County Commission Report 3/11

The Board met for a regular meeting on March 11 at 9:00 a.m.  The commissioners addressed a number of issues.

Road and Bridge—Kevin McClain

Kevin McClain reported that the new loader had been delivered, and was being prepared for use.  Some of the roads throughout the county were in the process of being opened up, but largely waiting for the coming of the warmer weather.  Long Valley Road has been requested for clearing by the mines.  One of the mine graders is out of commission at the moment.  Snowfall is reported to be about the same as last year, though it was also reported that the snow has very high water content, which affects the snow
removal process.  

McClain reported that while he has taken pains to keep the department’s comp time to a minimum, the storm patterns this year have made that difficult.  He inquired as to what the commission would like him to do with that going forward.  The potential of buying out the comp time on the books for some employees was raised.  The commissioners asked for a list of employees for whom that might be a possibility.

The R&B department reported that occasionally the county snow removal vehicles strike residential mailboxes, and McClain was working with anyone who had been affected to replace them.  It was stated in the meeting that any mailboxes in the road’s right of way were technically the responsibility of the homeowner, though the county had made stides to replaces even those mailboxes in the past when involved in damage at the hands of county vehicles.

One of the Kenworth vehicles has been experiencing problems, and is currently being evaluated.  

The cost of roof repairs ended up being less than had been anticipated, and the cost of insulating the roof was much less than had been anticipated.  $65,000 will be returned to
capital funds.

Fire/Ambulance—Eric Hobson

Eric Hobson spoke to the commission with a few updates.  Hobson reported that progress was being made on the Chesterfield Reservoir.  A recent study had indicated that what was suspected of being an endangered plant was in fact not present in the reservoir.  The spillway will be certified after the runoff has peaked.  Flood mitigation is something that the department is watching carefully.  While the snowpack is not as high as last year, it is close and is being monitored for
water volume.  

At the fire station, the carts that store personal gear are beginning to wear out.  The Fire Department is looking at purchasing and installing lockers to take the place of the storage carts.  The lockers should free up space as well relative to that taken up by the carts.  The purchase of 18 lockers for EMS for $5,060 plus shipping was approved.

The EMTs who have qualified for the conference plan to attend the upcoming World EMS conference in Las Vegas.  Hobson believed that 4 or 5 people would be interested.  The cost of the trip is higher than trips within the state, and the commission and Hobson discussed the extent to which the county would fund the training conference for those who wished to attend.  The potential for using county vehicles, finding less costly accommodations, and so on were discussed.  Hobson stated that he would first determine how many people were interested in attending.

The ambulance that was ordered last year is being readied, and equipped out for use.  The backup cameras are still missing, and the ambulance will lose its warranty if it is sold without one.  

Hobson will be attending a meeting with the Forest Service to discuss flooding and water flow.  It was reported that Chesterfield should be safe this year with regard to flooding.

Hobson reported that the Emergency Management Department will be hosting a class for elected officials and decision makers at the Fire Station in April.  The meeting will inform attendees about the process and resources that would be called into play for an emergency event.  The meeting is a FEMA requirement. 

Caribou Conservation Report

The Caribou Conservation District reported that the Idaho Forestry Products Commission will be providing trees again to be used in conjunction with classes, and given out at the fair.  Last year, around 150 spruces were given out.  Funding for the district projects from the county was $13,000 for the 2024 budget year.  A motion to allocate $14,000 to the Soil Conservation District for 2025 from the PILT fund, which is matched up to two-to-one by the state, was passed. 

Planning and Zoning—Nellie Askew

Nellie Askew of the Planning and Zoning department spoke to the commissioners anbout signing the Blackfoot River Road project before it could move forward with Keller Associates.  The agreement was approved
and signed.

Hospital Agreement—Kent Loosle

Caribou Medical Center CEO Kent Loosle spoke to the commissioners about an agreement between the county and the hospital.  Loosle introduced himself to the board.  Loosle has been here about four months at this point.  He is from Moreland, and his wife Wendi is from Blackfoot.  They recently moved from Utah County, where he had been the CEO of a hospital there. 

Loosle expressed the opinion that he enjoys living in Soda Springs, and that it “feels like home.”  

The contract for the hospital was up for discussion.  Loosle asked for clarification about the concerns on the part of the county about the contract.  The original transfer of the hospital indicated that if a default on the construction of a new hospital were to occur, the hospital would revert back to the county.  The commissioners did not want the hospital to lose any capacity from its current status as the building
moves forward.  

Loosle stated that his intent was to move forward with building a new facility.  Currently, the hospital administration is undertaking an inventory of the providers and scope of the service lines and assets in place in the hospital.  The various elements of the hospital are being analyzed in terms of the needs within the community and the revenue potentials of the various service lines.  Loosle is planning to add additional service lines and physicians in the future, and the new facility plans that had been undertaken under the former CEO were deemed not to be sufficient for the services that were planned.

The commission expressed an awareness of the difficulties in the construction industry presently.  Loosle has been involved as an administrator during the construction of a hospital in Lehi, Utah, as well as Twin Falls, and stated that he was familiar with the process, including potential obstacles.

Loosle was not able to provide a definite timeline for the planning and construction period, but he suggested that it would take at least this year to fully analyze the hospital in order to determine the scope of the construction project and account for the necessary space and infrastructure.  Loosle stated that he would provide ongoing updates to the commission on at least a quarterly basis, a suggestion that was welcomed by the commissioners. 

“I think the future’s bright at Caribou Medical Center—things are going to go well. I think there are parts of the existing building that should be reused, but there is certainly a need for new buildings.  Certain service lines require different approaches,” Loosle said. 

Chairman Mathews asked whether closing the living center/senior facility had improved the financial prospects of the hospital.  Loosle felt that it had definitely helped make the hospital viable going forward.

Every three years, critical access hospitals go through a community needs assessment.  A third party is brought in to perform the needs assessment.

Loosle was asked whether there was enough demand for the new providers.  Loosle stated that he believed that
there was.  

All of the board members for the medical center are county residents.  The hospital cannot be sold without county approval.  It was suggested by the board to have one of the commissioners attend the hospital board meetings to establish a clearer line of communication between the county and the medical center.

Assessor

The County Assessor’s office spoke to the commission about cancelling taxes on a property that was no longer occupied.  The dwelling that had occupied the property was no longer at the location.  The taxes on the property for tax years 2022-2023 were cancelled.  

Attorney Doug Wood

County Prosecutor Doug Wood spoke to the commission on behalf of the Soda Springs Lions Club.  The Lions Club is once again supporting the Distinguished Young Woman program.  Last year, the county commission supported the DYW program for $1000.  The commission moved to donate $1000 from the PILT fund.  The motion passed unanimously.  

The DYW program is a scholarship program that showcases leadership, talent, and academic performance for young women.  The Lions club uses donated funds to help facilitate the program essentials, and uses any money beyond that to fund the scholarships that are awarded during the event.

Wood expressed appreciation to law enforcement for their work at maintaining safety in the community, and communicating with local officials about any safety issues that may arise which might concern them.

County Clerk—Jill Stoor

A proclamation for the “Hidden Heroes” program was presented to the commissioners.  The program will recognize caretakers within the community.  May will be declared “Hidden Heroes Month.”  A motion to sign the proclamation recognizing the month was passed.

The mineral leasing agreement with the State Department of Lands was
renewed.

A motion to appoint Jennifer Ellis of Bancroft to the Animal Damage Control Board was approved.  

The issue of whether to add a property built without a permit to the tax rolls was discussed.  A house which had originally begun as a trailer had been converted to a cabin-style home without going through the permitting process near Chesterfield.  The commission was advised by Attorney Wood that a building permit and a number of other things needed to be acquired.  The homeowner will be contacted by the county about moving forward.  The cabin was stated to fit the definition of a residential improvement, although it was reported not to have electricity or water.  The county ordinance covering the situation was discussed, as well as potential steps forward.

Clerk Stoor announced that there was a national Drug Court training conference in Anaheim coming up.  Judge Brower wondered whether the Opioid settlement funds could be used to send county officials for training.  The settlement funds have specific requirements attached to them for use, though Brower feels that this should qualify.  The funds are the results of a lawsuit settlement with pharmaceutical manufacturers.  A motion to use $7,000 from the Opioid settlement fund to send representatives from the county in May was approved.  

The dispensation of ARPA funds was also discussed.  

Audit Report 

An audit of the county’s fiscal year was presented to the commissioners.  The auditor overall felt that the county was in good shape.