County commissioner's minutes June 25-26
July 24, 2012
***Monday, June 25, 2012, Commissioners met in regular session with Chairman Ron Smith, Commissioner Walt Kirby and Deputy Clerk Michelle Rohrwasser. Commissioner Dan Dinning was out of the office for the week tending to personal matters.

9:00 a.m., Road and Bridge Superintendent Jeff Gutshall joined the meeting to give the departmental report. Boundary County Emergency Services Incident Commander Bob Graham also joined the meeting.

Mr. Gutshall presented a written report. Mr. Gutshall informed Commissioners he had been using five new traffic counters and two of them were stolen from the Highland Flats area at the four corners.

Mr. Gutshall said he spoke to Rusty Leahy from David Evans and Associates about the slide near the golf course. Three separate remedies are being submitted under emergency program and the options are: re-pave and provide new rock, put a fairly large French drain below the railroad bed, or rebuild all the way from the railroad slope.

Those present briefly discussed alternate routes if something were to make the Kootenai River Bridge unusable.

Mr. Gutshall discussed placing fabric down on Pine Island Road and informed Commissioners the situation is the same as far as culverts and ditching on Fawn Lane. Mr. Gutshall said he doesn’t want to start work on District 5 Road and not be able to gravel it so he will wait for chip sealing. These roads will all get a shot of dust palliative materials, according to Mr. Gutshall.

Mr. Gutshall said he had two graders working today.

Mr. Gutshall said the Mission Creek Bridge is not considered an official bridge because it is less than 20 feet long and currently Mission Creek is backed up approximately three feet over the bridge.

Road and Bridge will begin mowing and patching soon.

Mr. Gutshall said the Army Corps’ permit is good for Deep Creek Bridge #4. C.E. Crane and Contracting is the unofficial low bidder, but he has not seen the award yet. Mr. Gutshall said this project will be nip and tuck and the bridge decks need to be ordered. A temporary bridge will be in place for equipment and emergency vehicles. The resident in that immediate area will also be accommodated, but that is due to her circumstances.

Chairman Smith mentioned the flood issue at Glen Fodge’s road. The plug was repaired in order to stop the water from seeping, but it’s not working and it isn’t certain how water is coming in. It was mentioned this is a private road. Chairman Smith said in past flooding incidents near Eastport there were private roads having the same issue and the County provided sandbags to the affected homeowners. It was said that Glen Fodge had put more gravel on his road and just because it is a private road it should not be ignored.
Chairman Smith said he thought the sandbags were provided and placed on Mr. Fodge’s road. Mr. Fodge was given assistance, but he should understand sandbags and/or sand is available and he needs to be responsible for having the work done. Mr. Graham said Mr. Fodge had been out of town, but had just put the gravel down last week. Mr. Fodge thinks the water is coming underneath the plug, but it is not, according to Mr. Graham. Mr. Graham said Mr. Fodge contacted him yesterday and said he would take care of it. Mr. Fodge has materials and an end loader to add to what has been bagged. The slough just keeps increasing to where it comes over the road. It was said Mr. Fodge had done minimal work to extend the bagging work yesterday. Mr. Graham said it is his thinking that Mr. Fodge may call for help tomorrow.

It was said this is private property and the County has been sufficient in what has been provided. Mr. Graham said Mr. Fodge needs to find a permanent solution such as another foot or so of rock to keep water from coming over his road.

Mr. Gutshall asked if Mr. Fodge’s house had been in danger. Mr. Graham said boats on the river cause sloughing of the river banks and each time this happens Mr. Fodge and Toby Schnuerle lose property. Mr. Graham mentioned notifying the newspaper about boating and the need for boaters to slow down.

Mr. Gutshall spoke of the few places that were built in the wrong spot and he questioned liability.

Mr. Graham said the flow to the reservoir was 64 feet and outflow at the same time was 37 feet and that is a big difference. Mr. Graham said up until today the Corps was predicting the pool would come within five feet of filling and then settle down. As of now there was 6.5 feet of free board left. Mr. Graham said more of the dam is actually allowed to pond to become higher than 1,759 in order to be considered full pool, but the International Treaty states the reservoir cannot be filled any further. If too much water is spilled, it creates nitrogen bubbles below the dam and that affects sturgeon. Mr. Graham said today’s information is looking at 1.7 feet of free board by July, which is a drop from 5 feet to 3.5 feet to 1.7 feet.

Mr. Graham said the biggest problem is the major storm expected to come tomorrow. Mr. Graham said he has been getting phone calls from John Livingston with the National Weather Service that the area could get up to two inches of rain tomorrow from sunrise to evening.

Mr. Graham said he spoke to the Kootenai River Inn again and he doesn’t think they will need help, but if the Kootenai River reaches over 1,765 they will give local government a call. Due to tomorrow’s rain prediction, the Corps increased the water release over the spillway. The inflow has not decreased, but has increased, according to Mr. Graham. The snowtel supervisor in Canada said one of their three snowtel sites is way above average and the other day Sheriff’s deputies noted there is still plenty of snow above Copper Creek. Mr. Graham said that tells him the elevation in Bonners Ferry will stay close to 1,764 or so for another week or two. The Corps is doing what they can, but they’re limited because of nitrogen. Chairman Smith said once the dam gets full, there is no choice, but to let the water go.

One option is to let water back up into Canada. When there were problems in year 2006, the Canadian dam was spilling as much as they could. Kootenay Lake in Canada backs water into the United States. Mr. Graham said 1,762 is the normal high level for most years and that can decrease to 1,755.

Mr. Gutshall said he shows the weather warming to 55 degrees and getting hot next week.

The meeting with Mr. Graham and Mr. Gutshall ended at 9:50 a.m.

Commissioner Kirby moved to sign the In-kind letter for the Boundary County Youth Crisis and Domestic Violence Hotline. Chairman Smith yielded the chair to second. Motion passed unanimously.

Commissioner Kirby moved to authorize the Chairman to sign the Panhandle Area Council Professional Services Contract, Amendment #1 for the Community Restorium Elevator Project #ICDBG-12-I-10-PF. Chairman Smith yielded the chair to second. Motion passed unanimously.

10:10 a.m., Clerk Glenda Poston joined the meeting at Commissioners’ request to discuss various matters. Clerk Poston left the meeting at 10:15 a.m.

10:30 a.m., Property owner Glen Fodge stopped by Commissioners’ Office to discuss issues he is having due to the flooding.

Mr. Fodge said last week he hauled in several loads of gravel for this road. Mr. Fodge explained that he and his wife had been out of town until he returned on Sunday and he noticed a few sandbags left and that others were used. Mr. Fodge said he learned from someone that sandbagging had been called off and he asked to know why.

Chairman Smith said he heard Mr. Fodge would probably lose some gravel from his road. Chairman Smith said Mr. Graham mentioned that he couldn’t get a hold of Mr. Fodge and that he said to go ahead and get a hold of Road and Bridge to bring in the machine used for sandbagging and to call volunteers. Mr. Fodge said this was the first time he happened to have his cell phone turned off. Mr. Fodge said he had raised his road two feet last year and another foot this year. Mr. Fodge said he does appreciate the work that was done.

Mr. Fodge said Toby Schnuerle probably lost a 50 foot wide section of river bank on his property. Boaters and people don’t understand, according to Mr. Fodge. The number of boats has quadrupled and he has seen 12 boats on the river in one day.

Mr. Fodge left the meeting at 10:50 a.m.
Commissioners tended to administrative duties.

11:25 a.m., Clerk Glenda Poston and Chief Deputy Clerk Tracie Isaac joined the meeting.

Commissioner Kirby moved to go into Executive Session under Idaho Code #67-2345(1)b, to consider the evaluation, dismissal or disciplining of, or to hear complaints or charges brought against, a public officer, employee, staff member or individual agent, or public school student. Chairman Smith yielded the chair to second. Commissioners voted as follows: Chairman Smith “yes” and Commissioner Kirby “yes”. Motion passed unanimously. 11:55 a.m., Commissioner Kirby moved to go out of executive session. Chairman Smith yielded the chair to second. Motion passed unanimously.

Chief Deputy Clerk Isaac left the meeting.

Treasurer Jenny Fessler and Assessor Dave Ryals joined Commissioners and Clerk Poston and those present discussed the July Fourth holiday.

The meeting with Clerk Poston, Treasurer Fessler and Assessor Ryals ended at 12:00 p.m.

There being no further business, the meeting recessed until tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.

***Tuesday, June 26, 2012, Commissioners met in regular session with Chairman Ron Smith, Commissioner Walt Kirby, and Deputy Clerk Michelle Rohrwasser. Commissioner Dan Dinning was out of the office tending to personal matters.

9:00 a.m., Chairman Smith and Commissioner Kirby attended a brief meeting at the Bonners Ferry Visitor’s Center with Jay Huggins and representatives of North Idaho Essential Industries, Inc., the company working with Mr. Huggins to start a business to manufacture essential oils. Also present were: Economic Development Specialist Mike Sloan, City of Bonners Ferry Assistant Administrator David Sims, Extension Office Educator Jennifer Jensen, Dave Wattenbarger, and Deputy Clerk Michelle Rohrwasser.

Those present were informed of the process to make essential oils using wood debris from slash piles, etc. Mr. Huggins said the process doesn’t call for marketable timber. Chairman Smith asked if lumber from the landfill could be used and Mr. Huggins said lumber from that source would have to be separated. Commissioners said they felt the proposed business was a good thing to have in the County.

The meeting ended at 9:10 a.m.

Commissioners tended to administrative duties.

Deputy Clerk Nancy Ryals joined the meeting at 9:30 a.m.

9:30 a.m., Commissioner Kirby moved to stipulate to hold off on an appeal hearing for indigent application #2012-21 until eligibility determinations have been made for disability and subsequently Idaho Medicaid as requested by the appellant. Chairman Smith yielded the chair to second. Motion passed unanimously.

Deputy Clerk Nancy Ryals left the meeting at 9:30 a.m.

Commissioners tended to administrative duties.

Clerk Glenda Poston joined the meeting to discuss budget matters.

Treasurer Jenny Fessler joined the meeting at 10:20 a.m.

Commissioners briefly discussed ambulance services in the County and how they were waiting for Boundary Volunteer Ambulance to submit a letter extending their deadline for service. Commissioners said they had been told Boundary Volunteer Ambulance would be submitting this letter today. Commissioners felt the Master Agreement with Bonner County and Bonner County EMS should be signed whether or not Boundary Volunteer Ambulance submits their letter offering an extension just in order to have it in place should it be needed.

Commissioner Kirby moved to sign the Master Agreement with Bonner County and Bonner County Emergency Medical Services. An agreement for the provision of emergency and non-emergency medical transport services in Boundary County. Chairman Smith yielded the chair to second. Motion passed unanimously.

Treasurer Fessler and Clerk Poston left the meeting at 10:24 a.m.

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 10:30 a.m.


/s/
RONALD R. SMITH, Chairman

ATTEST:


/s/
GLENDA POSTON, Clerk
By: Michelle Rohrwasser, Deputy Clerk