***Monday, April 27, 2020, at 9:00 a.m., Commissioners met in regular session with Chairman Dan Dinning, Commissioner Wally Cossairt, Commissioner Walt Kirby (via telephone), Clerk Glenda Poston, and Deputy Clerk Michelle Rohrwasser.
Commissioners gave the opening invocation and said the Pledge of Allegiance.
9:00 a.m., Commissioners held an elected officials/department heads meeting via conference call. Present were: Chairman Dan Dinning, Commissioner Wally Cossairt, Commissioner Walt Kirby, Clerk Glenda Poston, Deputy Clerk Michelle Rohrwasser, Treasurer Sue Larson, Assessor Dave Ryals, University of Idaho Extension Educator Amy Robertson, Chief Probation Officer Stacy Brown, Planning and Zoning Administrator John Moss, Road and Bridge Department Co-Superintendents Randy Morris and Renee Nelson, Veterans Service Officer Ron Self, Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tevis Hull, Sheriff Dave Kramer, Solid Waste Department Superintendent Claine Skeen, Courthouse Maintenance John Buckley, Deputy Clerk Pam Barton, Airport Manager Dave Parker, and Emergency Services Director/County Public Information Officer Andrew O’Neel.
Commissioners asked for department updates. Assessor Ryals, Clerk Poston, Planning and Zoning Administrator John Moss, Road and Bridge Department Co-Superintendents Randy Morris and Renee Nelson, and Mr. Self had nothing new to report for their offices.
Attorney Hull said he had nothing new from the Prosecutor’s Office other than just to inform every one of the delayed schedule of various types of trials.
Sheriff Kramer said the Sheriff’s Office has a couple new arrests on warrants. Sheriff Kramer questioned when the inmate labor program will start again so roadside trash can be picked up. The Sheriff’s Office is working to get the Driver’s License Office opened soon for scheduled appointments only. Chairman Dinning questioned if that office had a plexi-glass splatter shield.
Treasurer Larson said her office will send out tax reminders next week.
Mr. Skeen said the landfill is staying busy. The main landfill hours are the same normal hours as they have been. Mr. Skeen said he received a letter from the Department of Environmental Quality regarding the Landfill Operation Plan so he will forward it to Commissioners.
Mr. Buckley informed Commissioners that while he was off last week toilet paper was stolen from the restrooms at the boat launch and damage was caused that he will have to fix.
Ms. Barton reminded everyone that Life Flight membership applications are due by May 15, 2020. Payroll checks will be available on Thursday at 8:30.m. at the front doors of the Courthouse.
Mr. Self said Veterans Services is doing fine.
Mr. Parker said it’s still slow at the airport.
Mr. O’Neel spoke of testing in the county in that of the 51 tests conducted, 47 tests came back negative and four test results are still pending. More tests are coming in on Friday with more on June 1st. Part of reopening the economy is having tests readily available and that will ramp up quite a bit. Mr. O’Neel said Kootenai County now has 60 cases of the virus and Bonner County still has only four cases. Mr. O’Neel briefly discussed the CARES Act totaling $1.25 billion dollars and guidelines are coming out on how those funds can be spent. The first phase of reopening the economy takes place on May 1st, but there are not a lot of changes and he listed a few types of businesses that could open. The next stage will take place two weeks from that date, such as restaurant dining rooms, indoor gyms, recreational facilities, hair salons and barber shops as long as they have plans in place. Chairman Dinning said he contacted the elected officials to discuss this and the Courthouse will still take the same precautions though May 15th and then we’ll look at reopening around that time. Chairman Dinning asked those on the conference call to give some thought as to what this opening will look like. Mr. O’Neel said there is no congregating right now and in stage 1 gatherings should be avoided. Chairman Dinning said when you look at the Courthouse, give some thought regarding the Auto License Office, Treasurer’s Office and Clerk’s Office as far as monitoring and limiting the number of people coming into those offices at the same time. Mr. Buckley said he had already thought about placing signs on the floor for distancing. It was said we need to have a good plan laid out by the week of May 16th so we can let the public know. We want to have this plan in place so the public is not surprised and we can have it in place by May 18th.
Chairman Dinning said he had seen and heard of recommendations for employees to put up some kind of barrier between each other. Mr. Buckley said he knows there has been talk of installing permanent shields so the elected officials will have to talk with him about having that done and the sooner the better.
Mr. O’Neel said if you’re in a business and you cannot meet the six foot distance recommendation, you ought to be wearing a surgical mask, not necessarily an N95 mask, though. Mr. O’Neel commented that he’s been looking for vendors to purchase those masks from and he’s talked with Clerk Poston about how many masks we might need so he will put together a proposal. Attorney Hull stated that the Idaho Supreme Court requires masks to be worn in court.
The elected officials/department heads meeting conference call ended at 9:20 a.m.
Commissioners approved Second Harvest to come out again on May 15, 2020, and June 12, 2020, in order to hand out food bundles to the community.
9:30 a.m., Road and Bridge Department Co-Superintendents Renee Nelson and Randy Morris joined the meeting via conference call to provide the Road and Bridge Department report. A written report was provided. The subject of masks came up and it was determined Road and Bridge will need approximately 40 masks for its employees. Ms. Nelson asked how to handle conducting interviews and Commissioners said applicants will need to bring their own masks.
Employee travel was discussed and Commissioners suggested reading information on the Idaho Rebound site. It was said that employees who conduct non-essential travel will need to quarantine for 14 days and they will need to use their own vacation or sick time. It was said that Road and Bridge doesn’t have plexi-glass shields in their office so the county will need to do something about that.
Ms. Nelson informed Commissioners that Road and Bridges has an option to piggy back for liquid asphalt material and County Civil Attorney has approved the documents. The bid is for CMS-2P for chip sealing oil and CRS-2 for durapatching oil. Ms. Nelson said both oils cost less this year and Road and Bridge does have the budget to cover the bid.
Commissioner Kirby moved to approve the piggy back bid offer for Liquid Asphalt Supply and to sign the Independent Contractor Agreement. Commissioner Cossairt second. Motion passed unanimously.
Commissioners asked about the proposed timeline for the Riverside Road Improvement Project. Ms. Nelson said this project should start in year 2020-2021. The highway project to the LaBrosse Hill area should start in year 2023 and the McArthur Lake project is still scheduled for year 2023.
The conference call with Ms. Nelson and Mr. Morris ended at 9:45 a.m.
Commissioner Cossairt moved to authorize the Chairman to sign the Idaho State Department of Agriculture Selkirk Cooperative Weed Management Area Disbursement Agreement State Cost Share Funds. Commissioner Kirby second. Motion passed unanimously.
County Civil Attorney Tevis Hull contacted Commissioners via telephone at 9:50 a.m., to briefly update matters he is working on. The call ended at 9:51 a.m.
Commissioners discussed the quote of $1,250.00 received from Northwest Paint and Pre-Stain for painting the exterior of the Appraiser’s Office. Chairman Dinning said the quote is to prepare and paint the building to match the existing colors including the lean-to so Commissioners will look into that.
Commissioners tended to administrative duties until their conference call set for 10:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m., Commissioners held the continuation of the tax deed hearing for parcel #RPB0820004010CA in the name of Deborah Bellmore for delinquent year 2016 property taxes. Present were: Chairman Dan Dinning, Commissioner Wally Cossairt, Commissioner Walt Kirby, Clerk Glenda Poston, Deputy Clerk Michelle Rohrwasser, and Treasurer Sue Larson. The meeting was recorded. Commissioners stated for the record that there is no need for the hearing as the property owner has paid the tax amount for year 2016.
The tax deed hearing closed at 10:01 a.m.
Treasurer Larson remained in the meeting in order to update Commissioners on the quarterly report of county accounts as of March 31, 2020. Treasurer Larson said interest rates are not doing well and she listed rates of various banks. The State Pool Fund isn’t bad, according to Treasurer Larson. The total cash balance as of March 31, 2020, is $13,008,671.50. Those present reviewed balances in the various accounts.
Commissioner Cossairt moved to approve the Treasurer’s Report dated March 31, 2020. Commissioner Kirby second. Motion passed unanimously.
Those present discussed the Certificates of Compliance as it pertains to Mountain West Bank, Potlatch No. 1 Financial Credit Union, Wells Fargo Bank, and Columbia State Bank.
Commissioner Kirby moved to acknowledge that Boundary County does utilize the services of Mountain West Bank, Potlatch No. 1 Financial Credit Union, Wells Fargo Bank, and Columbia State Bank. Commissioner Cossairt second. Motion passed unanimously.
The meeting with Treasurer Larson ended at 10:10 a.m.
Commissioners tended to administrative duties.
11:00 a.m., Cassie Olson, Tom Daniel and Greg Backer with the Boundary Soil Conservation District/Natural Resource Conservation Service joined the meeting via conference call to request annual funding.
Mr. Becker spoke of funding and commented that this year has been unusual one. Ms. Olson asked if Commissioners had received the information she sent and informed them the Soil District is requesting the same amount of funding as last year, which is $9,000.00. Ms. Olson said the Soil District plans to work on Phase II of the Fleming Creek project and they met with the Road and Bridge Department to look at other potential projects as well. Mr. Becker spoke of grant funds that came to the county for projects from the federal partnership. Chairman Dinning commented that the county doesn’t have any idea what budgets will look like yet.
Commissioner Cossairt moved to sign the letter of intent for the Boundary Soil Conservation District for fiscal year 2021 in the amount of $9,000.00. Commissioner Kirby second. Motion passed unanimously.
The meeting with the members of the Boundary Soil Conservation District ended at 11:04 a.m.
Commissioners tended to administrative duties.
11:30 a.m., Commissioners held a meeting via conference call for the bid decision for the snow removal equipment building at the Boundary County Airport. Participating in the bid decision was: Chairman Dan Dinning, Commissioner Wally Cossairt, Commissioner Walt Kirby, Clerk Glenda Poston, Deputy Clerk Michelle Rohrwasser, Trey Dail with T-O Engineering Firm, and Ivan Wedel with BF Builders. Airport Manager Dave Parker joined the call later. The meeting was recorded.
Chairman Dinning stated that Mr. Dail had sent over a written recommendation to Commissioners and of the three bids received, B.F. Builders had the low bid of $205,000.00. Mr. Dail said in comparison, the lowest bid is over the engineer’s estimate of $200,000.00, but it’s well within the range of an acceptable bid. Mr. Dail mentioned there being one irregularity as the bid from B.F. Builders did not list the suppliers for building materials, but it did meet requirements for Idaho State Code for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), electrical and plumbing contractors so from that standpoint he felt the bid was responsive. Mr. Dail added that if the county chooses, they can have their legal advisor look into that matter.
Chairman Dinning questioned needing Attorney Hull to review the irregularity in the bid. Mr. Dail said in his mind it’s a non-material irregularity and it does not change the bid submittal from the contractor. The bid document states all contractors and suppliers should be listed, etc., but those utilities do meet state code. The other two bidders also had that same irregularity so nobody is losing or gaining an advantage, according to Mr. Dail.
Commissioner Kirby moved to accept the bid of $205,000.00 from B.F. Builders contingent on the county civil attorney’s concurrence and subject to receipt of Federal Aviation Administration funds. Commissioner Cossairt second. Motion passed unanimously.
The meeting for the bid decision ended at 11:38 a.m.
Commissioners, Mr. Dail and Mr. Parker discussed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) ACT funds for the airport. It was said these funds can be used for any operational expenses incurred by the airport, such as paying utility bills, maintenance on equipment, etc. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given all airports in the nation a wide berth for the use of these funds and it provides a portion of income to help keep the doors open as it pertains to impacts resulting from the pandemic. Mr. Dail explained that most airports are submitting their annual operating budget and are given a percentage, and the FAA has deemed Boundary County is to be awarded $30,000.00. These funds cannot be used as grant match, per Mr. Dail.
Commissioner Cossairt moved to authorize the Chairman to sign the CARES Act Application for SF424 for Federal Assistance in the amount of $30,000.00 for the Boundary County Airport. Commissioner Kirby second. Motion passed unanimously.
Mr. Dail explained that CARE Act funds are similar to a grant award so the hope is that within the next two to three weeks the FAA will send the official grant award.
Commissioner Kirby moved to authorize the Chairman to sign the Federal Aviation Administration Airport Improvement Program Grant 016 Request for Reimbursement No. 5, the final payment application for snow removal equipment, and T-O Engineering’s March Invoice Summary as it pertains to the Boundary County Airport. Commissioner Cossairt second. Motion passed unanimously.
The call to Mr. Dail and Mr. Parker ended at 11:48 a.m.
Commissioners recessed for lunch at noon.
1:30 p.m., Commissioners reconvened for the afternoon session with Chairman Dan Dinning, Commissioner Wally Cossairt, Commissioner Walt Kirby, Clerk Glenda Poston, and Deputy Clerk Michelle Rohrwasser.
1:30 p.m., Panhandle Health District Director Lora Whalen and Finance Manager Christine Cummer joined the meeting via conference call to discuss the budget for the Panhandle Health District.
Ms. Whalen mentioned that the ten year average in percent change in county funding is 1.65% and the Panhandle Health District is requesting 2% this year. COVID-19 has taken priority since late January/early February and the Health District went into full blown incident command in March and has been so since then. As of this morning the number of cases of the virus in District 1 is at 65. Panhandle Health District does provide for health care workers and first responders via nurse practitioner telephonically. Over 3,000 people have been tested for the virus in Kootenai County and approximately 300 or so tests have been done at Bonner General. Communication with all partners and working closely with various organizations has been a priority, according to Ms. Whalen. Another priority is personal protective equipment (PPE) and how difficult it is to get. Kootenai County has done a good job in its usage of PPE and the real concern is long term care facilities and their access to PPE. As we go forward with the Governor’s plan for reopening, it’s a matter of supporting our businesses as they reopen. Stage 2 pertains to restaurants and other businesses, gyms, etc., and that information is not yet available.
Ms. Whalen explained to Commissioners how Panhandle Health District staff visit with clients for the Women, Infants, Children (WIC) and other programs via Zoom and other platforms. Septic work continues and providing immunizations in-house on a limited basis also continues. Ms. Whalen referred to the list of top 10 reportable diseases for Boundary County with the two being Chlamydia and Hepatitis C. Ms. Whalen mentioned that there have been cases of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, which is caused by a tick, and there has been one case of Dengue Fever also reported. Ms. Whalen briefly discussed holding virtual meetings for various programs, such as home health visits, food service worker training, nicotine cessation courses, issues pertaining to suicide and mental health, and continuing with opioid work. Citizen review panel work continues in reviewing child abuse cases and that is a monthly meeting.
Ms. Cummer reviewed the Power Point presentation pertaining to state funding, state formulas and county funding. Ms. Cummer stated that county funding is based on 70% for population and 30% is based on assessment. Those present reviewed topics regarding population and value change, the county formula based on 2%, percentage changes in county funding over a ten year period, funding per capita, etc. Ms. Cummer said Panhandle Health District is relying on funding from external sources and county support has reduced.
Ms. Whalen spoke of the upcoming budget hearing and precautions that would be taken, such as having the Zoom video conferencing option.
Commissioner Kirby moved to support the proposed budget for Panhandle Health District for fiscal year 2021. Commissioner Cossairt second. Motion passed unanimously.
Chairman Cossairt moved to designate Commissioner Kirby as the representative of Boundary County acting on behalf of the Chairman Dan Dinning as a signer in the Chairman’s place. Commissioner Kirby second. Motion passed unanimously.
Ms. Whalen commented that Panhandle Health District really appreciates the county support. Chairman Dinning mentioned the possibility of a question being asked about the schools opening up when Commissioners have a conference call with the school district. Ms. Whalen said Governor Little never really shut the schools down. Ms. Whalen discussed the re-entry program and the Governor’s Order to reopen, social distancing, etc. Those present spoke of trying to figure out ways to celebrate graduating high school seniors.
The conference call with Ms. Whalen and Ms. Cummer ended at 2:10 p.m.
2:15 p.m., County Civil Attorney Tevis Hull contacted Commissioners via telephone.
Commissioner Cossairt moved to go into executive session pursuant to Idaho Code74-206(1)f, to communicate with legal counsel for the public agency to discuss the legal ramifications of and legal options for pending litigation, or controversies not yet being litigated but imminently likely to be litigated. Commissioner Kirby second. Commissioners voted as follows: Chairman Dinning “aye”, Commissioner Cossairt “aye” and Commissioner Kirby “aye”. Motion passed unanimously. The executive session ended at 2:36 p.m. No action was taken.
There being no further business, the meeting recessed until Thursday, April 30, 2020 at 9:00 a.m.
***Thursday, April 30, 2020, at 9:00 a.m., Commissioners met in special session with Chairman Dan Dinning, Commissioner Wally Cossairt, Commissioner Walt Kirby (via telephone), Clerk Glenda Poston, and Deputy Clerk Michelle Rohrwasser. The purpose of the meeting was to hold an elected officials/department heads meeting in order to receive office updates. The conference call was canceled due to technical difficulties.
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:10 a.m.
_________________________________
DAN R. DINNING, Chairman
ATTEST:
____________________________________
GLENDA POSTON, Clerk
By: Michelle Rohrwasser, Deputy Clerk