Bannock County | minutes | meeting 2026-04-23 | April 23, 2026, Commissioner Meetings source: https://www.bannockcounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260423-Minutes-Final.pdf April 23, 2026, BOCC Minutes Meeting Details Date of Meeting: Thursday, April 23, 2026 Commissioners present: Ernie Moser, Jeff Hough, and Ken Bullock Clerk of the Board: Jason C. Dixon Absent Board Members: Staff present: Deputy Clerk Nancy Allen, Comptroller Kristi Klauser, Deputy Prosecutor Jonathan Radford, and (9:02 am) HR Director Matthew Phillips Agenda Details AGENDA 1 Bid Opening Invitation to Bid for Road Paint (action item) Work Session and Claims Meeting (action items) Agenda: 2 • Anne Butler, City of Pocatello Parks & Recreation, requesting a fee adjustment for Rest Lawn Cemetery 3rd and 4th Addition (requested 10 minutes) (action item) 3 • Melissa Hartman, Veteran Services, requesting (1) discussion about the School District’s new Facilitron Request System in reserving the Soccer Fields at Century for Field of Heroes, (2) insurance for use of the Century Soccer Field and track around the football field, and (3) invitation to emcee the Dedication Ceremony, Friday, May 22nd at 10 am. And read Proclamation, and (4) emcee for closing ceremony at 5:15 p.m. (requested 10 minutes) (action item) 4 • Scott Crowther, Event Center/Wellness Complex, requesting approval of and signature on (1) Rental Agreement requesting waived fees for a watch party, (2) contract requesting waived fees for ISU Haunted Science Lab, and (3) Independent Contractor Agreement with 208Excursions (requested 10 minutes) (action items) 5 • (AMENDED to include) Discussion pertaining to water at the Wellness Complex to include, if approved, signature on contract for Participation by Non-Member in District for Mitigation Purpose (action item) 6 • Shanda Crystal, Procurement, providing a procurement update (requested 5 minutes) 7 • Dillon Evans, Landfill, providing a monthly landfill update (requested 10 minutes) (action item) 8 • Discussion pertaining to a decision on plan moving forward for contributions in FY27 (requested 10 minutes) (action item) 9 • (AMENDED to include) Property Tax Exemption for review and potential approval (action item) 10 • (AMENDED to include) Hal Jensen, Planning and Development, seeking review, approval, and signature MOU for connection of water line by developer McCormick Ranches at Fairgrounds Road (action item) 11 • Hal Jensen, Planning, requesting an Executive Session under Idaho Code §74-206(1)(a) & (b) regarding personnel with potential action following adjournment of Executive Session (requested 5 minutes) (action item) 12 Claims Agenda: • Board of Ambulance District: Invoices and Commissioner Report • Board of Commissioners: Invoices, Commissioners Reports, and Credit Applications • Personnel Actions with potential Executive Session under Idaho Code §§74-206(1)(a), (b) & (d) for personnel actions or personnel records exempt from disclosure with potential action following adjournment of Executive Session • Payroll Report MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF BANNOCK COUNTY COMMISSIONERS April 23, 2026, BOCC Minutes • Alcohol Licenses and Permits • Certificate of Residency Approval • Mileage Reimbursement Requests • Technology Request Form • Memorandum Authorization for Accounts Payable • Cardholder User Agreement and Authorization Meeting Notes 1 8:46 AM Hough called the meeting to order. Procurement Officer Shanda Crystal appeared for a bid opening for road paint. Hough reviewed the solicitation. Crystal unsealed the electronic bids. Hough relayed no conflicts with any of the submissions and reviewed bids were received from: Clear Zone Construction LLC for $121,324.21 Curtis Clean Sweep for $79,300 Idaho Traffic Safety for $45,000 Specialized Pavement Marking LLC for $200,500 Moser moved to accept the bids for evaluation. The motion passed. 2 8:53 AM Bullock moved to accept the amended agenda. The motion passed. 8:54 AM Planning and Development Director Hal Jensen and Subdivision Planner Alisse Foster also appeared. Butler explained the discovery of the requirement for the County to be involved with the re- platting of cemeteries. The City is proposing to replat the 3rd and 4th additions. The fees for surveys came out exponentially more than anticipated due to the high number of very small lots. 8:56 AM Foster explained there is no application filed at this point, but the surveyor on the roster for the current month is willing to reduce fees. For the 3rd addition with 320 lots, pursuant to the contract, the cost would be $13,250 for the plat according to the fee schedule. The surveyor indicated a willingness to do the plat at $2 per lot and with the review flat fee would be $1,090. The 4th addition has over 400 lots that would cost $1,327,090 according to the fee schedule. The surveyor suggested to charge by block rather than by lot, which would make that fee $1,290. Jensen explained the charges are per the contract language. Discussion on the costs are for the surveyor and would need an addendum to that contract for these particular plats. Bullock moved to accept the proposal. The motion passed. 3 9:29 AM Hartman discussed a new process to lease from school district for the Field of Heroes. In making the required account registration under Idaho Field of Heroes, it became apparent that there was no signature requirement. The certificate of insurance was discussed. Hartman questioned if the process was okay to follow in the future, to which the Board had no concerns. 9:32 AM Hartman requested a proclamation for the event to be read on Friday. The number of honored names is now at 7,086. The Board was requested to help emcee for the opening and closing. 4 9:06 AM Steven Shropshire, Professor of Physics, appeared. Crowther reviewed the annual haunted lab event and fee waiver request. Shropshire reviewed attendance. Bullock moved to approve the contract. The motion passed. 9:12 AM Ross and Leslie Hugues appeared to discuss the Tabernacle Choir Watch Party. Crowther reviewed the fee waiver request for use of the amphitheater for a watch party of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square Hollywood Bowl that is prerecorded the day to be played for the youth and community groups around. Moser moved to approve the contract. The motion passed. 9:15 AM Crowther reviewed a contract request for paddle board rentals. The contractor has a hard time making the time of these meetings. The proposal is a revenue share for paddle board rentals. Bullock moved to approve the contract. The motion passed. 5 9:16 AM Crowther explained he does not have updates on pricing from Bingham County Ground Water District. The district has been hard to contact and he did receive the flow rates, but not the allocation numbers. Based of Budge’s recommendation on Tuesday, we can assume the assessment would probably be pretty similar. With no baseline, both of the districts would probably want to do a one-year contract April 23, 2026, BOCC Minutes and then determine whether to continue with membership. Discussion ensued on foot acres available, and gallons of water. 9:20 AM Radford recommended to join a water district, as Budge suggested, with the one-year contract. It would make sense to join the same water district as Chubbuck if the County is going to contract for water shares that Chubbuck will be putting into the water bank. Radford suggested to wait to hear from the Bingham district, but also understands there are concerns to get the well turned on. Crowther reported discussions that Chubbuck is joining the American Falls district. Crowther reiterated concerns of not getting the water going as the facility. Bullock moved to proceed with the one-year contract with the American Falls-Aberdeen Ground Water District. Crowther explained process. The motion passed. 6 9:02 AM Crystal gave updates on procurement projects. 7 9:36 AM Evans reported on discussions with CDM Smith regarding the flood plain study. There is a task order regarding Fort Hall Canyon Creek and storm water that would encompass the current needs and contains similar tasks. The cost would drop from $232,450 to $204,750 as they have already done some HEC-RAS modelling and a majority of the survey work is already done. They also dropped the administrative fee as a task order already exists. Evans reported the engineer reached out to the contractor whom indicated to happy with the delay as they had other work and had not applied for permits yet. CDM Smith is working on timelines and they think with proposed change to flow rates, that it will be expedited, and once the rates are changed, we can put in for a LOMR with the state floodplain to help make a big difference on the timing. The community dump days are ramping up. Klauser questioned if the Board would sign off on the task order, which staff reviewed and made the decision to change the project. Evans indicated he pulled the plug on the original task order project 14M and reviewed adaptive management. Radford indicated if something changes the terms of the contract that governs a change order, legal should look at it, but if this is just changing tasks and not the relationship or duties, then the Board could look at it and make a decision. Hough indicated that procurement did not feel a change order needed to be done. The scope will be submitted for signature next week. 8 10:15 AM Bullock explained his review of non-profit donations and that they fall into categories for help and for community. Discussion ensued on using a third party or keeping process. Bullock suggested the process remain in house and to take care of staff first. 9 9:44 AM Assessor Anita Hymas and Chief Deputy Assessor Randy Hobson appeared to review property tax exemptions following legal review. Radford recommended to deny all applications other than Historic Old Town Pocatello and Portneuf Health Trust (“PHT”) for the property at 500 South 11th Avenue for further review. Radford reiterated the burden is on the applicant to produce documentation that establishes they qualify for the exemption. Exemptions are strictly construed against the applicant and in favor of the taxing entity. With the information presented, they do not qualify and should be denied. Moser made that explanation into a motion. Bullock discussed looking at what is in the best interest of the County and citizens, rather than proving they are non-profit. Concerns were expressed regarding increasing costs to the providers that provide services to the citizens that possibly keep people out of jail, the hospital, or mental health courts. Bullock suggested to look at the mission and end product for those benefits to the County and that the applicants provide a great service in Bannock County to help ease burdens. The legal analysis addressed that the Board can look at the benefits provided for the tax payers. If an exemption is denied, what would be the downwind effect on the sheriff’s office or others, and of shifting the cost to hospitals or other mental health areas? Bullock looked at these just as the Board looks at requests to reduce fees for youth. Both properties for PHT are set up to help the population of Bannock County in a lot of different ways. Radford explained the legal analysis and expressed that the concerns are probably valid, but the applicants have not presented those benefits in their burden to present those facts. No financials for the entities were provided; but merely stated that PHT is leasing those spaces out to those entities with nothing spelled out regarding the impact or public benefit. To rely on that now, would be an assumption of what the impact is. Radford expressed that, with further review, more information could be requested. April 23, 2026, BOCC Minutes Hough suggested granting PHT’s North 7th property as it has the D6 Treatment Center and the Free Clinic, and fits the charitable use for the community, and to table Historic Old Town and the PHT property at 500 South 11th. Discussion ensued on IRS non-profit status and shifting burdens. Hymas impressed upon the Board and Legal that the Assessor has a deadline to get notices out and will need to have finalized numbers by end of first week in May. Radford reiterated that if an exemption is going to be granted, there needs to be a well-reasoned statement as to the criteria relied upon to survive scrutiny from a reviewing court. Discussion ensued on Moser’s motion. Hough called for a vote, which failed with one vote for and two votes against. 9:58 AM Hough moved to accept the attorney’s recommendation for denial of applications, except to approve the exemption for PHT’s North 7th Street property. Moser questioned the justification for the exemption, which Hough indicated as a community benefit by keeping people out of jail and the hospital. Radford gave definitions for public benefit and recommended to table the two PHT properties and Historic Old Town for one week to take a closer look at the properties and request additional documentation. Hough accepted Radford’s recommendation as a friendly amendment. The motion passed. BMH, Inc RPRPFMS000300 BMH, Inc RPRPGOP000700 BMH, Inc 501C3 RPRPPP2000100 BMH, Inc dba Bingham Memorial Hospital RPRPCPP086207 BMH, Inc dba Bingham Memorial Hospital RPRPCPP087116 BMH, Inc dba Bingham Memorial Hospital RPRPPOC022902 BMH, Inc dba Bingham Memorial Hospital RPRCRAK000300 BMH, Inc dba Bingham Memorial Hospital RPRCRAK000102 Idaho State University RPRCBPT001301 Idaho State University RPRMHTM003900 Portneuf Trust (partial/church building only) RPR4225012607 10 10:02 AM Jensen discussed changes made to the MOU. Klauser reviewed options for funding and budget authority and was instructed to use the litigation line. Bullock moved to accept the changes and approve the MOU. The motion passed. 11 10:03 AM Hough moved to enter into executive session under Idaho Code §74-206(1)(a) & (b) regarding personnel. The motion passed by roll call vote. 10:14 AM Moser moved to exit executive session. The motion passed. Moser moved to allow the exceptional placement request. The motion passed. 12 8:54 AM Hough moved to approve items on the claims agenda. The motion passed. Action Item Summary ACTION/DIRECTION ASSIGNED TO Addendum for contract surveyor review specifically for cemetery plat reviews approved to be drawn up to address fee adjustment for special circumstances. Planning Field of Heroes scheduled and proclamation to be prepared. Veterans/Commission Fee waivers were approved for the ISU Haunted Science Laboratory and Tabernacle Choir Watch Party events. Independent contractor agreement with H208 Excursions was approved for paddle board rentals. Parks & Rec Application to the American Falls-Aberdeen Ground Water District was approved for submission. Parks & Rec/Commission Floodway evaluation scope from CDM to be submitted for approval. Landfill April 23, 2026, BOCC Minutes Applications for property tax exemptions were denied for BMH, Inc, Idaho State University, and Portneuf Trust; and applications for Portneuf Health Trust and Historic Old Town Pocatello Foundation were tabled. Assessor/Treasurer/ Commission/Legal MOU with developer McCormick Ranches was approved allowing connection to water line. Planning Exceptional placement for a new hire was approved following executive session regarding personnel. HR Items on the claims agenda were approved. Auditing/Clerk/Resolution