This is not the official minutes of the meeting, which were graciously provided by Deputy County Clerk Shanci Dorius.  Some edits have been made for length and context, and a portion of the meeting devoted to department reports has been removed for a different presentation.  The official minutes can be requested through the Clerk’s Office.

Bulk Fuel Tank Bids

Three bids were received for refilling the bulk fuel tank with 7,000 gallons of 88-octane ethanol-free fuel: Valley Wide, $2.837 per gallon; Hall Oil,$2.995 per gallon; Bear River Valley  $3.040 per gallon.  The board accepted the lowest bid from Valley Wide and were interested to know if the winning bidder would be able to top the tank off by bringing 7,800 gallons instead of the requested 7,000.

Idaho State Historical Society Grant -
Contract Approval

A $6,500 grant was received from the Idaho State Historical Society for a survey of the buildings downtown to determine if any would qualify to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Kirk Huffaker with Preservation Strategies will write the report for $1,000 beginning in January and hopes to complete it by April. The grant funds will not be received until after the project is complete. The project cost is $6,500, which will be paid in two installments by the county.

Follow-up on Playground Donation Request

Rachael Clark appeared before the Board on behalf of the Malad Community Foundation’s Playground Committee and asked the commissioners to clarify the amount the county plans to donate to the new playground. As of November 2025, the committee has raised approximately $156,000 of the estimated $270,000 needed for the playground (this amount does not include installation costs). The usable equipment currently at the park will be relocated near the pickleball courts. The commissioners discussed using PILT money for the donation, beginning with a smaller initial contribution and the possibility of an additional contribution in the future. The topic will be revisited at the second meeting in January.  Commissioner Jeppsen motioned to approve a donation of $1,000 to the Malad Community Foundation playground project from PILT (one-time spending) funds. Seconded by Commissioner Eliason. All ayes. Motion carried.

Probation – Juvenile Form B and JCS Annual Financial Report Form C

Kristi Christophersen with Oneida County Probation requested the commissioners’ signatures for Juvenile Form B and the JCS Annual Financial Report Form C. Mrs. Christophersen indicated that in past years there were few or no felonies, but this year there were six. Currently the number of juveniles is under 10, which is a good thing. Mrs. Christophersen noted that more juveniles are being referred through the schools for truancy issues.

The annual reporting section of Form B states that Oneida County includes the following numbers:2 male juveniles placed under diversion contracts (one age 14–16 and the other age 18+)

6 males and 3 females on probation (two ages 11–13, 5 ages 14–16, and two age 17) 2 juveniles have been successfully discharged

6 petitions have been filed

15 probation violations

6 felonies

7 misdemeanors

13 juveniles in the cohort group – recidivism (tracking youth who reoffend after prior involvement)

Probation – Passthrough Funds Agreement

Kristi Christophersen with Oneida County Probation presented the Passthrough Funds Agreement for Fiscal Year 2026 (October 1, 2025 – September 30, 2026). The state allocation to Oneida County Probation for the fiscal year is $27,892.

R&B – Grant Approval for Daniels Road Repairs

Jake Poulsen with Keller Associates informed Road & Bridge Supervisor Dianna Dredge that the county qualifies for the Local Rural Highway Investment Program (LRHIP) grant. Ms. Dredge requested commissioner approval to pay Keller Associates $1,000 to write the grant for the county. The $150,000 must be used within two years. The current plan is to spend the summer of 2027 improving or replacing the culvert near the Narrows and making road improvements, including widening and installing a guardrail. The culvert is large, with the current concrete box measuring 6’ x 8’. It is planned to replace it with another concrete box, because concrete has a longer life expectancy than a less expensive corrugated culvert. The new concrete box would also be larger to support the road widening, and it would better accommodate flow during times when community members have observed the culvert running full.

Paragraph 8 of the contract has an indemnity clause, but Keller Associates provided a local-government version of the contract, which was obtained and returned for commissioner signature prior to the end of the meeting.  Commissioner Eliason motioned to accept the agreement for professional services between Oneida County and Keller Associates to write the grant for the Local Rural Highway Investment Program (LRHIP) for the Devils Creek Culvert Rehab Project for $1,000.  Seconded by Commissioner Jeppsen. All ayes. Motion carried.

R&B - LRHIP Construction Application - Devils Creek Culvert (Daniels Road Project)

Continuing the discussion of the Daniels road repairs, the Local Rural Highway Investment Program (LRHIP) Construction Application was presented to the board for approval of the $150,000 grant.  Item number 10 on the agreement highlights the county’s need to be aware of the deadline, but County Attorney Lyle Fuller stated it does not need to be removed, but advised the county to be aware of the deadline and noted there is an opportunity for an extension if necessary.

R&B – Opportunity for Employees to Volunteer to Work up to 10 Fridays per Year

Road & Bridge Supervisor Dianna Dredge requested the board consider allowing the department’s employees to come in on a volunteer basis to work up to 10 Fridays per year to catch up on work or prepare for projects. There are at least 2 employees in that department who work a second job on Fridays and Saturdays in order to make ends meet.  Budgeted funds are available to cover overtime wages. This opportunity is separate from comp time and would not occur during winter snow removal months.  This opportunity would be utilized beginning in the spring and involve tasks such as patching and watering roads, stockpiling gravel, fixing signs, or cleaning out culverts.  Ms. Dredge would have tasks outlined that would make this overtime an efficient use of time. Employees would be paid as time-and-a-half rather than receiving comp time, and would need to remain within the allotted budget. Reporting on this effort would be included in the R&B quarterly report.  

A comp time study is currently being done that may change the parameters of this discussion. The board also discussed whether new employees should have the option of earning comp time versus receiving overtime pay, an noted employees would need to understand how overtime is affected if they take PTO during the week. 

 Sharon Jutila with SMJ Consulting is reviewing federal labor laws to ensure the county is compliant.  As Ms. Dredge anticipates the overtime beginning in the spring, the commissioners agreed to table further discussion until after Ms. Jutila reports on her findings.  

Hours for Weed Supervisor

Currently, the Oneida County Weed Supervisor Cody Clyde splits his time 40%/60% between the Road & Bridge and Weed departments, respectively.  He is too busy to devote a full 40% of his time to Road & Bridge. According to Road & Bridge Supervisor Dianna Dredge, a more accurate division could be 80%/20%, allowing Mr. Clyde to focus on his department and then assist with plowing for Road & Bridge during the winter. 

Another option would be to pay all compensation from of one account and then have Mr. Clyde request an administrative adjustment at the end of the year to reconcile the time spent assisting Road & Bridge.  

Mr. Clyde agreed that there may need to be an adjustment on the division of time. He was recently told he needs a chemigation license and it is time to renew his drone license, which will require him to spend some winter hours working on administrative needs for the Weed Department. The board requested Mr. Clyde track the division of labor on his time cards for the entirety of Fiscal Year 2026 and then assess at the end of the fiscal year.  No decisions were made at this time.

Sheriff - Vehicle Purchases

Oneida County Sheriff Doug Williams spoke with the board regarding the fleet of vehicles in his department. Historically, new vehicles remained in the fleet for at least 8 years.  Sheriff Williams has been exploring leasing options to replace vehicles in the fleet that are mechanically unsound or aging out.  Currently, all of the vehicles are paid off and all 4-year leases have ended. The Dodge trucks are notorious for mechanical issues starting around 100,000 miles and Sheriff Williams has considered investing in newer vehicles and putting everything on a lease. A factory powertrain warranty would provide coverage for the duration of a 5-year lease. At the end of the lease, the vehicles would retain a good resale value. Currently, the Sheriff’s office is in a favorable position as the trucks in the fleet have a strong resale value. The fleet includes 3 Ford trucks, which typically hold their value better than the Dodge trucks. 

The estimates provided by the Sheriff are through The Bancorp Commercial Fleet Leasing. The Sheriff is still working on the numbers, but he estimates an additional $15,000 over the current budget would allow the department to lease nine new vehicles.  Sheriff Williams proposed that at the end of each lease, the department obtain new vehicles under a new lease rather than retaining them until they have no value.  In the long run, this approach would save the county significant maintenance and repair costs, and the trade in value would be a lot higher at the end of the lease.  The only vehicles thing that would not be traded would be the transporter van and patrol vehicle for the reserves. The commissioners are in favor of a plan to save the county money in the long run and would like to see the additional information Sheriff Williams is working to obtain. No decisions were made at this time.

Microfiche Scanner in the Clerk’s Office

The scanner currently used in the Clerk’s office is not compatible with the current software or operating systems on the computers and will soon be obsolete.  The company that sells the scanners was recently acquired by Business Process Automations.  In order to maintain continued access to the microfiche and aperture cards, it is necessary to upgrade the machine.  

The new machine will have enhanced features that allow for faster, more efficient scanning, which will save the county money over time.  There are 42,684 instrument numbers that need to be scanned, and many are multi-page documents of 12 or more pages. The new machine would assist the recorder’s office with its document digitization project. If the microfiche is low quality, the new scanner has a higher-quality camera that would improve the quality of the images. A promotion ending December 15 would save $3,500 on the purchase.

Commissioner Jeppsen motioned to approve the $9,270 purchase from Business Process Automations (BPA Systems) for a ScanPro 3500 Microfiche Scanner for the Clerk’s office, to be paid out of the one-time spending fund. Motion carried.

4-H Sale Committee -
Relationship to the County

Questions regarding the role of the 4-H Sale Committee and its relationship to the county resurfaced as the board considered where it should be listed on the county website. County Extension Agent Sawyer Fonnesbeck and Fair Board Member Ken Moss Jr. reported that the committee functions as a subcommittee of the Fair Board, not as a 4-H requirement, although the current bylaws do not clearly reflect this. Efforts are underway to update and clarify the bylaws.

The 4-H Sale Committee currently uses the county’s EIN number, despite being self-sufficient and not operating under county funds. The committee determines the sale order for the livestock auction and collects a small portion of each sale check to cover expenses. Attorney Lyle Fuller recommended the committee obtain its own EIN and operate independently from the county. No decisions were made.

Non-Compliant Special Purpose Taxing Districts

During a recent Idaho Association of Counties (IAC) training, it was learned that taxing districts that are not in compliance with required reporting are subject to limitations on their tax revenue. There are currently two non-compliant districts in Oneida County: Holbrook Cemetery (non-compliant this year) and Holbrook Recreation (non-compliant for more than one year).

For compliant districts, the L2 forms used to calculate property taxes for the upcoming year allow a 3% increase. Because these two districts are non-compliant, the 3% increase was removed from their L2s. Additionally, any excess sales tax or revenue sharing that would normally be distributed to these districts is frozen until the districts become compliant, which can have a significant financial impact even for smaller districts.

Notices of non-compliance will be published in the local newspaper, and County Clerk Lon Colton will contact each district directly to provide information on the steps needed to return to compliance.

Oneida County Vehicle
Use Policy

A county employee requested permission to take a vehicle home rather than leaving it at the office. The board discussed the legal and IRS implications of county vehicle use.  

Although the county’s vehicle use policy was discussed last year and an effort was made to update portions of it, the updates were never finalized. The board reviewed each point of the policy and provided current recommended updates.  The updates will be incorporated into the policy and brought back to a future meeting for approval.