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Abbreviated Minutes: Complete Set of Minutes Are on File in The Clerk’s Office
Madison County
Commissioner Meeting Minutes
October 27, 2025
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 Parkinson
Calendar Discussion:
Next Commission Meeting: November 10 and 24, 2025.
District 6 Meeting: November 13, 2025, Bonneville County Elections Office, 11:00 a.m.
Fall COI Training: November 18, 2025, Bonneville County Fairgrounds, 8 a.m-4 p.m.
County Christmas Party: December 4, 2025, Legacy Flight Museum, 6:00 p.m.
January Commission meetings will be held on the 12th and 20th, 2026. The change is due to IAC
Meetings.
Schedule of Commissioners and reports on various meetings:
Commissioner Mendenhall attended the Appreciation Dinner at BYU-I and reported that it was a
nice affair.
Commissioner Mendenhall will travel to Boise Wednesday and Thursday this week for IAC
Meetings
Contracts/Documents:
After review and discussion, Commissioner Mendenhall made a motion to approve Ordinance
#527 Adopting the Madison County Budget as amended. Commissioner Parkinson seconded and
voting was unanimous. The motion passed.
Discussion Items:
Set Public Hearing for Compression Brakes: Commissioner Mendenhall made a motion to set
a Public Hearing to get public input regarding Compression Brakes in the County. Commissioner
Parkinson seconded and voting was unanimous. The motion passed.
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Insurance issues: Commissioners discussed the new insurance. APTA employees phone calls
and then causing many hours on the phone to resolve a simple issue, is not satisfactory to the
Commissioners. Our agent and Commissioner Parkinson have been talking to APTA about this
service and promises were made that it will improve. Commissions were also discussed, and they
are lower than Blue Cross. Commissioners feel that even if it is cheaper, it’s not worth it if the
service is not up to our standards.
Routine Matters:
After review and discussion, Commissioner Mendenhall made a motion to approve the claims
presented by the Clerk in the amount of $833,071.00. Commissioner Parkinson seconded and
voting was unanimous. The motion passed.
After review and discussion, Commissioner Mendenhall made a motion to approve the
Commission meeting minutes for October 14, 2025. Commissioner Parkinson seconded and voting
was unanimous. The motion passed.
Personnel Actions:
After review and discussion, Commissioner Parkinson made a motion to approve Personnel
Actions. Commissioner Mendenhall seconded and voting was unanimous. The motion passed.
No certificates of residency to present.
Public Comment: No one present to comment.
Planning and Zoning:
Final Plat Amend for Withers Estates-Teton Horizon Holdings, LLC, Troy Hastings:
The application is for a 39-Lot Subdivision of approximately 59 acres in the SW corner of the
intersection of 2000 W and 3000 N, in the Hibbard area of Rexburg. The property is zoned
Madison County – Rural Residential 1.5 zoning. The property is currently being farmed.
Surrounding land uses include agriculture, and the residential uses, including the Saddle Creek
Subdivision to the SW of the subject property. The subdivision is considered a “Large Scale
Development” as defined in Madison County Code.
Two slight changes were made to Final Plat, from the approved Preliminary Plat. First, some street
names were changed. Second, the corner intersection in the SE corner was reconfigured to better
accommodate road service including snow plowing and storage.
After review and discussion, Commissioner Parkinson made a motion to approve the final plat
amendment for Withers Estates-Teton Horizon Holdings, LLC, Troy Hastings. Commissioner
Mendenhall seconded and voting was unanimous. The motion passed.
Christine Stoll, Quarterly check-in:
Christine will meet with Commissioner’s for dinner on Wednesday, October 29th.
Jared Willmore, MZ Automation (Courthouse Security):
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Nick from MZ Automation, along with Jared, met with the Commissioners to discuss the
possibility of unifying the security systems for the jail and courthouse under one integrated system.
The current system is already considered one of the best camera systems available, and it's the
primary solution used by MZ Automation. Additional cameras and enhancements can be easily
added to improve coverage and functionality.
Nick asked the Commissioners to share any specific security concerns they may have, prompting
a conversation about access control for the Sally port, like who is entering and how that access is
granted. The discussion focused on anticipating future threats such as individuals becoming upset
and improving preparedness through system integration.
As part of the proposal to unify the jail and courthouse security systems, MZ Automation
recommended incorporating advanced analytics and threat detection features into the existing
camera infrastructure such as facial recognition technology with the ability to identify and track
individuals sitting outside courthouse windows or loitering for extended periods, flag previously
identified problematic individuals by uploading their profiles to the system and send real-time
notifications to dispatch if suspicious behavior is detected. The integrated security system could
tie together the camera analytics, access control for doors, metal detection at the main entrance
and a distress button installation in the Commission Room for emergency response. A central
platform would allow all security applications to be managed from one system, improving
coordination and speed of response. Enhanced monitoring features built into the camera system
would provide an extra layer of situational awareness and security alerts.
Jared explained that with the proposed integrated system, he would be able to monitor and control
back entrances remotely, eliminating the need to physically staff those points. Commissioner
Mendenhall inquired whether the system could be extended to the Admin Building, to which the
answer was yes—the system is fully expandable and compatible with other county facilities.
Commissioner Parkinson emphasized the value of having more instant response capabilities,
noting that the goal is to shift the camera system from reactive to proactive—capturing and alerting
to incidents as they occur, not after the fact. The proposed system is modular and flexible, allowing
for customized control by building or by department as needed.
Nick reviewed billing options for the proposed integrated security system. During the discussion,
Jared Arnold from maintenance, asked whether the Sheriff’s Office would be willing to take over
management of all door locks across County facilities—a responsibility his department currently
handles.
The Commissioners directed Nick and Jared Willmore to collaborate and develop a comprehensive
plan for the system, including operational responsibilities, billing structure and centralized
oversight. Additionally, Nick requested clarity on who the official point of contact is for the
County so that communication and decision-making can be streamlined going forward.
Shawn Boice, Eagle View GIS Flight Contract Discussion:
Commissioner Smith and Shawn recently met with the City of Rexburg to discuss cost-sharing for
the GIS aerial flight program. Although the County and City share GIS operations 50/50, the City
does not pay 50% of the cost of the flights. Shawn is seeking direction on what amount to invoice
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the City for their portion of the flight costs going forward and is considering initiating a discussion
with the City about potentially taking over the program or the billing responsibilities. The current
arrangement places an unfair burden on the County when other cities do not pay their share of the
costs.
A key question was raised: Is the aerial flight a GIS function or a separate service? This is
something Mayor Merrill will be asked to help clarify. Next steps are to plan to meet again in mid-
November to further discuss roles, responsibilities, and billing structure.
Urban Renewal, Discussion on projects:
Brad Cramer, owner of Perspective Planning and Consulting, along with Scott Miller from the
City of Rexburg were present and presented an eligibility study for a new urban renewal district.
Commissioner Parkinson asked what are the rules and opportunities for collaboration between the
County and City regarding urban renewal efforts? He emphasized the need to understand how to
move forward with infrastructure and development improvements in partnership with the City.
Brad provided a summary of the purpose of the meeting and the steps involved. He plans to present
a resolution for consideration on an upcoming agenda. Brad clarified that it is permissible to
include lands not yet annexed in the district and whether land is in the City or County, if it was
designated for agricultural use within the last three years, the property owners must sign a consent
to be included in the district. There is no urgent deadline, as there are multiple steps to complete,
making it unlikely the process will be finalized before the end of the year.
Executive Session: Commissioner Smith made a motion to go into Executive Session at 9:35 a.m.
Executive Session Idaho Code § 74-206(1)(b) employee matters and (d) exempt records, Ann
Marie Sorensen, 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 10:07 a.m.
After review and discussion, Commissioner Mendenhall made a motion to sign approvals for Case
No. N2025007. Commissioner Parkinson seconded and voting was unanimous. The motion
passed.
Employee Recognition:
25 years –Angie Moffat
15 years -Shane Radford
5 years – Eva Griffel, Edward Waahila, Bonnie Moore, Charles Fowler, Jessica Hill, Justin
Mortensen and Gregory Schlenker
Department Head Meeting:
Zach/Jason training for an employee ending employment. A handout was given to those present
and a checklist of what to report to IT and Maintenance when an employee leaves or is hired.
Commissioners reminded all departments to do employee evaluations and document. Merit raises
should be based on evaluations and honesty is crucial.
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Ecyclers to recycle batteries. A free lithium battery disposal day will be announced, as well as a
separate area at the Solid Waste site to dump the batteries. This is needed because these batteries
have been causing fires at the Solid Waste site. Lithium batteries need to be removed before
disposing of electronic equipment. There will be more information coming in the spring.
Feedback on insurance. This matter was discussed and there have been complaints regarding
APTA returning phone calls, as well as long wait times on the phone. Others were pleased with
the service they have received.
Fairgrounds, to express appreciation. Evan Wise thanked all present for their help with the fair and
rodeo. He said all departments contributed to the success of these events.
Commissioner Smith adjourned the meeting at 1:15 p.m.
Approved:
Todd Smith, Commissioner
Brent Mendenhall, Commissioner
Dustin Parkinson, Commissioner
Attest:
Kim Muir, County Clerk
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