Jerome County | minutes | meeting 2026-03-23 | Commissioners Meeting source: https://www.jeromecountyid.us/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_03232026-1631 Monday, March 23, 2026 Page 1 of 15 JEROME COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Monday, March 23, 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 stated that he attended the rotary meeting. There was a presentation on the judicial system from Judge Lothspeich. He then went to the empty bowls meeting. Then he attended the South Central Public Health meeting. He attended the IAC legislative meeting online. Commissioner Howell – Commissioner Howell stated that he attended a couple of viewings during the week. He reached out to the National Guard regarding the armory. Commissioner Crouch – Commissioner Crouch stated that he went to the rotary meeting. He stated that the presentation from Judge Lothspeich was excellent. Then he attended the IAC legislative meeting. He attended a celebration of life during the week. Commissioner Howell moved to go into executive session per Idaho Code 74- 206(1)(b) for personnel. Seconded by Commissioner Crouch. The motion passed with a unanimous roll call vote. Executive session started at 9:43 am and ended at 9:52 am. New Poll Booths Purchase, Designated Polling Locations for May 2026 Primary Election, Renewal of Postage Machine Contract Cy Lootens and Ryan Treanor were present. Ryan stated that the county is in need of some new polling booths. During the previous general election there were not enough of the nicer booths for all of the precincts. He stated that they were able to find some older booths to use for that election, but that he wants to have more of the nicer booths available for use instead of the older ones. He stated that Cy received a quote for new double sided booths for $280 each. The quote is for 10 new sets of double booths which would provide 20 total. With this purchase it would also allow for the older booths to not be used again, as well as to get rid of some of the older blue booths that are damaged. Commissioner Watkins moved to approve the purchase of 10 new booths totaling $2,800. Seconded by Commissioner Howell. The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Monday, March 23, 2026 Page 2 of 15 Ryan stated that he also wanted to go over the proposal for the polling places for the primary election on May 19, 2026. He stated that most of the polling places remained the same as last year. There were two that changed. One is Bishop Court as the Episcopal Parrish Hall is no longer available to be used as a polling place. The back room that was used previously is now being used as a place of residence. After reaching out to some locations he was able to confirm with the Renew Church to use their church as a polling place for 2026. If the polling places are approved the Bishop Court precinct would vote on election days at the Renew Church instead. He stated that the other change was with the Shepherdview precinct. It will still be at the Jerome Middle School, but instead of the gym it will now be held in the library. This was changed after a discussion with the Jerome School District Superintendent after there were some security concerns discussed about the use of the gym for a polling location. Commissioner Crouch moved to approve the polling places for the primary and general elections to be held in 2026. Seconded by Commissioner Howell. The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Discussion: The Board asked if the polling places would change for the general election. Cy stated that the locations would have to remain the same for both elections per Idaho Code, but that there would be an approval discussion like this before the General Election in November. Cy stated that he was contacted by Pitney Bowes the company that owns the postage machine in our office. There were some updates to their rules that has led the machine to be out of compliance. Cy and Jeri Wilson met with Pitney Bowes about receiving a new machine and how we can get a machine that meets our needs. The new machine is going to be $100 cheaper per quarter than the current lease for the current machine. Commissioner Howell moved to approve the new postage lease and new postage machine. Seconded by Commissioner Watkins. The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Discussion on Fair Board Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) The Board reviewed the MOU that was received. The Board wanted to review the section regarding the upkeep and repair of the fairgrounds. The MOU states that it would be the job of the fair board to maintain and repair all personal and county property used for fair purposes, and that those would be covered by funds from the fair. The Board was not sure if this would be the fair itself, or the funds that are given to the fair by the county. The Board stated that there could also be issues with that definition for the horse racing barn, as it is not used for fair purposes. Then there was a discussion regarding the fair manager position and whether that position could be both the secretary and treasurer on the fair board. There was a section stating that the fair board would adopt the county employee handbook for the members of the fair board. The Board also discussed the auditing process of the county and stated that there should be a separate audit of the fair board and their expenses. Then the Board discussed the money that is raised by the Monday, March 23, 2026 Page 3 of 15 fair and how it would be up to the fair board to protect those funds, and that this description should also include funds from the rodeo and not just the fair. Juvenile Probation Monthly Report Marion Umana was present. Mario gave a report on the juvenile probation department. He stated that there are currently 83 juveniles on probation. During the last month there were 14 new cases. There were 11 cases that closed last month. A total of $1,582.50 was received in fees. Misdemeanor Probation Monthly Report Andrea Gonzalez was present. Andrea gave a report on the misdemeanor probation department. She stated that there were 20 new cases during the previous month. There were 36 cases closed. A total of $36,053.27 was received in fees. She has been attending the inter-agency meeting. She has also reached out to ICRMP regarding some classes that were offered and was only able to attend one of the meetings. Meeting recessed at 11:44 am. Meeting reconvened at 1:17 pm. Discussion on Waterways Grant Chad Kingsland, Cy Lootens, and Bill Bridges were present. Chad stated that he is here to talk about the grant from the state for the waterways grant. The state has awarded $5,905.00 to the county. Last year there were more inspections done and there was even a water ski race. The group for the water ski race is looking to come back again this year. Last year the grant helped with getting deputies out on the water to help patrol and enforce rules on the waterway. It also helps with improving relations. He is looking to have the county approve the grant and the match. Commissioner Crouch moved to accept the waterways grant at $5,905 with a 50% match from the county for patrolling the waterways and completing inspections. Seconded by Commissioner Watkins. The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Update on Shoshone Falls Overlook Project Bill Bridges and Cy Lootens were present. Bill wanted to discuss the overlook project. He reached out to the Jerome 20/20 group about being at the ribbon cutting, but that the director will be out of town. He was reached out to by CSI about an event that will take place on campus for a parks department meeting. CSI wants to have Bill speak at the event. At the overlook park there will be a concessions stand and a ticket Monday, March 23, 2026 Page 4 of 15 booth. There will be solar panels on them to help provide the power for those booths. CSI told Bill that the students would be making six benches for the overlook park. The buy a brick program has continued to do well with donations. There was a group who reached out to Bill about a dog park. The group wants to have a park built and have a section that would train dogs to catch pheasants and would also include shooting. He wants to confirm if that would be allowed. Commissioner Howell stated he can reach out to someone at the department of fish and game regarding the eligibility of shooting in the area. Bill stated that he received two different bids for signs. The quotes for the signs are $26,977.05 to build an entrance sign as well as information signs in the overlook park. Commissioner Crouch moved to approve the expenditure of $26,977.05 for signage for the overlook park for the welcome sign and informational signage. Seconded by Commissioner Watkins. The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Discussion: The money for the signage in this quote will come from the money that was donated by Chobani. Emergency Threat Procedure Posters Eric Jackson, Cy Lootens, and Kirsten Hartley were present. Eric stated that he was able to put together a safety poster. He stated that Kirsten helped with getting the poster put together. He would like to see each office have a poster to be able to review the different policies. He stated that he received a quote from Jerome Printshop for 10 posters and that it would cost about $280 for 10 posters. Commissioner Crouch moved to go into executive session per Idaho Code 74- 206(1)(f) for possible legal issues. Seconded by Commissioner Watkins. The motion passed with a unanimous roll call vote. Executive session started at 2:07 pm and ended at 2:20 pm. Airport Leases Discussion Marthy Luhr was present. The Board wanted to discuss a couple of leases at the airport. There is also a lien for someone’s hangar that the Board wanted to discuss with Marty. The Board stated that the owners would like to have the lien removed. The advice that was received from legal counsel was to remove the lien if the owners have been paying their proper dues for several years now. Marty stated that these individuals have been good at paying dues and has not had any issues for several years. Commissioner Crouch moved to remove the lien off the Higley Group hangar, so the hangar can be used as collateral. Seconded by Commissioner Watkins. The motion passed with a unanimous vote. Monday, March 23, 2026 Page 5 of 15 The Board also received a call from Mark Doerr regarding another lease at the hangar. Mark wanted to see if it is possible to move the lease on a new hangar that is being built from his company name to his personal name instead. The Board is not sure if that is a possibility or if it would create any issues. There was a discussion to reach out to legal counsel to see if there would be any issues in this change. Sign and Approve Claims Commissioner Crouch moved to approve the claims as presented by staff. Seconded by Commissioner Watkins. The motion passed with a unanimous vote. To see an image of the report please see page 15 of the minutes. Employee Paid Time Off Payout Requests Commissioner Crouch moved to approve the PTO payout as presented. 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 3:12 pm. Monday, March 23, 2026 Page 6 of 15 Meeting convened at 5:30 pm. Commissioner Howell was not present due to family matters. Question and Answer Meeting with Planning and Zoning Staff Gary Armstrong, Kacie Buhler, Ryan Christensen, Cathy Roemer, Loretta Holton, Jerry Holton, Lyle Johnstone, Jeff Pierson, Aaron Menenberg, Elizabth Kocekeritz, Connie Kincheloe, Ralph Kincheloe, and Julie DeWolfe Arroyo were present. The Board welcomed those in attendance and thanked Gary Armstrong for attending. This is a time for Gary and the Board to answer any questions. Gary will take some time during the workshop to present to the planning and zoning commission and the Board. Kacie stated that the planning and zoning commission will be showing up for the meeting at 6 pm. Gary stated that he is the administrating director for Madison County. He has worked for 30 years in this space. Half with the government and half with a consulting company. He has worked with several different energy companies and policies over the years. The first time he met the Board was up at the IAC conference after a presentation regarding energy facilities and the energy ordinance that was created in Madison County. He wants to help the process as he can be a neutral third party. Commissioner Watkins stated that he wants to see the ag land protected and that the members of the county work together to create something beneficial to the county. He wants to see things worked on to be beneficial. There was a question regarding the ordinance in Madison County. Gary stated that there is a wind ordinance for the county. He has brought some papers of the ordinance that can be handed out. Madison County does not allow solar energy facilities at all. The current wind ordinance does allow for windmills to be a total height of 350 ft to the top of the blade. There was a company that reached out to see if that can be amended. The Commissioner of Madison County turned that down and voted to keep the current height requirement. He stated that the Idaho Code has been built to help with giving the counties the option to define what is wanted and what is not. There was a questions about the online ordinance option that has been created for Madison County. Gary stated that this was done to allow for ease of access for ordinances. Once there was a presentation on their software the county decided to make a change to that new software. Another question was asked about the agriculture protection area and whether there have been people in Madison County who have been interested in this. Gary stated that no one in their area has really been interested in signing up for that. He stated that there are issues with people not wanting to be annexed into cities in their county, and so the APA has not really been a thing for them. There was a question about BESS and what Madison County does with them. Gary stated that there have not really been anything in Madison County for this. He stated that there has not really been an interest for the members of the county and so he has not done as much homework on that so far. He stated that Madison County does not currently allow them with the lack of interest. There was a question about the workshop process and what Gary has seen to be the most beneficial process for a workshop. Gary stated that there are several processes for these and can vary depending on the item. One item that was brought through a workshop was a pet Monday, March 23, 2026 Page 7 of 15 crematorium. During this process it was brought forward, studied, and taken to the public for feedback. There was an adoption to allow for pet crematoriums after going through this process. He feels that the most important part about adopting code or updating code is to have it be simple and transparent. This way anyone can read it and understand what the code is saying. He stated that he is also not the biggest fan of special use permits or conditional permits. This allows for maybes instead of clear cut yes or nos. What should be done in his opinion is to just create specifics that state whether something should be allowed or not. If there are clear cut definitions then there is no way to skirt around that with a condition or special use permit. There was a follow up regarding the process of a workshop and how they can be more productive. If there is more defined topics and homework to discuss something more specifically to lead to a more beneficial workshop. Gary stated that one of the most important things is to not have a lot of groups work to create the code or comp plan without having to reconcile all of the issues to make sure it is uniform. One comp plan that he dealt with was not done this way and there could be something found to allow or not allow almost any project for the county. He also discussed the use of AI to create a mission statement that covers the main topics of a code or comp plan and make sure that everyone feels that it is a good explanation of what the code is for. Another questions was posed about using Lupa for the use of mediation. Gary stated that Madison County has not really use that in the process of mediation before. There was another question posed of a steering group and whether that would be beneficial. Gary stated that it can go either way and that for the most part it is not the most beneficial as it can drive the information in the wrong way. Workshop with Planning and Zoning Commission and Gary Armstrong (Madison County Planning and Zoning) on proposed amendments: Chapter 10 of the Comprehensive Plan to add language on large-scale energy projects; Add Chapter 11, Energy Facilities, to the Zoning Ordinance (To Be Held In Jack Nelson Room, Room 306) The Board wanted to thank everyone for attending this meeting. The rules are a bit more lax during a workshop which is appreciated. The Board stated that Gary Armstrong is here and the Board appreciates him being in attendance. The Board will turn the time over for the hearing to Gary to discuss what he has done in Madison County and what he can offer for help in this process. Gary stated that he is from Madison County. He first talked with Commissioner Crouch at the IAC conference. There he was asked to come and discuss the energy ordinance with the county when available. He grew up in Challis Idaho and is a small town Idaho boy. He has worked for over 30 years in the planning and zoning field. There is a lot of pressure right now for the state to take over the powers for what is and is not allowed in the counties. He feels that there are some serious projects that have been considered in this area. Lava Ridge was a project that was seen by the rest of the state. Madison County has a wind ordinance in place currently. There is no allowance for solar energy in the county. He worked with a company that wanted to change the height limit of the windmills in the wind ordinance. The Commissioners decided to not change the current height limit of 350 feet. He shares that story to help with the county to know that the county has the power to create an ordinance and code that shows the desires of the community. He wants to help with that process if he is able to and to show what this community does want. Monday, March 23, 2026 Page 8 of 15 One of the things that have been seen in the courts is that the decisions of the county have been upheld and stood behind as the county came up with those decisions for good reasons. The codes that cover that should be very clear, easy to understand, and applicable. This is the definition of good code. Another good thing that can help in this process is to build in more yes and no definitions than for maybes. This helps with creating code as well as it helps to stand behind the code after it is created. Another part that this can help with is for companies that may want to come in under the conditions that are there. This will allow them to know whether to go forward with a project or not to. The easier code to more it will also help the planning and zoning commission going forward. He knows that there is a lot of conditions that are being discussed and that these energy facilities are something on the front of the mind of this area. Kacie wanted to discuss the concept of rewriting more restrictive code after creating code. Under current code there are BESS and wind facilities allowed in most sections of the county. She wants to discuss what can be done with this especially with the issues with personal property rights. Gary wanted to see if there are any current facilities. Kacie stated that there are not really any facilities in the area, but that there is a current personal facility. Gary stated that one of the things would need to be talked about is grandfathering in existing facilities. He feels that there are options to also restrict that going forward to make sure that it is going on in the right way. He feels that there is an issue with people who don’t have issues with private property rights until there is something near them that they don’t agree with. One of the things that he has used in his county is that if the impact is on one property then it shouldn’t matter for the surrounding properties. There is nothing really easy with this as well as it does have the ties to the private property rights. Kacie stated that this is something she is concerned about. During the process of projects there may be more that is being affected to the neighboring properties. Gary stated that the most important part is to be as transparent as possible. Commissioner Watkins wanted to discuss the use of solar on a private property. There was something approved for a property, and nothing was added to it. The ground is a decent ground to be farmed and nothing is being done with it. He wants to see something added that if the permit is not used, then the permit should expire. Gary stated that there are other parts of permits that do lead to expiring in Madison County and he suggested that this should be something that is added. Kacie stated that there is something being brought forward regarding this right now. Brett wanted to discuss the rezoning of a parcel from the original zone to heavy industrial for an energy facility. He wants to see how this would work as there would need to be a process to rezone the property first and then applying for the energy facility later. There could also be issues about the creation of an energy facility that would be ok, but not ok for a child care business. Gary stated that there are four options in Madison County regarding this. There needs to be something that can lead to a lot of conditions for whatever project that is being considered. If there is an energy facility it would need to meet all of the required criteria to ensure that the facility is invested and approaching the facility in the appropriate way. With a section of code that could be created it could be used to make sure that the facility meets all of the required criteria. He doesn’t want to go over those criteria as he doesn’t know what is best for the community. Kacie stated that with most of the permits there are criteria included currently in county code. Brett stated that he is more concerned about the zoning of the facility. Gary stated Monday, March 23, 2026 Page 9 of 15 that Madison County has so few industrial zones due to the small area that the county covers. He suggested to not use the Madison County code as a reference for this specific topic. Gary stated that this is ultimately up to the planning and zoning commission and the Commissioners. The people have put their faith in both of these groups to make sure that this is done properly. The Commissioners are the only elected individuals to have any impact on this process. Brett stated that he has a question regarding BESS and what can be done with the changes that are being brought forward in the energy facility world. Gary stated that there are options to just have the specific items to be allowed and that the rest of them are prohibited. With this process of something new coming forward that it would be prohibited. This also does hinder the county as there would need to be more updates made as new facilities are brought forward. One of the things that Madison County did was create something specific about the use of the type of zoned property for that type of facility. As long as the project can meet the required criteria then any type of business is allowed as long as the business meets the criteria in the code. This also allows for the use of private property rights so anything can be done with personal property. There is another option to show the criteria that can’t be allowed for a project to be allowed. If the project meets one of the requirements then it would not be allowed no matter what. There was a particular project that was proposed to allow for a pet crematorium. After doing the work and defining the use of that project there is now a pet crematorium in Madison County. There are advantages to each option and disadvantages. The Board stated that the meeting will now move to the workshop section of the meeting. The Board did do a homework session to be able to discuss what the Board is wanting to see in this ordinance. Commissioner Crouch read a comment on behalf of Commissioner Howell. The comment stated that Commissioner Howell was unable to attend due to a family issue. Commissioner Howell has always felt the importance of God, country, and family. He is excited to see what was discussed during this process tonight with Gary Armstrong. He felt that Gary was a great speaker during the IAC conference and would have much to contribute in the process of completing the energy ordinance. Commissioner Watkins stated that he wants to give his feelings on the energy facilities. He is totally against wind. He is not sure if solar is a great option for the area of Jerome County. He has heard many individuals complain about their personal solar panels on their home. He feels that water and geothermal options are still something that is considered to be used going forward. He is not sure about natural gas. He is unaware of the options of BESS and what that can provide and whether to allow it or not. This is something that needs to be dug into more to learn about what it is and could provide. He feels that the most important part is protecting the aquifer and the water that the community has. There needs to be something created to allow for a decision up front of whether these facilities are allowed or not. The purpose of this ordinance should be to protect everyone, but he is not fully sure if that can be done or not. This may need to be something to look into on a case by case basis. There needs to be more homework done on nuclear energy as it is coming down the pipe, and there just needs to be something created. Monday, March 23, 2026 Page 10 of 15 Commissioner Crouch stated that the direction should be clear for the direction of the energy ordinance. The first priority is security. This is of the upmost importance. There also needs to be an inspection of private property rights. These facilities also need to be considered for the affect that is brought to the community at large. There needs to be protection of the area and its water. The comp plan is clear in that agriculture is important here and needs to be central to these decisions. There needs to be something learned from the past especially with Lava Ridge. There needs to be a greater sense of protection of our area. The private property rights can’t be disregarded no matter what. The job of the Board is to take everyone’s views into consideration and not just one viewpoint. Everyone needs to have their voice heard and everyone needs to be protected. Much of this information is new and there needs to be some safety measures taken into priority. He also wants to open up the meeting for the planning and zoning commission to ask for any more information. During the time for the open comments that there will be five minutes allowed and to give warning of time expiring. He wants to see comments be kept to solutions and to not have personal attacks in a comment. This can also be a time to point the Board in a direction to look for more solutions. The Board also wanted to mention that there was a meeting last week to review the previous presented ordinances. The Board discussed to have an ordinance adopted and to keep having workshops to go over more updates and how the ordinance can be refined to what there needs to be. Brett Thompson wanted to see if there is a time expiration on the ordinance. The Board stated that there is no expiration, but that there will be more work done to refine the ordinance. The Board wanted to discuss whether to allow windmills currently. The Board feels that this is something that should not be allowed. The planning and zoning commission stated that they would be agreeable that windmills should not be allowed in the county. The Board stated that with this ordinance there should be a stance on what should or should not be allowed for the county. Becky Dean stated that she would like to see the pros and cons of BESS and solar facilities. This information should be obtained from a neutral source to allow for the information to be discussed and studied for this neutral source. Janet stated that she was able to obtain some information regarding BESS and how there are different types of batteries and the use of chemicals within the batteries. This should be something that is considered when there is a list of criteria for these facilities. There needs to be homework done with all of the facilities to make sure that the facility is placed in a safe area. Gary stated that in the past when he worked with wind and solar is to not regulate the regulators. If someone brings in a septic certification that should be accepted as that is something that the septic companies verifies. This way the county does not have to have an expert to make sure all things are approved appropriately. Becky wanted to discuss the protection of water that Commissioner Crouch discussed. One of the things that concerns her are the new subdivisions that are coming in and using wells instead of water from the aquifer. She feels that she would be totally against any project that would need to pull large amounts of water to be able to conduct business. Commissioner Crouch asked if a project would clean the water and return it to the aquifer if Becky would be ok with that. Becky stated that this type of project would be ok in her opinion. Monday, March 23, 2026 Page 11 of 15 She stated that with the homework projects there should be a concern to research the subject on their own. This could lead to them finding information that is not true or unrelated to the topic. This should be something that is provided from a reputable source on that topic. Brett wanted to discuss how to measure and assess the need of energy. Commissioner Crouch stated that one of the indicators would be growth. He is not sure what else would need to be considered with this. One of the thing that he fears is the use of new technology for energy facilities, but that in the future that there could be a large need for those type of facilities. Julie DeWolfe Arroyo She wanted to ask Gary Armstrong some questions for some of the things she has questions with. She asked if the comp plan needs to be a guiding document for the counties’ actions and would there need to be something shown in the comp plan before moving forward with things. Gary stated that the comp plan is not your goal and that it would not need to be enumerated in the comp plan. She also wants to ask if the county can outright deny green energy or certain aspects of it. Gary stated that this could be done, but that there would need to be something behind the rational of the decision. He stated that one example is for protecting agriculture production. If there is anything that denies that then the county would be against that option. With the rational basis of protecting farm land it could be used in court if needed to protect the county decision. She wanted to see if there is an option to have zoning prohibit industry or to see industry leading the way in decision making. Gary stated that each community is different. The comp plan in Madison County made updates to their ordinances to chase small home business regarding internet commerce into the county. The updates made it friendly to have these businesses brought to the community. He feels that there are advantages to each side. She also wanted to ask what the definition of being a stake holder is. Gary stated that he is not sure. If you live in the area it can define it and can be anyone with an interest. Aaron Menenberg He is a policy manager for a company out of Boise. He is looking to help meet the growing demand through the discussion of this ordinance. He wants to discuss the topic of how do we know what we need with energy use. One of the dangers with this is that if you want to know the need, that it will not show up until it is too late. There is a public utility commission that does this research to know where the demand growth can be expected. The 20 year plan discusses these needs and steps to help meet the demands. With doing this research he would like to see the Board use the results of the growing demand to know what needs to be brought into the area. The best suggestion is to begin to build more BESS and solar facilities and to bring in natural gas facilities. This would allow for the need to start to be met over the future. He has submitted comments regarding the terms of local need. Jerome is well above the average need for local areas for power. He then went over the growth statistics for the area of Jerome County. The statistics show that the community is very in favor of growth for the community. The businesses that the county wants to protect are the same businesses that are increasing the demand of power for the area. Monday, March 23, 2026 Page 12 of 15 Bill Likely He stated that he lives in the southwest part of Jerome. He knows that there is a large job ahead with this process. He knows that there is a large demand for power among the ag community. He feels that there needs to be good planning to run these businesses in the community. He has worked with the True West Beef plant for several years now. He has also worked with the peak rewards program from Idaho Power to allow for them to shut the power off to meet local demand. He feels that the power is running tight even right now. There are projects for ag and other projects that projects are looking to move into the area. The number one concern of those projects is the power for the business. He wants to thank the Board for taking this issue on. Steve Marshall He stated that he has a house near the substation in Jerome. He wants to discuss the solar option for the county. He has solar on his own property and feels that it has done a good job. He also wanted to discuss the natural gas option. There needs to be research done no matter what facility is being brought in. He feels that the best option is for the use of the special use permit. He wants to see others look into the same topics as his family has. Then he discussed about the feelings of a farmer for his farm, and how hard it is for them to move away form that. Connie Kincheloe She stated that she lives in the southwest section of town. She feels that there needs to be a review of other areas and what they are doing with regards to energy facilities. She wants to leave copies of those with P&Z for reference. She wants to discuss the use of a steering committee and how it can be used to help with this process. She wants to see that the real stakeholders that are considered for these topics are those who live in the area, and not the energy companies. Ufuoma Ojumah He stated that he has spoke in this area before about the energy ordinance. He wants to see the county take the process of allowing energy facilities into the area into true consideration. These facilities should be taken into account, while making sure that the facilities match what the community holds valuable. He feels that at the end of the day it is most important to look at each project on a case by case basis. There could be many things that prohibit a project and protect the community. This should be done so that the company backing the project wants to meet the needs and desires of the community. Jerry Holton He wanted to discuss how many of the people see what he does on Facebook and the issues that come up in the process of his company. He wants to see that the members of the planning and zoning commission do their own research rather than just taking information from someone else. He feels as a builder that inspectors miss a lot of things and that he cleans some of those up. This Monday, March 23, 2026 Page 13 of 15 process would help with the same type of thing he does in his own business. He would appreciate if everyone did this and that everyone will find information that is needed for the community. The Board wanted to discuss homework for the next meeting. Becky stated that she would like to discuss one source of energy and to discuss what is found out in the process of the research. This way it can go subject by subject rather than all at once. This would also help with making sure each is decided on with an informed decision. Kacie stated that there could also be multiple discussed during one session depending on how quickly the planning and zoning commission wants to go. Becky also asked if Gary could provide them with some resources for each type of facility to become more informed. She stated that she would hesitate with splitting up into groups so that everyone can get different information about each subject. Each person will see different parts about each facility. Kacie stated that there has also been a lot of information already submitted with research that was done. Not everything has been printed and provided but that she will pass everything along that is received so that all of the information can be taken into consideration. The facilities that were discussed to research first was BESS and solar. Kacie also wanted to make sure that all of the information comes from reputable agencies. Becky wanted to make sure to discuss and research the default situations that have come up with explosions or fires, etc. Brett stated that he feels it would be important to have specific criteria to meet before a project would be approved. Ralph Kincheloe He stated that he attended a planning and zoning commission meeting in Gooding. It was to meet regarding a windmill application. There were a lot of qualifications that the project needed to meet before it could be approved. If this is done then it can be very beneficial for the county. He would like to see the county do something similar. Lyle Johnstone He wanted to have those keep in mind during research that there has been a large push to put in these projects. The people who pushed this before are no longer pushing these facilities. There are a lot of websites that state that these facilities are great, but some of the facilities use power rather than create it. BESS uses power rather than create it. Would the county want to see large projects put in that are not the best at creating power. He wanted to point out the President Trump has stated that windmills are bought by dumb people as they don’t work well. This should be something that should not come into the county. He feels that the best option is gas fire plants, since they create the exact amount of power that the facility promises. Leon Letson He stated that he works with Idaho Power. He wants to discuss that he is willing to share Idaho Power’s experiences with some of the different energy facilities. Idaho Power is currently looking to test all options of power to try and meet the demand and make power more affordable. He would like to encourage staff to reach out about any questions that they may have. He was able to attend an event to discuss BESS and how they can help. Monday, March 23, 2026 Page 14 of 15 The Board wanted to state that they will meet with P&Z about getting a new date and agendizing it for the public to attend. The Board thanked everyone for coming out and for contributing with their comments tonight. Meeting adjourned at 7:37 pm. ________________________ ______________________________ Ryan Treanor, Deputy Clerk A. Ben Crouch, Chairman ______________________________ Charles M. Howell, Commissioner ______________________________ Art Watkins, Commissioner BUDGET TOTALS DEPARTMENT PAYROLL ACCT PAY GRAND TOTAL 1|CLERK 2|ASSESSOR |_3|TREASURER 3 " ee ee HUMAN RESOURCES COMMISSIONERS CORONER BUILDING & GROUNDS MAINT. $ 350.00 350.00 95.00 $ 11/EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT $ 95.00 | $ 13|/EXTENSION AGENT $ DATA PROCESSING ELECTIONS $ 9,532.13 | $ 9,532.13 3 H 16|CHARITY 18|GENERAL PLANNING & ZONING 3 ‘a $ 21,726.00 | $ 2,880.88 | $ 24,606.88 21 22|GIS GENERAL FUND RESERVE VETERANS up $ 637.28 | $ 637.28 3 ei po Ss a | aa SHERIFF if q 4 él 05.06 850.00 7,242.13 850.00 ; 126. 526 $ $ 7,242.13 ee ee es $ 4 $ 467.00 =i JUVENILE PROBATION GENERAL JUSTICE Sub Total (Justice Fund) 784.00 11,748.19 £49 tb ma on 67.00 $ 784.00 | $ $ $ 11,748.19 |$ VETERANS MEMORIAL ee ee 0.17 437. $ 437.60 6|/DISTRICT COURT 7|FAIR APITAL FAIR HEALTH DISTRICT —_ = REVALUATION SOLID WASTE TORT WEED Cid AMBULANCE | 29) | 30) |__| |_4| |_5| |_6| |_7| 3 | |_9| | 11| | 15) | 20) | 23) | 24] | 29) ELECTION CONSOLIDATION 38|WATERWAYS BOARD 38|WATERWAYS SHERIFF 4A) 69 39|/BROADBAND GRANT FUNDS 41|BOND REDEMPTION | A 48/AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN Sub Total | [GRAND TOTAL - ¢ sar s er $ 11,637.77 $ 21,726.00 36,912.86 |$ 58,638.86