COMMISSIONERS MINUTES                                           OCTOBER 3, 2005

 

The Elmore County Commissioners met in regular session in the basement of the Elmore County Courthouse, 150 South 4^th East Street, Mountain Home, Idaho 83647.

 

Present at the meeting were Chairperson Larry Rose and Commissioners Mary Egusquiza and Connie Cruser.  Also present at the meeting was Clerk Gail Best.

 

Katrina Welch of the Public Defender’s Office appeared before the Board to discuss her employment status.  Commissioner Egusquiza asked if she had put in for the job opening at the County Extension Office?  Ms. Welch stated she had not.  Commissioner Egusquiza asked why not?  Ms. Welch stated she had planned to wait until she saw the outcome of this meeting.  Commissioner Egusquiza stated that the closing date of the position closed in September and there were several applicants.  Ms. Welch stated she had not seen a closing date on the website.  Ms. Welch also stated she would take that position if that was the only one open.  There was some general discussion regarding the possibility of any future openings that may or may not occur.

 

Ms. Welch also inquired about her unused vacation time.  Due to the circumstances surrounding the Public Defender’s office she has not been able to use that vacation time and she just was awarded another year’s worth of vacation as she reached her anniversary date.  Ms. Welch stated she had 150 hours of vacation accumulated plus the new accumulation for the upcoming year.  Clerk Best asked how she would feel about getting paid for the 150 hours, if that was an option?  Clerk Best stated this is a very unique situation because this is the first time she can recall an actual Reduction in Force (RIF) occurring.  Ms. Welch stated she would accept payment for the 150 hours, saving the new allotment for the upcoming year.  There was discussion.  Motion by Egusquiza, second by Rose, to pay Katrina Welch 150 hours of vacation.

ROSE - AYE

EGUSQUIZA - AYE

CRUSER        - AYE     Motion carried and so ordered.

 

Commissioner Egusquiza asked Ms. Welch to apply for the only opening available in the County at the Extension Office and she agreed to do so.  Commissioner Egusquiza stated she would speak to the Extension Agent so that he would be aware the application is coming.

 

Motion by Egusquiza, second by Cruser to approve the minutes of September 19 and September 23, 2005.

ROSE - AYE

EGUSQUIZA - AYE

CRUSER        - AYE     Motion carried and so ordered.

 

A letter from Todd Waite, resigning from the Planning and Zoning Commission was reviewed by the Board.  The Board asked that Deputy Clerk Steele advertise for applicants from the Mayfield area to apply for the Commission opening.

 

A draft of a policy of Mountain Home Animal Shelter to provide contracted services to Elmore County received from Chief Tom Berry was reviewed by the Board.  Clerk Best was instructed to get Sheriff Layher and Nick Schilz to comment on the policy at the October 11^th Board meeting by setting up an appointment for them.

 

The public hearing to be held on the Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) on October 13^th was discussed.  The Board felt perhaps it should be moved to the upstairs courtroom rather than the Commissioner’s Room because of room if there are a lot of participants.  The Board spoke to Dan Collins, Plant Facility Manager, about moving the equipment upstairs for that evening.

 

The Board began a work session on the draft of the CAFO Ordinance.  Changes are as follows:

 

Page 4: CAFO SITE ADVISORY TEAM: third line “.....regarding environmental risks and that site’s suitability for a CAFO.

 

Page 4: EXPANDING CAFO: second line “(10) percent ‘or 150 animals whichever is less, or (2)

 

Page 5: MATERIAL CHANGE: #7 second line “percent or 150 animals whichever is less.

 

Page 10: #11 remove the last word ‘annually’

 

Page 10: VI.  7^th line the work ‘applicant’ should be changed to ‘administrator’

 

Page 11: A. 2. 3^rd line Elmore County and 2-1/2 miles from the legally described

 

Page 11: A. 3. 2^nd line Area of City Impact and the legally described perimeter of Mountain Home Air Force Base.

 

Page 13: A. 2. 3^rd line Elmore County and 2-1/2 miles from the legally

 

Page 13: A. 3. 2^nd line remove the words Community or

 

Page 17: F. 2^nd line add the word annually after the word County.

 

Bonnie Sharp and Traci Lefever appeared before the Board to discuss approved LOI’s that had been approved with conditions.  Commissioner Egusquiza stated that she had wanted the Growth and Development Department to come in to discuss approved LOI’s with conditions.  It has come to Commissioner’s Egusquiza’s attention that sometimes the conditions put in to approve the LOI’s are not being met prior to lots being sold.  There seems to be a grey area that is allowing this to occur.  Various possible scenarios were discussed to remedy the problem, including requiring a bond to be posted prior to approval of an LOI.  No immediate solution was reached for this problem.