Certificates of 

Residency

Two certificates of Residency—Maclaren Garrett and Delaney Garrett were passed.  This will allow the students to verify residency status for the purposes of tuition.

Farm Services Agency

Avis Semrad spoke on behalf of the FSA requesting that the fee for the Event Center be waived to allow the FSA to host its annual event at the Center.  The Event will be held on September 26.  Last year, the event was held at the City Park, which experienced a thunderstorm.  The event will thank customers, but also provide information to those interested about various programs available to local farmers.  Chairman Lewis was concerned about the waiving of the fee setting a precedent for others seeking to use the venue.  Semrad reminded the commission that the FSA was a government agency, and therefore somewhat different than most petitioners.  The question of whether the event might be able to be held in conjunction or with the support of the Ag Extension Office was discussed.  A motion to allow the fee waiver for the FSA due to its status as a government agency and educational institution was made by Ken Eliason.  The motion carried.  FSA committed to the cleanup of the facility after the event.

Emergency Service Agency

Dan Williams reported that his emergency EMP budget from the previous cycle will come to an end at the end of the fiscal year, September 30.  The remaining money that needs to be spent before that deadline as a part of the granting process was discussed.  Williams stated that the funds needed to be spent (around $1,000) or it would return to the state budget.  Williams suggested that investing in pallets of water or freeze dried emergency food items might be a good avenue.  Commissioner Jeppsen suggested the purchase of water purification devices.  County Attorney Brower mentioned that he had recently seen large water drums on sale at Big Deals in Pocatello that might be a good purchase.  Questions about the longterm storage of water were raised, with regard to location and longevity for such a process.  Filtration systems were also discussed.  A tent for the use in various training exercises and events was another idea mentioned by Williams.    

Youth Assessment Center

Gabe Jimenez spoke to the commission about a youth assessment center.  Commissioner Lewis recently visited the Youth Assessment Center in Pocatello, which Oneida County has access to.  Jimenez explained the scope and function of the center, which is designed to help mitigate juvenile issues before they become matters for the justice system.  The Center allows for families to meet with the assessment center for free confidential evaluations about potential mediation for any ongoing issues.  A room or facility is needed locally to allow for remote communication with the center in Bannock County.  Jimenez suggested that the room did not need to be larger than would allow for a five person capacity.  Representatives from the Bannock County center will need to visit Oneida to provide training for the process of communicating/working with the assessment center.  A number of local stakeholders, including those from the school district and hospital, will be invited to the initial meeting.  A motion to provide food and host a meeting with the assessment center on September 28 was passed.    

PZ decisions

The Commission asked Rhonda Neal for input on scheduling public hearings regarding the Planning and Zoning decisions to be made regarding the two developments in question.  Attorney Brower advised the Commission on the relevant areas of the state code and county development code in this matter.  Whenever there is a zoning request affecting a single portion of the county, Brower suggested that this could be viewed as “spot zoning”.  The decision about whether the rezone is appropriate should be based, according to Brower, on whether it matches with the Comprehensive plan, which serves as the guide for all decisions made in the county about zoning and development issues.  The CP sets forth the county’s vision for the jurisdiction moving forward.  Brower advised the Commissioners to be fully acquainted with the Comprehensive plan as they approach a decision.  

The PZ board has already held hearings on the developments in question, and made a written recommendation to the county commission.  The board recommended to not approve either application for the developments, in the case of the Naylor property because the same end result could be accomplished without rezoning, and in the case of the Nielsen property because the development was “out of character” with the surrounding area, and the water study was considered problematic.  The county commission is next obligated to hold its own public hearing prior to making a final decision.  Comments from the previous public hearing can be considered as part of the record for the commission’s hearing.  This will require a one-time posting in the Enterprise at least 15 days before the scheduled hearing, and notification to the public districts (fire, school) in advance of the hearing.  Two separate hearings will be required.  The hearings will need to take place within 60 days of receiving notice of PZ’s decision.  There is a possibility that Ben Naylor may withdraw his rezone petition, owing to the fact that the situation could be resolved without a rezone being necessary.  The codes (Idaho’s and the county’s) presume that any decisions will be appealed, though that may not be the case with the Naylor request.  

Brower advised the commission to schedule the Nielsen hearing separate from the Naylor one, so that the dates can be easily separated if the latter petition is withdrawn.  Hearings for the developments were tentatively scheduled for October 11, and October 18 at 6:00 p.m. at the Event Center.  Brower advised that the hearing would represent the county’s decision on the matter, and should be undertaken with full knowledge of the previous hearings and documentation on the issues.    

Agreement with Contract Services/Construction 

Management

Tory Richardson spoke to the commission about an agreement with Jared Lusk.  The county wants to use a construction manager for the courtroom update/remodel project.  This would allow a single on site contact point for the project.  The contract covers the payment details, scheduling, reporting, and procurement for the job work with regard to the position.  Cody Brower suggested that it was important that building inspector Tory Richardson was involved with the details of the project.  Richardson explained that he had been in communication with Lusk, and had been looking over the contract specifics.  He stated that he planned to be involved overseeing the progress and implementation of the contract.  

Commercial 

Inspection 

Contract

Richard Bigelow has been inspecting commercial buildings in Oneida County, and a contract is required in order for the arrangement to be formalized, and funds can be allocated to cover the inspections that have already occurred.  The contractor will be given 65% of the inspection fees for commercial buildings.  The contract will be paid monthly, based on the inspections performed during that time.  Tory Richardson will begin training to qualify for a commercial inspection license in September.  A motion to accept the contract with Richard Bigelow was approved by the commission.  

Bid for Paint and Trim of Sheriff office

Richardson also spoke to the commission about a bid to paint the Sheriff’s office.  He received one bid for the project.  Sheriff Arne Jones was apprised on the nature of the bid and what it would cover, and verified that it would meet the current needs.  A discussion about the best source for the funding was discussed.  It was felt that the one-time expense section of the budget was the best avenue.  The bid for painting the Sheriff’s department for $7,200, paid out of the one-time fund, was approved.

Piano for Event Center 

Jean Thomas spoke with the commission about a grant she had written for a piano to be kept at the Event Center for various events.  The grant, for $3,800 from the Bistline Family Foundation, will be used to purchase a suitable instrument for the building.  Thomas felt that a piano was a better longterm purchase than a keyboard, due to its durability and other characteristics.  The piano could be used for formal, as well as informal events.  Currently, instruments are brought into the facility for use, which exposes them to risk of damage.  Storage for the instrument was the primary focus of discussion.  The primary costs would be associated with moving, tuning, and setting up the piano.  A motion to accept the grant and allow for the purchase of a piano was approved by the commission.  Jean Thomas was delegated to oversee the process. 

Veteran Service Officer

The commission had not yet received communication from the Veterans Service Office in Boise about the process for appointing a new VSO.

9-11 Day of Service

Commissioner Jeppsen spoke to the commission about plans to fund repairs/upgrades to the flower beds behind the Veterans Memorial in conjunction with the 911 Day of Service.  Jeppsen felt that the project could be completed for around $100.  A motion to approve funding the supplies was passed.

Status of One time expenses

The commission discussed the current one-time expenses under consideration.  The courtroom remodel, which was designed to be from out of the fund, was delayed.  

PDC Report

The Public Defender arrangement was discussed by the commission.  A motion to sign the agreement between Oneida County and the Indigent Defense Financial Assistance program was approved. 

Vice Chairman for County 

Commissioners

Chairman Lewis raised the issue of the Vice Chairman role for the next commission meeting, which Lewis will be unable to attend.  Ken Eliason will serve as the chairman for that meeting, and be appointed as the Vice Chairman for the remainder of the year.  

Public Hearing on County Budget

As a required part of setting the budget, the County held its public hearing on the budget, recently published in the paper.  The hearing allows members of the public to offer input and ask questions about the county’s proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year.  This also allows a chance for department heads to provide input on their department’s budget before it is finalized.  Sheriff Jones brought up raising the ceiling for personnel line items to cover part time officers, dispatchers, and reserves.  The office is currently down from its normal number of officers, and the funds would represent a savings over hiring a fulltime position in the near-term.  

The County Attorney’s office, represented by Cody Brower, thanked the commissioners for their attention to the needs of county employees.  He stressed that departments should be treated the same as each other throughout the county and a universal pay raise process be followed. County Clerk Lon Colton explained that the step and grade system was designed to be somewhat flexible in its application, owing to the volatility of the overall economic environment.  

The public hearing was closed, and the commission returned to session to implement decisions.  Chairman Lewis proposed raising the amount allotted to part-time employee wages in the department because the budget line was fulltime deputies would be spent at an amount under that laid out in the near future.

After discussion, the budget for the next fiscal year was approved for $11,462,170.

IDAWY

Jayson Lower spoke to the commission as a representative of IDAWY.  As a result of inflationary pressures and costs, IDAWY will be raising rates for the services provided to the county in the next fiscal year.  $29/can was the proposed rate for the first can.  The previous rate was $26 for 96 gallon cans, with $5 each for additional cans.  The rate for 300 gallon cans was suggested at $39/mo, with $11 for each additional can.  Semi tires were suggested to be set at $15.  Bulk pricing for disposal was suggested at $220/ton.  A public hearing will need to be held before the rate increases can go into effect.  The fees are set to help maintain the necessary equipment and landfill facility, as well as allow for contingency funding.  

It was reported that the Stone landfill closing was almost finished according to DEQ standards.