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County commission minutes, August 6-7
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August 22, 2012S |
***Monday, August 06, 2012, Commissioners met in
regular session with Chairman Ron Smith,
Commissioner Walt Kirby and Deputy Clerk
Michelle Rohrwasser. Commissioner Dan Dinning
was out of the office.
9:00 a.m., Road and Bridge Superintendent Jeff
Gutshall joined the meeting to give the
departmental report. Mr. Gutshall did not
present a written report. Mr. Gutshall said
employees are still working on chipsealing and
have started working on Meadow Creek Road this
morning.
Mr. Gutshall said the work on Deep Creek Bridge
#4 is going rather smoothly, but drivers have
been turning around in people’s driveways so he
will put a barricade in a certain area so people
know it is not worth traveling further down the
road. The signs said the “road is open to local
traffic only” and that the road is closed a
certain distance ahead. People have been turning
around in the Mace’s driveway so Mr. Gutshall
said he would try to help them out. In another
instance a large truck had come out of the Snow
Creek area and probably didn’t see the sign so
maybe a barrier will get more attention.
Mr. Gutshall reported he emailed John Thomas,
Public Works Director for Shoshone County, and
asked how Shoshone County enforces vehicle
weight restrictions. Mr. Gutshall said from the
response he got, Boundary County is giving this
issue more thought than other areas. In Boundary
County, a driver either gets a permit or they’re
in violation. A permit just makes sense as it is
entering into a contract, according to Mr.
Gutshall.
Chairman Smith asked Mr. Gutshall to contact
Attorney Phil Robinson and have him draft an
ordinance for weight limit enforcement for
Commissioners to consider. Mr. Gutshall said he
would like it so a deputy can issue a ticket and
then let the judge decide.
Those present briefly discussed damage to the
docks and the need to contact Waterways Board
member Mike Naumann in order to get a status
update.
The meeting with Mr. Gutshall ended at 9:25 a.m.
9:30 a.m., Commissioners continued the bid
decision for contractors for the Restorium
elevator project. Present were: Chairman Ron
Smith, Commissioner Walt Kirby, Deputy Clerk
Michelle Rohrwasser, and Blue Sky Broadcasting
Reporter Mike Brown. The proceedings were
recorded.
Chairman Smith said the bid totals received had
both been more than the grant award and Sherri
Wastweet with Panhandle Area Council was going
to see if any more funding was available.
Commissioners should know in a day or two if
there are additional grant funds. The advice
Commissioners were given was to continue the bid
decision process for one week.
Commissioner Kirby moved to continue the bid
decision for contractors for the Restorium
elevator project for one week. Chairman Smith
yielded the chair to second. Motion passed
unanimously.
9:35 a.m., Cory Trapp from Longwell Trapp
Architect joined the meeting. Longwell Trapp is
the architectural firm that was awarded the
Restorium elevator project.
It was said it’s possible there is a savings of
$7,000 to $10,000 from Bonners Ferry Builders.
Chairman Smith said he doesn’t want to get into
a bind with the two bidders, but in this case
the lowest bid was approximately $60,000 to
$70,000 less than the second bid. Mr. Trapp
agreed there should not be an issue. Mr. Trapp
said Ms. Wastweet had asked him to contact her
about potential cost savings.
Commissioners contacted Sherri Wastweet from
Panhandle Area Council via telephone at 9:40
a.m.
Chairman Smith said he asked for figures set
aside for this project and was told there is
$75,000 in County funds, $8,350 from the Friends
of the Restorium and another $230 received in
donations. The total is $83,580. Chairman Smith
questioned the grant application documents form
showing local cash and local in-kind. Ms.
Wastweet said those were preliminary dollars
that have already been spent and some had been
paid to Mr. Trapp for his services. Mr. Trapp
clarified that those costs came out of the total
of $83,580.
Chairman Smith asked if the changes discussed
will be forwarded to the State. Ms. Wastweet
said she has already forwarded the information
to the Department of Commerce so they could see
why there was a difference. Ms. Wastweet said
she is looking to see what the outcome is of
eliminating a landing pad for a sidewalk.
Chairman Smith questioned if information will be
sent to the state notifying them the bid may be
$15,000 to $20,000 short rather than $20,000 to
$30,000 short.
Ivan Wedel, Treasurer/Office Manager at Bonners
Ferry Builders joined the meeting at 9:45 a.m.
The call with Ms. Wastweet ended at 9:45 a.m.
Mr. Trapp provided Commissioners with a draft of
a contract for their review and said a change
order can be done if the bid amount changes. Mr.
Trapp said possible cost reductions included
$3,000 for a sidewalk landing, approximately
$5,000 in windows and $2,000 in electrical
costs.
The meeting with Mr. Trapp and Mr. Wedel ended
at 9:50 a.m.
Commissioner Kirby moved to grant an extension
of time to pay year 2008 taxes for parcel
#RP60N01W244050A until September 4, 2012.
Chairman Smith yielded the chair to second.
Motion passed unanimously.
Commissioner Kirby moved to authorize the
Chairman to sign the 2012 Idaho Counties Risk
Management Program (ICMRP) renewal policy for
anti terrorism policy. Chairman Smith yielded
the chair to second. Motion passed unanimously.
Commissioner Kirby moved to cancel year 2010
taxes totaling $195.96, fees totaling $131.48
and penalties totaling $6.54 and all late fees
for parcel #SR011600010030A as the subroll
billed for a cabin that was not there. Chairman
Smith yielded the chair to second. Motion passed
unanimously.
Commissioner Kirby moved to accept the
resignation letter from Dan Studer who is
resigning from the Planning and Zoning
Commission. Chairman Smith yielded the chair to
second. Motion passed unanimously.
Commissioner Kirby moved to authorize the
Chairman to sign the 2012 Bureau of Homeland
Security Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Award and
related documents. Chairman Smith yielded the
chair to second. Motion passed unanimously.
Commissioner Kirby moved to sign a letter of
support to bring broadband services to Boundary
County. Chairman Smith yielded the chair to
second. Motion passed unanimously.
Deputy Clerk Nancy Ryals joined at 10:30 a.m.
Commissioner Kirby moved to go into closed
session under Idaho Code #31-874. Chairman Smith
yielded the chair to second. Motion passed
unanimously. 10:45 a.m., Commissioner Kirby
moved to go out of closed session. Chairman
Smith yielded the chair to second. Motion passed
unanimously.
Commissioner Kirby moved to deny charges
incurred from May 24, 2012 to June 1, 2012 and
to put the remaining charges in suspension on
indigent application #2012-26 as per the Clerk’s
recommendation. Chairman Smith yielded the chair
to second. Motion passed unanimously.
Commissioner Kirby moved to review indigent
account #2011-41 again for monthly reimbursement
in one year and write off $3,280 on account
#2011-41 as the patient qualified for Medicaid
for months the County paid PCIP premiums and
paying the PCIP premiums was to the State and
the County’s advantage at the time. Chairman
Smith yielded the chair to second. Motion passed
unanimously.
Deputy Clerk Nancy Ryals left the meeting at
10:50 a.m.
There being no further business, the meeting
recessed until tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.
***Tuesday, August 7, 2012, Commissioners met in
regular session with Chairman Ron Smith,
Commissioner Dan Dinning, Commissioner Walt
Kirby, and Deputy Clerk Michelle Rohrwasser.
9:00 a.m., Solid Waste Superintendent Claine
Skeen joined the meeting to give the
departmental report. Chief Deputy Clerk Tracie
Isaac and Clerk Glenda Poston also joined the
meeting.
Mr. Skeen said he had questions about part-time
employees as it relates to a holiday. Mr. Skeen
said he budgets a total of 1,820 hours per year
per part-time employee. That consists of 52
weeks per year at 35 hours per week. Mr. Skeen
said if a holiday falls on a part-time
employee’s workday, they aren’t able to make up
that time and he used the 4th of July holiday as
an example. The landfill and monitored sites
close on holidays and the full-time employees
receive that pay benefit, but the part-time
employees don’t have that same benefit,
according to Mr. Skeen. Mr. Skeen said if there
is something that speaks to this in the County’s
Personnel Policy, he hasn’t seen it.
Commissioner Dinning said this benefit is not
there for part-time employees as it is a benefit
for full-time employees only.
Chairman Smith said he feels it is also
different for part-time employees and he used
the Restorium employees as the example. The
part-time employees at the Restorium are able to
cover for full-time employees on these holidays.
Chairman Smith said one suggestion was to budget
the hours for the part-time employee and have
that employee make up the holiday hours on
another day. If there is a Monday holiday and
the landfill or monitored site are closed, have
the part-time employee work on another day at
any location to make up that time lost.
Commissioner Dinning said the employees
understood this scenario when they hired on as
part-time so he doesn’t want to have an employee
stand around just to make up hours. In this
case, part-time is part-time. Commissioner
Dinning asked if this situation is causing
employees to leave County employment.
Chairman Smith said the issue is the employee is
hired to work 35 hours per week, but then they
don’t work those 35 hours when there is a
holiday. Mr. Skeen said it works out to 10 hours
per part-time employee per year if a holiday
falls on a certain day of the week otherwise it
can be a reduction of 20 hours per year.
Chairman Smith said the only thing he can think
of is to give the part-time employee an
additional day to work or pay them more, which
cannot be done.
Mr. Skeen said it’s hard for him to say three
employees are going to miss out on four holidays
while the other three employees will have more
budgeted hours as those holidays don’t fall on
their day off. In the past, the part-time
employees did work the holiday, but the landfill
was open on holidays then as well. Mr. Skeen
said if the monitored sites are opened, then he
would open the landfill as well as people will
want to know why all sites aren’t open.
Chief Deputy Clerk Isaac said part-time
employees do not get holiday pay, but if they
work on the holiday, they get additional pay.
Clerk Poston said the Restorium Administrator
prepares her budget accordingly for this.
Clerk Poston explained there are part-time
employees in the Courthouse that also don’t
receive the holiday. Clerk Poston said just
because certain hours are budgeted doesn’t mean
they have to be used.
Chairman Smith said he doesn’t think the County
could hire someone at 35 hours per week, but
then not work and pay them for those hours.
Chairman Smith said this is discussing part-time
employees, but holidays aren’t included in those
benefits and that should be understood from the
beginning. Chief Deputy Clerk Isaac said the
Personnel Policy says employees who are
full-time receive the holiday pay, but the
Policy doesn’t say specifically that part-time
people don’t.
Mr. Skeen said when the July Fourth holiday fell
on Wednesday six employees lost five hours.
Commissioner Dinning said those employees knew
that. Mr. Skeen said he personally feels with
part-time and full-time there are benefits.
Part-time employees don’t receive that gift day.
Mr. Skeen said the part-time employees don’t
receive health insurance, but he feels the
County is not giving them true 35 hours per
week, 52 weeks per year.
Chairman Smith said part-time employees are not
entitled to certain benefits, but if they’re
hired for 35 hours per week, these employees
should be told from the beginning the hours may
be less if a holiday falls on a day they work.
Chief Deputy Clerk Isaac said if there are
part-time employees who want to make hours lost
due to a holiday, Mr. Skeen could ask them if
they want to work extra hours on random days.
Commissioner Dinning said if employees have not
actually voiced complaints about this, this is
creating an issue. Mr. Skeen said someone if
hired on for a specific number of hours, they
won’t receive those hours if there is a holiday.
Commissioner Dinning said there is a fine line
of looking out for county budgets and just
because certain things are budgeted, the County
doesn’t spend it all of the time.
Chief Deputy Clerk Isaac left the meeting at
9:25 a.m.
Mr. Skeen informed Commissioners that recycling
is up to 40 tons per month so from October 2011
to this year recycling will reach 480 tons.
The meeting with Mr. Skeen and Clerk Poston
ended at 9:30 a.m.
9:30 a.m., Restorium Administrator Karlene Magee
joined the meeting to give the departmental
report.
Chairman Smith updated Ms. Magee on the bid
status for procuring contractors for the
Restorium elevator project.
Commissioner Kirby questioned why the City of
Bonners Ferry is burdening the grant process by
requiring a concrete slab to be located off
Restorium property. Chairman Smith mentioned
City of Bonners Ferry Administrator Stephen
Boorman had said something to him about pouring
a slab on a corner.
Chairman Smith resumed discussing the outcome of
the bid opening and what is taking place now.
Chairman Smith said Denny Wedel of Bonners Ferry
Builders had thought of various deductions he
could do.
Ms. Magee said an area of concrete on the
Restorium grounds will be repaired and not
replaced. There is a small concrete lip that was
sticking up so it will be ground down.
Ms. Magee asked Commissioners about the proposed
rental rate increase of 4.9%. The State of Idaho
requires a 30 day notice be given to residents
so she wondered if that notice should go out
now. Commissioners explained how the budget is
not set and the budget hearing won’t be until
September. Commissioner Dinning suggested giving
the residents a heads up memo. Commissioner
Dinning said Ms. Magee could send the notice of
increase to residents and if there happens to be
less of an increase, she could just let them
know the increase will be less and that way the
notice timeframe is covered.
Ms. Magee informed Commissioners there are 32
residents and 33 rooms rented with one resident
renting two rooms. There are two vacant rooms
remaining, according to Ms. Magee.
The meeting with Ms. Magee ended at 9:45 a.m.
Commissioners tended to administrative duties.
10:00 a.m., Chief Probation Officer Stacy Brown
joined the meeting to give the Probation Office
Department Report.
Ms. Brown provided a written report. Ms. Brown
said the number of 15 juveniles is higher for
the Youth Accountability. There are 50 juveniles
on probation and six of them have warrants. Ms.
Brown said her department has six new juveniles
receiving probation soon. The numbers for adult
misdemeanor offenders is about the same. This
list has been broken down into the level of risk
of re-offending and Ms. Brown said those at a
high risk have to be watched more carefully.
Level of Service Inventory (LSI) is an
assessment tool used to see if there is a risk
for re-offending, according to Ms. Brown. Ms.
Brown said number of 280 is a decrease for those
on unsupervised adult probation.
Ms. Brown informed Commissioners her office will
be closed September 17 through 20, 2012 for the
annual Idaho Juvenile Justice Association
training in Pocatello, but she and her staff
will be reachable by phone. Law enforcement has
also been notified of this, according to Ms.
Brown. Ms. Brown said she is taking over as
President of the Idaho Juvenile Justice
Association and she will plan the 2013
conference to be held in Boise. Ms. Brown said
she has also been asked to participate in the
curriculum review for the Basic Misdemeanor
Academy. Commissioner Dinning said the more
things Boundary County stays engaged in the
better. Ms. Brown said she agreed and added that
it benefits by giving input.
The meeting with Ms. Brown ended at 10:15 a.m.
There being no further business, the meeting
adjourned at 10:20 a.m.
/s/
RONALD R. SMITH, Chairman
ATTEST:
/s/
GLENDA POSTON, Clerk
By: Michelle Rohrwasser, Deputy Clerk |
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