Commissioners’ – Week of June 29, 2026
Meeting Date: June 29, 2026 9:00 am
Meeting Minutes
***Monday, June 29, 2026 at 9:00 a.m., Commissioners met in regular session with Chairman Ben Robertson, Commissioner Tim Bertling, Commissioner Lester Pinkerton, Clerk Glenda Poston, and Deputy Clerk Stephanie Sims.
Commissioners said the Pledge of Allegiance.
EDC Director David Sims entered the meeting at 8:57 a.m.
Commissioners discussed the HVAC bids received and decided to discuss with legal before proceeding.
Greg Lamberty entered the meeting at 9:04 a.m.
Mr. Sims left the meeting at 9:05 a.m.
Commissioner Bertling moved to adopt 4th of July Celebration as a County event and approve the volunteers as presented. Commissioner Pinkerton second. Motion passed unanimously.
Commissioners then discussed if they needed drivers’ licenses for all volunteers on county appointed boards for ICRMP. It was decided to discuss further with legal and ICRMP and proceed as directed.
Fay Almond entered the meeting at 9:14 a.m.
Sheriff Travis Stolley and Deputy Chief Caleb Watts entered the meeting at 9:28 a.m.
Prosecutor Andrakay Pluid and Civil Attorney Bill Wilson entered the meeting at 9:29 a.m.
Mr. Lamberty and Ms. Almond left the meeting at 9:30 a.m.
Commissioner Bertling moved to go into executive session 74-206(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 Pinkerton second. Commissioners voted as follows: Chairman Robertson “aye”, Commissioner Bertling “aye”, Commissioner Pinkerton “aye”. The executive session ended at 10:28 a.m. and everyone left the meeting. No action was taken.
Weeds Superintendent Kyle Watts entered the meeting at 10:30 a.m. and shared a document regarding the current rentals/fees and his proposed ideas. He also mentioned some of the equipment was no longer used and suggested that it should be marked as surplus. Commissioner Pinkerton asked if the county should be renting out equipment. Commissioner Bertling asked how often that happens. Mr. Watts said he has rented the equipment four times since he started. He suggested changing the rental rate to a three-day fee and then a smaller rate after that to provide incentive for returning the equipment. He also proposed renters pay a deposit. Chairman Robertson stated that this would require a public hearing and it was decided to consider scheduling one later in the year.
Mr. Watts then shared documents of items he thought should be considered for surplus. He provided a separate list of items that were lost or beyond repair.
Commissioner Bertling moved to approve the items listed for surplus. Commissioner Pinkerton second. Motion passed unanimously.
Commissioner Bertling moved to remove the lost/damaged items from inventory. Commissioner Pinkerton second. Motion passed unanimously.
Commissioners then reviewed the No Spray Agreements provided by Mr. Watts.
Commissioner Bertling moved to sign the No Spray Agreements. Commissioner Pinkerton second. Motion passed unanimously.
Mr. Watts shared a letter used previously concerning enforcement and wanted to verify if the verbiage was still correct. Commissioners asked him to share the document with legal. Lastly, Mr. Watts requested a credit card for the Weeds Department with a limit of $1,000 and Commissioners discussed when it could be used and the process to follow.
Assessor Olivia Drake and Deniese Fodge entered the meeting at 10:57 a.m.
Commissioner Pinkerton moved to approve a credit card for Mr. Watts. Commissioner Bertling second. Motion passed unanimously.
The meeting with Mr. Watts ended at 10:59 a.m. and he left the meeting.
Ms. Drake stated that the postage machine that everyone uses was aging and no longer has a maintenance contract. The company now wants to update the machine and renew the lease.
Commissioners asked about the cost, different types of machines and if maintenance was included. It was decided that Ms. Fodge will gather more information and forward it to Commissioners. They asked for several different options to consider.
The meeting with Ms. Drake and Ms. Fodge ended at 11:18 a.m. and they left the meeting.
Commissioner Bertling moved to rescind the previous HVAC RFP award to Bill’s Heating due to incomplete bid. Commissioner Pinkerton second. Motion passed unanimously.
Commissioner Bertling moved to award the HVAC bid to ACI with option #2 — ceiling mounted. Commissioner Pinkerton second. Motion passed unanimously.
Commissioner Bertling moved to sign the Independent Contractor Agreement with ACI. Commissioner Pinkerton second. Motion passed unanimously.
Commissioners recessed for lunch at 11:59 a.m.
The meeting reconvened for the afternoon session at 1:30 p.m. with Chairman Robertson, Commissioner Bertling, Commissioner Pinkerton, Clerk Glenda Poston, and Deputy Clerk Stephanie Sims.
Road & Bridge Superintendent Adam Ryals entered the meeting at 1:31 p.m. and stated that they have continued with pit maintenance and crushing. They have also continued with water/grading/rolling for dust abatement and mowing. They are now gearing up for chipseal. He also said they are working on ditching, but are having issues with phone lines in the ROW.
Mr. Ryals discussed School House Rd/Trail Creek project and stated that they will continue to review and discuss with engineers. Mr. Ryals said they did not like the radius – it would be fine for a pickup but not for larger trucks.
Commissioner Bertling moved to sign Right-Of-Way Certificate for Schoolhouse Rd Projects. Commissioner Pinkerton second. Motion passed unanimously.
Mr. Ryals stated that they had sent over definitions for Solid Waste and they welcomed any comments. The metal pile will begin baling in about a week. They have gone through the Operations Plan and suggestions were made to the engineers. He said it does not contain lithium batteries and suggested that we don’t take them. Instead, he would like to recycle them similar to Kootenai County where they have a third party vendor on site one day per year to accept them.
The meeting with Mr. Ryals ended at 1:58 p.m. and he left the meeting.
Commissioner Bertling moved to approve the Property Tax Cancellation of 21 parcels including late fee and interest because it was postmarked on time. The parcels were: RP6ON01E064980A, RP001300000070A, RP60N01E064865A, RP60N01E064880A, RP60N01E064900A, R060N01E064950A, RP60N01E064962A, RP60N01E064980A, RP60N01E065020A, RP60N01E065040A, RP60N01E065060A, R060N01E065090A, RP60N01E065092A, RP60N01E065093A, RP60N01E065094A, RP60N01E065095A, RP60N01E073005A, RP65N02E101350A, RP65N02E104811A, RP65N02E108102A, and RP65N02E150750A. Commissioner Pinkerton second. Motion passed unanimously.
Personnel Director Pam Barton entered the meeting at 2:15 p.m. and shared documents for signatures. She then asked if Commissioners had made any decisions on the 4th of July holiday regarding the state extending additional days. Commissioners decided to continue with the holiday as previously planned.
The meeting with Ms. Barton ended at 2:27 p.m. and she left the meeting.
There being no further business the meeting adjourned at 3:10 p.m.
Tuesday, June 30, 2026 at 10:00 a.m., Commissioners met in regular session with Chairman Ben Robertson, Commissioner Tim Bertling, Commissioner Lester Pinkerton, Clerk Glenda Poston, and Deputy Clerk Stephanie Sims.
Commissioners held a bid opening for the re-bid of the airport runway project. Those present were: Chairman Ben Robertson, Commissioner Tim Bertling, Commissioner Lester Pinkerton, Clerk Glenda Poston, Deputy Clerk Stephanie Sims, Airport Manager Dave Parker, Ardurra Engineer Alton Dail, Wade Winkelseth and Jordan Winkelseth. The proceeding was recorded.
Five bids were received and they were as follows:
- Wink Inc. $5,498,900.00
- Selland Construction Inc. $5,699,695.50
- J7 Contracting Inc. $5,721,987.40
- Goodfellow Bros LLC $6,221,221.00
- S&L Underground Inc $6,836,890.60
Chairman Robertson stated that the bids would be reviewed by the engineers and the project would be awarded at a future meeting. The proceeding ended at 10:09 a.m.
Commissioner Bertling moved to recess as the Boundary County Board of Commissioners and reconvene as the Board of Equalization. Commissioner Pinkerton second. Motion passed unanimously.
At 10:30 a.m. Commissioners held an appeal hearing for parcel #RPB00000274850A for North Idaho Classical Academy. Those present were: Chairman Ben Robertson, Commissioner Tim Bertling, Commissioner Lester Pinkerton, Clerk Glenda Poston, Deputy Clerk Stephanie Sims, Assessor Olivia Drake, Jacob Francom, and David Andre’. The proceeding was recorded.
The Appellant presented three exhibits marked as “Appellant’s Exhibit #1” consisting of 1 page, “Appellant’s Exhibit #2” consisting of 1 page, and “Appellant’s Exhibit #3” consisting of 34 pages.
Chairman Robertson administered the oath to those giving testimony. And asked Mr. Francom for his testimony. Mr. Francom reviewed the documentation presented and said that they have been approved by the state as a Charter School and a non-profit. He also referenced a letter from their attorney referencing the statute for exemption from property tax.
Chairman Robertson asked for testimony from the Assessor’s office. Ms. Drake stated that they received the application in January 2026 requesting exemption under I.C. 63-602 which was an annual application. At that time the supporting documentation was not included, therefore it was denied. With the documentation that they have now presented and with the I.C. 63-602A applied, Ms. Drake stated that she would have the authority to apply the exemption similar to the public school and skip the annual process.
Commissioner Pinkerton reconfirmed that she had validated the statute with legal. Ms. Drake responded yes, along with the extra documentation that they have now presented.
Commissioner Bertling moved to approve the property tax exemption on parcel #RPB00000274850A. Commissioner Pinkerton second. Motion passed unanimously.
The hearing ended at 10:35 a.m.
At 11:00 a.m. Commissioners held an appeal hearing for parcel #RP006530000330A for Thomas H. & J. Diane McLain. Those present were: Chairman Ben Robertson, Commissioner Tim Bertling, Commissioner Lester Pinkerton, Clerk Glenda Poston, Deputy Clerk Stephanie Sims, Assessor Olivia Drake and Deputy Assessor Melissa Kramer. The proceeding was recorded.
The Appellant submitted one exhibit marked as “Appellant’s Exhibit #1” consisting of 3 pages. The Assessor’s Office presented one exhibit marked as “Assessor’s Exhibit #1” consisting of 8 pages.
Chairman Robertson administered the oath to those giving testimony.
Because the Appellant’s were not in attendance, Chairman Robertson referred everyone to the documents that had been submitted.
Chairman Robertson then asked for testimony from the Assessor’s Office. Ms. Kramer read a statement and reviewed the assessed amounts for the property. She stated that the 2026 assessment showed an increase of $15,840 which was supported by surrounding land sales. She added that their appeal letter states that it was listed for sale, but did not sell. She then noted that their listing price also supports the assessed value. Ms. Kramer then referenced several pages in their exhibit that showed four recent land sales that also support the assessed value.
Commissioner Bertling asked if the property on Mtn Meadows referenced in their exhibit was similar to the property owned by the McLain’s. Ms. Kramer replied yes and that was a recent sale.
Commissioner Pinkerton moved to uphold the accessed value on parcel #RP006530000330A. Commissioner Bertling second. Motion passed unanimously.
The proceeding ended at 11:09 a.m. and Ms. Drake and Ms. Kramer left the meeting.
Commissioner Bertling moved to adjourn as the BOE and reconvene as the Boundary County Board of Commissioners. Commissioner Pinkerton second. Motion passed unanimously.
The meeting recessed for lunch at 11:55 a.m.
The meeting reconvened at 3:00 p.m. for a joint meeting with the Boundary Community Hospital Board of Trustees. Those present were: Chairman Robertson, Commissioner Bertling, Commissioner Pinkerton, Clerk Glenda Poston, Deputy Clerk Stephanie Sims; BOT members: Jeff Hood, Darren Branson, Jan Bayer, Paul Hazdovak, Eldon Koon and Jennifer Van Etten; Also present: Chief Medical Officer Mark Pruitt, CFO Melinda Smithson, Chief Nursing Officer Bryce Cordle, Chief HR Jennifer Capodagli, Chief of Nursing Tami Corsi, CEO April Bennett, and Marketing Coordinator Danielle Larsson, Dave Koon and Nadine Sulier.
Ms. Bayer said the BOT has asked that the previous Commissioner minutes from June 9, 2026 regarding the BOT meeting be amended. We know as a board we cannot steer people away from the emergency room and the BOT felt that the public needs to know that we are not steering them away. Therefore, they request the minutes be amended.
Chairman Robertson stated there were multiple conversations that day, but most important was that we need to educate the public on the issues with the hospital. Because the minutes accurately reflect what was said that day, our legal council has advised us that the minutes need to remain. However, if you wish to add a clarifying statement today, we can do that.
Mr. Hood stated that where he felt it went wrong was in helping the public understand what the hospital was going through and the action needed to move forward. We should be encouraging people to use the hospital. Chairman Robertson felt that was an oversimplification. No one was discouraging people from using the hospital. We do need to educate the public however on what the issues are. He again suggested that the hospital add a clarifying statement for the minutes.
Ms. Bayer read the following statement: The Boundary Community Hospital BOT has formally requested correction for the statement made in the BOCC’s June 9, 2026 minutes to reflect that the BOCC and BOT decided to produce a joint statement. There was discussion regarding pushing primary care visits to the clinics instead of the ER. The BOT’s present at the meeting, clearly indicated that steering patients away from emergency healthcare was in violation of Federal law (EMTALA). By way of clarifying this statement it acknowledges a patient’s right to emergency healthcare access was protected under Federal Law.
Ms. Bayer then read the joint letter that was approved by the BOT regarding working together to inform the community. Chairman Robertson stated that he assumed this was the first of a series of letters to educate the public. Mr. Hood replied that the campaign for educating would be owned by the hospital, but we have not had those conversations yet. He suggested that there would only be one joint letter. Ms. Bayer added that they have taken steps to organize a planning committee, employees have been actively working to provide information to assist them, and there will be a social media campaign.
Commissioners had no issues with the letter and stated it would be added to their agenda the following week so they could take action. They were also willing to do more letters in the future.
Ms. Bayer then stated that several members of the BOT are new and we are actively learning as they go. The executive team and staff have been very helpful in responding to their questions and requests for information. She added that the hospital staff needs to know that we are all working together.
Chairman Robertson asked when/where the letter would be released. Ms. Bennett stated that Ms. Larsson would post it to social media, BCH website as well as media outlets. Commissioners said it could be added to the County’s website as well.
Mr. Hood then requested the county search for any additional money to assist with the hospital’s shortfall. Ms. Poston said that the tax collection for June has been disbursed and she gave them their July payment. Chairman Robertson clarified that this was not extra money, it was the balance of the money you typically receive in July. He then asked how many days cash on hand do you currently have. Ms. Smithson replied it was 6 days at the end of May and on June 17 it was 9. It varies depending on what they are paying during the week. She added that they are still working through the pilot program for denials but so far, they have not seen any results.
Commissioner Pinkerton asked for updates on the additional grant funding through the state. Ms. Bennett replied that the only thing open was for third party administrators. There was nothing open for providers at this time. In her opinion, any grants that they qualified for would not open until August. She again confirmed there won’t be anything for operation, but there might be money for equipment. Chairman Robertson added that there should also be money for infrastructure upgrades and asked them to be ready to apply for those opportunities.
Ms. Bennett stated that they contracted with Ovation Healthcare for the CFO position and Tim Powers will start tomorrow. He will work remotely and be on site one day per month for meetings. He has been in healthcare for many years and she felt fortunate to have him.
Ms. Bayer stated again that the staff and executive have continued to provide all of the information that has been requested and she felt that they needed to hear that the BOCC had their support. Chairman Robertson replied that we have continuously stated our support. The community needs the hospital and those needs will continue into the future. Commissioners Bertling and Pinkerton agreed.
The discussion then covered Medicare and allowable costs and Ms. Bennett stated that Medicare does not allow for the cost of the physician in the emergency room. Chairman Robertson replied that was the type of information the public needs to know. They also discussed whether it was policy or law and getting legislatures involved at the federal level.
The discussion then turned to profitable areas of the hospital. Ms. Bennett stated that many of them have grown 30-40% in recent years. The use of those services helps fund the ER. Everyone agreed that the community needed to be aware of that and something should be put out to educate the public.
Commissioner Pinkerton asked if they were still evaluating the Rural Community Hospital model. Ms. Bennett replied yes, they will be discussing that at their meeting tomorrow.
Commissioners agreed it would be important to drill down on policy verses law regarding Medicaid so they can provide data to legislatures. It was also decided that there was no need to continue with weekly meetings unless something changed.
The meeting ended at 4:07 p.m. and the hospital BOT and public left the meeting.
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:26 p.m.
s/________________________________
BEN ROBERTSON, Chairman
ATTEST:
s/_______________________________
GLENDA POSTON, Clerk
By: Stephanie Sims, Deputy Clerk