Power County | minutes | meeting 2026-10-13 | Commissioners Meeting Agenda source: https://www.powercounty.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_10132026-341 POWER COUNTY COMMISSION Page 1 of 7 REGULAR SESSION MINUTES Tuesday, October 13, 2026 POWER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Meeting Minutes Commission Chambers 543 Bannock Ave. American Falls, ID 83211 www.powercounty.gov Tuesday, October 13, 2026, 9:00 a.m. I. CALL TO ORDER The Board of County Commissioners met in regular session Tuesday, October 13, 2026, and called the meeting to order at the hour of 9:00 am, in the Commission Chambers of the Power County Courthouse. II. COMMISSIONERS/STAFF PRESENT: Commissioner Chris Fehringer, Chair Commissioner Kryst Krein Commissioner Jason Povey ABSENT: None STAFF: Sharee Sprague, Clerk Mariano Villa, Deputy Clerk Brock Bischoff, Legal Counsel OTHER PARTIES PRESENT: Jeff Rankin Kim Piper Deanna Curry Chet Taylor Ryan Grayson Laura Porath Jacob Reiss Jacob Taylor Justin Huse Elizabeth McCormack Karlyn Soriano Mark Blanscett Christin Hileman Krystal Denny Emily (Proximity) III. AGENDA A. NOTICES/REPORTS 9:00 am Public Comment: No public comment was given. 9:02 am & 12:53 pm Board Updates: The following board updates were given: Fair board (Commissioner Fehringer): • Fair Board & Job Description: Commissioner Fehringer provided job descriptions to Fair Board members to review and highlight relevant duties; setting a starting wage is a key priority. • Livestock Barn Spray Insulation ($30,000 Total): Required to fix severe POWER COUNTY COMMISSION Page 2 of 7 REGULAR SESSION MINUTES Tuesday, October 13, 2026 condensation causing water buildup and potential structural damage. Funding split: $10,000 from the Fair Board, with the Livestock Committee requesting the remaining share from PILT funds. This will be discussed further during the next meeting. Waterways (Commissioner Krein): • Commissioner Krein states that he spoke with Waterways about the installation of a new camera. No action was taken. 9:05 am Elected Officials/Department Head Meeting: The following updates were provided by Elected officials/department heads; (Director Ryan Grayson - Probation) • No court last week, slow week; building functioning well; drug testing and drug court group meeting held in open space (Clerk Sprague - Election/Clerk-related official) • Early voting moving to new location tomorrow; budget corrections and payments from PILT coming next meeting. (Director Jeff Rankin – Landfill/Solid Waste) • Free yard waste day October 24th; secured load ordinance discussion — current ordinance conflicts with state law and is unenforceable. (Building Administrator Kim Piper – Planning/Zoning) • Zoning board very busy; requesting commissioners take final approval authority on conditional use permits (solar, wind, batteries, etc.), requiring ordinance change. (Maintenance Director Chet Taylor – Facilities) • Leak at sheriff's office near server room; recommend getting a bid and hiring someone to fix, then pursue contractor • Prosecutor's office cleaned out; Discussion covered the legal requirement for public auction or sealed bid process before accepting private offers. Public Surplus platform was identified as the preferred method. • Museum building items – Discussion covered liability concerns regarding moving items out of old museum building, it was agreed to ask appropriate agencies for their direction (Prosecutor Bischoff) • Agenda transparency concerns; building security/IT leak concerns; office has a gas smell likely from dry drain traps in basement (Treasurer Curry – Treasurer) • Landfill fees delayed due to missing city files; they have been located and will have certifications presented on the October 26th meeting (Assessor Porath – Assessor • Landfill fees delayed due to missing city files; now certified for October 28th tax bill 212223 • Contentious public interactions; security called a couple of times • Holiday schedule discussion: Day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve half-day POWER COUNTY COMMISSION Page 3 of 7 REGULAR SESSION MINUTES Tuesday, October 13, 2026 (noon) requested (Jacob Reiss – IT) • File consolidation to two servers complete 27 • Mobile device management solution rolled out 28 • M2 support agreement started October 1st — basic/time-and-material only; departments must contact IT first to avoid $140/hr on-site charges 2930 • Door lock hardware quote: $900 for Deanna's office and election rooms 31 Commissioner Krein • Legislative session starting; encouraged departments to come together and send letters to local legislators on impactful issues • Updated the group on developer town halls regarding data centers Commissioner Povey • Comp time and vacation accrual concerns raised and encouraged group to have employees use their vacation and comp time to avoid burnout ; policy review needed • Updated the group on getting more Christmas lights this year Commissioner Fehringer • Commissioner Fehringer thanked the group for all their hard work and encouraged them to reach out to the Commission if they have any questions 10:16 am Assessor’s Office Update: Assessor Porath provided the following updates; • Opening Hours: Requested opening at 8:00 AM using existing flex schedules without budget impact; decision deferred until Sheriff Kendall is available. • Staffing & Activity: High workload—including steady lunch crowds and extended H2A worker activity—prompted hiring new bilingual employee Kelsey (shared two days with Kim's office), with potential need for a full-time position. • CWP & DMV Operations: Highlighted security concerns over emailing CWP (concealed weapons permit) applications due to personal identifiable information and customer friction with two-office visits. Staff are building fleet renewal spreadsheets to offset confusion from eliminated registration stickers, while hoping to avoid adopting a DMV kiosk despite being on the waitlist. No action was taken. 10:34 am Proximity: Emily (Proximity) presented a community engagement platform featuring resident contact management, geofenced email/SMS outreach, surveys, event/task tracking, and AI-driven sentiment monitoring across social media and news. • Key Interest: Commissioners highlighted the AI smart messaging engine—which detects trending issues and drafts responses—as the most valuable feature to address questions from the community. • Next Steps: Emily will submit a proposal covering features, pricing, user seats, and API details for review on October 26. No action was taken. 11:01 am Granite Peak and Annex Discussion: Granite Peak and SICOG presented the finalized SHPO/EPA MOA and reviewed bid specifications for asbestos abatement, demolition, POWER COUNTY COMMISSION Page 4 of 7 REGULAR SESSION MINUTES Tuesday, October 13, 2026 and lead-contaminated soil remediation. project is estimated to take three weeks, with bids open for 30 days. Discussion included an 85% minimum performance bond for contracts over $50,000, prevailing wage and EPA DBE requirements, city demolition permitting, soil compaction, disposal cost savings, and work-hour restrictions to avoid school traffic. Museum materials will be disposed of as asbestos waste. Air clearance is required before demolition, and change orders require prior approval. RFP for demolition targeted for release by the October 26 meeting. No action was taken on this item. No action was taken. 11:46 am Landfill Update: Commissioners and Landfill Director Jeff Rankin discussed acceptable landfill materials and disposal cost reductions. Clean, segregated concrete, wood, and potentially brick may be accepted at the county landfill. Light fixtures, furniture, interior fixtures, and materials not confirmed asbestos-free require further review. All museum contents will be treated as asbestos waste and transported to Pocatello. Commissioners supported exploring available disposal alternatives to reduce project expenses. On a separate matter, Director Rankin submitted 3 claims that needed to be paid out of the FY26 budget. Building & Grounds: No action or update was taken on this item. 12:53 pm Public Surplus: Deputy Clerk Mariano Villa states that they are just waiting for a response from a representative from Idaho Public Surplus to complete the account set up. Commissioner’s Business As Needed: No discussion was held for this item. 9:01 am Generator Discussion: Commissioner Fehringer states that the highway district confirmed willingness to pay the additional $6,700 for a new generator (30 kW unit, in stock) if the county covers subscription costs. The generator was discussed in the context of communication needs, particularly given recent connectivity issues. No action was taken on this matter. B. MOTIONS: 9:00 am Agenda: A motion to approve the agenda for Tuesday, October 13, 2026, was presented by Commissioner Povey with a second by Commissioner Krein. Following audible call of the Board, motion unanimously carried. 12:01 pm Request for Proposals – Mosquito Abatement Request for Proposal: Commissioners reviewed proposals from VDCI, Mountain Vector Control LLC and Teton Valley Pest Control. Ultimately the Commissioner’s narrowed it down to VDCI and Mountain vector control. Both vendors offer flat monthly billing, with additional services, including drone use, requiring prior approval. Discussion covered GIS mapping and reporting, treatment thresholds, and monitoring approximately 16–18 mosquito traps throughout the county. Treatment thresholds are one larva per dip, 15 Culex mosquitoes per trap, and 20 nuisance mosquitoes per trap. Samples are tested the same night, with written reports provided the following day. Commissioners also noted that House Bill 960, which sought to eliminate county mosquito abatement programs, was defeated. The Idaho Mosquito and Vector Control Association is pursuing legislative advocacy to protect these programs. Following discussion, a motion to approve the Mountain Vector Control RFP for Mosquito Abatement services was made by Commissioner Krein with a second by Commissioner Fehringer. Following audible call of the Board, Commissioners Krein and Commissioner Fehringer voted in favor of the motion and Commissioner Povey voted against the motion. Motion carried by majority vote. POWER COUNTY COMMISSION Page 5 of 7 REGULAR SESSION MINUTES Tuesday, October 13, 2026 11:51 am Consenting Agenda: A motion to approve the consenting agenda, with the addition of 2 additional claims for Snake River Dispos-All ($6,450.15 & $6,765.20) and 1 additional claim for Paragon Consulting ($29,659.00) with demand checks authorized for those claims, a correction on the minutes to correct a name that was incorrectly included, the disclaimer by Commissioner Povey to be attached to the October 5, 2026, minutes, and to hold off on the search and rescue claim pending further discussion, was presented by Commissioner Povey with a second by Commissioner Krein. Following audible call of the board, the motion unanimously carried. The following items were approved under the consenting agenda; Claims: The following claim reports were approved by the Commissioner’s; FUND Paid 0001 GENERAL FUND (CURRENT EXPENSE) $ 25,173.03 0003 FAIR BOARD $ 1.37 0004 POWER COUNTY AMBULANCE DIST. $ 75,702.79 0006 DISTRICT COURT $ 830.34 0008 JUSTICE FUND $ 19,401.57 0009 DRUG COURT $ 1,666.35 0010 ENHANCED 911 SERVICES $ 246.70 0011 HEALTH DISTRICT $ 338.75 0015 ELECTIONS $ 90.73 0020 REVALUATION $ 863.61 0023 SOLID WASTE (LANDFILL) $ 103,265.42 0024 TORT $ 1,500.00 0027 WEEDS $ 20,130.89 0038 WATERWAYS $ 2,992.32 0039 MUSEUM $ 387.90 0050 PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES $ 8,600.00 Total Amount Paid $ 261,191.77 Approval of Past Meeting Minutes: Minutes for meetings held on 9/28/26 and 10/05/2026 were approved. Treasurer’s Update: No update or action was taken on this item. 12:34 pm – 12:50 pm Personnel: Clerk Sharee Sprague presented a salary adjustment spreadsheet reflecting a 4% across-the-board increase for all full-time employees and designated part-time positions. Clerk Sprague states that court assistance officer Kaybree Ozborne was excluded from the adjustment list and handled separately through a salary approval form due to additional training and responsibilities. PRN and pay-per-call ambulance positions were also excluded. Rounding discrepancies and two budget shortfalls resulting from mid-year raises not included in the original budget requests were identified, with the shortfalls to be addressed through budget correction or resolution. Prosecutor Bischoff recommended to not vote on this item due to the lack of specific agenda notice for the salary adjustment items and recommended greater specificity in future agendas to POWER COUNTY COMMISSION Page 6 of 7 REGULAR SESSION MINUTES Tuesday, October 13, 2026 ensure compliance with open meeting law. The Commissioners agreed that it could have been done better, but proceeded with the vote, noting that the 4% salary increase had been previously approved and personnel matters being addressed under the personnel action item on the agenda. Following discussion, a motion to approve the salary adjustments submitted by Clerk Sprague, was presented by Commissioner Fehringer with a second by Commissioner Krein. Following audible call of the board, the motion unanimously carried. The following personnel salary approval forms were submitted for approval; • The Power County Transfer Station submitted a merit-based raise and requests Rodney Ralphs receive $14,788.80 annually or $15.80 hourly as compensation for completion of assigned job duties. • The Power County Transfer Station submitted a merit-based raise and requests Alexander Gonzales receive $10,358.40 annually or $16.60 hourly as compensation for completion of assigned job duties. • The Power County Clerk’s Office submitted a merit-based raise and requests Kaybree Ozburn receive $19,266.00 annually or $19.00 hourly as compensation for completion of assigned job duties. • The Power County Clerk’s Office submitted a merit-based raise and requests Dulce Gonzalez receive $15,210 annually or $15.00 hourly as compensation for completion of assigned job duties. • The Power County Assessors office/ Building Administrators office hired Kelsy Gamez Deputy Assessor at $45,000.00 for Drivers License overflow & Bldg/P&Z shared employee • The Power County Prosecutors Office submitted a merit-based raise and requests Jessica Hickman receive $58,600.00 annually or $32.20 hourly as compensation for completion of assigned job duties. Following discussion, a motion to approve the personnel salary approval forms as submitted, including retroactive approval of Jessica Hickman’s salary rate effective October 3rd, was presented by Commissioner Povey with a second by Commissioner Krein. Following audible call of the board the motion unanimously carried. C. POINTS OF ORDER: 10:07 am Resolution 2026-13 Ambulance Fee’s: Chairman Fehringer opened the meeting for Resolution 2026-13 to adopt the Resolution for Ambulance Fee’s at 10:07 a am and roll call of attendance is as follows; • Commissioner Fehringer • Commissioner Povey • Commissioner Krein • Prosecutor Brock Bischoff • Clerk Sharee Sprague • Deputy Clerk Mariano Villa • Assessor Laura Porath Following discussion, the resolution was tabled to the next meeting so Chief Chandler could clarify the intent of the response fee language. No action was taken. POWER COUNTY COMMISSION Page 7 of 7 REGULAR SESSION MINUTES Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Meeting closed at 10:14 am Sheriff’s Office Update: Sheriff Kendall was unable to attend due to pressing matters. The item was tabled until the next meeting. V. ASSESSMENTS/CONCLUSIONS: Next Meeting: The next regular session for the board to meet is slated for October 26, 2026. Adjourn: Having no further business to come before the Board, a motion to adjourn was presented by Commissioner Povey with a second by Commissioner Krein. Following audible call of the Board, motion carried and the meeting was adjourned at 12:55 pm. The foregoing minutes were approved by the Board of County Commissioners during the Regular Board Meeting held October 26, 2026. ATTEST: MARIANO VILLA, Deputy Clerk __________________________________ COMMISSIONER POVEY Mariano Villa Jr.