***Monday, March 28, 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.
Commissioners gave the opening invocation and said the Pledge of Allegiance.
9:00 a.m., Road and Bridge Department Co-Superintendents Renee Nelson and Randy Morris joined the meeting to give the department report. A written report was provided. Mr. Morris spoke of how the Walk-n-Roller is used for Road and Bridge.
9:02 a.m., Marty Martinez joined the meeting.
Mr. Morris reviewed work in progress being done by Road and Bridge as listed in the department report. Ms. Nelson updated Commissioners on project funding and processes for bridge repairs.
The State of Idaho is setting aside $10,000,000.00 for children pedestrian projects and Ms. Nelson said she would like to submit her and Mr. Morris’s opinion in writing about running down the list to fund projects as opposed to having to resubmit applications. Ms. Nelson also reviewed proposed funding for ongoing maintenance. The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) Board is planning to hold workshops throughout the state and ITD will send emails out about these workshops.
The milling and overlay work for Deep Creek Loop has not been bid yet and the price increase that was quoted was the engineer’s estimate. This Deep Creek Loop project is #2 on the Local Highway Technical Assistance Council’s (LHTAC) list of project funding. Ms. Nelson said this project will be put out to bid this summer. The county will need to pay the construction match of approximately $135,000.00. Road and Bridge had budgeted $122,000.00 for FY 21 projects and that amount didn’t get spent so it was carried over into year 2022, but Road and Bridge will still be $13,000.00 short. Ms. Nelson spoke of an option to make up that amount of funding.
Ms. Nelson discussed overweight truck permits with Commissioners and she mentioned needing to load rate certain county bridges. Ms. Nelson said she needs more understanding of these permits and weights on county roads. There is also a map data base so during breakup and other events where weights are not allowed, the trucking companies will receive those weight limit notices. Chairman Dinning said if there were no weight restrictions, the state would allow weight on county roads and the county chose not to communicate that information so it wouldn’t be assumed it was okay. Commissioner Bertling questioned there being restrictions on county roads that have bridges in comparison to county roads that don’t have bridges.
9:30 a.m., County Civil Attorney Tevis Hull joined the meeting via conference call.
9:30 a.m., Gregory Lamberty joined the meeting.
Commissioners asked about a short plat hearing. The hearing will be held on April 12th, but the variance permit expires the 5th of April. Ms. Nelson asked if the county can grant an extension. Commissioners asked for a meeting to be set up with the property owners about the matter.
The meeting with Ms. Nelson and Mr. Morris ended at 9:38 a.m.
Commissioners asked Attorney Hull if he would write a letter letting Tim Tucker know what he needs to do before Commissioners can consider abandoning a portion of Avonlea Farm Road.
Commissioners and Attorney Hull discussed looking to determine fair market value for county property the North Bench Fire Association has a station on as it pertains to entering into a land lease with North Bench Fire Association.
Chairman Dinning said Commissioners learned that the county owns a one-half acre parcel and Commissioners are considering donating this area to the Curley Creek Fire Association for their station, but there is a question about that as Curley Creek Fire Association is not another governmental entity or taxing district. Attorney Hull mentioned the county could enter into a lease.
Commissioners and Attorney Hull reviewed various topics for status updates.
The call to Attorney Hull ended at 9:53 a.m.
Commissioner Cossairt moved to sign the Award of 2022 State General Fund Cost Share Funds for the Selkirk Cooperative Weed Management Area (CWMA). Commissioner Bertling second. Motion passed unanimously.
Commissioner Cossairt moved to sign the amended Modification #002 for WO002-GIS Addressing Support 2021 with Innovate!, Inc., due to a typographical error in inserting the total amount as opposed to inserting the amount of the increase. Commissioner Bertling second. Motion passed unanimously.
Commissioners tended to administrative duties.
10:30 a.m., Spike Maas, Tom Daniel and Cassie Olson with the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) joined the meeting to discuss projects and a request for funding. Mr. Daniel voiced appreciation of county funds received in past years. One project NRCS will be involved in is putting in a culvert under Cow Creek Road for a fish passage and an engineer will come up to determine how this will be done. Ms. Olson said she will submit a 319 grant application this year. NRCS has been working with the Idaho Soil and Water Conservation Commission, Kootenai Tribe of Idaho and the Kaniksu Land Trust on the fish passage project and she’s just waiting for the engineer to go over what the design will look like and discuss costs. A presentation on the project will be given at the Basin Advisory Group (BAG) Committee meeting in July. Ms. Olson said the NRCS partnered with US Fish and Wildlife Service last year to work on the Curley Creek project, which involves a private landowner, and that generated $2,500.00 in administrative funds for the Soil Conservation District so she hopes to do another private landowner project. Chairman Dinning asked if there is an opportunity to use 319 grant funds for that type of project. Ms. Olson explained that there had been some staff turnover at the state level for working on county inventory and determining what projects will look like. The new state employee has been taking notes about the county from one end to the other on stream banks, etc. Ms. Olson said she hopes to have good county inventory put together for shovel ready projects.
Ms. Olson spoke of moving forward with the seedling program and she mentioned there being a really good seed bank. Ms. Olson mentioned having put on a presentation about the seedling project at the State Capitol for Legislative Days and she added that she has sold 133,000 locally sourced seedlings that were planted in Boundary County. Ms. Olson said she had participated in two tours last week; one was taking high schoolers on forestry tours where they visited the Department of Lands, Foust Logging, the Forest Service, Idaho Forest Group, and North Idaho Energy Logs for a career day to show kids what opportunities can be found in Boundary County. She also did a farm tour with the students and talked about what local agriculture looks like from tractors to mechanics and technology.
Ms. Olson spoke of there being an increase in expenses for the District and in the past the amount of annual funding requested from the county was $9,000.00 and this year the request is for $10,000.00.
Commissioner Cossairt moved to increase the county’s budget contribution to the Natural Resource Conservation Service from $9,000.00 to $10,000.00 and to sign the request form. Commissioner Bertling second. Motion passed unanimously.
Those present further discussed the proposed Cow Creek Road fish passage project.
10:46 a.m., The meeting with Ms. Olson, Mr. Maas and Mr. Daniel ended.
10:47 a.m., County Outside Auditor Scott Hoover joined the meeting to review the county’s fiscal year 2021 audit. Treasurer Sue Larson also joined the meeting.
Mr. Hoover covered areas of the audit to include: the independent auditor’s report, business activities, aggregate remaining fund, management’s responsibility, Mr. Hoover’s clean opinion, financial statements, governmental activities, current liabilities, equity/net position, unrestricted net position, Restorium details, capital assets, compliance reports, and internal controls and compliance, etc. Mr. Hoover said there were no findings of internal weakness so as far as results, it’s the best you can ask for. Mr. Hoover spoke of the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA). Mr. Hoover added that he feels Boundary County runs a clean operation and there is a true segregation of duties for what needs to be separate. Keeping track of federal funding was briefly discussed.
Commissioner Cossairt moved to accept the county audit report for fiscal year 2021. Commissioner Bertling second. Motion passed unanimously.
11:36 a.m., Mr. Martinez and Mr. Lamberty left the meeting.
The meeting with Mr. Hoover ended at 11:41 a.m.
Commissioners recessed for lunch at 11:50 a.m.
1:30 p.m., Commissioners reconvened for the afternoon session with Chairman Dan Dinning, Commissioner Wally Cossairt, Commissioner Tim Bertling, Clerk Glenda Poston, and Deputy Clerk Michelle Rohrwasser.
1:30 p.m., County Civil Attorney Tevis Hull joined the meeting via telephone. Commissioners updated Attorney Hull on the Planning and Zoning related matter that had been scheduled for 1:30 p.m., but was rescheduled. The call with Attorney Hull ended at 1:35 p.m.
1:41 p.m., Commissioner Bertling left the meeting to conduct the quarterly jail inspection then returned to the meeting.
2:30 p.m., Airport Manager Dave Parker joined the meeting to discuss matters pertaining to airport funding and hangars.
Commissioner Cossairt moved to sign the Commercial Hangar Ground Lease with Harold and Jeanene Bishop for Hangar N. Commissioner Bertling second. Motion passed unanimously.
Mr. Parker presented an application for State Airport Aid to Commissioners. Mr. Parker explained that this program is not a grant and he’s just putting the airport’s name in the pool for funding. The projects Mr. Parker is looking to fund is a computer upgrade for the All-Weather Observation System (AWOS), a tractor with a snowblower and blade on the front, and engineering costs associated with working on land stabilization. There is an embankment slope failure. At the bottom of the sloughing is county-owned property, but another landowner is also affected. It’s on the list for the engineer to contact this landowner to get an agreement going for this stabilization work. Mr. Parker added that he would need to go out for quotes or bids for the snow removal equipment.
Mr. Parker reiterated that he is just throwing the county airport’s name into the pot and he’s not committing to anything.
Commissioner Cossairt moved to sign the Request for State Airport Aid through the Idaho Division of Aeronautics for a tractor and snowblower, Automated Weather Observation Service (AWOS) computer upgrade, and engineering costs for a total of approximately $190,000.00. Commissioner Bertling second. Motion passed unanimously.
Mr. Parker spoke of receiving funds for the airport totaling approximately $159,000.00 per year that can be accumulated over the next five years through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation Law. A 5% match may be involved, according to Mr. Parker.
Mr. Parker informed Commissioners that the Airport Board is working on a hangar use policy so the use of hangars is appropriate according to Federal Aviation Administration rules.
Mr. Parker talked about placing rocks in particular areas off the taxiway to prevent people from driving in those grassy areas.
The meeting with Mr. Parker ended at 2:58 p.m.
Commissioner Cossairt moved to approve the minutes for the week of March 14, 2022. Commissioner Bertling second. Motion passed unanimously.
3:00 p.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 Bertling “aye” and Commissioner Cossairt “aye”. Motion passed unanimously. The executive session ended at 4:00 p.m. No action was taken.
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:15 p.m.
______________________________
DAN R. DINNING, Chairman
ATTEST:
_______________________________
GLENDA POSTON, Clerk
By: Michelle Rohrwasser, Deputy Clerk