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minutes meeting date 2026-08-10 · fetched 2026-09-09 · 15654 characters · official file · plain text
POWER COUNTY COMMISSION
Page 1 of 6
REGULAR SESSION MINUTES
Monday, August 10, 2026
POWER COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Meeting Minutes
Commission Chambers
543 Bannock Ave.
American Falls, ID 83211
www.powercounty.gov
Monday, August 10, 2026, 9:00 a.m.
I. CALL TO ORDER
The Board of County Commissioners met in regular session Monday, August 10, 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:
Mariano Villa, Deputy Clerk
Brock Bischoff, Legal Counsel
OTHER PARTIES PRESENT:
Chet Taylor
Brad Rogers
Jeff Rankin
Jacob Reiss
Kim Piper
Laura Porath
Ryan Grayson
Deanna Curry
Kami Chandler
Cecil Sweeney
Kasey Kendall
Macie Evans
III. AGENDA
A. NOTICES/REPORTS
1. Public Comment: No public comment was given.
2.
Elected Official’s & Department Head Meeting: The group debated whether monthly all-hands
meetings remain beneficial or whether individual department meetings would be more
productive. Feedback generally supported keeping meetings but reducing frequency to
quarterly or every other month, with IT updates seen as consistently valuable. It was suggested
departments get scheduled agenda time (with defined durations) rather than open-ended
slots. Following discussion regarding monthly meetings, the following updates were given;
Commissioner Updates
•
Budget Transparency: Commissioner Krein emphasized the value of focusing on the
people behind numbers and policy. He committed to sharing a personal budget
projection spreadsheet with all departments (clarifying these are personal projections,
POWER COUNTY COMMISSION
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REGULAR SESSION MINUTES
Monday, August 10, 2026
not final commission decisions).
•
Upcoming Event: A public meeting is scheduled tonight from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the
Mill House to cover solar, wind, geothermal, and battery storage projects.
IT Department Update
•
Infrastructure & Backups:
o
Successfully upgraded cloud backup systems and transitioned data storage.
o
Historical agency video archives are securely backing up to cloud storage.
o
Justice-side network drives have been migrated to a new server, with remaining
departmental data migrations pending.
o
Outdated legacy server hardware has been shut down, successfully eliminating
a major security vulnerability.
•
Security & Access:
o
Metal detector project is about 95% complete; a meeting with Bannock County
is set for tomorrow to finalize.
o
Camera system vulnerabilities were identified, and access roles need validation.
Shared Amazon accounts (single username/password) were flagged and
corrected.
o
Concerns were raised regarding potential sensitive data on the common drive.
•
Website & Communications: Working with CivicPlus to improve the county website,
including a new subscription alert feature for posted minutes (missing minutes have
been re-uploaded).
•
Budget
o
Established a consolidation of all software contracts for IT contracted
infrastructure services.
o
Telephones and phone systems are now budgeted centrally, while cellular lines
remain in individual department budgets, and internet services are centralized
for better tracking and negotiation.
o
Replacement cycle calculators and IT budget reviews are available to provide
transparency on capital items.
•
Printer & Toner Management: IT is analyzing printer contracts to consolidate into a
primary vendor/hardware provider. Departments are advised to decline external
vendor solicitations and not sign new agreements. Old toner has been collected, and
failed printers will be evaluated by IT based on productivity needs.
EMS & Emergency Management
•
Staffing & Fleet: Currently short-staffed on paramedics and actively seeking a full-time
hire. A new ambulance has recently been received.
•
Exercises: Conducted a successful tabletop fire exercise followed by a real-world
evacuation with strong inter-departmental support.
Treasurer's Office
•
Upcoming Hearing: A tax fee hearing is scheduled for August 24.
•
Security Concern: Raised an issue regarding camera access after needing to visit the
Sheriff's Office to review payment dropbox footage.
•
Minutes: Requested to have minutes reviewed by elected officials/department heads
before approval to verify accuracy.
Facilities
•
Maintenance Items: Discussed the removal of handicap sign poles, replacing seals on
the Prosecutor's Office door, and repairing a concrete spot near Dr. Williams' office
using either rocks or blacktop.
Clerk's Office / Grants
POWER COUNTY COMMISSION
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REGULAR SESSION MINUTES
Monday, August 10, 2026
•
Grants Management: Addressed a discussion regarding whether grants management
was transferred to the Clerk's Office; commissioners clarified that no final decision has
been made.
Building & Museum Maintenance
•
Fire Code: Investigating a fire code concern regarding the door connecting the museum
and the adjacent office.
Landfill
•
Federal Visit: U.S. Senators are visiting Wednesday at 10:00 AM to assess landfill
funding needs.
County Culture & General
•
County Picnic: Tentatively scheduled for September 2.
•
Culture: Continued emphasis on improving workplace culture, holding critical
conversations, and maintaining a professional tone.
Prosecutors Office
•
Postage: Currently can’t run envelopes with discovery information (thumb drives)
through the machine. Have been using butterfly stamps.
•
Postage room access: Suggested to have a fob access installed in room where postage
machine will located.
•
Video & Recordings: Requested that video and audio to Commissioner’s meetings be
accessible to the group.
Assessor
•
Picnic: Assessor Porath requested for the Commissioner’s to let her and the group know
what they can do to help with the upcoming picnic.
Probation
•
Staff: Director Grayson informed the group that they are fully staffed now as a staff
member just returned from POST. Discussions were held regarding the access and fire
code for the door located between the museum and drug testing office.
Building Administration
•
Updates: Administrator Kim Piper informed the group of that operations are normal for
the department and requested access to a computer in their office to fully utilize
workspace.
3.
Landfill Update: Landfill Director Jeff Rankin, presented a map showing the old landfill area
that requires closure and remediation, noting that soil testing returned positive results with
good, compactable dirt that prevents seepage. Because there are an estimated 32,000 yards of
dirt on top of the landfill, enough material exists on-site to regrade to required slopes without
hauling additional dirt. Regarding the demo pit strategy, the new pit cannot be used until
properly lined and sloped, prompting an engineer's proposal to use the belly of the pit for one
to two years to fill in the bottom and achieve proper slopes, pending DEQ approval. A plan of
operations must be submitted to the DEQ within six weeks, with reviews typically taking two to
three months. A drain was dug above the property meeting the required 100-foot setback, and
a settling and evaporation pond will be placed near the old landfill area to capture runoff
without ground infiltration, while the brush pile area will require grading and different soil
material to remain usable. Finally, landfill tipping fees and potential revenue options, such as a
$5 entry fee, were discussed ahead of an upcoming Wednesday visit from Senators assessing
funding needs, and it was agreed that an in-depth fee discussion will be held during the next
regular meeting.
4. Building & Grounds: Updates were provided under the Elected Officials/Department head
meeting.
POWER COUNTY COMMISSION
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REGULAR SESSION MINUTES
Monday, August 10, 2026
5.
Board Updates: The following board updates were presented;
Fair Board – Commissioner Fehringer reports that the Fair board have a scheduled meeting on
August 17th.
SICOG Agreement– Commissioner Povey states that an MOU for the demolition of the Annex is
currently being drafted.
Museum – Commissioner Krein states that he talked to the Museum board regarding the
required 3D model and will reach out to a vendor for a quote. A Museum board i=meeting is
scheduled for August 12th.
Development – Commissioner Povey states the broadband grant awarded to the County,
cannot be used for construction. It can only be used for permits. Commissioner Povey states he
will have further updates after their next meeting.
6. Personnel: This item went into Executive Session 74-206 1(b).
7. Commissioner’s Business as Needed: No discussions were held for this item.
8. SICOG Agreement: This update was presented during the board updates.
9. Planning & Zoning Update: This item went into executive session 74-206 1(f).
10. County Wildfire Preparedness Plan: This item was addressed and approved under the
Emergency Management discussion.
11. Building Administration Update: This item was discussed during the IT update and the building
administrator update. No action was taken on this item.
B. MOTIONS:
1. Agenda: A motion to approve the agenda for Monday, August 10, 2026, was presented by
Commissioner Povey with a second by Commissioner Krein. Following audible call of the Board,
motion unanimously carried.
2. Emergency Management Discussion:
County Wildfire Preparedness Plan (CWPP)
Emergency Manager Kami Chandler and American Falls Fire Chief C.J. Sweeney presented the
completed County Wildfire Preparedness Plan for Power County, which only requires
commissioner signatures and opens doors for grant funding, having already helped secure
$12,000 in state PPE for the fire department. Key mitigation projects outlined in the plan
include pipeline cleanup, vegetation management in urban interface areas, and communication
tower placement in Arbon Valley, while responses to fires on the reservation remain strictly
through mutual aid from Fort Hall, alongside county coverage spending of approximately
$106,000 annually. Additionally, discussions were held regarding the Emergency Operations
Center activation policy to determine whether emergency management can open it
independently or needs prior approval, resulting in an agreement that Commissioner Krein will
serve as the primary liaison contact, with a formal step-by-step policy to be drafted, reviewed
by legal counsel, and brought back for approval using a $5,000 threshold before a formal
emergency declaration is required. To maintain coordination, a dedicated text thread for EOC
staffing will alert officials of developing situations, with Commissioner Krein included as the lead
contact. Following discussion, a motion to approve the County Wildfire Preparedness Plan for
Power County was presented by Commissioner Krein with a second by Commissioner Fehringer.
Following audible call of the board, the motion unanimously carried.
POWER COUNTY COMMISSION
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REGULAR SESSION MINUTES
Monday, August 10, 2026
3. Sheriff’s Office Update & Approvals: During the Sheriff’s Office update, Sheriff Kendall revisited
the 2026 Tundra pickup lease with Bancorp after discovering that graphics costs for a Dodge
pickup had been incorrectly charged under the lease, inflating the total price. Once those errors
were removed, the price was adjusted to properly include required vehicle upfitting, resulting in
an amended lease payment of $13,975.49 (up from the original $12,592.60). Following
discussion, a motion to amend the lease schedule with BANCORP for the 2026 Toyota Tundra
that was signed in December 2025, in the amount of $12,592.60 to $13,975.49 was presented
by Commissioner Povey with a second by Commissioner Krein. Following audible call of the
board, the motion unanimously carried. Additionally, commissioners raised concerns regarding
a May 8, 2022 master lease agreement referenced in the contract that could not be located in
county records, expressing hesitation about being bound to multi-year terms without prior
review. To address this, legal counsel recommended transitioning to an annually renewable
agreement in the future, complete with clear payout terms if the lease is not renewed.
4.
Consenting Agenda: Following discussion, a motion to approve the consenting agenda 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: Following clarification on items, the following claims report was approved;
FUND
Paid
0001 GENERAL FUND (CURRENT EXPENSE)
$ 7,831.23
0004 POWER COUNTY AMBULANCE DIST.
$ 4,293.77
0006 DISTRICT COURT
$ 1,015.54
0008 JUSTICE FUND
$ 914.34
0010 ENHANCED 911 SERVICES
$ 246.70
0015 ELECTIONS
$ 26.22
0020 REVALUATION
$ 7,700.00
0023 SOLID WASTE (LANDFILL)
$ 1,184.83
0027 WEEDS
$ 83.52
0038 WATERWAYS
$ 2,032.24
0041 AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT
$ 700.00
Total Amount Paid
$ 26,028.39
Approval of Past Meeting Minutes: Minutes for the meeting held on August 3, 2026, were
approved.
IV. EXECUTIVE SESSION:
1.
Executive Legal Advice Session pursuant to I.C. §74-206(1)(f) 9:01 am: A motion to enter into
executive session pursuant to I.C. §74-206(f), to communicate with legal counsel for the public
POWER COUNTY COMMISSION
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REGULAR SESSION MINUTES
Monday, August 10, 2026
agency to discuss the legal ramifications of and legal options for pending litigation, or
controversies not yet being litigated but imminently likely to be litigated was presented by
Commissioner Povey with a second by Commissioner Krein. 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 9:11 am.
2.
Executive Personnel Session I.C. 74-206(1)(b) 11:42 am: A motion to enter into executive
session to consider personnel actions pursuant to Idaho Code 74-206(1)(b) was presented by
Commissioner Krein with a second by Commissioner Povey. 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 12:19 pm.
V. ASSESSMENTS/CONCLUSIONS:
1. Next Meeting: The next regular session for the board to meet is slated for August 24, 2026.
2. Adjourn: Having no further business to come before the Board, a motion to adjourn was
presented by Commissioner Krein with a second by Commissioner Povey. Following audible call
of the Board, motion carried and the meeting was adjourned at 12:22 pm.
The foregoing minutes were approved by the Board of County Commissioners during the Regular
Board Meeting held August 24, 2026..
ATTEST:
MARIANO VILLA, Deputy Clerk
__________________________________
COMMISSIONER FEHRINGER, Chairman
Mariano Villa Jr.
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