.
11:40 a.m., Restorium Administrator Karlene Magee joined the meeting to give the department report.
Chairman Dinning stated for the record that Ms. Magee had submitted an application to the State of Idaho for funding assistance for the Restorium. The award amount was $6,872.99 and the program requires a lot of reporting, which will take a large amount of time so it was determined it wouldn’t be cost effective. Commissioners discussed returning the funds.
Commissioner Bertling moved to return the funding assistance totaling $6,872.99 to the State of Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Commissioner Cossairt second. Motion passed unanimously.
Personnel Director Pam Barton joined the meeting at 11:42 a.m.
Ms. Barton said the position for the Restorium maintenance position would be posted through the end of this week.
Ms. Magee said she believes the Restorium has approximately 27 residents now. Ms. Magee informed Commissioners that by year 2023, the Restorium’s charting system has to be electronic and the cost is $9.00 per month to the resident. Ms. Magee explained that in this system the doctor’s order goes to the pharmacy and it takes all responsibility from the Restorium’s nurse. The nurse will have to okay the prescription before it’s actually released. There will be a cost to the county in purchasing three or four laptops, according to Ms. Magee. Commissioners were in favor of looking into getting the four laptops for the Restorium.
The meeting with Ms. Magee ended at 12:00 p.m.
Ms. Barton and Commissioners discussed reviewing the Parks and Recreation Department supervisor position. Ms. Barton said she will have the job description assessed by the Classification Committee.
Ms. Barton left the meeting at 12:05 p.m.
Commissioners recessed for lunch at 12:08 p.m.
1:30 p.m., Commissioners reconvened for the afternoon session with Chairman Dan Dinning, Commissioner Wally Cossairt, Commissioner Tim Bertling, and Deputy Clerk Michelle Rohrwasser.
1:30 p.m., Keller Associates Professional Engineer Ben Davis with Keller Associates joined the meeting.
Mr. Davis introduced himself to Commissioners and provided information on his professional background, explaining that he works for Keller Associates, which is a full-service engineering company. Mr. Davis mentioned the state transportation funding that is coming down the pike in the amount of $200,000,000.00. Keller Associates is fairly well connected to the Local Highway Technical Assistance Council (LHTAC) and they excel working with small and large clients across Idaho. Mr. Davis said they’re learning from LHTAC that $200,000,000.00 sounds like a lot of money, but it doesn’t go very far. Mr. Davis referred to the various bridges in Boundary County that would be a good project for funding. Parker Creek Bridge would be a good candidate. Chairman Dinning said most bridges in the county that Commissioners are looking at are under 40 feet and they’re precast so the county could do most of the work itself. LHTAC is looking to do construction on one-third of the bridges in the state, according to Mr. Davis. Average Daily Traffic is listed for information and the more traffic, etc., the more you can list the bridge as a benefit to the community when applying for funding. Mr. Davis briefly spoke of the scoring criteria. The application deadline for those applying is June 8, 2022. Commissioners reviewed the application. Mr. Davis said he attended LHTAC’s presentation on this funding before the bill passed, but if the bridges and bridge reports have a scour critical rating, and are posted for load, it’s a consideration for scoring. Chairman Dining said over the last four or five years it has depended on the bridge inspector as there isn’t a consistent rating or each inspector has a different application.
Commissioners and Mr. Davis spoke of different projects Keller Associates is involved in.
The meeting with Mr. Davis ended at 1:48 p.m.
2:00 p.m., Airport Manager Dave Parker joined the meeting to discuss matters pertaining to a proposed lease with North Bench Fire Department.
Mr. Parker informed Commissioners that Gary Gates with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) thought the county airport was allowing North Bench Fire Association to house their fire station on the property for free, but the fire department does provide fire service. The FAA said since fire service is not required for the airport, they feel North Bench Fire Department should provide value to the airport. North Bench Fire Department provides fire protection for other county properties within their boundaries so the FAA feels it’s subsidizing other areas. Chairman Dinning said Mr. Gates looks at it purely from the airport standpoint, but Commissioners don’t lean that way. The county goes back and forth helping the community and, in this case, it’s helping our citizens have a location for centralized fire service. Through taxes, the community is who supports airport functions. Chairman Dinning said he does understand Mr. Gate’s standpoint and can understand the thought. Mr. Parker said Mr. Gates feels that in looking at having a lease agreement, it’s not a win for the airport as it’s taking away from what the airport could provide for itself. The lease rate for the airport is $.15 per square foot so for two acres that equates to approximately $12,000 in rent for North Bench Fire Department according to what Mr. Gates feels should be charged.
Chairman Dinning said if Boundary County’s dues for fire protection apply to all county properties within North Bench’s boundaries, including the airport, what would North Bench Fire Department charge the airport for dues? There is also the Road and Bridge property, the landfill, former Dinning property owned by the county, as well as the airport property. Chairman Dinning said it would have been better if the dues for all county properties within North Bench’s boundaries reached that $12,000.00 to $13,000.00 threshold.
Mr. Parker mentioned hearing that the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho is considering giving North Bench Fire Department some land near their new development. Chairman Dinning said he questions why the county should cause a hassle for North Bench Fire Department. Mr. Parker said he felt one solution is to sell the fire department the former Dinning property. Chairman Dinning said he would like to work something out and he mentioned having County Civil Attorney Tevis Hull contact Mr. Gates.
Those present discussed the benefits of having the fire station near the airport. Commissioners said they will talk to Attorney Hull.
Attorney Hull contacted Commissioners via telephone at 2:24 p.m.
Chairman Dinning updated Attorney Hull on their discussion with Mr. Parker regarding the lease. Chairman Dinning said there is a benefit to the airport in having the fire department nearby, but he doesn’t know how to quantify it. Chairman Dinning informed Attorney Hull that when the county starts throwing in its other properties, Mr. Gates feels the airport is subsidizing everyone else. Chairman Dinning added that the county wants to help North Bench Fire Department, but not get too far out of the FAA’s rules. Chairman Dinning said if North Bench Fire Department relocated, what becomes of their current fire station and is there any advantage to the county owning it. Mr. Parker said the building could be used for storage, etc.
Attorney Hull ended his call.
2:42 p.m., Commissioner Bertling left the meeting.
The meeting with Mr. Parker ended at 2:52 p.m.
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 3:00 p.m.
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DAN R. DINNING, Chairman
ATTEST:
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GLENDA POSTON, Clerk
By: Michelle Rohrwasser, Deputy Clerk