COMMISSIONER MINUTES                                    NOVEMBER 14, 2005

 

The Elmore County Board of Commissioners met in regular session on the above date in the Commissioner’s Room, basement of the Elmore County Courthouse, 150 South 4^th East, Mountain Home, Idaho.

 

Present at the meeting were Chairman Larry Rose and Commissioners Mary Egusquiza and Connie Cruser.  Also present at the meeting were Clerk Gail Best and her Election Deputy Vivian Garcia.

 

The first order of business was for the Board to canvass the election held on November 8, 2005.  The purpose of the election was to see whether or not a Pine/Featherville Fire District should be formed.  The results of the election were no 59 votes and yes 44 votes.  The Board reviewed the poll books.  Motion by Egusquiza, second by Cruser to approve the canvass of the votes as presented by the Election Deputy Clerk.

ROSE - AYE

EGUSQUIZA - AYE

CRUSER        - AYE     Motion carried and so ordered.

 

Motion by Rose, second by Cruser to approve the expenses as submitted.

ROSE - AYE

EGUSQUIZA - AYE

CRUSER        - AYE     Motion carried and so ordered.

 

Motion by Rose, second by Egusquiza, to approve the minutes of October 31, 2005.

ROSE - AYE

EGUSQUIZA - AYE

CRUSER        - AYE     Motion carried and so ordered.

 

Motion by Egusquiza, second by Rose, to approve, for the record only, the Recorder’s Office Report, Jail Bond Report, and Treasurer’s Office Report for October 2005.

ROSE - AYE

EGUSQUIZA - AYE

CRUSER        - AYE     Motion carried and so ordered.

 

Chairman Rose read a Certificate of Residency into the record for Samantha Kay Fogleman of Mountain Home.  Motion by Egusquiza, second by Cruser, to approve the Certificate of Residency for Samantha Kay Fogleman.

ROSE - AYE

EGUSQUIZA - AYE

CRUSER        - AYE     Motion carried and so ordered.

 

Membership in the Mountain Home Chamber of Commerce was discussed.  A call was placed to the Chamber office to see who would be covered under the “government agency” membership category and learned that it would cover one department.  The Commissioners membership would mean they would have one vote between them on chamber issues.  Motion by Cruser, second by Egusquiza, to join the Mountain Home Chamber of Commerce as Elmore County Commissioners in the government agency membership category.

ROSE - AYE

EGUSQUIZA - AYE

CRUSER        - AYE     Motion carried and so ordered.

 

The Commissioners, acting as Elmore County Ambulance Commissioners, reviewed the ambulance bills.  Motion by Egusquiza, second by Rose, to approve the bills submitted by the ambulance district Treasurer.

ROSE - AYE

EGUSQUIZA - AYE

CRUSER        - AYE     Motion carried and so ordered.

 

The contract with Intermountain Hospital for 2005-2006 was discussed.  Prosecutor Schindele stated that she had reviewed the contract and that it had standard language and that the rate had not increased over the previous year’s contract.  Mental holds, in general, were discussed and the Prosecutor clarified the entire process on mental holds for the Board.  Motion by Rose, second by Cruser to approve the contract between Elmore County and Intermountain Hospital for the year 2005/2006.

ROSE - AYE

EGUSQUIZA - AYE

CRUSER        - AYE     Motion carried and so ordered.

 

The elected officials met with the Board to discuss ideas for addressing longevity compensation.  Clerk Best explained, that although early for the budget, this is the time to see if there are any ideas to address this recurring problem.  Chairman Rose asked the group if they had any ideas at all on how to address the issue.  Assessor Jim Haydon stated he has several employees that have reached their maximum on the step increase chart, and he wondered if the steps might be increased from the current 12 steps to at least 15 steps.  Clerk Best stated the County could do that, but in another three years the problem would reoccur again.  Clerk Best stated she also has several employees who have reached the maximum and she has already discussed with them that they are virtually stuck there unless they can find another spot, because she has already unsuccessfully tried changing their job descriptions to get them a higher grade.  Clerk Best said the problem is many faceted because longevity has never been addressed, and in the beginning of the BDPA system, employees were placed in the step that would give them at least some increase so nobody would suffer a cut in pay.  To complicate this, some employees were hired in at a higher salary because of previous job experience and because of that they reached the maximum faster than if they had started at the bottom.  Clerk Best cited the problem that the Sheriff was now having looking for POST certified officers, and if he finds them, he has to pay them more.  There was discussion whether there was any possibility of a merit system working and using a bonus program, but there was concern about favoritism with the bonus system.  Clerk Best stated another possibility would be if the County would be able to increase the entire step and grade plan with higher rates but she did not know where the money would come from to do it.

 

Treasurer Rose Plympton stated this problem also exists in private business - employees get to the top of their position ladder and get stuck there.  Commissioner Cruser agreed that is happens at the hospital and also in other private businesses, as well as State positions.  Clerk Best pointed  out that until this year, State employees had not had any salary increases in three years.  Treasurer Plympton stated that the County has done an excellent job with benefits, 401k, a generous vacation and sick leave program and sometimes those aren’t given the recognition they deserve by employees.  Prosecutor Schindele asked if the employees are given an automatic step increases annually, since she has not had much experience yet in budgetary matters.  Clerk Best stated that step increases are not supposed to be automatic, but are earned by employees that are working at or above their potential - so in reality, most employees are given step increases each year.  Sheriff Layher stated his employees are given annual performance evaluations.  There was lengthy discussion regarding evaluations and the group thought the evaluation process was worth pursuing again.  Sheriff Layher distributed a copy of his evaluation form.  Commissioner Cruser stated the hospital has a system, based on points.  The employees rates themself, the supervisor rates the employee and then several other employees from different departments are asked to evaluate the employee from what they have observed, then the points from each of those are added together for a final score.  Commissioner Cruser observed that Sheriff Layher’s evaluation form would work well with that system because it’s point based.  The Employee Committee had worked on the issue of evaluations, and it was decided to obtain a form from the Committee as well.  Clerk Best stated she would see if she could find out how much it would cost to increase the steps from 12 to 15.  The group decided to meed again to discuss the matter, it will be added to another agenda within the next few weeks.

 

Senator Tim Corder appeared before the Board to give them an update and find out what is on their minds.  Senator Corder asked the Board if they had any specific questions or if they would prefer general discussion.  Senator Corder began briefing with a discussion centered around what the summer interim committee had been very successful in coming up with any viable answers to the tax relief question.  Senator Corder stated he was certain there would be a lot of discussion on the ideas during the regular session but the question about how to fund most remedies would be the real sticking point.  Senator Corder also reported to the Board on Committee assignments he had and just what those committees have accomplished.  Senator Corder stated he thinks the priorities will play out this next session, and his committee will look at the exemptions that exist, including sales tax along with other exemptions, the committee thinks that some of the exemptions should be eliminated.  The developers discount was discussed.  The Mental Health Task Force was discussed.  Senator Corder also touched on federal immigration issues, in his opinion, there are simple solutions to that problem.  Senator Corder stated that Senator Larry Craig is working on some excellent legislation addressing immigration policy.

 

Motion by Egusquiza, second by Cruser, to recess for lunch.

ROSE - AYE

EGUSQUIZA - AYE

CRUSER        - AYE     Motion carried and so ordered.

 

At 1:15 p.m. the Elmore County Commissioners met in Executive Session pursuant to I.C. 67-2345(d) on a motion by Rose, second by Egusquiza, to meet with Social Services Director Marianne Bate and her assistant Kelley Rodgers.

 

A hearing was held on K-07-05-05.  Present were the three Commissioners, Social Services Director Marianne Bate, Prosecutor Schindele, Deputy Clerk Steele and Niki Glascock, a representative from Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center.  Ms. Bate and Ms. Glascock summarized the case for the Commissioners.  The applicant was not present, has not provided the County with any information and Saint Alphonsus is not asking for a continuance.

 

Motion by Rose, second by Egusquiza, to issue a final denial for the above reasons.

ROSE - AYE

EGUSQUIZA - AYE

CRUSER        - AYE     Motion carried and so ordered.

 

A hearing was held on K-07-05-08.  Present were the three Commissioners, Social Services Director Marianne Bate, Prosecutor Schindele, and Deputy Clerk Steele.  The applicant was not present and no representatives from the hospital were present.  Ms. Bate gave a brief overview of the case.  Motion by Rose, second by Egusquiza, to issue a final denial as no documentation has been received, no proof of residency or income has been received.

ROSE - AYE

EGUSQUIZA - AYE

CRUSER        - AYE     Motion carried and so ordered.

 

Motion to have a letter written on case K-09-99-03 regarding liens on three properties that were quitclaimed to family members prior to the applicant expiring.

ROSE - AYE

EGUSQUIZA - AYE

CRUSER        - AYE     Motion carried and so ordered.

 

Regular session resumed.

 

At 3:00 p.m. the public portion of the meeting was held.  Allen Kiester and Reed Booth appeared before the Commissioners to discuss the extrication truck that was received by Mountain Home Extrication when they received their new truck with a grant.  Maintenance on the truck and the equipment were discussed.  Commissioner Egusquiza asked Deputy Clerk Steele to listen to prior tapes of Commissioners meetings to clarify what equipment was to be left on the extrication truck that the Pine/Featherville area received.  The Commissioners seem to recall most of the equipment would be left, Mr. Booth stated just a few items were left and that the truck needed new windshield wipers.  He questioned the Commissioners on how bills were paid and he was told a claim voucher needs to be turned in.  Where to purchase gas and if they could use the Sheriff’s hand pump if there was an emergency and the power was out was discussed.  The Snow Groomers shed was discussed briefly, Mr. Kiester said it should be delivered in a few weeks.  He also stated the meetings of the Snow Groomers would be posted at the Senior Center and they will hold one in December, February and April.