ELECTION OF CHAIR AND DISTRIBUTION OF ASSIGNMENTS

As is customary every new year, the first order of business for 2022 was to elect a Chairperson to the Board of County Commissioners and divvy up committee assignments among the three serving members.  As last year did not involve any changes to the makeup of the board resulting from elections or resignations, the same three individuals will serve during 2022.  In another act of continuity, the Board decided to renominate Bill Lewis to the position of Chairman.  He was voted in as such by the other two, who tried not to smile overly much during the vote.  

Committee Assignments

The Commissioners are each tasked with serving over a number of committees and areas of advisorship for the year, and those remained largely the same as last year’s assignments.  The Commissioners meet with the boards and committees under their purview during the year, and provide advice and coordination between them and the board of commissioners, often aiding in the process of recruiting new serving members.

Commission Chairman Bill Lewis: continued his oversight of the following assignment—Planning and Zoning, IDAWY (Landfill), Southeast Southeast Idaho Council of Governors (SICOG), County Buildings and Facilities, Juvenile Detention, Nell J Redfield Memorial Hospital Board.

Commissioner Bob Christophersen: Southeastern Idaho Public Health Board (SIPH), Oneida County Road and Bridge and Weed Department, Parks and Recreation, Emergency Management, Waterways, Economic Development, Veterans.

Commissioner Christophersen also added the TV Translator Board to his list of assignments for the year.

Commissioner Ken Eliason: Oneida County Airport, Probation and Court, Oneida County Fair Board, Oneida Soil and Water Conservation District, Eastern Idaho State Fair, Public Defense Commission and Special Assistant United States Attorney (SAUSA), Oneida County Senior Citizens Center.  

The Commission determined to keep the same committee assignments as they had last year, with the addition of the TV Translator Board assignment, to Bob Christophersen.

COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING

Malad City/Wastewater Station

Mayor Joan Hawkins spoke to the Commission about obtaining permission for the Wastewater Treatment project to use the land near the county livestock scales to set up a trailer for various operations during the execution of the city’s wastewater project.  A meeting next Tuesday will be held at 9:00 at the city offices with the wastewater contractor, Whitaker, to further discuss this possible arrangement.  Diana Dredge was on hand to explain that her department would need to survey their current operations in order to determine what the most feasible location for housing a trailer for a term potentially as long as two years.  The location is currently where the county stockpiles various material, such as chips.  It was generally believed that with some arrangement, the location would likely be suitable for hosting the trailer.  The Commission and the Road and Bridge department agreed to provide a recommendation to the contractor and city for next week’s meeting.

Part time deputy treasurer

A motion had been discussed previously to hire part time help for the treasurer’s office for a total of 12 weeks.  County Treasurer Leah Love spoke to the Commission about moving forward with the hire.  Bill Lewis expressed his belief that the part time hire would probably require more 12 weeks—potentially 6 months—in order to be most effective.  A pay scale of $14/hour had been suggested, with the idea that the employee would be qualified for an increase in pay early in their term, depending on performance.  The employee would be an addition to the treasurer’s office to provide support for a number of functions within the office.  The term of up to six months in a 19.5/hr week part time position and the starting wage of $14/hr were motioned and passed.  A job announcement will be publicly posted soon.

Cherry Creek Estates PLAT

Mick Udy spoke to the Commission about postponing a decision on the Cherry Creek development plan.  He feels that the process is nearly complete, but his office is waiting for a final survey from JUB before moving forward.  The development will be about a mile south of the rest area in Cherry Creek, near the cemetery.   Phase One of the project will involve 8 lots, which will need to be approved before any further progress on the PLAT can be made.  The development would be on county property, and will involve improvements to the existing county roads involved.  The builder has committed to the required fencing, grading, drainage, and other aspects of the project, as specified in the development code.  A final presentation to the commission was postponed until the next meeting.

Used Sheriff’s Vehicles

The need for a sufficient vehicle for the Probation office was discussed.  The current vehicle, donated by the Sheriff’s Office, was explained to be insufficient to the needs of the Probation office.  The issue was tabled for further discussion.

Printer Contract for Probation Office

Probation Officer Gabe Jimenez spoke to the commission about the need for a new printer for the Probation office.  He reported that the current printer is no longer able to produce legal quality documents reliably or effectively.  Jimenez suggested a plan to lease a printer from a new supplier.  The current contractor was reported to be inconsistent with regard to maintenance calls, and the Probation office would like to establish a more reliable contract under lease, which would eliminate the need for toner and other associated costs, as well as provide for repair and upkeep.  Many county offices use a similar arrangement, including the Clerk’s and Assessor’s offices.  Copies for the Probation Office are essential for the paperwork required to work cases.   A further exploration of the possible options was agreed to.

Industrial Park Road leading to 100W

The road going into Hess Pumice from 100W was discussed.  The County would like to give the City back the road, as it is currently under county control, but is within the borders of the city itself, or at least the majority of the road space is.  Mayor Hawkins said that she would like to speak with Tyler Webster, the City’s superintendent, about the necessary upkeep and maintenance that stewardship of the road would involve.  It was observed that Hess was largely involved with the upkeep of the road as it is, though were there to be any new development along the road, it would reduce the bureaucracy required for the city to determine development/building issues in the area.  Mayor Hawkins determined to put the issue on the agenda for the next city council meeting, the second Wednesday of the month.

Security Cameras for Road and Bridge

Lisa Baker and Diana Dredge spoke with the Commission about security cameras for the Road and Bridge Building.  Recently, a stolen vehicle was abandoned outside the building, and in the past, additional vehicles have been left on the premises.  Several facilities throughout the county have been broken into within the last few years.  Currently, there are no security cameras at the building, which would be useful for general safety, and reporting for similar incidents in the future.  The potential funding source for such cameras was discussed.  The potential to obtain funding through one of the Emergency Preparedness grants was raised.  The widespread availability of consumer-grade security cameras using Wi-Fi was also discussed.  The Department requested 3 cameras and a system to monitor them.  The issue was tabled until a later meeting.

Closeout for old Hwy 37 construction grant phase 3

The northern end of the extension to the Narrows has been chip sealed under a recent grant for $100,000.  The total project cost was $250,000, including man hours, equipment, and other expenses.  The $100,000 was dedicated to materials for the project.  The Commission motioned to close out the grant, and sign the final document.  The RB department discussed some other grants that are currently under the application process.  One of the potential grants would go toward creating a new transportation plan for the county.  A bridge in need of a railing in Woodruff was also discussed. 

Boundary Line overlaps and other county property along Daniels Road

Daniels road out of town is in need of a clear plan for maintaining control of county roads which overlap with and abut private property.  Primarily at issue are corner pieces in locations where development may occur in the future. 

Secret Canyon Findings of Fact

The official document to complete the narrowing of the Secret Canyon road right of way (from a 50 foot to 25 foot right of way) was presented by the County Attorney’s Office to the Commission.  The road in question has been moved from its original location to its current one over time, and the county is interested in maintaining public access through the property.  A motion to accept the Secret Canyon Findings of Fact and Conclusion of Law document was made and passed.

Holiday Pay/Emergency Callout clarification

During the Christmas holiday, employees of Road and Bridge worked over several vacation days as a result of the winter storms that came through.  Owing to the schedule, the scheduled holiday hours were reallocated to surrounding days in the schedule.  According to the Personnel manual, substitute holidays are provided for in a circumstance where employees are scheduled on an emergency basis during what would otherwise be holidays.  This specifically applies to the Road Crew.  Due to the unpredictable nature of winter storms, weekend hours can create some problems with scheduling normal weekly work hours within the department.  On Fridays, for instance, workers are often called in to remove snow or slush to make roads passable, which can potentially put the Road Crew into an overtime situation.  The tricky part is trying to plan around upcoming weather events to minimize the amount of overtime hours that accumulate during especially heavy weather events.  When it is known that a weather event may be approaching, department managers do their best to scale work hours in anticipation of the potential need for the extra hours which will be required to remediate them.  The Personnel policy allows for an “Emergency Callout” in situations where the county resources need to be mobilized for road clearance.  A motion to change the comp time to account for the unscheduled holiday hours to emergency Callout time was made and passed.  A decision to clarify the comp time situation for the future was put on the agenda for the next meeting.

Road and Bridge Report

Diana Dredge reported that the department had obviously been very busy plowing since the last meeting.  She reported on the fact that a number of new employees within the department had been adjusting to the tasks associated with a heavy winter very well.  The department has received a number of compliments from residents who expressed gratitude for the hours and skill put in by the Road department during a busy season.  

The new truck will not be delivered until closer to March, when the department plans to chip and seal and dust guard a number of roads.  

New locations for gravel pits, which might be used to create more efficient infrastructure for maintaining and improving roads farther out into the county were discussed.  The potential to lease some areas closer to Stone and the western part of the county would allow for less travel between the current gravel pits and more remote roads was mentioned.  

Dredge reported that she felt the current staffing levels were satisfactory as far as being able to perform the duties required of the department.  The Commission expressed their gratitude to the Road and Bridge department for their efforts and professionalism. 

Clerk/Auditor Report

Lon Colton reported on behalf of the Clerk’s Office.  The office will be holding a school district election later this year, and a range of midterm elections during the fall.  There are a number of trials on the books that are scheduled into the next several months.  Various COVID related restrictions have resulted in a slower processing of the docket than usual.

The auditor has been given financial information from the county as a preliminary step to closing the budget year for the county officially.  

Lon Colton has been appointed to serve on the National Elections Committee as one of two representatives from Idaho.

The legislature plans to present 14 bills during this term related to elections, including provisions for post-election audits.  A number of other election-related topics are under discussion by county clerks across the state and county.  The legislative session begins this week.  

The Clerk’s Office expects the approval of continued PILT (Payment In Lieu of Taxes) funding, and reports that the first half of the ARPA money for the year has been received.  

Colton expressed his continued belief that planning for expenditures at least five years out would allow for better and more prudent financial management.  He mentioned a number of buildings owned by the county that were likely to be in need of renovation and maintenance within that time frame, and again suggested that coordination between various departments about their potential future expenses would be wise, and reduce in a more systematic updating of the county’s infrastructure.  

Public Defense Expenditure Report

A report outlining the expenditures over the last fiscal year for public defense was presented to the commission.  Some discussion of the future need for additional public defenders was had.  The 2021 Indigent Defense Expenditure Report and Public Defense Expenditure Reports were approved by the Commission.

Commissioner District Map Report

Every census results in a review of the commissioner districts for the county.  Ideally, the districts will be fairly equal in terms of the number of people represented.  In order to be exactly equal, each district would require 1,521 people.  While not quite as exact as that, about 80 people were recommended to be reorganized from District 1 (1,520) to District 2 (1,475) in order to bring the distribution into an acceptable margin for state requirements.  District 3 will contain 1,551 people under that arrangement.  Due to natural geography and population dynamics, the arrangement makes the most sense given where people live in town and throughout the county. The Commission District Map was approved by the Commission.  

Cell Phone Buyout/Judge Hooste

Under the county’s policy regarding phones, when upgrades become available the phone’s user generally returns the phone to the phone company for a credit toward the new phone.  In this case, Judge Hooste has requested to keep his old phone and pay an amount to the county equivalent to the credit that would be garnered from the trade in.  The motion to permit this transaction was made and carried.

4-CASI Economic Development

A replacement hire for an open position of Economic Development Coordinator has not been found at this point.  The scheduled hire ended up being unable to serve due to a conflict of interest.  

Prequalification of Elevator Contractors

The Assessor, Treasurer, Clerk, Attorney and others decided after the process of the Event Center’s construction to pre-qualify contractors for the elevator renovation/construction process.  Of the total number of applicants for the bid, two decided not to move further, one failed to turn in the pre-qualification application, and five submitted their documents.  The pre-qualification application requires a number of supporting documents which are necessary to move forward with the proposal/bidding process and allow contractors to receive an RFP.  The Commissioners needed to determine how many of the five submitted applications would move on to the next phase of the bidding process.  One of contractors was excluded for a variety of issues with their application.  Two of the contractors were missing Public Works licenses for Idaho, as well as financial records for this stage of the process.  The Commission discussed requiring a Public Works license as a requisite for the bid, as well as complete financial statements in the event of a low bid.  In total, four of the applicants were prequalified for the bidding process by a motion carried by the Commission.

Building Permit Comparison

Building Permits from 2021 were compared to those from 2020.  In terms of new homes, the numbers have been rising fairly steadily.  In 2019, there were 14 new home permits issued; in 2020 there were 26 issued; in 2021, the number rose to 42. The number of ag building permits has stayed fairly consistent.  There were 5 commercial building permits in 2021, after none the year before. 

ONEIDA COUNTY BUILDING PERMITS

Building permits in Oneida County has steadily increased over the last few years.

John Deere Lease for airport

A payloader for use at the airport has been leased by the county over the last year, and required a renewal of the lease to remain in operation.  The current rate is $4K/month.  The vehicle is used to clear snow and move material on the airport grounds.  There are 3 new leases at the airport, which will increase traffic to the airport in the upcoming timeframe.  The rental agreement was approved by the Commission.

Credit card for Extension Office and Building Office

Mick Udy explained that the Building Office would be able to more efficiently manage some aspects of office management with access to a credit card.  Payments for ongoing certification classes and office supplies currently require a multi-person process for payment dispersal, though often the expenses are reported to be fairly minimal.

The Extension Office also requested a credit card, for similar reasons.  The card would allow agents to purchase items for 4-H and other activities without having to go through the reimbursement process.  It was also noted as required for some purchases, such as hotel bookings and online purchases.  

The Clerk’s Office indicated that a credit card for purchases was actually easier for record keeping that the claims/reimbursement system.  A motion was made to provide credit cards to the Building department and the Extension Office.  The motion carried.  It was decided that the Commission should look into codifying a credit card policy for the county.

Department Reports for 2022

The various departments throughout the county have been put onto a calendar for reporting to the Board of County Commissioners.  The Clerk’s Office, Coroner, Road and Bridge, and Hospital Board, for instance, would report to the Board every quarter on a set rotation, and a similarly sized group of departments would report during the next meeting of the month, and so on.  This would allow for more consistent interaction and engagement with the various department heads throughout the county.  Each commissioner is assigned to a number of committees and areas of county interest, but the departments themselves rarely report directly to the bi-weekly commission meetings.  A tentative schedule wis under construction by the Clerk’s Office.

Event Center

Commissioner Christophersen explained to the commission that he has received a number of calls about the temperature inside the Event Center.  During some parts of last year, there was a furnace issue, which resulted in a temperature problem.  Other issues raised include snow removal, bathroom maintenance, and upkeep of the facility.