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minutes meeting date 2025-12-08 · fetched 2026-09-09 · 27436 characters · official file · plain text
POWER COUNTY COMMISSION Page 1 of 12 REGULAR SESSION MINUTES Monday, December 8, 2025 POWER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Meeting Minutes Commission Chambers 543 Bannock Ave. American Falls, ID 83211 www.powercounty.id.us Monday, December 8, 2025, 8:00 a.m. I. CALL TO ORDER The Board of County Commissioners met in regular session Monday, December 8, 2025, and called the meeting to order at the hour of 8:00 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: Ryan Grayson Andi Higgins Laura Porath Jeff Rankin Anthony Simerlink Chet Taylor Joshua Campbell David Zimmerman Jackie Morris Kade Smith Ashley Tarasau Jacklyn Taylor Elizabeth McCormack Justin Huse Rod Colton Rick Cheatum Dan Garner Jim Guthrie III. AGENDA A. NOTICES/REPORTS 1. Elected Official’s/Department Head Meeting: The following updates were heard from each Elected Official/Department Head; Extension Office: Extension Educator Anthony Simerlink states that they are holding education classes for kids on Friday’s from 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm and is open for all children. Admission cost is $5. They will be conducting pesticide licensing classes in February. Mr. Simerlink states he is working with multiple educators and will have fliers out for the classes soon. POWER COUNTY COMMISSION Page 2 of 12 REGULAR SESSION MINUTES Monday, December 8, 2025 Prosecutor’s Office: Prosecutor Bischoff states that his office is busy and wants to thank Building & Grounds Director Chet Taylor for salting and shoveling sidewalks as well as the maintenance work he has done at the Prosecutor’s office. Landfill: Landfill Director Jeff Rankin states that business is as usual. They will be switching to summer and winter hours of operation, with Monday’s now being open. Assessor’s Office: Assessor Laura Porath states that her office has been busy, noting that the addition of the driver’s license department to her office has been positive. She further states that their office hours are now 9-5, with a cutoff for processing at 4:30 pm. Her staff is working the 4-day work schedule with rotations. They are working on getting sate funding for programs. There are current issues with CAI and are trying to get those issues resolved. Building Administration Office: Building Administrator Andrea Higgins states that she is working on ordinances and getting them updated. They have a submission for appointment to the Planning & Zoning board. Administrator Higgins states she will be training in Boise for two weeks. Probation: Probation Director Ryan Grayson states that the Department of Juvenile Correction visited his department for an audit. Everything went well but did note that an older policy needed to be updated. A member of his staff is working on their post application and will be gone in July for approximately 3-4 weeks. Clerk’s Office: Clerk Sprague states that she is currently completing the annual audit and will be soon with an outside auditor for grant reporting and their audit report. Clerk Sprague states that there will be a luncheon hosted by Judge Carnaroli and herself at the Clerk’s office and encouraged all who are planning to join to confirm via email. Building & Grounds: Building & Grounds Director Chet Taylor updated the group on the progress of the museum building. He states the concrete work should be completed by next week. Interior remodeling is still continuing with the bathrooms almost completed. He also updated the group on the new signs for the Planning & Zoning office building. Door’s for Sheriff’s office are ready to be installed and a new quote for flooring at the Prosecutor’s office has been received. Mr. Taylor states that he needed direction for placement of ADA and Veteran parking signs. Regarding his county truck, Mr. Taylor states the plow will be installed on the truck this week. Sheriff’s Office: Regarding vehicle’s, Sheriff Campbell states that they should have two new vehicles this week. Sheriff Campbell states that for equipment, shields have been received and they are still waiting for the new rifles to arrive. New desks have been installed with monitors. They are in the interviewing process for jail patrol and civil. POWER COUNTY COMMISSION Page 3 of 12 REGULAR SESSION MINUTES Monday, December 8, 2025 Commissioner’s: Commissioner Povey states the new website is going live today along with a new domain. On a separate note, Commissioner Povey encouraged the group to remind their staff that the county has an EAP benefits meeting. Commissioner Krein states he is reviewing budgets in order to maximize salaries for personnel. He will also meet individually with elected officials and department heads. Commissioner Fehringer thanked the group and their staff for the hard work they do in behalf of the county. 2. 2026 Session Discussion with Legal Representatives: State Delegates for Power County Senator Jim Guthrie, Representative Rick Cheatum and Representative Dan Garner appeared to discuss the 2026 Legislative Session and receive inquiries and feedback. 3. David Zimmerman Landfill Request: Dave Zimmerman requested that the commissioners waive landfill fees related to demolition debris from an old truck stop on his property. He obtained a $5 demolition permit, which Mr. Zimmerman states was issued without instructions regarding proper disposal or asbestos inspection. After demolishing the building and burying the debris on his property, DEQ later determined that required asbestos inspections had not been completed. Cleanup required 18 semi- truck loads to the county landfill at a cost of $1,800. Zimmerman stated he acted in good faith based on the permit and requested the fees be waived due to the permit being issued in error. The commissioners stated they would review the permitting process and respond to Zimmerman by letter. 4. Cemetery District Update: The American Falls Cemetery District appeared before the Commission requesting support regarding a proposed easement application regarding their property. The Commission advised that they have not received any applications and cannot discuss anything with them as it could come before the Commission upon appeal. 5. Jail Medical Services Discussion: The Commission advised they are interested in contracting locally for jail medical services. Hospital Director Jacqueline Taylor and Ashley Tarasau of the Hospital District presented a proposed provider jail rounding plan for consideration. Sheriff Josh Campbell inquired on some individual coverage options. It was agreed that this item would be revisited during the next Commissioner’s meeting. 6. Sollus Update: Brad Rogers reported that all core IT systems remain operational, with 99.8% uptime during the reporting period. Monthly security patches were successfully deployed across all servers, firewall configurations were updated, and no security incidents were reported. Network performance remains within normal parameters, with improved latency and expanded Wi-Fi coverage. The IT help desk resolved 47 tickets during the week, with an average response time of 2.3 hours and a user satisfaction rating of 4.6 out of 5. Ongoing projects include an email system migration that is approximately 75% complete, a backup system upgrade scheduled for next weekend, and continued deployment of new workstations as planned. Upcoming maintenance includes a server maintenance window scheduled for December 14 from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., with additional software updates planned for December 16. 7. FY2027 Mosquito Abatement Discussion: Justin Huse and Elizabeth McCormack presented their new local business, Mountain Vector Control, LLC,for mosquito control POWER COUNTY COMMISSION Page 4 of 12 REGULAR SESSION MINUTES Monday, December 8, 2025 services. Justin brings 17 years of experience from the county's mosquito control program. Key Proposal o Same Cost: $195,000 per year (matching current contract rate) o Service Continuity: Same experienced field crew o Local Management: Local hiring and supervision o Innovation: Adding drone with pilot for more precise treatment Primary Treatment Areas: o Willow Bay (nuisance mosquitoes) o ConAgra plant area (West Nile virus vector mosquitoes) o Rockland (flooded pastures) o Dam area down to Willow Bay The current contract with Vector Mosquito control service auto-renews and requires 30-day notice for termination. Commissioners will review the proposal with county attorney before deciding. Service would begin around mid-April. Clerk Sprague included that once legal reviews, they would need to look to see if this service would need to be put out to bid. 8. Building Admin/ Weeds Update: Building Administrator Andrea Higgins reported on the following updates; Weeds Update: Aerial spraying operations were completed on over 5,000 acres of BLM land using helicopter application. Late-fall treatment helped protect desirable vegetation while effectively targeting noxious weeds. The county supplied the chemicals, and a contracted pilot performed the application. Primary weeds of concern include Canada thistle, particularly in the Sage Hen Springs area; Skeleton weed, which is increasing and spreading from the Boise area due to hotter, drier summers; hound’s tongue, which remains widespread and difficult to control; and Russian knapweed, primarily concentrated on reservation lands. Leafy spurge is currently minimal in Power County. Treatment areas included Sage Hen Springs, the fish hatchery, and reservation lands, although access to tribal lands remains challenging due to trespassing permit requirements and long-standing system delays. Alternative biological control methods are being considered where access is limited. Ongoing concerns include continued weed migration and the need for expanded monitoring and treatment. Camp Trailer / RV Discussion: The Board discussed regulations related to living in camper trailers and RVs within Power County. Current ordinances allow temporary occupancy in RVs under limited circumstances, such as emergency displacement or during construction of a permanent residence for up to 180 days. Enforcement is complaint-driven and challenging due to the county’s rural nature, with the Health District involved when sanitation violations occur. Common issues include long-term residency in RVs and improper sewage disposal. Planning and Zoning is reviewing and updating ordinances to clarify POWER COUNTY COMMISSION Page 5 of 12 REGULAR SESSION MINUTES Monday, December 8, 2025 definitions between temporary and permanent residences, accessory structures, and minimum acreage requirements. Updates: A public hearing is anticipated in early January to discuss proposed changes. Subdivision approvals will be presented to the Commissioners at the next meeting, with all required documentation properly submitted. 9. Building & Grounds: The Commissioner’s asked Building & Grounds Director Chet Taylor to install an outlet for Clerk Sprague’s work station in the Commissioner’s room. On a separate matter, Mr. Taylor informed the Commission that the construction company, JB Smedley, was asking for an advance of $5,000. The Commissioners directed Mr. Taylor to inform Mr. Smedley to submit an invoice and the clerk’s office would get him a check. Mr. Taylor also informed the Commissioner’s that he has received new bids for the demolition of the annex. The Commissioner’s agreed to have this item during the next BOCC meeting. 10. Board Updates: The following board updates were held; Fair board: Commissioner Fehringer states that after 50 years of service, Stan Gortsema has stepped down from the Fair Board. The Commissioner’s state they will get a plaque made in honor of his years of service. Commissioner Fehringer also states that they will hold elections for members on January 1st. Commissioner Fehringer also states that an inactive member will be replaced as well. Extension Office: Commissioner Fehringer states that he will talk to the Extension staff to request a list of rolls they have in the county. This information will be used to identify areas for improvement and to better inform the community about the services they provide. Simplot: Commissioner Povey states that the letter of support for the land exchange for Simplot will be addressed during this meeting. SICOG: Commissioner Povey states there will be an upcoming board meeting. Guardians: Commissioner Krein states that he informed the Guardian board on discussions held by the Commission in regards to funding and support. Museum: Commissioner Krein informed the Board that the museum is anticipated to open to the public in late winter or early spring, with an official grand opening planned for the summer. Board of County Commissioner’s: The Commissioners discussed methods to provide the public with an opportunity to address questions or concerns regarding county matters. By consensus, the Commissioners agreed to reserve the first 15 minutes of each Board of County Commissioners meeting for public comment, with individual speakers limited to two minutes to ensure fair and orderly participation. If additional POWER COUNTY COMMISSION Page 6 of 12 REGULAR SESSION MINUTES Monday, December 8, 2025 time is needed, the Commissioners may, at their discretion, allow the individual to be placed on a future meeting agenda for more in-depth discussion. Juvenile Detention Center: The Board discussed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Juvenile Detention Center. The matter requires further review due to changes that were made but not reflected in the current MOU. Veterans: Commissioner Povey contacted Building & Grounds Director, Chet Taylor, that a concrete pad was needed for the county’s flag deposit box. 11. Snow Property Contract: The Commissioner’s reviewed the proposed changes from legal counsel and decided to send them back to Snow Property Manager Launa Snow for review. B. MOTIONS: 1. Agenda: A motion to accept the amendment to the Agenda on the grounds that a Resolution was needed for the approved Airport Grant and the funds are in danger of being lost if not addressed prior to the next regular meeting and approve the agenda for Monday, December 8, 2026, was presented by Commissioner Povey with a second by Commissioner Krein. Following audible call of the Board, motion unanimously carried. 2. Consenting Agenda: Items on the consenting agenda were discussed. Following discussion, the following items were approved; Approval of Past Meeting Minutes: Chairman Fehringer states minutes for the BOCC meeting held on November 24th under the South East Idaho Solid Waste Disposal, needed to be corrected to reflect that they would provide an MOU to the county. Following changes, minutes for meetings held on November 24th and December 2nd were approved. Chairman Fehringer authorized use of his electronic signature for the minutes. Certificate of Residency Application for Junior College Tuition l.C. §33-2110: The following certificates of residency were approved; Applicant Name Accredited College Term Covered Oscar Itehua College of Southern Idaho Fall 2025 Semester Sierra N. Tischendorf College of Southern Idaho Spring 2026 Semester Treasurer’s Update: There was no action or update for this item. POWER COUNTY COMMISSION Page 7 of 12 REGULAR SESSION MINUTES Monday, December 8, 2025 Claims: The following’s claims report was approved; FUND Paid 0001 GENERAL FUND (CURRENT EXPENSE) $ 53,008.79 0004 POWER COUNTY AMBULANCE DIST. $ 5,427.35 0005 POWER COUNTY ABATEMENT DIST. $ 16,060.00 0006 DISTRICT COURT $ 392.74 0008 JUSTICE FUND $ 14,262.69 0009 DRUG COURT $ 972.05 0010 ENHANCED 911 SERVICES $ 850.98 0011 HEALTH DISTRICT $ 31,418.00 0015 ELECTIONS $ 7,343.73 0020 REVALUATION $ 10,153.87 0023 SOLID WASTE (LANDFILL) $ 3,044.94 0027 WEEDS $ 379.60 0038 WATERWAYS $ 2,204.59 0039 MUSEUM $ 37.33 0041 AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT $ 6,477.37 0050 PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES $ 544.49 0051 BOND – WATER RIGHTS $ 8,973.03 Total Amount Paid $ 161,551.55 3. Resolution 2025-09 A Resolution Accepting a Grant: Chairman Fehringer opened the meeting for Resolution 2025-09 A Resolution Accepting a Grant offer through the Idaho Transportation Department, Division of Aeronautics at 1:20 pm and roll call of attendance is as follows; • Commissioner Fehringer POWER COUNTY COMMISSION Page 8 of 12 REGULAR SESSION MINUTES Monday, December 8, 2025 • Commissioner Povey • Commissioner Krein • Clerk Sharee Sprague • Deputy Clerk Mariano Villa • Extension Educator Anthony Simerlink Clerk Sprague read Resolution 2025-09 into the record. Following discussion, a motion to approve Resolution 2025-09 A Resolution Accepting a Grant offer through the Idaho Transportation Department, Division of Aeronautics, was presented by Commissioner Krein with a second by Commissioner Povey. Following audible call of the board, the motion unanimously carried. 4. Tax Cancellations: Assessor Porath presented several tax cancellation requests for 2025. Upon review, a motion to approve the tax cancellations was presented by Commissioner Povey with a second by Commissioner Krein. Following audible call of the board, the motion unanimously carried. Parcel No. Reason for Cancellation Cancelled Amount RPC0037-00 As Per Assessor $167.94 MHZ0040-06 As Per Assessor $179.85 RPC0637-00 As Per Assessor $854.38 RPC0635-00 As Per Assessor $2,136.34 RPC0290-00 As Per Assessor $1,228.38 RPB0022-00 As Per Assessor $752.52 RPD0051-01 As Per Assessor $3,016.40 RPA0477-06 As Per Assessor $1,384.31 RPA0826-00 As Per Assessor $1,704.56 RPA0826-00 As Per Assessor $877.94 TOTAL TAXES CANCELLED $12,302.62 5. Extension Office Memorandum of Understanding: Anthony Simerlink presented the FY26 Extension Office Memorandum of Understanding between Power County and the University of Idaho. Discussions centered around improving the fair and utilizing the Extension office as much as possible took place. Following discussions, a motion to approve the FY26 Extension Office Memorandum of Understanding between Power County and the University of Idaho was presented by Commissioner Povey with a second by Commissioner Krein. Following audible call of the board, the motion unanimously carried. 6. Fair Board Update: Fair board member Rod Colton appeared with the following updates; Utility Vehicle: Chairman Fehringer reported that a more affordable utility vehicle was identified that the Fair Board agreed would adequately meet the needs at the fairgrounds. The vehicle is a 2024 Kawasaki Mule being sold by Let’s Ride in Burley, Idaho in the amount of $12,854.00. Following discussion, a motion to approve the purchase of the 2024 Kawasaki Mule, up to the amount of $13,000 to be paid out of PILT was presented by Commissioner Povey with a second by Commissioner Krein. POWER COUNTY COMMISSION Page 9 of 12 REGULAR SESSION MINUTES Monday, December 8, 2025 Following audible call of the board, the motion unanimously carried. Commissioner Fehringer abstained. A demand check was authorized. Board Appointments: A motion to appoint Shane Bolgen to the Fair board to replace Bryan Woodworth was presented by Commissioner Povey with a second by Commissioner Fehringer. Following audible call of the board, the motion unanimously carried. 7. Sheriff’s Office Equipment Purchases: Sheriff Campbell appeared and reported the following updates; Purchases: • MDT replacements needed: $2,500-$3,000 each for Microsoft Surface Pro 10s. Sheriff Campbell states that the purchases for the MDT’s are within his budget. Sheriff Campbell states the need for replacements is due to outdated models and hard drive issues. • Sheriff Campbell states that his department will purchase additional battery’s for body cams. The Commission authorized the Sheriff to purchase the MDT’s as it is within his budget. Vehicle’s: • Sheriff Campbell states that he received word from ICRMP stating the patrol vehicle that was involved in an accident was completely totaled. • Sheriff Campbell states that he did receive a quote for a 2026 Ram 1500 Tradesman from Young Automotive in Burley, in the amount of approximately $48,000.00. After upfitting, the total cost is approximately $60,000. The lease of the vehicle will be thru Bancorp. Following discussion, a motion to purchase the 2026 Ram 1500 Tradesman thru Bancorp for a lease payment of 14,025.74 for 60 months was presented by Commissioner Povey with a second by Commissioner Krein. Following audible call of the board, the motion unanimously carried. • He would like to surplus 4 of his current vehicles. Commissioner Povey states that if we can repurpose one to another department then that would be beneficial. Sheriff Campbell recommends the 2018 Chevy that they could repurpose. He further states that once the items are deemed surplus, they will be decommissioned and have radios and radars removed. The vehicles will be surplused thru Bancorp. 8. Simplot Letter of Support: A motion to approve the letter of support for Simplot for their land exchange was presented by Commissioner Povey with a second by Commissioner Fehringer. Following audible call of the board, the motion unanimously carried. 9. Surplus: The Sheriff’s office presented the following list of surplus items; Inventory Tag Property Description Location Estimated Value Working Condition Disposition POWER COUNTY COMMISSION Page 10 of 12 REGULAR SESSION MINUTES Monday, December 8, 2025 N/A Dispatch Table Tops X 5 Dispatch $0.00 No Trash N/A Dispatch Partitions X 10 Dispatch $0.00 No Trash N/A Braces for tables x 2 Dispatch $0.00 No Trash Following review, a motion to approve the surplus item list was presented by Commissioner Povey with a second by Commissioner Krein. Following audible call of the board, the motion unanimously carried. 10. Ambulance Search & Rescue Grants: Commissioner Chris Fehringer reported that the grants previously approved by the Commission for county match were going to be run thru the Search and Rescue 501(c)(3), however, it was determined that the grant would need to run thru the County. Commissioner Fehringer advised that the grant applications were reviewed by legal counsel and had to be signed. Upon conclusion, a motion to ratify the authorization of the grants signed on December 2, 2025 was presented by Commissioner Povey with a second by Commissioner Krein. Following audible call of the board, the motion unanimously carried. 11. Board Appointments: The following board appointments were made; Fair Board: A motion to appoint Shane Bolgen to the Fair board to replace Bryan Woodworth was presented by Commissioner Povey with a second by Commissioner Fehringer. Following audible call of the board, the motion unanimously carried. Planning & Zoning: A motion to appoint Teresa Tuma to the Planning & Zoning Board was presented by Commissioner Fehringer with a second by Commissioner Povey. Following audible call of the board, the motion unanimously carried. 12. 2026 BOCC Annual Calendar: Clerk Sharee Sprague presented the proposed meeting calendar for 2026 for approval and publication. Following review, a motion to approve the 2026 BOCC annual calendar was presented by Commissioner Povey with a second by Commissioner Krein. Following audible call of the board, the motion unanimously carried. IV. EXECUTIVE SESSION: 1. Executive Personnel Session I.C. 74-206(1)(b) 8:00 am: A motion to enter into executive session to consider personnel actions pursuant to Idaho Code 74-206(1)(b) was presented by Commissioner Povey with a second by Commissioner Fehringer. Clerk Sharee Sprague conducted roll call on the motion; • Commissioner Povey, AYE • Commissioner Krein, AYE • Commissioner Fehringer, AYE POWER COUNTY COMMISSION Page 11 of 12 REGULAR SESSION MINUTES Monday, December 8, 2025 Following roll call of the Board, motion unanimously carried. Upon conclusion of discussion, Commissioner Fehringer declared the meeting open at 9:00 am. 2. Executive Personnel Session I.C. 74-206(1)(b) 11:11 am: A motion to enter into executive session to consider personnel actions pursuant to Idaho Code 74-206(1)(b) was presented by Commissioner Povey with a second by Commissioner Fehringer. Deputy Clerk Mariano Villa conducted roll call on the motion; • Commissioner Povey, AYE • Commissioner Krein, AYE • Commissioner Fehringer, AYE Following roll call of the Board, motion unanimously carried. Upon conclusion of discussion, Commissioner Fehringer declared the meeting open at 11:27 am. 3. Executive Personnel Session I.C. 74-206(1)(b) 2:01 pm: A motion to enter into executive session to consider personnel actions pursuant to Idaho Code 74-206(1)(b) was presented by Commissioner Povey with a second by Commissioner Fehringer. Clerk Sharee Sprague conducted roll call on the motion; • Commissioner Povey, AYE • Commissioner Krein, AYE • Commissioner Fehringer, AYE Following roll call of the Board, motion unanimously carried. Upon conclusion of discussion, Commissioner Fehringer declared the meeting open at 2:37 pm. 4. Executive Personnel Session I.C. 74-206(1)(b) 4:07 pm: A motion to enter into executive session to consider personnel actions pursuant to Idaho Code 74-206(1)(b) was presented by Commissioner Povey with a second by Commissioner Krein. Clerk Sharee Sprague conducted roll call on the motion; • Commissioner Povey, AYE • Commissioner Krein, AYE • Commissioner Fehringer, AYE Following roll call of the Board, motion unanimously carried. Upon conclusion of discussion, Commissioner Fehringer declared the meeting open at 5:01 pm. V. ASSESSMENTS/CONCLUSIONS: 1. Next Meeting: The next regular session for the board to meet is slated for December 22, 2025. 2. 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 5:02 pm. The foregoing minutes were approved by the Board of County Commissioners during the Regular Board Meeting held December 22, 2025. ATTEST: __________________________________ COMMISSIONER FEHRINGER, Chairman POWER COUNTY COMMISSION Page 12 of 12 REGULAR SESSION MINUTES Monday, December 8, 2025 MARIANO VILLA, Deputy Clerk
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