Jerome County | minutes | meeting 2026-06-08 | Commissioners Meeting source: https://www.jeromecountyid.us/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_06082026-1671 Monday, June 8, 2026 Page 1 of 9 JEROME COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Monday, June 8, 2026 PRESENT: Ben Crouch, Chairman Charles Howell, Vice Chairman Art Watkins, Commissioner Ryan Treanor, Deputy Clerk Meeting convened at 9:04 am. Commissioner Reports Commissioner Watkins – Commissioner Watkins reported that he attended the Idaho Association of Counties (IAC) convention. There were several presentations on energy facilities and water resources. Then there was a presentation from the tax commission. He received a phone call from Larry Hall regarding the overlook project. Commissioner Howell – Commissioner Howell reported that he attended the region IV Commissioners meeting. The administrator of the Mid Snake River Water Resources board resigned, and there were interviews held for the position. Then he attended the Republican Central Committee meeting. He also attended a baby shower event for a county employee. Later he attended the event held by Business Plus. He also had a meeting with the Snake River Canyon Parks regarding the payments that will be received at the overlook. Then he discussed the airport with Mark Doerr and how the fuel is sold from the airport. He attended the retirement event for the drug dog Kanzu. Commissioner Crouch – Commissioner Crouch reported that he attended the Jerome High School senior scholarship event. Then he attended the Jo Mamas car show meeting. He attended the South Central Public Health budget meeting. Then he talked to Bill Bridges at the overlook location regarding the fencing for the lookout. He also attended the IAC conference in Nampa. During the conference he had a discussion with another commissioner from Ada County regarding their energy ordinance. He feels that it was a very beneficial conference. Later he attended an interview on the radio. Then he attended the flag relay run across the county. Then he went to ICRMP to go over the paperwork and expectations since he was appointed as a board member. He attended the retirement event for the drug dog Kanzu. Then he went to the fairgrounds office to look through the office after it flooded. Tax Cancelation Mark Swenson was not present for his time with the Commissioners. Maintenance Monthly Report Staff Present: Brent Culbertson and Matthew McGregor Brent gave a report for the maintenance department. He presented a proposed service agreement for the cooling devices in the data room. The company is in Boise since there is no company locally that can service the system. The Board recommended that Brent see if there are any other Monday, June 8, 2026 Page 2 of 9 companies that could service the devices. He wanted to review a quote that was received for switching out some of the windows into emergency windows. The quote is close to $5,000 for the complete project. He received another quote for the project that totaled around $8,000. The Board suggested that Brent go through with the bid that was received from Twin Falls Glass around $5,000. Brent then discussed if there were any plans to expand the buildings at the Sheriff’s office. The Board stated that there haven’t been any plans discussed. Brent brought up that if the buildings were expanded then there could be something added to house the coroner’s office and allow for better facilities for the coroner. The Board suggested that Brent speak with the Sheriff of where an office could be placed in their facilities. Brent then discussed that the adult probation office is looking to expand their reception area. This way they can have two receptionists available. He does not have a quote for this yet, but he can work on creating a bid for this. He also wanted to discuss the potential of purchasing a manlift that can be used at the Sheriff’s office. The holding cells that are higher up are getting more difficult to reach and costing extra money through contracts to clean or repair things. Snake River Canyon Parks Budget Request Staff Present: Cy Lootens and Tevian Kober Public Present: Bill Bridges and Brenda Weekes Bill presented on the budget for the Snake River Canyon Parks for the upcoming fiscal year. He included the income from the overlook and the RV park and conservatively estimated the income. He included the cost for the employees for the overlook park. The park board also discussed the potential of adding a manager to the park board to oversee the different sections of the park. Planning and Zoning Monthly Report Staff present: Kacie Buhler Kacie gave a report for the planning and zoning department. She stated that during the previous month that there was a total of $49,303.18 received in fees. There was a total of 10 inspections done for the City of Hazelton. A total of 75 inspections were done in the previous month. The department received a total of 22 new permits. There was a total of 37.5 hours put towards code enforcement. A total of 21 records requests were received during the previous month. North Side Soil and Water Conservation District, Valley Lions Club, and County Urban Renewal Agency Budget Requests Staff present: Cy Lootens Public present: Steven Huettig Steven presented the budget request for the North Side Soil and Water Conservation District. The district purchased some soil moisture sensors to be used in crop cover studies. The district is doing well enough financially and is not seeking a large sum for the upcoming fiscal year. Monday, June 8, 2026 Page 3 of 9 Then he presented for the Lion Club. He does not have a budget request but wanted to give an update on the money that was donated during the previous year. It has not been spent yet but he is looking to get the electrical updated in their building soon. The last thing he presented on was the County Urban Renewal Agency. He wanted to discuss the appointment that was presented previously for Roy Prescott to be appointed to the board. He feels that Roy would be great for the board. Meeting recessed at 11:45 am. Meeting reconvened at 1:15 pm. Jerome 20/20 Budget Request Staff present: Cy Lootens Public present: Camille Barigar Camille thanked the Commissioners for the chance to present on behalf of Jerome 20/20. The purpose of Jerome 20/20 is to be able to help business in the area to retain business, bring in new businesses, and provide jobs to the members of the county. She wants to work on creating a small business fair with the chamber of commerce to provide more info on how to start a small business or how to retain your small business. She will also be doing a housing inventory during the upcoming year, which can help people to find housing and potentially bring in new businesses. Another thing that she is working with is on getting a first of its kind grant to work on retaining agriculture in the county. She feels that there is a lot of eyes on the area and that there may be a lot of growth opportunity coming to the county. Airport Appreciation Day Update Staff present: Marty Luhr Marty reported that he was able to secure the 7th plane to be used during airport appreciation day. He has ordered all of the sausage and bacon for the breakfast. Most of the other food has been ordered. He reached out to the members of the rural fire district to help with cooking again. He reported that the air conditioner for the airport building went down. He has reached out to a couple of locations for a quote to replace the current one. He has not received the quotes yet but will come back again once he has received them. There will be construction that will start on July 1st. The construction will be to rebuild the taxiways. Workshop with Planning and Zoning Commission Regarding the Energy Ordinance Staff present: Kacie Buhler and Ryan Christensen Public present: Aaron Wright, Jerry Holton, Ufuoma Ojumah, Aaron Menenberg, Adrienne Dunham, and Katy Riker The Board welcomed everyone to the meeting with the planning and zoning commission, as well as planning and zoning staff. The Board wanted to review the events previously. An energy ordinance was passed and adopted. The purpose of this meeting is to go over the current Monday, June 8, 2026 Page 4 of 9 ordinance and how it can be improved. There was discussion from the planning and zoning commission that the ordinance that was adopted was too restrictive. However there were plans to come back to the ordinance and to be able to adopt changes to it. Commissioner Crouch went into his overview of the current ordinance. Many of the good items that come from the current ordinance is protection of our area, resources, and agriculture lifestyle. One of the other things that he discussed was that Idaho Power was a net importer of power. He also feels that Jerome County should not be the guinea pig for testing out these facilities. He would like to see these potentially be allowed into the county once there has been enough evidence that they are beneficial. The other thing he would like to see is that there should be more research and evidence to back up the safety of the energy facilities that are being created now. He feels that some of the most important things are safety to the community and safety to the agriculture in our area. Commissioner Crouch went further into the requirements of an applicant when trying to bring an energy facility into the county. He mentioned a list of items that may need to be considered before approving an energy facilities application. Another item that does still need to be considered is personal property rights while going through this process. The facility should be able to demonstrate the benefit that it will bring into our community. Commissioner Crouch would also like to see impact studies be done before an application can be completed and accepted. Another thing that should be reviewed carefully is the implementation of a transmission line. He feels that Jerome County should be hesitant for the foreseeable future about large scale energy facilities. There can be a change brought forward in the future about these facilities once there is more research done on them. There was a question from the Planning and Zoning commission regarding a statement that Commissioner Crouch made about the facilities not being permanent but evolving. Commissioner Crouch responded that the facilities would be permanent, but that he wants to see a constant consideration of different facilities as there is more information brought forward about them. Another comment was made from the Planning and Zoning commission regarding being in favor of the safety standards of these facilities being updated as the facilities are updated. Another comment was brought forward regarding the process of receiving a conditional use permit for these facilities and for it not being capped at six months. There would be a large issue with potentially receiving all of the approvals during a six month period. Kacie also stated that there is more approval that is needed for these projects than just from the county, and that there could be an issue with this. She further stated that there could be a change done to this, but that the current time is 2 years for a conditional use permit. Commissioner Watkins said that he is in agreeance with what Commissioner Crouch stated. He would like to see these companies come in and actually talk with the owners of the property regarding the facility. He feels that it would be important to review all facilities on a case by case basis. The other thing that is important to be considered during these permits is the personal property rights. This can and may affect neighboring properties and should be something considered when applications are turned in. One of the things that can’t be denied is the fact that Monday, June 8, 2026 Page 5 of 9 our area is going to need more energy for the future. He also feels that it is important to protect the members of Jerome County. Commissioner Howell also agreed with the statements that have been made regarding these facilities. He also wants to have the setbacks be taken into consideration and how far back that they need to be placed from other homes. There are similar requirements that dairies must meet to keep the impact of their business from affecting other neighboring properties. He would also like to see soil testing done on the property before the facility would be completed. Another thing that needs to be worked on with the energy ordinance is the definition of agriculture land and the scale of the facilities themselves. A comment was made from the Planning and Zoning commission regarding the landscaping requirements. This could include things like weeds on the property and making sure they are being maintained. Another issue with this could be a sound barrier as well. Another comment was made agreeing with the idea that the Commissioners stated about not being the guinea pig. This way the county can learn from other areas in their failures and successes. There was another comment that was being brought forward regarding data centers and how that doesn’t really make sense for our area. The Planning and Zoning commision feels that with our power company already being a net importer it would not make sense to have it be brought into the area with the large impact on energy requirements. Kacie wanted to clarify the different things that would need to be changed to match the vision of the Board on energy facilities for the county. She brought up the current requirement that facilities would be brought into only industrial zones. She also stated that there would need to be a language change to restrict wind facilities from being implemented into the county. Commissioner Howell stated that he does not feel that industrial would be the best zone and that there should be a different area for those facilities. Executive Session per Idaho Code 74-206(1)(b) for Personnel Staff present: Amanda Worthington and Jesse Vallez Commissioner Crouch moved to go into executive session per Idaho Code 74- 206(1)(b) for personnel. Seconded by Commissioner Watkins. The motion passed with a unanimous roll call vote. Executive session began at 3:06 pm and ended at 3:33 pm. Voices Against Violence Budget Request Staff present: Kelle Hardy and Cy Lootens Public present: Joseph Simonson Joseph stated that he is the director of Voices Against Violence. He stated that over the last year that they have been able to help over 1,000 individuals who are victims of violence. They have also helped go to schools to help with bullying that is taking place. The offices are currently Monday, June 8, 2026 Page 6 of 9 being moved to a better location. There was some down sizing of employees to the office. This has not affected the issues of serving those in the area and continuing to maintain the levels of service. IT Purchases Staff present: Matthew McGregor and Daniel Bickar Matthew stated that he has several items that he is looking to purchase. The first one is an enterprise campus aggregation switch. With the purchase of this switch that it will allow for him to run everything in tandem. The second item is regarding a new software that will help with creating badges for employees. The hardware is called Fargo. The last item that he has is regarding a new office chair for an employee. Commissioner Crouch moved to approve an expenditure to not exceed $5,400 for an office chair, for the Fargo software, and for an Enterprise Campus Aggregation Switch. Seconded by Commissioner Howell. The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Matthew reported on the IT leadership conference that was attended. There were some presentation on ADA compliance for websites. A presentation was given from Kootenai County on some IT practices. There was also information given on the next generation of 911 calls and how those systems will be set up. Later there was a discussion had regarding the use of Computer Arts software for county services. Then there was a presentation on software that can be used to track things on your network for security reasons. He stated that there was another presentation that discussed the benefits of off-site backups. One of the last things that took place was a cyberdiscovery tour that was basically cops and robbers but in terms of IT. He found this activity to be very beneficial and instructive. Paid Time Off Policy Discussion, Potential Employee Handbook Decision, Executive Session per Idaho Code 74-206(1)(b) for Personnel Staff present: Jesse Vallez, Mike Seib, and Cy Lootens Jesse wanted to follow up with the paid time off (PTO) policy. She also wanted to discuss the time keeping for each office and how that will work. Once that is finalized then she can submit a final draft to her outside consultant for final approval. Commissioner Crouch moved to go into executive session per Idaho Code 74- 206(1)(b) for personnel. Seconded by Commissioner Howell. The motion passed with a unanimous roll call vote. Executive session began at 4:49 pm and ended at 4:59 pm. Monday, June 8, 2026 Page 7 of 9 Sign and Approve Claims Commissioner Watkins moved to approve the claims as presented by staff. Seconded by Commissioner Crouch. The motion passed with a unanimous vote. To see an image of the report please see page 3 of the minutes. Employee Paid Time Off Payout Requests Commissioner Crouch moved to approve the PTO payouts as presented. Seconded by Commissioner Watkins. The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Jerome 20/20 Opportunity Zone 2.0 Status Grant Support Letter Commissioner Crouch moved to approve the signing of the Jerome 20/20 Opportunity Zone 2.0 Status Grant Support Letter. Seconded by Commissioner Watkins. The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Notes: Commissioner Crouch recused himself from signing the document. Ballot for South Central Public Health District Board Member Commissioner Watkins moved to nominate Linda Montgomery to a five year term for the South Central Public Health Board. Seconded by Commissioner Howell. The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Idaho Office of Emergency Management 2025 Subrecipient Award Agreement Paperwork Commissioner Crouch moved to approve the signing of the Idaho Office of Emergency Management 2025 Subrecipient Award Agreement. Seconded by Commissioner Howell. The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Read and Approve Minutes Commissioner Watkins moved to approve the minutes. Seconded by Commissioner Crouch. The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Meeting adjourned at 5:11 pm. ________________________ ______________________________ Monday, June 8, 2026 Page 8 of 9 Ryan Treanor, Deputy Clerk A. Ben Crouch, Chairman ______________________________ Charles M. 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