County commission minutes, July 29
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August 12, 2013 |
***Monday, July 29,
2013, Commissioners met in regular session with
Chairman Dan Dinning, Commissioner LeAlan
Pinkerton, Commissioner Walt Kirby, Clerk Glenda
Poston, and Deputy Clerk Michelle Rohrwasser.
9:00 a.m., Road and
Bridge Superintendent Jeff Gutshall joined the
meeting to give the departmental report. Mr.
Gutshall presented a written report.
Chairman Dinning
informed Mr. Gutshall that Walter Burrows
stopped by to tell Commissioners how the dust
abatement on parts of Fawn Lane did not take.
Mr. Gutshall said he doesn’t understand why a
full application of dust abatement didn’t take
in some areas. Mr. Gutshall briefly mentioned
being over budget for dust abatement. Mr.
Gutshall said Road and Bridge is patching today
with asphalt and applying two loads of oil
tomorrow and Wednesday. Commissioner Pinkerton
asked to consider using the alternate oil mix
for dust abatement to see how that works, and
Mr. Gutshall said he’s in favor of trying that.
Mr. Gutshall
discussed finishing seal coating Copeland Road
and Westside Road to Elk Mountain Farms, and
Moon Shadow Road from the end of the new
pavement project. Mr. Gutshall said Road and
Bridge will move to Blue Sky Road, Shamrock Road
and Stellar Jay Road for a seal coat
application. Crews will then get the roads
broomed off. Mr. Gutshall spoke of reports of
speeding on Lookout View Road. This is the road
being used as a detour during the Deep Creek
Bridge #2 repairs.
Road and Bridge will
finish grinding and hauling rock to a section of
Copeland Road, and they will go back to crushing
and gravel reconstruction on Green Pasture Road.
Mr. Gutshall spoke of grinding the rest of
Lion’s Den Road. There are still guardrails to
be worked on near the golf course on Deep Creek
Loop. Mr. Gutshall discussed preventing water
run off and Chairman Dinning mentioned the use
of culverts. Mr. Gutshall mentioned the need to
install culverts in the Curley Creek area.
Chairman Dinning said
Bonner County Commissioners want to make a
request to the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD)
for ITD to stop using a salt brine on the
highway. Mr. Gutshall said salt brine is the
affordable option to the other solution. Salt
was running below $.10 per gallon compared to
de-icers running $.90 per gallon. Bonner County
is claiming damage to wiring on vehicles due to
the salt, according to Chairman Dinning.
The meeting with Mr.
Gutshall ended at 9:23 a.m.
Charles Howard and
Marilyn Howard stopped be Commissioners’ Office
at 9:23 a.m.
Mr. Howard said he’s
been trying to work with the Airport Board on a
land matter and he has learned the property has
been rezoned light industrial. Chairman Dinning
said even if the property is in that zone, the
property is assessed as the use. Chairman
Dinning suggested Mr. Howard speak with the
Assessor’s Office.
Mr. Howard said Brad
Niemeyer with JUB Engineering (JUB) presented
information to him about land acquisition
matters and Mr. Niemeyer said he is having a
hard time getting an access for the Howard
property because of the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA). Mr. Howard discussed
having had logging done.
Courthouse
Maintenance Jerry Kothe joined the meeting at
9:30 a.m.
Mr. Howard asked what
Commissioners’ feelings are about not being able
to have an access from the west. Chairman
Dinning said JUB has been hired to work on the
land acquisition details and he doesn’t recall
seeing what has been proposed for the Howard
property. Mr. Howard said he’s just been
apprised his father’s property has been included
in the second phase of the land acquisition
project. Mr. Howard said he’s not opposed to
some of the options, but he would like to know
the status as soon as possible.
Mr. Howard and Ms.
Howard left the meeting.
Mr. Kothe presented a
written report. Commissioners and Mr. Kothe
discussed the water gun for the Parks and
Recreation Department. Mr. Kothe said he noticed
there is silt on the boat launch in Copeland and
he wondered if Road and Bridge had been able to
move it. Chairman Dinning said probably not due
to the water level. The fields at Riverside Park
have been mowed. All of the sprinklers around
the new gazebo at the fairgrounds had to be
reset and the tree near the southeast corner of
the slab has roots growing around the sprinkler
and someday something will have to be done,
according to Mr. Kothe. Mr. Kothe said Friday he
did more watering and trimmed trees behind the
courthouse.
Fair Board
Maintenance Roy Krohmer is getting ready for the
fair, according to Mr. Kothe. Mr. Kothe
discussed mowing the grass at the fairgrounds
and he will see how it goes as far as watering.
Mr. Kothe said he
thinks the roof of the Courthouse needs the
reflective material applied to it. Chairman
Dinning said there is probably only two months
left to be able to have that done.
9:47 a.m., Restorium
Administrator Karlene Magee joined the meeting.
Mr. Kothe left the
meeting at 9:48 a.m.
Chairman Dinning
asked Ms. Magee how she has been covering the
kitchen manager position at the Restorium. Ms.
Magee mentioned the three employees that fill in
for this position. Ms. Magee said by eliminating
this position she’s afraid of falling out of
compliance because when you pull an employee in
to fill this position, it’s pulling them from
their normal work area.
9:50 a.m.,
Commissioner Pinkerton 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. Commissioner Kirby
second. Commissioners voted as follows: Chairman
Dinning “aye”, Commissioner Pinkerton “aye” and
Commissioner Kirby “aye”. Motion passed
unanimously. 10:05 a.m., Commissioner Kirby
moved to go out of executive session.
Commissioner Pinkerton second. Motion passed
unanimously.
Ms. Magee left the
meeting at 10:05 a.m.
10:10 a.m., Rob Tenas
and Kyle Flory of Kyle and Rob Productions
joined the meeting to provide an update on the
Boundary County documentary. Mr. Tenas said he
and Mr. Flory are on schedule and will shoot the
hatchery portion of the documentary this week.
Mr. Tenas explained how the hatchery ties into
wildlife, restoration projects, etc. Mr. Flory
said he and Mr. Tenas would speak with North
Idaho Energy Logs and all of the mills. Chairman
Dinning also suggested Mr. Tenas and Mr. Flory
talk to Ty Iverson and Tim Dillin about farming
and Gary Regehr for logging.
The meeting with Mr.
Flory and Mr. Tenas ended 10:14 a.m.
Deputy Clerk Nancy
Ryals joined the meeting at 10:14 a.m.
Commissioner
Pinkerton moved to deny indigent 2013-22 as per
the Clerk’s recommendation. Commissioner Kirby
second. Motion passed unanimously.
Deputy Clerk Ryals
left the meeting at 10:19 a.m.
Commissioner Kirby
moved to approve the list of volunteers for the
August 3, 2013 All Class Reunion. Commissioner
Pinkerton second. Motion passed unanimously.
Commissioner
Pinkerton moved to approve the minutes of July 8
and 9, 2013, July 15 and 16, 2013 and July 22 &
23, 2013. Commissioner Kirby second. Motion
passed unanimously.
Commissioners tended
to administrative duties.
10:30 a.m., Solid
Waste Superintendent Claine Skeen joined the
meeting to discuss hours for part time
employees. Clerk Poston said she is basing the
budget for hours as of October 1, 2013. Chairman
Dinning said it’s not certain what will take
place as far as hours for part time employees at
this point when speaking about the Affordable
Healthcare Act. Chairman Dinning suggested
budgeting for 35 hours for part time employees
until January 1, 2013 then to budget for less
than 30 hours. Mr. Skeen said each part time
employee at the monitored sites would lose 364
hours. Those present discussed changing hours
for part time employees to 28 hours and how many
total hours that is for those employees. Mr.
Skeen’s request is to look at the Personnel
Policy about part time employees receiving
holiday pay. Chairman Dinning said the
Restorium’s part time employees are facing the
same issue with hours. With a reduction to 28
hours and then not getting paid for holidays not
worked, Mr. Skeen said he can foresee a big
change over in his department. As of now this is
going into effect as of January 1, according to
Mr. Skeen. Chairman Dinning mentioning
alternating the holidays so the same employees
wouldn’t be always working or having the same
holidays off and those hours could be spread
around.
Mr. Skeen said he has
conducted his study for a certain number of days
as to how many county residents use the
monitored sites from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Mr. Skeen
reviewed the number of people who visited the
monitored sites on certain days between the
hours of 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. as well as how many
people used the site later in the day. The
Naples site has the highest level of activity
between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.,
according to Mr. Skeen. Mr. Skeen asked if the
reduction in part time hours means closing the
monitored sites for two hours in the morning,
two hours in the afternoon or closing for one
hour in the morning and one hour in the
afternoon. Chairman Dinning said Commissioners
would like to have Mr. Skeen’s recommendation.
Commissioner Kirby said there is no easy way to
do this.
Clerk Poston said she
has budgeted for 30 hours for part time.
Chairman Dinning said to budget now for what is
anticipated will happen such as worst case
scenario of 30 hours or less. Chairman Dinning
said as far as he is aware the Affordable
Healthcare Act for this is not set in stone. Mr.
Skeen said his recommendation is to close the
site in the afternoon instead of the morning,
but that he will have to think about this
because it will affect people. Mr. Skeen said he
will bring his recommendation forward during his
department report.
Chairman Dinning
asked Mr. Skeen if his employees have expressed
any thoughts to him as to how to solve the
problem. Mr. Skeen mentioned finding scenarios
that would eliminate the reduced hours as a
solution to look for. January 1, 2014, the part
time hours will consist of less than 30 hours.
Mr. Skeen said he will base part time on 28
hours.
The meeting with Mr.
Skeen ended at 10:55 a.m.
11:00 a.m., Former
District Forest Ranger Linda McFaddan and newly
appointed Bonners Ferry District Forest Ranger
Kevin Knauth joined the meeting for
introductions. Mr. Knauth said he is relocating
to Bonners Ferry from Mountain Home. Ms.
McFaddan said she’s been filling Mr. Knauth in
on the job and they have had a couple meetings
already.
Mr. Knauth said from
what he’s learned all projects are ongoing and
there has been field visits to those project
areas. Mr. Knauth said fire-wise he has talked
to Dan Muir with the local District Ranger
Office and there has been one fire in the Long
Canyon area. The fire crew has driven to a
certain point and then went by trail the rest of
the way. It’s not known how much rain came
through those areas with the lightning,
according to Mr. Knauth.
Chairman Dinning
mentioned he has seen a North Dakota fire
fighting team in Boundary County working on
local fires here such as the Deer Ridge fire.
Mr. Knauth said this team consists of a 20
person crew and they are good to work with.
Chairman Dinning
mentioned the agreement in which the fairgrounds
are available to the Forest Service in case of a
large fire, with the exception of the week of
the county fair.
Chairman Dinning
mentioned the benefits of having the ability for
Boundary County to use community service
juveniles to brush out roads at no cost to the
Forest Service. Chairman Dinning said this is
good for the kids and as well as the roads so he
was going to speak to Idaho Panhandle National
Forest Supervisor Mary Farnsworth about that.
Those present discussed youth crews. Mr. Knauth
said he has learned how important volunteers and
grant dollars are.
The meeting with Mr.
Knauth ended at 11:30 a.m.
Cabinet Mountains
Water District Engineer Mike Klaus joined the
meeting at 11:30 a.m.
Mr. Klaus provided a
brief recap of the matter regarding the request
for another water tank and said the last time he
and Commissioners met they visited the proposed
site to see the location of the future tank and
discussed the possibility of the county granting
a lease. A draft lease has been drawn up with a
legal description, and Mr. Klaus presented
Commissioners with the document. Chairman
Dinning said Commissioners would have the county
attorney review it. Chairman Dinning asked about
combining the proposed new lease with the
existing lease. Commissioner Pinkerton said in
looking at the draft lease he doesn’t see access
in case the county needed to get to the
hillside. Those present discussed an access
road. Mr. Klaus said he would have a survey done
and have markers placed once an approved idea
was arrived at.
The meeting with Mr.
Klaus ended at 11:35 a.m.
Commissioners
discussed various budget matters.
11:50 a.m., Chief
Deputy Clerk Tracie Isaac and Restorium
Administrator Karlene Magee joined the meeting
and those present discussed various budget
matters.
Ms. Magee left the
meeting at 1:00 p.m.
There being no
further business, the meeting adjourned at 1:00
p.m.
/s/
DAN R. DINNING,
Chairman
ATTEST:
/s/
GLENDA POSTON, Clerk
By: Michelle
Rohrwasser, Deputy Clerk |
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