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minutes meeting date 2026-09-08 · fetched 2026-09-28 · 22798 characters · official file · plain text
BOCC Sept 8 2026 Public Hearing FREMONT COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING MINUTES Tuesday, September 8, 2026 Present for the meeting were: Commissioners Blair Dance, Rick Hill, and Mark Chandler Also attended by: Clerk Meredith Mattingly, Deputy Clerk Kim Fletcher, Civil Attorney Blake Hall, Carol Blanchard, and Sheriff Bart Quayle Commissioner Dance offered the prayer. Clerk Mattingly led the pledge. Commissioner Dance called the meeting to order and welcomed those in attendance. Assessor Carol Blanchard reported she had the opportunity to meet with the Idaho State Tax Commissioners and was able to update them on our 2026 status. She attended the IACA meetings. They learned about Canyon County and how they work. She appreciates the opportunity to attend those meetings because she always comes back with a lot of new information that is useful for her office, and it is helpful to meet with other Assessors and learn how they handle things in their counties. She met with Natalie from Augmentum and hopes to have that paperwork ready soon. There were 8 counties at the beginning of all of this. 2 are going with other programs, but 6 are going with Augmentum so we will be getting a discount. On September 16th the DMV will be closed for training. She will be attending the IAC conference at the end of the month. Her appraisers will be out in Island Park this month. Sheriff Bart Quayle reported that since august, dispatch logged 3954 incidents which included 418 calls for service, 981 traffic stops, 117 cases, 9 traffic accidents, 52 arrests (9 felonies and 43 misdemeanors), and they issued 580 citations. We currently have 33 in custody and 5 in Madison. The Idaho Traffic Department invited him to attend their District 3 Traffic Incident Management Plan meeting. The highway in McCall is very similar to Hwy20 in Island Park so they were able to have discussions about some of the issues they deal with and how they are handled, as well as have discussions about the traffic flow and accidents that are similar to those in our area. He visited the Ashton and St. Anthony City Council meetings and gave each of them a plaque to show appreciation for their support for youth camp this summer. Our NextGen 911 equipment will be here this month and they will start that installation. This is a statewide project, and will be a challenge but in the long run, he believes it will be better for the state and for our county. He attended a campus security meeting at BYU-Idaho last week. Our Sheriff’s Office has an MOU with Rexburg PD and Campus Security and they train together regularly, so they were able to go and participate in their security operations. He will be attending the Idaho Criminal Justice Commission Coroner Subcommittee meeting and IAC meetings this month, as well as some Emergency Communications meetings. The sand dunes have been busy, and they have had a lot of communications with Fish and Game about human and bear conflicts recently. Clerk Meredith Mattingly reported she attended the IAC Clerks Conference in Lewiston. They took us through their new courthouse. It is helpful to meet with other clerks and appreciates attending those meetings. On the 18th of last month, we finished the budget and got it publicized to the paper. She met with Mary from ICRMP to go over our insurance policy for 2027, there are no significant changes. We had a special meeting to make sure the resolution to include levy question on ballot for the ambulance district was set, and she appreciates the Commissioners for being willing to come in for that meeting in that regard. She attended a 5C board meeting. She met with Olivia and Travis with Gallagher Insurance to make sure things are coming along to get ready for that. She’s been working with the districts to make sure their L2’s come in on time. She also received a report from Chad about JustFOIA; we are averaging about 4.6 requests per day, but she feels these numbers are low. Courts get a lot. Commissioner Hill reported we had budget meetings the first part of the month; they were difficult this year. The 4th through the 8th we had the County Fair, and we had better attendance than we have had in previous years and held a lot of different events for people to come to. He met with CORE construction earlier in the month and finalized things for the security entrance; they are mobilizing today and will be starting right away. The parking lot on the west side of the building is closed and the east entrance is open. He met with their new superintendent, who would like a meeting with him and the Sheriff weekly to report progress and let them express any concerns they may have. He has also been busy with our other projects in progress; the stucco repair and paint on the exterior have been finished, the sheetrock is finished, and they are working on doors and trim as well as other projects on the interior. At the mill office project, the framing and demo are done, and they are almost done with electrical rough in as well as plumbing rough in. He attended the Fair Board meeting; they discussed their successes at the Fair this year, as well as those things that could be improved for next year. He attended the East Idaho Solid Waste meeting on the 27th; things have been going well. They did have a fire because of a lithium battery in a computer that was dumped in household waste and exploded, as well as a fire in one of the trucks because of another computer battery. Both fires were handled quickly. There is a different area for those to be disposed of, so there may need to be some public education on that issue. Commissioner Chandler reported the budget was difficult. Every department took a hit. He attended the Golf Board meeting and there are several infrastructure issues to deal with at the Golf Course. He attended a 5C Board meeting, and expressed appreciation for Treasurer Lori Beard helping them move money around. With the interest we will be making in CD’s, it looks like we’ll be able to pay for the facility while its empty. He has been talking with Representative Marco Erikson, who is the Co-Chairman of the Health and Welfare Committee, who has expressed interest in buying the building and turning it into a regional health and welfare center. They are working on getting appraisals done, and separating the north empty lot from the south 5C compound so they won’t be sold together. Fremont County will keep the north lot. He has also been talking with Thomas Wolfe from Montana, their Aquatic Invasive species Bureau Chief. They are putting together a plan where Montana can take care of the north end of Fremont County, and Bryce Fowler can take care of the south end of the county. We would put up boat wash in Ashton that we can staff and manage. Chanel Dewalt is also part of this, and Senator Burtenshaw is aware of the situation as well, as is Boyd Knight from the Department of Agriculture. He hopes we can get this started soon, though there is still funding and logistics to work out. Our Juvenile Probation Department has initiated the RACE meetings for this school year. We had a great Fair week. Commissioner Dance reported he attended the Idaho Water Resource Board meeting; they bring regular quarterly meetings to East Idaho and this one was held in Rexburg. They discussed cloud seeding and had a presentation and the work they have done as well as the benefit it has had for our water storage. We have 1 of 3 cloud seeding operations in the state. This was a tough year with very few storms, but we did what we could despite a lot of misinformation and negative publicity. He attended the Headwaters Consolidated Weed Management Committee meeting to do their finalizing for this year. The last of our projects will be done this Fall which includes their West End Spray Day in Island Park. He attended the monthly ITD meeting with District 6 to cover the progress on Hwy 20 and related projects, discuss issues, and find resolutions for some of those issues. They are doing a lot for this county and he is pleased with their efforts to maintain communication with us. He and Commissioner Hill attended the ALTURA annual Participants and Partnerships appreciation meal and a ribbon cutting for their second major business opening. He was pleased to be able to introduce Commissioner Hill to them in the hopes that he will be able to move on and participate with their executive committee after Commissioner Dance leaves his position. Parks and Rec Director Greg Grant RE: Golf Course Cleaning Supply Contract – action item; Golf Course Club House Table and Chair Purchase – action item Mr. Grant presented a cleaning supply contract for the Golf Course from Alsco. This is a renewal of our current contract, with some modifications. They will only be delivering twice a month instead of once a week, so this will reduce our cost by half and will only cost us about $300 instead of $600. Commissioner Chandler made a motion to approve the Alsco contract for the 2027 for the Fremont County Golf Course. Commissioner Hill seconded the motion. A full voice vote was heard with all commissioners voting in favor. Mr. Grant discussed purchasing 6 sets of tables and chairs for the golf course club house. They saved a significant amount of money on the AC units, so they will have these funds in the budget. They have been talking about getting new tables at the golf course and clubhouse for a while. They currently have plastic tables that are in rough shape, and the chairs are starting to fall apart. They would like to purchase 6 sets of tables and chairs (6 tables and 24 chairs total), and they would be made of steel, would be sturdier, and look more professional. The total cost for these would be about $4500, plus the cost of shipping which should be under $600. Commissioner Chandler made a motion to approve the new tables and chairs for the Golf Course in the amount of $4500 plus shipping. Commissioner Hill seconded the motion. A full voice vote was heard with all commissioners voting in favor. FREMONT COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PUBLIC HEARING FY2027 Fremont County Budget Hearing Fremont County Courthouse/Commissioners Room Tuesday, September 8, 2026, 10:10 AM Present for the meeting were: Commissioners Blair Dance, Rick Hill, and Mark Chandler Also attended by: Clerk Meredith Mattingly, Deputy Clerk Kim Fletcher, Civil Attorney Blake Hall, Assessor Carol Blanchard, Sheriff Bart Quayle, Chief Deputy Sheriff Cody Gudmunson, and Extension Office Supervisor Tom Jacobsen Commissioner Dance called the hearing to order, welcomed the county employees and others in attendance. Commissioner Dance asked Clerk Meredith Mattingly if the hearing had been properly noticed. Clerk Mattingly stated that it had. Commissioner Dance asked if any of the Commissioners have a conflict on this hearing. Commissioners have no conflict. Commissioner Dance discussed the Fremont County FY2026-2027 Budget. He stated the proposed budget is $72,428,502.00 for the upcoming year and outlined the attached Resolution for approval. There were no written comments submitted, and no one requested to comment for this hearing. Commissioner Dance made a motion to adopt Resolution 2026-18 establishing the FY2026-27 budget for Fremont County Idaho in the amount of $72,428,502.00. Commissioner Chandler seconded the motion. A full voice vote was heard with all commissioners voting in favor. FREMONT COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PUBLIC HEARING FY2027 Fremont County Ambulance District Budget Hearing Fremont County Courthouse/Commissioners Room Tuesday, September 8, 2026, 10:10 AM Present for the meeting were: Commissioners Blair Dance, Rick Hill, and Mark Chandler Also attended by: Clerk Meredith Mattingly, Deputy Clerk Kim Fletcher, Civil Attorney Blake Hall, Assessor Carol Blanchard, Sheriff Bart Quayle, Chief Deputy Sheriff Cody Gudmunson, and Extension Office Supervisor Tom Jacobsen Commissioner Dance called the hearing to order and welcomed those in attendance. Commissioner Dance asked Clerk Meredith Mattingly if the hearing had been properly noticed. Clerk Mattingly stated that it had. Commissioner Dance asked if any of the Commissioners have a conflict on this hearing. Commissioners have no conflict. Commissioner Dance discussed the FY2026-27 Fremont County Ambulance District Budget. The proposed budget is $2,744,085.00 for this next year, of which we have a 2-year supplemental override of $400,000. The remainder of the budget will be funded by the taxpayers, but there will be no increase to what they are currently paying. There were no written comments submitted, and no one requested to comment for this hearing. The hearing was closed at 10:21 a.m. by Commissioner Dance. Commissioner Hill made a motion to approve Resolution No. 2026-19 to approve the FY206-27 Fremont County Ambulance District budget in the amount of $2,744,085.00 which includes a $400,000 2-year supplemental levy. Commissioner Chanler seconded the motion. A full voice vote was heard with all commissioners voting in favor. The hearing was adjourned. Executive Session IC 74-206(1)(f) Commissioner Dance made a motion to go into executive session pursuant to IC 74-206(1)(f) To communicate with legal counsel for the public agency to discuss the legal ramifications of and legal options for pending litigation, or controversies not yet being litigated but imminently likely to be litigated. The mere presence of legal counsel at an executive session does not satisfy this requirement; at 10:32 a.m. Commissioner Hill seconded the motion. A roll call vote was taken with Commissioner Dance voting “Aye”, Commissioner Hill voting “Aye”, and Commissioner Chandler voting “Aye”. Commissioner Dance declared the meeting open at 11:09 a.m. Planning and Zoning Administrator Tom Cluff RE: Department Report – action item Mr. Cluff reported the building permit numbers for the last quarter. 63 total in May, 25 residential. 83 total in June, 24 residential. 65 total in July, 15 residential. 437 total year to date, 139 of those were residential. Our numbers are still higher than last year, but we are trending closer to normal. He feels August may be milder than last year and the numbers seem to be trending that we will be slower by the end of the year than we were last year. Construction costs still seem to be up, if not getting worse. Commissioner Dance feels fuel prices are also impacting a lot of things. Mr. Cluff stated we do tend to get a surge of building permit purchases about the end of August, and through September. He doesn’t know why, and doesn’t really know what people do with them, but a lot of people come for them. Commissioner Dance asked if he has seen a general decline in real estate sales. Mr. Cluff stated he doesn’t really follow it, nor does he have a good source of local data to be able to follow sales. Once in a while he will contact a couple of real estate agents who do follow sales to ask them for information. Nationwide, the data is existing homes that are being resold is slow. There is a huge inventory of them because people are asking too much for them. Condominiums also aren’t selling well for the same reason. New builds are selling ok. He discussed some of the reasons why a lot of people are hesitant to buy and sell homes at the moment. There are a lot of apartments being built, but not enough affordable homes. Not enough homes are available for people that want them, and those that do want them can’t afford the downpayment, so they live in apartments. The county is growing at 2.5% to 3%, which is manageable. He will bring fee increases to discuss with Commissioners next week. Adjusting fees from 2011 Development Code to account for inflation. Will require a public hearing because it will be more than the 5% increase. This will allow us to watch how it affects our revenue, but will also allow for modifications if needed. Commissioners requested he have a discussion with Blake B. about us having our own electrical inspector. Mr. Cluff stated he can have that discussion. Blake does those inspections as soon as he can do them, but he is very busy. We may need to have discussions with the cities about our agreements for their inspections and whether or not the workload is too much. We currently do them for Island Park and Parker, Blake does Ashton on his own time. Commissioner Dance asked if the fee increase accounting for inflation is defendable in court. Mr. Hall said yes. Mr. Cluff stated future increases would be kept at under 5% unless there is one that just isn’t right and would need a larger increase. These changes have needed to be done for many years, some since 2008. The reason it has taken so long to update the fees is because we have made the money we have needed to every year, so it hasn’t seemed necessary to change. Another reason is that he has to be able to explain why the changes are being made, which has taken some time. Emergency Management Coordinator Keith Richey RE: Fire Restrictions – action item Mr. Richey discussed the current fire restrictions for Fremont County. The national planning level was lowered from 5 to 4 because weather is cooperating throughout the country and there are more resources available. The west is still burning. There are also still some fires in the central area (Texas). On July 9th, 100 hour fuels were at 7.9% and are now at 14%. Island Park currently has higher fire risk than here in the valley. He talked with the fire chiefs; they would like to have restrictions lifted, but Island Park will keep theirs until moistures change. They had a significant brush fire in IP over the weekend but were able to put it out. Farmers will want to start doing ag burns soon. South Fremont’s homecoming is this week and they will likely want to do a bonfire. We have had a fairly uneventful fire year thanks to the rain this season. EMS was busy this weekend. Commissioners approved the request from the fire chiefs to lift the fire restrictions. Miscellaneous Commissioner Chandler made a motion to approve the claims for September 8, 2026 as presented. Commissioner Hill seconded the motion. A full voice vote was heard with all commissioners voting in favor. Commissioner Hill made a motion to approve the minutes from August 31, 2026 as amended. Commissioner Chandler seconded the motion. A full voice vote was heard with all commissioners voting in favor. Commissioner Hill made a motion to approve the Junior College Application for the College of Eastern Idaho Fall 2026 academic year for Kaylie Chavez. Commissioner Chandler seconded the motion. A full voice vote was heard with all commissioners voting in favor. Commissioner Hill made a motion to approve the 2026-2027 Retail Alcoholic Beverage License for: #28 Three Rivers Ranch #29 Henry’s Fork Lodge #30 Lakeside Lodge and Resort #31 Uniform 12 Brewing #32 El Jaliciense II #33 Phillip’s Lodge / Lodgepole Grill #34 Jackson’s #72 Commissioner Chandler seconded the motion. A full voice vote was heard with all commissioners voting in favor. Clerk Mattingly gave the Commissioners an update about the insurance. This year we will be offering the Navigator for employees which is a platform they can go on and make all of their extra insurance elections other than medical, which will be separate. The numbers came back for our dental insurance with a 10% increase, which we weren’t expecting. She had a discussion with Travis about how to get our number back to 0% for our dental insurance, which would be to switch our life insurance from USAble back to Unum. Also, as part of the Navigator, we currently offer both Colonial and AFLAC. To streamline the process, Travis suggested only offering one or the other and not working with both of them. If they would be willing to work together, we can keep both. If not, we would need to look at the group rates for Colonial, AFLAC, and Unum, and pick the one that would work best for our employees. Commissioners would like Travis to schedule time on the agenda to have a discussion about our options. Commissioners discussed Pay App #20 for the Last Chance WWTP in the amount of $339,750.23. Commissioner Hill made a motion to approve Pay App #20 for the Last Chance WWTP in the amount of $339,750.23, and authorize the Chairman to sign the reimbursement paperwork when we receive it. Commissioner Chandler seconded the motion. A full voice vote was heard with all commissioners voting in favor. Deputy Clerk Kim Fletcher presented Change Order #9 for the Last Chance WWTP in the total amount of $19,571.25 for two pump model changes, additional grating, exhaust fan shroud protection and concrete pad dowel reinforcement. Commissioner Dance made a motion to approve Change Order #9 for the Last Chance WWTP for the total amount of $19,571.25. Commissioner Hill seconded the motion. A full voice vote was heard with all commissioners voting in favor. Clerk Mattingly discussed having an employee appreciation party this year for our employees. We would like to have it on Oct 1, 2026 at the golf course, with a tournament to start at 1pm for 40 people (they would have to use their PTO to participate). Later that evening at 6pm, we would hold a cornhole tournament for everyone who would like to attend, and the putting range will be open as well as driving range. We would like to waive the greens fees. We’ve looked into having food trucks come out to serve food and drinks. We also have a contingency of using Search and Rescue building if weather isn’t cooperative, but we can still do the cornhole competition and other games, and the food trucks can still be there to serve dinner. Commissioner Chandler knows someone who could speak if we would like, he will see if he is available. We do have a fund line for Employee Appreciation which we use to purchase the Christmas hams, we could use what is left in that line from the FY2026 budget to fund this event. This would pay for the vendors, cart rental, and Jeff for his time. Commissioner Chandler made a motion to approve the employee appreciation day with the food trucks and financing, and waive the greens fees for the tournament as well as cart fees. Commissioner Hill seconded the motion. A full voice vote was heard with all commissioners voting in favor. Commissioner Hill made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 12:14 p.m. Commissioner Chandler seconded the motion. A full voice vote was heard with all commissioners voting in favor. _________________________________ Blair Dance, Chairman Fremont County Commissioner Attest: _____________________________ Meredith Mattingly, Clerk HISTORY Recorded by Min. 614516 Public Hearing 09-08-2026 on 9/14/2026
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