County Commission Caribou County 6/23
The Caribou County Commission meeting was largely devoted to the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts in October.
Drought Declaration
Emergency Services Director Eric Hobson presented a resolution to the Board of County Commissioners declaring a drought emergency for the county. The declaration is based on predications of increased heat and reduced precipitation this summer. Bear Lake County will approve a similar declaration today. Emergency 2025-05 proclaims drought conditions within the county. The resolutions renews on an ongoing basis until Nov. 10 to run through the Ag season. Basically, it supports the declaration of the USDA/FSA, and allows claims to be pursued for assistance for losses due to drought.
Jill Stoor—Clerks office
Contracts between the county and other agencies were discussed. The CBAS (Community-Based Alternative Services) and SUD (Substance Use Disorder) programs from Justin Steele’s diversion program were among them. The agreement has funding available to help youth in need by way of seeking non-incarceration solutions for drug and other offenses. The funding cycle runs from July 25-June 26. CBAS contract was approved.
Annual agreement with UI for the Extension program was approved.
Liquor license for China Hat store approved upon condition of state approval was approved.
The question of what will be done with the Annex building space that houses the UI Extension Office was raised, though nothing definite has been determined on that issue.
Aaron Cook
The Assessor’s office discussed its budget for the upcoming year.
Over the last five years, the department has been able to keep fairly close to its budget, but the cost for appraisals needs to be raised in order to keep consistent with market prices for the appraiser, according to members of the clerk’s and assessor’s offices. The rate for other counties is higher than Caribou. The rate has been lower than average over the last six years, so the increase is larger than the commissioners were immediately comfortable with. Raising the rates by half of the requested rate each year for the next two years was discussed. The appraisals are required by the state for taxing purposes, so the county needs to have a provider of those services. Making sure that in the future increases are more incremental was clarified.
Maintenance agreements for various office support issues in the Assessor’s office were discussed.
Angie Mendenhall
The Treasurer’s Office was represented by Treasurer Angie Mendenhall.
A recent property whose deed was taken by the city for back taxes of $21K was discussed. A home in question is several years behind on taxes. Mendenhall is willing to allow the owner an additional six months to pay those taxes. At the end of that time, the property would be auctioned by the county for sale in January. The owners have reportedly not paid property taxes since purchasing the property.
Mendenhall discussed the department’s budget. The Capital Outlay line in the budget is something that Mendenhall said she has not used during the years she has been in the department. She suggested lowering it.
She discussed with the commission the investments that the department has made on behalf of the county. Most of the investments are bonds, which are spaced out in order to keep the bond maturity in constant forward motion. She shpwed that 341,953 has been earned in interest on the county’s investments in 2023. In 2024, an extra 600K+ was made. In 2025, $100K was budgeted, and an additional 778k$ is projected. She suggesting taking 590K$ that was earned and making a one time COL adjustment from the investment earnings. “It would help employee retention, boost morale. I think if we approach it as a one time COL it would help. It’s extra money that we can access. It’s just a suggestion.” The commissioners will take it under consideration. This would primarily affect full time employees, but could possibly be expanded to account for everyone.
Eric Hobson
Hobson discussed the Emergency Services budget. PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and Turnout equipment years are coming up, as well as SCAs (breathing devices) for the Grays Lake station. The equipment has to be replaced on a schedule to ensure that it stays within lifespan guidelines to avoid catastrophic failure.
In August and September, the majority of the fire budget gets used. SRS funds are a stipend from the federal budget. Those funds were approved, but not budgeted.
Phone costs have gone down due to losing landlines. Memberships and dues have been lowered.
Training and repeater (radio re-transmitter) costs are lower. Capital outlay is the same, for normal operation projects.
Fireworks. On the 24th, a permit for Caribou Highlands was issued, with the clarification that a state statute prohibits aerial fireworks. The shows are permitted and monitored. Notification about the dangerous fire season conditions will be put out. No burn permit was issued for the Bancroft fire. Anything under 3 feet does not require a permit. A burn ban is being sought for July 1, which is also the case for Oneida and Bannock. The county will work with famers for the fall burnoff.
IT
A conversion to new software will likely take place in the next fiscal year, so the budget for IT needs to be ready to deploy.
Some of the software services contracted by the county will be increasing in the next budget year, so some costs will rise in the budget process.
Jill Stoor
The Clerk’s office budget was pretty level from this year to the next. The only increase was to capital outlay.
Interest revenue has created increased funds for the county. There are 25 million leftover funds from prior years. Clerk Stoor has attempted to have departments reduce the amount in budget lines for items tha are strictly emergencies.
The possibility of ways to provide savings or returns to tax payers was discussed. “It’s a good problem to have. There are counties that are scrambling to make payroll. We’ve done a great job over the last years, but we need to level it off,” Stoor said.
Other counties have suggested putting the Event Center in its own fund so that it can be tracked most easily. Various costs associated with the center, such as an employee to handle scheduling, maintenance, supplies, utilities, and others will not really be known until after the center has been going for a year or so. A tentative maintenance budget has been proposed by Clerk Jill Stoor, which includes anticipated revenue from rent, primarily.
The consolidated election fund was discussed. The state will no longer be paying for the staff rooms at the elections official conference, but the funds are no longer available. Jill would like everyone to attend those during the primary election years. They have decreased their supply and machine maintenance budget.
Stoor raised the issue of the equip for elections, which was stored in the Lions Den—it will need to be examined for damage.
Helen Barker
Barker spoke to the commissioners on behalf of Planning and Zoning, as well as Parks and Rec. The lines in the budget were largely the same as in the past.
New signs have been installed announcing the recreational area building restrictions. “It has done it’s job—it got people’s attention,” Commissioner Somsen noted. The signs were just recently put up by Kevin McLain and Barker.
The master plan for the Oregon Trail RV Park and Marina was also discussed. The extent of paving in the area to meet grant requirements for ADA access and the practical needs of the proposed park was one subject of discussion, which
will continue.
There have been some problems with overnight camping at county parks. A discussion about putting up signs to make it clear that such camping is not allowed at the parks was held. Community Service hours for maintaining the area at the marina were mentioned as a possibility. Commissioner McCullough noted that the Sheriff’s department couldn’t enforce a ban on the camping if the rules were not posted at the site.
McCullough suggested that camping should be completely restricted, and explained on the sign. Day camping would be allowed, but it was noted that tents and RVs were congesting the access to the docks. “Day Use only, No overnight camping and parking.”
Rowdy Larkins
No change orders for a change, he noted!
Plans for the annex building were raised again.
Aly Schwulst
Geomatics. A few minor increases in supplies and travel were noted for next year’s budget. Maintenance requests and funds for printer, plotter, etc. were discussed.
Justin Hatch
Justin Hatch from the Extension Office related that the Fairboard and Extension Office had received a 50K$ grant to help maintain the animal buildings at the fairgrounds. Market animal barns, insulating the show barn to reduce heat, replacing insulation and adding a fan to the building were among the discussion points. Commissioner Somsen agreed that the showbarn was very hot during the fair time. “What we really need to do is get with the fairboard,” he said.
One request was to allow for one of the currently halftime employees to work in the Office for 30 hours a week. This would require her to be on PERSI and insurance, which would double the costs to the county. Justin explained that because the Ext. Office is out in schools and throughout the county so often, and additional person in the office would be very helpful. There is a need for someone there during the full year, but the difference between Seasonal, part time, and full time employees causes some payroll issues. The potential for a full time employee for the office was discussed as possibly a better solution than what is in place with two part time employees.
The other area of increase was dues and membership. Last year they budgeted $300 for those items, this year they would like $540 for additional subscriptions.
Money has been going to accounting for market animals. This requires a licensed and bonded person.
The Annex “Custodial” budget line will be migrated to the Event Center or eliminated for now.
Two part timers are working in the office for the summer, but they are paid by the UI.
