Madison County | minutes | meeting 2026-03-23 | Regular Meeting source: https://www.madisoncountyid.gov/Document center/Meeting Minutes/2026/March 23, 2026ab.pdf?t=202605081917430 1 | P a g e Abbreviated Minutes: Complete Set of Minutes Are on File in The Clerk’s Office Madison County Commissioner Meeting Minutes March 23, 2026 Attendees: Todd Smith, Commissioner Chairman Brent Mendenhall, Commissioner Dustin Parkinson, Commissioner Troy Evans, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kim Muir, County Clerk Karen Daniels, Deputy Clerk ACTION ITEMS This meeting was streamed electronically. Pledge of Allegiance: By all Invocation: Commissioner Smith Calendar Discussion: Next Commission Meeting, April 13 and 27, 2026. Discussion Items: COLA/Merit Increase for budget: Employees may receive a 2.73% COLA increase, with the total possible increase capped at 4% if full merit is earned. APTA Discussion: During a recent call with Spencer (APTA), Ann Marie, and Brian, concerns were raised about inefficient communication and excessive time spent on calls for employees. Spencer was asked to improve response times, and he indicated that additional staff will be added to help address the issue. While improvements are underway, there is still a need for more direct communication and better follow-up. Overall, the team is responsive to feedback and actively working to improve. Contracts/Documents: Review and Sign: MOU with City of Rexburg for School District property. This will be on a future agenda. After review and discussion, Commissioner Parkinson made a motion to approve the Idaho Parks and Recreation Grant. Commissioner Mendenhall seconded and voting was unanimous. The motion passed. 2 | P a g e After review and discussion, Commissioner Mendenhall made a motion to approve the Lease Agreement and Addendum (2) with Headquarters, LLC. For dispatch. Commissioner Parkinson seconded and voting was unanimous. The motion passed. This is a year-to-year agreement. Cullin reports that dispatch is fully staffed and trained. After review and discussion, Commissioner Parkinson made a motion to approve the MOU with 3B Juvenile Detention Center. Commissioner Mendenhall seconded and voting was unanimous. The motion passed. After review and discussion, Commissioner Mendenhall made a motion to approve the Fair Housing Proclamation. Commissioner Parkinson seconded and voting was unanimous. The motion passed. Routine Matters: After review and discussion, Commissioner Parkinson made a motion to approve the claims presented by the Clerk in the amount of $933,227.48. Commissioner Mendenhall seconded and voting was unanimous. The motion passed. Commissioner Mendenhall requested that a representative from ICRMP be invited to a future meeting to provide an update on services and benefits received in relation to the County’s costs for the insurance. After review and discussion, Commissioner Mendenhall made a motion to approve the Commission meeting minutes for March 9, 2026, with an amendment to include “CERT” in the motion approving funds for the Youth Preparedness Camp. Commissioner Parkinson seconded and voting was unanimous. The motion passed. Personnel Actions: After review and discussion, Commissioner Mendenhall made a motion to approve the Personnel Actions. Commissioner Parkinson seconded and voting was unanimous. The motion passed. Jerrett Dunlap will be kept in the Sheriff’s budget for now. After review and discussion, Commissioner Parkinson made a motion to approve the Certificates of Residency vetted in the Clerk’s office for Paige Dye, Tate Sargeant, Carter Stears and Cole Stears. Commissioner Mendenhall seconded and voting was unanimous. The motion passed. Rob Mason, Public Lands Discussion: Rob Mason is the Idaho State Director for The Wilderness Society. He met with the Commissioners to gather their perspective on public lands. He emphasized his belief that rural communities surrounded by public lands can thrive. Rob noted that during discussions last summer about selling public lands, Idaho residents largely opposed the idea, preferring to keep lands public. His team is currently working to meet with all 44 counties in Idaho to better understand what is working well, challenges counties are facing and potential solutions related to public land management. 3 | P a g e Commissioner Smith noted that while Madison County does not have extensive Forest Service or BLM land within its jurisdiction, it does have some public lands within its boundaries. He highlighted a positive relationship in areas such as coordination around the Teton Dam site and upcoming 50-year commemorative event. However, he also expressed concerns regarding the Forest Service, specifically efforts to restrict access to trails used for snowmobiling, hiking, and mountain biking as well as a lack of communication from the Forest Service regarding these decisions. There was discussion regarding SRS (Secure Rural Schools) and PILT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) funding, with concerns that the current formulas may not be equitable for all counties. The group expressed a need to potentially adjust the formulas to ensure a fairer distribution of funds. Additionally, the airport relocation project was discussed, including the potential purchase of BLM land. This project is a joint effort between Madison County and the City of Rexburg, with the City Engineer leading the initiative. Rob stated that after meeting with all 44 counties in Idaho, his team will compile a report of their findings. This report will then be presented to the Commissioners at a future date. Public Comment: No one present to comment. Planning & Zoning: Public Hearings: Plat Amend-Mill Creek Estates with minor changes- Nathan Thompson Commissioner Smith made a motion to open the meeting for a public hearing at 9:07 a.m. Plat Amend-Mill Creek Estates with minor changes- Nathan Thompson: The hearing was properly noticed. No written comments were received. Commissioner Parkinson had a conflict and recused himself. A roll call vote was taken as follows: Commissioner Smith-yes, Commissioner Mendenhall-yes, Commissioner Parkinson-yes. Nate Thompson owns the ½ acre lot in question. The lot is part of the T&S Subdivision that was platted in 2009. The lot was part of Lot 6, which was later divided into Lots 6 A & B, with Nate owning Lot B. In 2020, Lot 8 of T&S was platted into the Mill Creek Estates Subdivision. Nate owns what is Block 1 Lot 6 of Mill Creek Estates. The application is to move the ½ acre lot (Lot 6B) from T&S , and combine it into Mill Creek Estates Block 1 Lot 6 of Mill Creek Estates Subdivision. The change will facilitate construction of a shop building to the east of the pond, where the current lot line is located. Opposed: None. Neutral: None. In Favor: None. 4 | P a g e After receiving no further public comment, the public comment portion was closed. After review and discussion and having found that the application meets the requirements for Plat Amendment as outlined in Madison County Code 115-201(C), Commissioner Mendenhall made a motion to approve the application from Nathan Thompson to amend T&S Subdivision and Mill Creek Estates Subdivision, as proposed in application materials received February 25, 2026. Commissioner Smith seconded and voting was unanimous. The motion passed. Final Plat Amend-Old School Subdivision-DL Beck, LLC: Final Plat Amend-Old School Subdivision-DL Beck, LLC: The hearing was properly noticed. No written comments were received. No conflicts were declared from the Commissioners. A roll call vote was taken as follows: Commissioner Smith-yes, Commissioner Mendenhall-yes, Commissioner Parkinson-yes. The application is for a 16-lot commercial subdivision of 20.5 acres of land, on the north side of 5200 S, at about 2786 W, in the Thornton Business Area. The property has commercial zoning. At 16 lots, the development is considered “Medium Scale Development (between 9-29 lots)” in Madison County Code. All lots are at least 1 acre. The subdivision is proposed to include access off of 5200 S on the south end and then connect to adjacent Texas Siding Business Park to the west via the already established Grizzly Lane. Each lot will have a private well and septic. The property is the location of the old Lyman school. The property still has the well from the school, that may be used for fire flow and fire suppression within the subdivision, pending testing. Opposed: None. Neutral: None. In Favor: None. After receiving no further public comment, the public comment portion was closed. After review and discussion and having found that the application meets the requirements for Final Plat as outlined in Madison County Code 115-32, Commissioner Mendenhall made a motion to approve the application from DL Beck, Inc for the Preliminary Plat for the Old School Subdivision, as proposed in application materials received February 25, 2026. Commissioner Parkinson seconded and voting was unanimous. The motion passed. The Public Hearing was closed at 9:20 a.m. Findings of Fact: Zone Change-AG to TAG, Paul & Kim Jensen: The subject property is approximately 16.25 acres and is currently identified as Agriculture on the Zoning Map. The application seeks to zone the parcel as Transitional Agriculture. Lands to the west and north are zoned Transitional Agriculture. Building lots adjacent to the property are 2.5 and 2.0 acres. 5 | P a g e After review and discussion, and having found that the application generally meets the hearing factors for a zone change as outlined in Madison County Code 102-1, Commissioner Parkinson made a motion to approve the application from Paul & Kim Jensen to change the zoning from Ag to Trans-Ag on the 16.25 -acres of land as proposed in application materials received January 22, 2026. Commissioner Mendenhall seconded and voting was unanimous. The motion passed. Ordinance #526- Zone Change-AG to TAG, Paul & Kim Jensen: After review and discussion, Commissioner Mendenhall made a motion to approve Ordinance #526. Commissioner Parkinson seconded and voting was unanimous. The motion passed. Public Hearing: Fair board fee increase, Hours of usage, Review and sign: Ordinance #520 Commissioner Smith made a motion to open the meeting for a public hearing at 9:37 a.m. Fair board fee increase, hours of usage was discussed. The hearing was properly noticed. No written comments were received. No conflicts were declared by the Commissioners. A roll call vote was taken as follows: Commissioner Smith-yes, Commissioner Mendenhall-yes, Commissioner Parkinson-yes. Evan reviewed Ordinance #520 with the Commissioners. Opposed: None. Neutral: None. In Favor: None. After receiving no further public comment, the public comment portion was closed. The Public Hearing was closed at 10:03 a.m. The Commissioners expressed their appreciation to Evan for his efforts in maintaining the Fairgrounds, balancing the need to keep it financially sustainable while ensuring it remains an accessible and affordable resource for the community. After review and discussion, Commissioner Mendenhall made a motion to approve Ordinance #520, Fair Board fee increases, and hours of usage to be effective October 1, 2026. This will give time for Evan and the Fairground staff to get the word out to those who use the property to let them know changes are coming. Commissioner Parkinson seconded and voting was unanimous. The motion passed. Tammy and Amanda (Assessor), Ag, Non- Profit, and Site Exemptions: After review and discussion, Commissioner Mendenhall made a motion to approve the Non-Profit Tax Exemption Application from Westover Ranch Association. Commissioner Parkinson seconded and voting was unanimous. The motion passed. 6 | P a g e After review and discussion, Commissioner Mendenhall made a motion to approve the Site Improvements Associated with Land Exemption Application from Rexburg West II, LLC. Commissioner Parkinson seconded and voting was unanimous. The motion passed. After review and discussion, Commissioner Mendenhall made a motion to deny the Site Improvements Associated with Land Exemption Application from Big Cat LLC pending information as to why they would re-qualify. Commissioner Parkinson seconded and voting was unanimous. The motion passed. Commissioner Mendenhall rescinded the motion to deny the Site Improvements Associated with Land Exemption Application from Big Cat LLC. Commissioner Parkinson seconded and voting was unanimous. The motion passed. Commissioner Parkinson made a motion to approve the Site Improvements Associated with Land Exemption Application from Big Cat LLC based on additional information provided by the Assessor’s office. Commissioner Mendenhall seconded and voting was unanimous. The motion passed. After review and discussion, Commissioner Parkinson made a motion to approve the Non-Profit Tax Exemption Application for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for parcel numbers RPR4TRT0030010 and RPR4TRT0030020. Commissioner Mendenhall seconded and voting was unanimous. The motion passed. After review and discussion, Commissioner Parkinson made a motion to table the Non-Profit Tax Exemption Application for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for parcel numbers RPR4TRT0020010 and RPR4TRT0040010. Commissioner Mendenhall seconded and voting was unanimous. The motion passed. Morgan Thompson, Final logo presentation: After review and discussion, Commissioner Mendenhall made a motion to approve the final Madison County logo and to transition all current seal usage to the new logo as soon as possible. Commissioner Parkinson seconded and voting was unanimous. The motion passed. The Commissioners discussed and decided that the new county logo will be implemented in employee email signatures to ensure consistency and uniformity across all County communications. Jason Wilburn, AI Chatbots: Jason presented a draft AI chatbot policy to the Commissioners, highlighting concerns about unofficial recordings or records of meetings being created and shared. One proposed solution was to use a virtual lobby system, allowing attendees to wait for approval before joining meetings, providing better control over access. The Commissioners decided to postpone any action on the policy until there is more clarity on proposed Senate Bill 1297, which would establish a state regulatory framework for “conversational AI services.” Executive Session: Commissioner Smith made a motion to go into Executive Session at 11:27 a.m. Idaho Code § 74-206(1) (b) employee matters, (d) exempt records, Ann Marie Sorensen, 7 | P a g e Indigent Clerk. A roll call was taken as follows: Commissioner Smith-yes, Commissioner Mendenhall-yes, Commissioner Parkinson-yes. The motion passed. Commissioner Smith returned to open session at 12:37 p.m.. Commissioner Smith adjourned the meeting at 12:37 p.m. Approved: Todd Smith, Commissioner Brent Mendenhall, Commissioner Dustin Parkinson, Commissioner Attest: Kim Muir, County Clerk