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minutes meeting date 2026-07-20 · fetched 2026-09-09 · 19003 characters · read by OCR, check numbers against the source · official file · plain text
Monday, July 20, 2026
Page 1 of 8
JEROME COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Monday, July 20, 2026
PRESENT: Ben Crouch, Chairman
Charles Howell, Vice Chairman
Art Watkins, Commissioner
Ryan Treanor, Deputy Clerk
Meeting convened at 9:00 am.
Commissioner Reports
Commissioner Watkins – Commissioner Watkins reported that he went to the rotary meeting.
There was a presentation on the community clinic. He also attended the Tri County Weed board
meeting.
Commissioner Howell – Commissioner Howell reported that he attended the Republican Central
Committee meeting. He also helped with the presentation of the Commissioners’ items. Then he
attended the SIRCOMM meeting. He spoke to Brent Reinke, Commissioner from Twin Falls
County about the juvenile housing agreement proposal. He informed Brent that the cost of the
original proposal was double what they asked for last year and that it should be looked at again.
Brent sent a new proposal for only one bed per day, per year instead of two, cutting the cost in
half. Commissioner Howell presented the new proposal to the clerk’s office for budgeting
purposes, and it will need to be discussed among the commissioners at a later date to potentially
finalize the proposal.
Commissioner Crouch – Commissioner Crouch reported that he attended the Republican Central
Committee meeting. He presented on items from the Commissioners and the summer Republican
meeting that he attended. Then he met with Tess Molitor during the week about communication
issues. He also attended the rotary meeting.
Update on CPF Grant Progress
Staff present: Matthew McGregor, Daniel Bickar, and Cy Lootens
Public present: Scott Linsley and Jess BurnsLee
Scott wanted to thank the Board for allowing him to present an update on the project today. The
main part of the presentation was regarding phase 4 of the project. He stated that the project is
85% complete. Then he discussed the different portions of the project from installation of fiber
cables, building of towers for coverage, and other projects to bring service across the county. He
then discussed the next phases which would complete the grant. The final phase would be phase
7. The proposed timeline to finish the project is in June of 2027. He does expect it to be done
sooner, but wanted to have the extra time just in case. ETS requested payment from the county
last week to begin the next phase of the project. Commissioners wanted to wait until this
presentation to submit payment. After the presentation commissioners submitted payment to
ETS.
Monday, July 20, 2026
Page 2 of 8
Personal Property Taxes Discussion
Staff present: Nina Lagle
Public present: Johnny Gomez
Johnny was present to discuss his property taxes with commissioners. Johnny said that he
missed the deadline to pay for property taxes this year by a month. He forgot the deadline and
paid late. He informed the commissioners that he paid the taxes in full and paid penalties and
interest on top of that in the amount of $133.44. He came before the board to ask the
commissioners to remove or reduce the penalties and interest he paid because he thought it
was a large amount. Commissioner Crouch asked Nina Lagle from the Treasurer’s office what
they are able to do. Nina stated that the amount he paid in penalties and interest can be
refunded to him or added as a credit to his next property tax bill. Commissioners asked Johnny
which he preferred. He said that he did not have a preference and either would be fine.
Commissioner Crouch made a motion to wave the penalties and interest in the amount
of $133.44, for parcel number RPJ17770030340, to be credited for next year’s taxes.
Second By Commissioner Watkins. The motion passed with a unanimous vote.
Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium – Informational Presentation Only
Public present: Camille Barigar, Lyle Johnstone, Jerry Holton, and Lorien Nettleton
Camille stated that she has come regarding a request for information (RFI) from the Idaho
Energy Consortium. The request was regarding small energy reactors to be placed into areas to
help test the capabilities of these facilities. She wanted to come especially after the recent
conversations that the county has been having regarding energy. She knows that there was
interest brought forward in those discussions from the Commissioners and the public. The
reports that she has seen show that these reactors should be viable within the next ten years.
This request is regarding the option to submit a request to have one of the test reactors placed
within communities. By making this request the county would be able to meet and learn more
about these reactors and how they can help. She wanted to get feedback from the Commissioners
and what they would think of this option.
The Board wanted to know about what responses have been received since this was created.
Camille stated that she is not fully sure how much of a response has been received so far. The
Board then asked how much she knows about the company involved in the RFI. Camille stated
that the company is based out of Boise and was created to help with this project proposal. The
Board asked if this is the first time that these facilities have been created for power or if the
company has created power facilities before. Camille stated that she is not sure if they have or
not. The Board asked if the project is from INL or from an independent company. Camille stated
that the project would not be from INL but from a separate energy company. The project is
proposed to cover power for entire cities in the future but of course needs to be tested first on its
capabilities. Agreeing to this does not necessarily mean that Jerome would be the first
community with a reacotr, but that you can be present in the conversation that will take place
about these facilities and what they can offer. The Board wanted to confirm what the RFI would
lead to if it is agreed upon. Camille answered that it would not necessarily mean that Jerome
would be the first to have a reactor, but that the county could be part of the conversation. The
Monday, July 20, 2026
Page 3 of 8
RFI is also not legally binding either. She then went over the different options that are available
through the RFI. She discussed that one option is just to find out information on what these
facilities could do. The Board wanted to discuss the RFI and how other RFI’s have impacted the
county in the past. Camille stated that the RFI would be interesting to consider with the different
options that the county has regarding energy.
The Board then asked if the group offering this project knows where Jerome County is at in the
process of an energy ordinance. Camille stated that there are parts of the RFI that discuss the
feelings of power and power facilities in the community. There are other things to be included
with that regarding local leadership and other items to ensure to include. The Board then asked
about the next steps for this and if there should be a public meetings held about it. Camille stated
that it would depend on what option the Commissioners were interested in. If it was just to be
fact finding then it would start with a meeting to just learn more. After submitting the form there
would be time during the next few years to continue to gain more input from the members of the
community about the potential project. The Board asked if the Jerome 20/20 board has also
expressed interest in this option. Camille stated that she has not gotten an official statement of
interest from her board, but that it has been brought up in passing that some of them are
interested. The Board asked how they would go about learning more about the company offering
these opportunities. Camille stated that she could reach out to them to have them present to the
Board to go over more information. The Board stated that they would like to gain more
information about this company before moving forward and then also go forward with some
public meetings to get feedback from the community before going forward. Camille stated that
she agrees and would like to state that this would not be something to take lightly. The deadline
to put the RFI in is August 10th. She also wanted to see if they would be ok to submit the RFI
with just the option of learning more information about this. The Board stated that they would be
ok with submitting the RFI with that specific option. Camille stated that in the long run after
doing more research the Board can still ultimately decide to not go forward with the project after
learning more about it.
Commissioner Crouch left the meetings to attend a set of ICRMP meetings in Boise.
Juvenile Probation Monthly Report
Staff present: Mario Umana
Commissioner Howell moved to amend the agenda to allow the misdemeanor
probation report. Seconded by Commissioner Watkins. The motion passed with a
unanimous vote.
Mario gave a report on the juvenile probation department. There are currently 88 juveniles on
probation. Over the last month 18 cases were closed. A total of 13 new cases were received
during the previous month. His office received a total of $1,342.00 in fees. He stated that his
office is doing well recently and has not received much communication from the state about any
cases. The state only reached out regarding two cases.
Monday, July 20, 2026
Page 4 of 8
Mario also provided a report on the misdemeanor probation department since the director is on
family leave. There was a total of 40 new cases received in the previous month. A total of 32
cases were closed. The office received a total of $18,387.73 in fees in June.
Personal Property Taxes Discussion
Staff present: Nina Lagle
Public present: Mike Walker
Mike stated that he is originally from the McCall area. He has been building homes for the
majority of his life. He helped with building an indoor archery range in Eagle. The project called
for four A/C units to help with cooling the property. The owners wanted to get into business
sooner, so they wanted less units to start with. With the specs that were passed off on from the
owner, it led to issues with mold and water damage. After he moved here and bought some lots
he was sued by the owner of the archery range. To cover the costs of the settlement he had to sell
his home. His lawyers for some reason did not submit two of the lots that he owned as part of the
lawsuit. The two parcels taxes were sent to his ex-wife and not to him. He recently found out
about the owed taxes and wanted to discuss these with the Board today. Nina stated that the two
parcels are about to be deeded over to the county as part of the tax deed process. Once that takes
place he would have to pay the taxes in total to prevent the parcels from being sold by the
county.
Commissioner Howell moved to waive the interest, penalties, and fees in the
amount of $1,338.52 under the condition of the 2022 taxes being paid by July 24th
, for parcels RP007340030040 and RP007340030030. Seconded by
Commissioner Watkins. The motion passed with a unanimous vote.
Meeting recessed at 11:53 am.
Meeting reconvened at 1:16 pm.
Comp Time Payout Discussion
Staff present: Mark Swenson and Cy Lootens
Mark stated that he has a comp time payout request for an employee. The comp time has been
built up with the DMV office being short staffed. He is requesting for the comp time to be paid
out in full as this employee is likely to build up more comp time over the next few months.
Commissioner Watkins moved to approve the comp time payout for the total of
81.65 hours. Seconded by Commissioner Howell. The motion passed with a
unanimous vote.
Emergency Management Monthly Report
Staff present: Kirsten Hartley
Public present: Bill Bridges
Monday, July 20, 2026
Page 5 of 8
Kirsten gave a report on the emergency management department. She stated that the funds from
SHSP are still frozen on the federal level. Jerome County is due for a monitored and audited visit
for our grants. She stated that the county is required to keep grant files from the previous three
years. There are files for grants back to 2014. During the previous month she was able to attend
several meetings with multiple agencies. She finished training on criminal justice information
services and privacy.
She stated that she has been working on some projects. One of them is regarding a SharePoint
she has created to help with her position. She has continued work on the training she is
presenting on for an emergency response scenario. The Sheriff also reached out to her to do a
presentation on how she can help patrol deputies regarding emergencies.
Overlook Project & New Grant Discussion
Staff present: Cy Lootens and Tracee McKim
Public present: Bill Bridges and Brenda Weekes
Bill stated that he received a new grant for the park. He is wondering if he could use those funds
to create a trail from the overlook to the bridge. The Board asked if the park owns the land to be
able to use for this project. Brenda stated that there is a lease in the works to be able to lease that
ground to create a trail.
Bill gave an update on the signage that is going to be posted for the overlook. He has someone
who has reached out to him about creating an Idaho shaped concrete slab at the entrance to the
park. The RV park is charging now for individuals to stay overnight. He stated that the security
company that will be looking over the overlook site now has a camera on site. Security will also
be monitoring Yingst grade, the disc golf course, and the overlook site. He reported that a trailer
has been left at the overlook park for the last two weeks, and the security company is working to
have it moved off of site. Brenda discussed the use of a company that can have a QR code
created to read the signs to those who are visually impaired. It can also interpret the sign into
other languages. The parks board approved the payment to have the QR codes implemented for
the signs.
Read and Approve Minutes
Commissioner Watkins moved to approve the minutes from July 13th. Seconded
by Commissioner Howell. The motion passed with a unanimous vote.
Sign and Approve Claims
Commissioner Watkins moved to approve the claims as presented by staff.
Seconded by Commissioner Howell. The motion passed with a unanimous vote.
To see an image of the report please see page 8 of the minutes.
Indigent Matters
Monday, July 20, 2026
Page 6 of 8
Commissioner Howell moved to approve the indigent claims. Seconded by
Commissioner Watkins. The motion passed with a unanimous vote.
Airport Fuel Prices Discussion
The Board discussed the prices of airport fuel. Commissioner Howell stated that he would like to
see the individuals who are renting hangars to have a lower price. He also discussed having
Commissioner Crouch present for another discussion on the airport fuel prices as he is the liaison
for the airport board. Discussion was tabled until Commissioner Crouch was available to attend.
County Health Insurance Update
Staff present: Cy Lootens and Tracee McKim
Public present: Guy Stubbs
Guy stated that he has been discussing the renewal of insurance with Blue Cross. The county has
had high usage early in the year that led to a high renewal cost. He discussed that the last few
months have been great and have lowered the renewal cost a little bit. He then discussed the
other options for health services and the quotes that were received from SelectHealth, Pacific
Source, and St Lukes Health Plans. Commissioners discussed with Guy the benefits and
downfalls of each plan as well as the yearly costs to switch. The costs for SelectHealth and
Pacific Source were lower than the renewal from Blue Cross. The commissioners asked Guy to
return next week to discuss the Select Health plan in more detail and to include information
about an HSA option for employees. The Commissioners intend to select a plan next week while
Guy is present.
Budget Workshop
Staff present: Tracee McKim and Cy Lootens
Tracee wanted to discuss the health insurance presentation that was given from Guy Stubbs. The
quotes from the different providers were very drastic and SelectHealth was much lower than all
of the other quotes. She stated that this could be the best option for the county for the upcoming
year. The Board agreed that this would likely be the best option. Tracee also went over the
research that she did into the different HR directors of similar sized counties in the area. She
found that Jerome County’s HR director is getting paid a higher wage than other counties in the
area or of similar size according to the Association of Counties salary survey.
Memorandum of Understand with Twin Falls County Regarding Veteran Affairs Services
The Board discussed the MOU that was sent from Twin Falls County. The MOU discusses the
veteran affairs services that have been provided and the funds used to provide those services. A
max amount was included to not exceed $28,064.14 for services rendered.
Monday, July 20, 2026
Page 7 of 8
Commissioner Watkins moved to sign the MOU agreement between Twin Falls
County and Jerome County relating to veteran affairs offices . Seconded by
Commissioner Howell. The motion passed with a unanimous vote.
Meeting adjourned at 4:18 pm.
________________________
______________________________
Ryan Treanor, Deputy Clerk
A. Ben Crouch, Chairman
______________________________
Charles M. Howell, Commissioner
______________________________
Art Watkins, Commissioner
BUDGET TOTALS
DEPARTMENT PAYROLL — PAY — TOTAL
eee og ESS ES SS
-Sireeasurer 5 gare re ts rarer)
AHUMAN RESOURCES _{ §_.062 $0 |___{@ 2.08230
COMMISSIONERS _ 5 _7.080.00$ _s7.42 3 10
-6|CORONER———S—=~dS ~i19.22| ~——=«dt SS ~—'1,019.22 |
Tn|SULONG < GROUNDS MAL $ —2.21.<0[S —THEOT|S —Tass47
| 14/EMERGENCY MANAGEMEN| $__2.120.00[
FSJEXTENSION AGENT [S506 23S Tia} Sagat
Fgjetectons ee
ELECTIONS
—— rl es
GENERAL $ 21,325.39 | $ 3, 604. 9991/3 24,930. 38
sis T2208} — 2 20280
GIS 2,202.80 2. 202. 80
Pee sart a oemor|s earl ume
VETERANS
| eee ub Total (General Func
Sen DeTEnTON [ez goun|s somes |s ena
ADULT PROBATION 8, 328. 02 8. 328. 02
| 7IPROSECUTOR | $32,036.94 /$ 255.94] $ 32,292.88 |
| 8|PUBLIC DEFENDERS
a eC
| 9| JUVENILE PROBATION 12,619.68 a $ 12,619.68
| 18]}GENERAL JUSTICE ; 50,599.08 463.64 | 3 51,062.72
| [Sub Total (Justice Fund) $ 295,835.67 : 10,550.99 |$ 306,386.66
3 S_4,902.10[$ 810.57 |8 5,7 12.67
| 5|VETERANS MEMORIAL
ee ee
| 6[DISTRICTCOURT [$8,556.41] 1068.76] $ 9,625.17 |
P7FAIR CS 12,949.63] dS 12,949.68 |
| S[CAPITAL FAIR TS
aE A ee
LISELECTION CONSOLIDATION $2,548.75 | ___{8 2.548.785
|20/REVALUATION | $15,544.24 /$ 441.82 |$ 15,986.06 |
SOLID WASTE
spam
7|/WEED
29] AMBULANCE} 3
WATERWAYS BOARD
OO —_——
= BROADBAND GRANT FUNDS $ 1,625,703.23
co
46, 620. 28
| [GRAND TOTAL | $477,039.15 | § 1,693,040.63 | $ 2,170,079.78
6) 651-65
6A) 69
£9) 69/45] 44).69
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