On Monday afternoon, the Woodruff bridge at the south end of the valley near Exit 3 was officially opened for business after several months of work to complete the project.  The bridge was in need of repair in order to make it suitable for car and truck travel.  The bridge structure was rebuilt and reinforced over several months as a part of a grant-supported funding project.  Following the meeting of the Board of County Commissioners, the bridge was officially ribbon-cut, and is now open for all traffic.  Asphalt is the only remaining part of the project left to complete, which will be done in the coming months, weather permitting.

The opening is the culmination of a long process, which involves the bimonthly oversight of the commissioners.  Commission meetings are held every second and fourth Monday of the month, with a small number of exceptions. The meeting of October 14  was one of those exceptions, as the regular day fell on the Columbus Day holiday.  A selective report from that day follows.  The report is adapted from notes recorded by Deputy County Clerk Shanci Dorius, and is not itself the official record. 

Malad Valley Welsh Heritage Festival Changes

As discussed in last week’s Enterprise, Luke Waldron and Jean Thomas presented Commissioners with the upcoming changes to the Malad Valley Welsh Festival, which is in its 20th year (excluding one year that was missed due to COVID-19).  As the current Malad Valley Welsh Festival Board has decided against continuing to lead the event, the Malad Valley Heritage Square Board has agreed to assume responsibility, with Luke Waldron chairing the new committee. 

The Festival will be a smaller, shorter event held at the Heritage Square in Samaria during the third week of September each year, replacing the Harvest Festival.  The new event name will be “Malad Valley Welsh Festival at Heritage Square”.  The committee will use several platforms to notify the public regarding the name, date, and location changes.

Thomas has a list of volunteers who are still willing to serve.  To address parking concerns at the new location, an additional 8 acres of land has been purchased and planted with grass.  Other logistics – such as emergency services, portable restroom facilities, and Conditional Use Permit (CUP) requirements –  are being addressed

Waldron is hopeful that the Welsh Festival could be grandfathered under the old code requirements, as it is taking the place of (and changing the name of) the Harvest Festival that was in place prior to the 2022 Development Code. 

Malad Mountain Communications Building - Signage

A metal sign identifying county ownership will be installed on the door of the Malad Mountain Communications Building. Bone Frog Creative provided a quote for the sign which included sales tax; since the county is tax exempt the payment will reflect the invoiced amount excluding the sales tax. 

America 250 Years Celebration - Resolution No. 2025-10-01

A resolution is required to receive grant funding for the America 250 celebration activities in Oneida County. Commissioners signed a resolution endorsing the America 250 in Idaho Commemoration and its vision to celebrate American history and the invaluable contributions of Idahoans. The resolution authorizes the formation of a committee to oversee local projects and efforts to support the commemoration in conjunction with Malad City, that will promote the maximum involvement of our residents, neighborhoods, businesses, schools, civic organizations, and institutions in the commemorations. The county will promote multiple events beginning in October of 2025 and culminating with a finale celebration on July 3 and 4th, 2026 in the city park with food, games, and patriotic music and a giant birthday cake and ice cream. 

America 250 Years Celebration - County Contribution

Previous discussions regarding the county’s donation amount to the America 250 celebration in Oneida County are not yet finalized. Committee Chairman Lon Colton requested a commitment from the board to contribute funds from one-time spending. It was proposed that a starting budget be approved with the option to request additional funds, if needed.

Commissioners wish to encourage each school, business, and organization in the county contribute to the America 250 celebrations in their own way, either financially or through participation in events, activities, or decorating store fronts.  

In October, the America 250 committee participated in Malad High School’s Homecoming Parade with a float and handed out informational fliers to parade onlookers.  November’s focus will be honoring veterans and December’s activity will be patriotic light show, which will start after the Christmas light show in the park ends. Additional monthly activities will be planned in upcoming committee meetings. Commissioner Lewis motioned to dedicate $5,000 of the county’s 2026 budget to the America 250 celebration of our country, which carried.  

P&Z – Concerns Regarding Property Splits for a Minor Subdivision – Mike Asay 

Mike Asay met with the Board of Commissioners to express concerns regarding the Planning and Zoning process he began last fall. Mr. Asay explained that he had been informed he needed to hire a surveyor, which he did in late April. He stated that during the process, he was asked to adjust his property lines by 30 feet to allow for a roadway easement and had understood that he would need to deed approximately two acres of land to the County as part of that requirement.

Mr. Asay expressed frustration with the length of the Planning & Zoning process and sought clarification regarding the easement and property ownership. He emphasized that his intent is to ensure future buyers of his property understand that the 30-foot easement to the center of the road restricts any building or modification within that area.

County Attorney Lyle Fuller clarified that the County is not requiring Mr. Asay to deed the property to the County. Commissioners discussed that it would be beneficial to arrange a meeting between the property owner, his surveyor, and the County’s engineer in the Planning and Zoning office to review the easement and property boundary issues in greater detail.

Green Light for Veterans

The commissioners signed a proclamation recognizing and honoring our veterans. As part of this recognition, the county will participate in the “Green Light for Veterans” initiative. The first year the county participated in this program, the Scouts sold green light bulbs for community members to display on their porch lights. Beginning this year, the county will be lighting the courthouse with green lights the week leading up to Veteran’s Day as a tribute to those who have served.  Clerk Lon Colton confirmed  there are funds available in the courthouse budget to cover the cost.  

Excess County Property 

Commissioners received a list of county-owned property identified for potential sale or disposal. The list includes: a gas-powered Dodge pickup requiring a new engine, a 1991 Ford snowplow, a 1998 International dump truck with plow, a broom machine, an asphalt tank distributor, unused 1-inch sucker rod, surplus office chairs and metal desks, and outdated Avaya phone equipment. 

Dianna Dredge would like to contact Hess Pumice to determine whether there is any interest in purchasing the 1-inch sucker rod the Road & Bridge Department would like to dispose of. 

R&B – Woodruff Bridge Change Order – Moving a Power Pole (timestamp: 1:48:30)

The original bid from Whitaker Construction for the Woodruff Bridge project was $193,560.50 and the final total for Whitaker Construction is $263,887.  The commissioners questioned the reason for the significant increase in cost.

Approximately $22,000 is due to the difference between the estimated and actual aggregate usage. Road & Bridge Supervisor Dianna Dredge explained that $6,097 was to move a power pole and placement of a protective sleeve around it, which required additional excavation. Ms. Dredge noted that Rocky Mountain Power may potentially pay for this portion, but no confirmation has been received as of the meeting time. 

The remaining overage of $41,921 was for an additional area that required excavation, which was not on the original bid.  Ms. Dredge stated that Whitaker Construction had not been informed by the engineering firm that an additional 1,100 yards of excavation would be required, nor was she consulted before the additional excavation was completed. 

Commissioners and Ms. Dredge agreed that improved communication between the engineering firm and the Road and Bridge Department to prevent similar issues in the future. Ms. Dredge also noted the change order should have been in place 2 months ago but it wasn’t. 

R&B – Depot Road Project Completion

The detour route for the upcoming Bannock Street road project required some preparation work, which has mostly been completed. The widening of a portion of road and other items the Road and Bridge Department agreed to handle for the detour route have been finished. There will still need to be some patching done, and a 3-inch asphalt overlay will need to be completed by the appropriate party.

Modify Approval for R&B Snowplow Purchase Going Over Budget Line

A snowplow purchase for the Road & Bridge department was approved at a recent commissioner meeting. A special meeting was held the following week to request the approval of additional funds, as the total purchase price of $57,570 exceeded the amount available in the department’s capital budget line by $2,855.31.  A motion was made to take the difference from another B-budget line. Clerk Lon Colton advised the board that allowing the capital line item to exceed its budgeted amount would provide more accurate reporting on where the funds were spent.

Weeds – Hylio Drone

Weed Supervisor Cody Clyde assessed the damage to the Hylio drone and itemized the components he believes require replacement or repair. Mr. Clyde noted additional issues may be identified once the repair process begins.  Mr. Clyde and the Board of Commissioners felt it may be beneficial to send the drone to Hylio for assessment, repair, and certification of the completed work. Mr. Clyde is awaiting a response from Hylio on the cost of freight for shipping the drone.

P&Z - Comp Plan & Future Land Use Map

The Commissioners discussed the status of updates to the County’s Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map. Commissioner Lewis indicated he would be comfortable signing off on the updated map; however, the Comprehensive Plan itself still requires revision. It was noted that Phase 1 of the project focused on integrating the map and plan language to ensure consistency between the two documents. Phase 2 will address additional components, including demographic updates, the water study, and the transportation study.

Commissioners discussed whether the 2017 Comprehensive Plan could be brought into compliance by formally accepting the updated map, as the current plan references that map. County Attorney Lyle Fuller provided recommendations regarding necessary updates to ensure compliance.

At this time, the only changes made to the 2017 Comprehensive Plan have been related to the map. As some questions remain unanswered, Rhonda will obtain additional information, and the Commissioners agreed to table the discussion until a future meeting.

P&Z Board

Josh Paskeett has stepped down from the Planning and Zoning Board and Jennifer Brown was approved to serve in the position.

Recommendation/Proposal - County Ordinance - Private Cemeteries

Over the past few years, questions have come up about how to get approval for burial sites on private property. The Attorney General’s office refers these questions back to Idaho Code. Clerk Lon Colton shared sample documents from other counties that have dealt with this. Commissioner Lewis likes the Elmore County example and suggested involving Coroner Brad Horsley for his input. Attorney Lyle Fuller said an ordinance needs to be in place to allow burials on private property. The Board will continue the discussion at a future meeting after more info is gathered and a draft ordinance is prepared.

Event Center Rental

A report regarding Event Center rentals was presented to the commissioners, noting that rental payments have been received at varying times, with some being submitted in groups rather than individually. Most county departments turn in funds daily. The last three rental payments were brought directly to the office by individuals renting the Event Center, as they were seeking clarification about the payment process and requirements.

To help streamline the process, Mandi Armstrong from the Clerk’s Office will assume responsibility for scheduling, collecting and refunding deposits, and managing rental payments in accordance with the approved policy. This adjustment will allow the other party to focus on cleaning and facility upkeep.

Additionally, the money from the courtesy car has been accumulating for some time, so Ms. Armstrong will now stop by weekly to collect the funds from a lockbox designated for courtesy car donations. She will also take over management of the fuel charge transactions previously handled by Roxanne Albretson.

Employee Bonus

According to the county’s financial software vendor, individual checks can be issued to employees for the planned bonus. The commissioners would like the payments to be made by mid-November. Applicable taxes will be withheld, to ensure compliance.

The original decision was to provide $1,500 for full-time employees working 30–40 hours per week, $1,000 for part-time employees, and $500 for seasonal employees, including the four pool managers.