End of Year County Reports

Oneida County has a number of large departments, each with its own supervisor and staff.  In order to account for the various agencies, an end of the year/last quarter report is included here from each of those departments.  Additionally, the most recent county commission meeting report can be found in this issue as well.  For the most part, each report is authored by its supervisor/director.

Airport Board

The board engaged Stephen Freiburger, the county’s engineer, to develop the bid for the runway lighting replacement grant. When the runway was repaved, new conduit was laid underneath in anticipation of a new lighting system. Those lines have been located and mapped. There is no conduit under the taxi way so that information needs to be mapped. Mr. Freiburger also inspected the electrical system due to the need for a new regulator for the updated lighting system. Parker Venable provided a CAD drawing of the runway for measurements. Last month, Parker Venable and his crew spread new gravel around the airport and fixed the barrow pit for water mitigation. 

In the last board meeting, it was determined to charge $5 a night for use of the tie downs. There are only a few tie downs available and half of them house derelict planes. If a person purchases fuel, the first night’s fee is waived. Brilee Bastian cleaned the pilots’ lounge the past year. She resigned because she is too busy with school. We asked around for another person to clean. Whitney Cook is the only person who agreed to clean for 2 hours a week. A speed limit sign needs to be placed at the airport. This is a family-friendly airport, but some of the people drive too fast posing a safety hazard. A sign and post are needed as well as advisement on the determined speed.

Ambulance Department 

Not much has changed with the Ambulance department over the past 3 months. There have been some difficult calls and our crews have handled them with the skill and compassion necessary. We are still awaiting delivery of the new ambulance, which is now set for sometime early next year. We are possibly going to hold another EMT class this winter for those who have expressed interest. One safety issue is the overgrowth of weeds surrounding the ambulance bay. Volunteer ambulance crew brought in equipment to clear the overgrowth of weeds and is hopeful that an agreement can be reached in the future where the county will manage the spraying. As of July 1, oversight for Idaho EMS has been moved from the Department of Health and Welfare to the Military. This change seems to be positive so far.

Assessor

The Assessor’s office is doing the normal day to day work. We have not seen the deed processing slow down and we have approximately 40 new homes or buildings to put on occupancy next month [January]. We are trying to learn our new mapping system, but the state has all new people as well, so we are looking at ways to find help in other places so that we can continue to help our customers like we have in the past.

Building Inspector

Between October and December 2025, there were 17 building permits issued in Oneida County. The permits issued were for 4 commercial buildings, 5 outbuildings, 5 single family dwellings, 1 multi-residential building and 2 miscellaneous permits. Carpet installation in the courthouse for both the main floor and the upper level is completed. Courthouse office doors will be painted and finished before the end of the year. Event Center projector and screen are installed and in working order. Looking ahead, the next phase of the courthouse improvements will focus on renovating the basement bathrooms and installing new blinds in the Treasurer’s Office. The Event Center needs to address drainage issues on the north side of the building.

We had success with our generators working during the power outage.

Total Permits Issued since 2021: (2021)124 (2022)113 (2023)105 (2024)112 (2025-through October) 73 (25025—Oct through Dec) 17.

Clerks Office

Court facilities: The court room has been completed with the exception of some needed paint touch up. An open house will be planned in the near future to invite the public to come see the improvements to the court house including the new elevator, the remodeled court room and the ADA countertops in all offices. Two court clerks recently attended meetings in Boise to discuss topics related to court recording and handling of court records and the software they use. 

Elections Candidates for City Council, Fire district commissioner, and school board members at[ submitted paperwork prior to the deadline. All races were uncontested and following Idaho Code the elections were canceled and those that “threw their hat in the ring” will automatically take office according to the district rules. Taking advantage of not holding an election this November, the clerk’s office visited several surrounding counties to observe their early vote practices and collaborate on methods of conducting elections. One main focus will be on reviewing the ballot on demand feature implemented in several counties. Ballot on demand allows the ballot to be printed on an as needed basis saving on unnecessary printing. It also helps keep ballots in order when several ballots faces are needed such as would be the case when conducting elections for several taxing districts at the same time. The county approved the FY2026 budget following their budget hearing on August 25. FY2O25 expenses were approved and paid through the October 14th, meeting prior to the budget being closed and presented to the outside auditor for review.

Extension Office

The Extension office has had a very busy few months to close 2025. Most of this was taken up by both our County Fair and the Eastern Idaho State Fair(EISF). We did have a practice 4-H horse show which was successful in preparing our youth for the fair contest. This year we had our livestock weigh-in on Monday which was a bit of a change, but overall well received. We had livestock animals for the public to view all week! This included 15 steers, 33 hogs, 12 goats, and 70 sheep. The 4-H dog show also moved into the Event Center this year and the kids had a great time showing off their companion animals! Our working ranch horse 4-H group had a great contest on Tuesday morning and is a great start to a growing program. The quality of livestock was complemented by a number of judges who came to evaluate these animals. The fairboard did a great job of having plenty of vendors and fun activities available for participants and spectators. We thank them for their support. It was a fun and successful fair week! 

We had 18 youth from our county take animal projects to the state fair and saw lots of success! We also had a livestock judging team compete at the state 4-H contest at the end of the EISF. This young team did well and is showing promise for the future. Our department also worked with the ISDA and the county commissioners to bring a storage container to Oneida County to store bait/pesticide for grasshopper and Mormon cricket control. In the past, land owners who qualified for this ISDA program had to go to Pocatello or Preston to pick up pesticide for their property. Now, we have plenty on-hand here in the county for our residents to use if approved by the ISDA. This will be a great benefit to our community. We now look forward to our fall and winter season when we will be offering a wide array of Extension classes ranging from cooking classes, personal health, beef schools, forage schools, and MORE! If you have a topic you would like to see our office provide a class on, please let us know!

Fair Board

Fair Board Member Ken Moss Jr discussed the fair with the board, stating this is a slow time of year. They recently held the annual year-end dinner and have ordered a new flagpole that will be installed next spring near the bucking chutes and announcer stands. Panels for the new shed need to be put up and gates for the end need to be ordered, once the size and number are determined. The GEM Grant the county applied for was not approved. The grant money was intended for improvements at the fairgrounds. There are other grants available the board is hoping to apply for with help from Molly Beseris with 4CASI.

PZ

County Growth Overview: Oneida County continues to see steady population growth. Between 2020 and 2023, the population increased by 8.5% (4,564 to 4,953). Preliminary estimates for 2024-2025 indicate an additional 2.1%- 2.4% increase. Growth continues to be driven by increased interest in rural residential living, agricultural development, and a rising number of land-use inquiries. This trend reinforces the need for continued long-range planning and coordinated development strategies.

Key Work Completed: Continued refinement of the Comprehensive Plan and Future Land Use Map (FLUM). Research and clarification of agricultural terminology, including establishing a definition for “prime farmland.” Preparatory work for the County Water Study, including data gathering and mapping coordination. Review and cleanup of internal documents to maintain accurate public records. Ensured zoning processes such as one-time divisions and subdivisions align with Idaho Code.

Department Enhancements: To support increasing workloads, the department added a Planning & Zoning Assistant, resulting in Faster public response times, Improved workflow efficiency, Better coordination on long-term planning projects, Enhanced accuracy in application tracking and documentation.

Public Service & Collaboration: The department continues strong coordination with Building Inspection, Road & Bridge, GIS, Fire/EMS, Assessor’s Office. These collaborations help streamline development review, ensure consistent code interpretation, and increase transparency for both residents and developers. 

Fiscal Responsibility:  The department remains committed to efficient use of staff time, Reducing duplicated efforts, Managing increased service demands without unnecessary cost increases, Ensuring that planning decisions align with long-term infrastructure and water-resource realities.

Conclusion: The Planning & Zoning Department continues to support responsible and sustainable growth in Oneida County. With ongoing policy development, active long-range planning, and increasing public demand, we remain focused on: Clear and consistent processes, Strong interdepartmental communication, Code compliance and clarity, Preparing the county for future development pressures. We appreciate the Board’s continued support as we guide the county through this period of expansion and community development.

Misdemeanor Adult &
Juvenile Probation 

Misdemeanor probation is a court-ordered supervision for individuals convicted of lesser criminal offenses. The primary goal is to encourage rehabilitation while ensuring public safety. Probation terms typically include regular check-ins with a probation officer participation in community service, completion of educational or treatment programs, and compliance with all taws. Challenges: Limited resources due to being a rural community.  Barriers to employment and housing for individuals on probation. 

Policy Updates: We have updated our policies to include officer safety equipment and officer safety procedures. We will be submitting it to the commissioner for approval. Both misdemeanor and juvenile probation systems are evolving to better support rehabilitation and community safety. The focus is increasingly on individualized support, alternative sentencing, and reducing barriers to successful reintegration. Ongoing challenges remain, but policy and practice updates are aimed at improving outcomes for probationers and society as a whole.

Oneida County Prosecutor - 2025 Cases as of 11/17/25

Adult

Total Cases This Year: 620

Jurisdiction:

County = 399, ~64% of cases

City = 221, ~36% of cases

Type:

Felony = 20

Misdemeanor = 93

Infraction = 507

Total = 320

Disposition:

Guilty = 540

Pending = 63

Dismissed = 17

Total = 620

Agency:

Oneida County Sheriff’s Office = 344

Idaho State Police = 246

Fish and Game = 27

Port Of Entry = 1

Highschool = 2

***truancy affidavit comes directly from the school***

Juvenile

Total Cases This Year: 19

Type:

Felony = 4

Misdemeanor = 13

Status = 1

Infraction = 1

Disposition:

Guilty = 13

Pending = 4

Dismissed = 2 (Diversion program with Probation)

** All Juvenile cases are a) from Oneida County Sheriff’s Office (except two transfer cases), and b) are considered County**

* Cases include one or more counts of felonies, misdemeanors or infractions.

** Pursuant to local rule, misdemeanors that arise from a felony matter are charged with the felony, therefore, counted as Felony

Road & Bridge 

There hasn’t been much snow to push but our salt shed is full, and we have sanders and plows on our trucks, so we are ready to go when mother nature is. We have been hauling gravel over from Stone to have stockpiled here to use. We have been patching roads since the weather has been so nice. We were able to haul gravel on a few roads in December. 

Our safety grant is coming along. They should begin our centerline rumble strips and delineators this summer. We are getting all our oil scheduled for next year’s chip sealing. We are fencing around our Juniper gravel pit so that we can get a screen out there and have gravel for the juniper roads. We used our new road widener in Arbon and up through the narrows and on Daniels Road. It’s been a slow start to winter but we have used these warm days to get some work done.

Sheriff’s Office

Incident Reports August 1, 2025 – November 17, 2025

Total Incident Reports for County and City: 618

Total Incident Reports for City: 271

Total Incident Reports for Schools: 24 Nature of the Incidents Reports Include:

55 - Suspicious Circumstances

46 – Accidents

18 - Medical

14 – Thefts

12 – Bus Violations

9 – Harassment’s

8 – Drug Violations

5 – Sex Offenses

5 – Child Abuse

4 – DUI Reports

4 – Missing Persons

3 – Underage Tobacco

2 – Unattended Deaths

2 - Burglary’s

2 – Threatening’s

1 – Shot’s Fired

1 – Suicide

Citation Report August 1, 2025 – November 17, 2025

(This report does not include felony charges)

Total Citations for City: 105 Total Citations for County: 48 Total Warnings Issued: 92

Sheriff Notes: Special Recognition to Chief Deputy Jenny Hawkes for all her hard work investigating Sex Offense and Child Abuse cases. These cases are very emotional and mentally draining due to the sensitive natural of the incidents. Chief Deputy Hawkes investigates them whole heartedly with dedication and support to the victims. Thank you, Jenny. 

The Sheriff’s Office is still down 3 deputies. It is very challenging to run a sheriff’s office the way it should be run being this shorthanded. It is an Officer and Public safety risk. I want to thank all the Sheriff’s Office staff for their hard work, long hours, call outs on their days off and for their dedication to Oneida County citizens to make our community safe. I would like to thank the Citizens of Oneida County for their patience while we attempt to get fully staffed. 

The Sheriff’s Office is looking to upgrade our firearms, with new 9mm pistols equipped with flash lights and nitrogen-purged enclosed LED sights for better marksmanship. This will be at no to very little cost to the tax payers.  Sergeant Dallas Jones and I, recently attended Grant Management Training. The idea behind this training is to learn more about the grant writing process and apply for grants for equipment and training needs. Sheriff Deputies continue to have monthly specialized training on a wide array of topics. This training has shown to be beneficial to the Sheriff’s Office and the public we serve. It’s an honor to serve this community and I thank you for this opportunity. Sheriff Doug Williams

Treasurer’s report 

The total collections for the month of September 2025 are as follows: Tax Year 2022: $3,010.54 Tax Year 2023: $1,681.67 Tax Year 2024: $15,995.87 Total Collected $20,688.08 

The outstanding delinquents as of September 30,2025 are as follows Tax Year 2022: $11,506.91, Tax Year 2023: $36,563.87, Tax Year 2024 $94,930.47. Total delinquencies: $143,001.25.  We currently have 1-8 delinquencies for 2022 taxes, and we are closely working with each tax payer to help ensure all taxes are collected by December 31, 2025. We will be in full swing the week of November 3 through November 7 in completing the 2026 Tax drive. All tax bills should be mailed out by November 24th. All parcel owners will be able to start making payments anytime; however, the amount will be an estimate until the end of November when the tax bills are completed. As of September 30, 2025 we have earned $398,647.45 in interest for fiscal year 2025.

Weed Dept

Oneida County Weed Department is looking forward to hitting the ground running in 2026. We have made a few new infestation discoveries this fall that we plan on hitting as early as possible in the spring. We have also renewed a 5 year grant with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to continue ground and helicopter applications on BLM lands in Oneida County. We are also seeking funding again from the state to continue our chemical cost share program for landowners. Again this year we will also be certifying weed free hay and forage. 2026 is looking to be a busy year and we are looking forward to seeing the end of year outcome.