Caribou County | minutes | meeting 2026-06-08 | Minutes
source: https://www.cariboucounty.us/Commissioners/2026 Minutes/CCM 06_08_2026.pdf?t=202606231716360

COMMISSIONER MEETING OF June 08, 2026

The Caribou County Commissioners met in regular session on June 08, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. Those in

attendance were:
Mark Mathews, Commissioner Chair George Hulse
Bryce Somsen, Commissioner Cindy Erikson
Marty McCullough, Commissioner Amanda Larsen
Jill Stoor, Clerk Saydie McMorris, Kids First Coalition
Doug Wood, Prosecutor Tennille Call, Kids First Coalition
Sharlene Simons, Deputy Clerk Forrest Cole, FTC Solutions
Kevin McLain, Road & Bridge Brent Madsen
Eric Hobson, Public Safety Kristine Allen
Rowdy Larkins, Maint. & Building Brandon Hall, The Idaho Enterprise

Helen Barker, Parks & Recreation/P&Z

The meeting opened with Marty McCullough leading the pledge of allegiance and prayer.

Kevin McLain, Road & Bridge:

Kevin shared that on the Crow Creek Road/Lincoln Creek that goes into Blackfoot, there is a large collection of
Mormon Crickets. He said that last year they made it all the way to Morgan's Bridge. They are on the Reservation
and the first county they will hit will be Caribou County. He wanted the Board to be aware of this and possibly have
Dwight look into this.

Kevin stated that they had a budget of $160,000 for Mag Chloride which they have already expended. They still need
to do up Summit View on Slug Creek. He thought they have saved a lot due to the new spray bar, but he has not
been as impressed with it this year; however it could be due to the dry conditions. They are looking at converting the
old milk trailer so they can get more water on the roads before putting down the mag chloride.

He was contacted by Rory Lloyd and they are wanting to sell the Ivins Cinder pit. They had it appraised at $800,000.
Rory asked if the county is interested in purchasing that 40 acres of cinders from them.

They are going to start chip sealing next Wednesday on the Mountain Road and they will wait until August for Mingo
Road. They are waiting on a specific oil and farmers to be done watering crops.

They started moving gravel out of 10-Mile Pass Road to the China Cap Road today.

The crusher is in Grace at the City Pit and the material looks good.

Good Fellows came last week and replaced some things on the cone on the crusher and they helped with other items
that needed fixed.

MSHAW showed up last week and Kevin said that they had 1 violation on the D8 with a light out.

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He shared that on last year’s budget request he requested 2 pickups. One of the trucks they got from the sheriff a
few years ago and they are putting money into it on a regular basis. He has been looking into bids and would like
these to be diesel. He mentioned that they requested 2 but would do with just 1 if necessary. He will bring in the
bids for approval. Eric talked about the truck they just bought. The new trucks would be 2026 trucks.

He shared that LHTAC and the new construction on the 8-Mile Bridge, negotiated with Janice Reese, who is a land
owner for a right of way easement payment. If the County would pay this $500 payment LHTAC will reimburse the
county.

Commissioner Somsen asked about the pvc pipe that is on the underside of the bridge in Chesterfield. Kevin shared
that it has the phone line in it. Kevin noted that they are waiting on Army Corps approval to move forward on fixing
the bridge.

Eric Hobson, Public Safety:

Eric talked about the FEMA grant. EMPG, Emergency Management Preparedness Grant funds would be used to
reimburse Eric and Linda’s salaries from the previous fiscal year, while the State Homeland Security Grant for
equipment purchases remains pending with a September 30th deadline.

He talked about the fire activity around. Grace and Soda hills are dry. Eric reported that fire conditions are running
about a month ahead of schedule due to drought, with fuel moisture levels indicating potential burn bans in the near
future, though agricultural producers had already completed most of their burning earlier in the season. Currently he
has 4 burn permits out. He said he is prepared as they should be.

Eric stated that Dodge backed out on the truck, so he went back to Ford and found one in Idaho Falls at $46,200.
They are going to get that today.

Commissioner Somsen made a motion to amend the motion for the purchase for the 2025 F150 not to exceed
$47,000. Commissioner McCullough seconded the motion. Motion passed.

Rowdy Larkins, Courthouse Maintenance/Building Dept:

Rowdy visited with the people with HVAC system at the Event Center. They have a maintenance agreement and it
looks like it is coming in at $1663.62 annually.

He shared that people are interested in the Dodge Dakota and he would like to get it off of Kevin's yard. Ally’s truck
was also talked about and a bid to do more maintenance repairs came in at $3,900. Commissioner Mathews shared
how these can get sold/rid of including taking them to Prime Time Auction in Pocatello. Kevin also has equipment to
take as well.

He talked about the parking lot area at the Event Center and presented two options to maintain a grass strip while
adding more parking spaces. The group debated whether to keep a small grass area or pave the entire space, with
concerns raised about drainage and fair board usage of the area. Rowdy and Kevin will meet to finalize the design
before presenting options to the fair board. Rowdy also mentioned adding a side walk there as well.

Commissioner Somsen made a motion to enter into contract with Advanced Heating and Air Conditioning
for preventative maintenance program for the County Event Center for a total of $1663.62 per year.
Commissioner McCullough seconded the motion. Motion passed.

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The elevator was discussed as to when it will be fixed. Rowdy will call this week to see if he can get some answers.

Cindy Erickson

Cindy Erickson and Amanda Larsen along with Diane Olsen have brought in ideas for a public art project which
involves creating seven artistic panels on the courthouse parking lot wall featuring local scenery and wildlife. It will be
done by professional artists and with professional materials. The project has a projected cost of $1,200 in materials,
which Cindy has already paid for, and is requesting Caribou County to partner with the City of Soda Springs to help
fund this project. The wall has been cleaned and primed with Ace Hardware donating the primer.

Commissioner McCullough made a motion to donate $1500 to Cindy Erickson for the community art project.
Commissioner Somsen seconded the motion. Motion passed.

Doug Wood, Prosecutor:

Doug had nothing to share today.

Helen Barker, Parks and Recreation:

Helen wanted to present the solid waste draft code amendment. This has not been updated in 30 years.

She mentioned that Public Nuisance definition is not in the current code. This amendment includes definitions,
violation processes, and enforcement procedures. There were discussions concerning enforcement challenges and
the difficulty of defining what constitutes "junk" or "accumulation of junk" on properties. She was encouraged to
continue working on the ordinance and present it to IDAWY for further review.

Helen asked what should be paid for the lawn care maintenance. Doug said to pay for what has been done. Doug
mentioned to add in the memo line “final payment” and to send an invoice of what was completed.

Saydie McMorris, Kids First Coalition:

Tennille Call and Sadie McMorris-Putt from United Way of Southeastern Idaho presented updates on the TriShare
program, a workforce stability initiative that helps working families afford childcare by splitting costs three ways
between families, employers, and public funds. They shared statistics showing significant childcare challenges in
Idaho, including 22,000 parents cutting work hours or leaving jobs due to unaffordable childcare in 2024, and
presented the TriShare model which has already launched in Bannock County with three participating employers
and two active families receiving support. The team requested a minimum $25,000 investment from Caribou County
to launch the program locally, including $2,500 for administration, $1,000 for marketing, and funding to support
seven infants at the highest cost rate.

They provided updates on childcare initiatives, including ongoing conversations with Bayer about employee survey
interest and expansion plans at Caribou Kids childcare center from 50 to 100 seats. The discussion focused on a
potential $25,000 public funding contribution for the TriShare childcare program, with two current enrollments and
capacity to serve up to seven families. The group discussed the program's structure, including public dollar portions
for ALICE (Asset Limited Income Constrained Employed) families and employer contributions, while addressing
concerns about using levied funds versus non-levied funds for the program. Next steps include creating surveys for

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both businesses and county-wide constituents to gauge interest. Saydie will provide marketing materials, surveys
and connect with Commissioner Huff for further discussion about the program's implementation.
It was suggested to get a survey out to the employees before committing.

Saydie will work on getting surveys to Jill. Sadie’s email is idkidscoalition@gmail.com.

Forrest Cole, FTC Solutions:

Forrest came in to discuss his bids for the parks. He shared that there was a lot going on with the parks.

He stated that from the time of the first bid to the time he needed the equipment the price basically doubled for a skid
steer rental. Forrest talked about a shed that needs to be eliminated, Kevin mentioned there is electrical outlet that
needs to stay there.

Forrest then presented details about bid options for park cleanup work, explaining that the original $1,750 bid for
junk removal and dumpster rental had been separated into three distinct bids due to additional requirements. The
discussion focused on a $1,623 skid steer rental for three days, which would be used for various cleanup tasks
including removing tree stumps, sheds, and debris while addressing ground squirrel problems through smoke
bombing and pesticide treatment.

An ongoing discussion about issues with the landscaping contract, primarily focusing on unexpected additional
charges beyond the agreed $2,700 monthly rate. Commissioner McCullough asked Forrest what the county owes
him right now. The Board explained that the $700 daily fee was for mowing and trimming only, with initial cleanup
expected to be included, but concerns arose about incomplete work, equipment rental costs, and communication
gaps. It was decided to end the contract with a 30-day notice, acknowledging misaligned expectations and
unresolved issues, including incomplete tree trimming and maintenance tasks.

Kristine Allen:

Kristine is here to request a chip and seal on the North Cinder Pit Road and the Madsen Subdivision. Some issues
are pot holes, wash boarding, and dust issues affecting nearby homes and an elementary school where children have
experienced asthma attacks. The road department indicated they could potentially address one mile of the road from
the houses to One Mile Road, though this would need to be planned for next year as it would require adjusting existing
scheduled work. Kevin also mentioned exploring the possibility of using millings from a nearby Highway 30 project as
a potential temporary solution.

Brent Madsen stated that he was told he needed to maintain the subdivision road until 50% of the homes were
occupied. He shared that it was been over 50% occupied for several years. He expressed concerns about the poor
condition of North Cinder Pit, which doesn't meet county standards and frequently becomes muddy due to nearby
farming operations.

The board requested minutes to see what was decided with the subdivision in a prior meeting.

Kristine said she will check into Madsen Dr but would really like to see North Cinder Pit chipped and sealed.

On the west side, driving from 2-Mile Road onto Cinder Pit Road, there is a steep grade off of the road. Brent thought
that this was addressed when Kim was road director.

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Jill Stoor, Clerk

e Concerning the easement agreement between Caribou County and Janice Reese for the 8-mile bridge Jill is needing
a signature on the easement for LHTAC project.
e She received a request from Wilkes Funeral Home for an indigent cremation.

e Commissioner Somsen made a motion to approve standard amount of $1500 for cremation to Wilkes Funeral
Home for the person listed. Commissioner McCullough seconded the motion. Motion passed.

e Lithia has done the repairs on Ally’s truck. They have sent a bill for the remaining items that need to be done totaling
$3900. Commissioner Somsen thought it could be done for about $1200. It was decided to look at sending the truck
to auction.

e Jill will contact Maggie Mann to link their website to ours.

e June 18" 4-County Meeting. Jill asked for agenda items: Eric is on the agenda, solid waste, Kids First Coalition, and
License LPR Reader were suggested as well.

e Jill reminded Doug to work on the property swap paper work with Adam Hulse.

e She received the Idaho State Tax Commission annexation into Soda Springs. This will change taxing districts. She
will send it to GIS as well.

e The PRT bus, until recently, had not been seen in town so she wasn't sure if the invoice she received should be paid.

e Polder Mapping, gave Jill a dashboard access code and more information was available on the next invoice.

e Commissioner Somsen had a conversation with Kevin and Nancy Keller about Dyer’s Woad. They would like to help
fund the Dyer’s Woad program. Jill will speak with the Kellers.

e Angie talked to Jill about a fraudulent check. Summit Food is the jail food supplier. A Robert Vega has tried to cash
this check made out to Summit Food 2 separate times. The bank is working on this and Angie is looking into a
different banking system. This is in the works and law enforcement is also involved.

e Insurance agent, Ryan Carpenter with Optivise, sent an updated proposal, she will talk more next time.

e Ronni has prepared the Sheriff fees document and it will need a public hearing.

e Jill will get public hearing notices posted for military leave policy and sheriff's fees.

e Calendar:

Budget hearing is in two weeks

June 18th in Oneida, 4-County meeting

July 4 — Independence Day Parade

July 9- Simplot Tour

July 13 - Open House for new medical clinic in Grace 6:00 pm

September 215t -23"4 IAC Annual Conference, it was agreed to invite and pay for George Hulse to go.
November 12" 5th District Meeting

Commissioner Somsen talked about Caribou County land conveyances parcels going to the federal government.

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e Commissioner Somsen made a motion to convene an executive session pursuant to I.C. 74-206 (b) at 11:58
a.m. Commissioner McCullough seconded the motion. Commissioner Somsen voted aye; Commissioner
McCullough voted aye; Commissioner Mathews voted aye. The motion passed and the executive session
began.

e Commissioner Somsen suggested ending the executive session at 12:14 p.m. No decisions were made.

Other:

e Commissioner Somsen made a motion to approve the agenda as presented for 06/08/2026. Commissioner
McCullough seconded the motion. Motion passed.

e Commissioner Somsen made a motion to approve the minutes of 05/26/2026 as presented, the claims
approval report in the amount of $465,010.72 for 06/04/2026 and the payroll claims in the amount of
$218,323.47 for 05/27/2026. Commissioner McCullough seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.

e The meeting adjourned at 12:14 p.m. The Caribou County Board of Commissioners will meet again on June 22, 2026
at 9:00 a.m. for Budget meeting.

Signed: Mark Mathews, Commissioner Chair Attested: Jill Stoor, Clerk

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