COMMISSIONER MINUTES                                      DECEMBER 5, 2005

 

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

 

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

 

Motion by Egusquiza, second by Cruser, to approve the minutes of November 21, 2004.  There was discussion and one phrase was reworded.

ROSE - AYE

EGUSQUIZA - AYE

CRUSER        - AYE     Motion carried and so ordered.

 

The Board called Bonnie Sharp of Growth and Development to come over to discuss just where the Rick Taylor appeal was, in her opinion.  Ms. Sharp reported to the Board that Mr. Taylor had applied for a conditional use permit (CUP) on another piece of property, owned by his wife but that he still wanted to complete the process on the first CUP since it was already in progress.  Ms. Sharp stated, in her opinion, Mr. Taylor appeared to regret trying to “strike a deal” with the other residents to move the process along by making his project more palatable to the neighbors.  Ms. Sharp stated he said he did not realize that it would confuse the issue, and now says it would be better to just complete the process that has already started and apply for a second CUP on the other piece of property.  Ms. Sharp said that often people simply are not familiar with the process.

 

A draft letter written by Vicki Smith, Chairman of the E-911 Board was discussed with Bonnie Sharp.  Commissioner Cruser stated she felt perhaps the Board should have a discussion with the Mayor of Mountain Home.  Commissioner Egusquiza placed a call to the City but the Mayor was unavailable so a message was left for him.  The Board told Bonnie that they would call her if the Mayor was able to come over later in the day.

 

Mr. Russell Duke, the new Director of the Central District Health Department appeared before the Board.  Commissioner Egusquiza, who serves on the Central District Health Board introduced Mr. Duke to the other Commissioners.  Mr. Duke stated he had become the new Director on October 24, 2005 when Kathy Holley retired from the position.  Mr. Duke said he had moved to Idaho in 1993 and has been working for the State Health Department with the Division of Health in various capacities since that time.  Mr. Duke asked the Board if they had any particular concerns that he might be able to assist them with?  The Board stated there was nothing of particular concern at the present time except that Elmore County does have the ever present water problem.

 

Mr. Duke discussed Idaho Waste Systems with the Board.  Central District Health inspects the Idaho Waste Systems operation regularly and the facility is in total compliance with the regulations governing the company.  Commissioner Cruser stated that it does not seem that Central District Health is doing as much work with the public as they did in the past.  Mr. Davis stated that was no doubt the case and the problem is obtaining the funding for the projects from the Legislature.  The changing role of the Central District Health Department was discussed, the Department has not been concentrating so much on rural health services as they have in the past.  Mr. Duke stated that Central District Health will be concentrating more on the assessment side of things.  Mental health issues and the extremely high cost was discussed.  Commissioner Cruser stated that having someone locally to do mental health assessments would be so helpful to the County.  Commissioner Egusquiza stated that Elmore County also has the serious problem of lack of water quantity. 

 

Mr. Duke asked the Board if they ever receive complaints from the rural areas of the County, complaining that those areas are not getting any services from Central District Health.  The Board replied they have not been receiving complaints from those areas concerning his Department.

 

The Request for Proposals (RFP) for the fuel contract was discussed and reviewed.  Clerk Best stated that the Board had been ready to approve the RFP at the last meeting but since the Prosecutor had not reviewed the RFP the approval was delayed.  Clerk Best stated that Prosecutor Schindele had now reviewed the RFP, suggested some minor changes, and that Clerk Steele had made those changes and now the RFP was ready.  Motion by Egusquiza, second by Cruser, to accept the RFP for County Fuel and have the Clerk arrange to advertise.

ROSE - AYE

EGUSQUIZA - AYE

CRUSER        - AYE     Motion carried and so ordered.

 

A brief recess was taken.  Regular session resumed once again.

 

City of Mountain Home Mayor, Joe McNeal, appeared to visit with the Board regarding the E-911 addressing on Sunset Strip.  Bonnie Sharp of Growth and Development was called over to discuss the matter.  The discussion began with whether adding a number like zero or one to the present numbers would solve the problem.  During the discussion Bonnie Sharp said that will not work very well because there would be a huge gap in the numbers between the residents of the City and of the County, which would be confusing to emergency responders and anyone looking for a specific address.

 

Mayor McNeal stated he does not see a problem with the addresses, emergency responders should know where they are going before they get in their vehicle.  Mayor McNeal said it wasn’t even reasonable for emergency responders to go out on a call if they did not know where they were going.  Commissioner Cruser stated it does happen - you can hear it on the scanner.  Bonnie Sharp added that some of the ambulance personnel are not from Mountain Home and so they are not familiar with the streets locally.  Bonnie said, in her opinion, it would be helpful if the addresses were sequential at least.

 

Mayor McNeal stated he has not changed his position on this issue, he has made a commitment to the people and he will not change his mind.  Mayor McNeal said he does not see a problem as long as there is no duplication of numbers.  Mayor McNeal repeated that he made a promise to the people that he would not change the addresses in the City and he would not go back on his word.

 

Chairman Rose stated that the Board of Commissioners also have a job to do, providing emergency services.  Chairman Rose added that the people voted for the implementation of the E-911 emergency services.  Mayor McNeal stated that he knew that was true, but that the people were not told that all these addresses would be changed during the implementation.  Mayor McNeal stated that he felt the address changing was the Committee’s idea.  Bonnie Sharp asked Mayor McNeal if he was aware he had changed her address from 880 Sage Circle to NE 880 Sage Circle?  Mayor McNeal stated he was not aware of that, but is aware that there has been some correction of street signs putting on the proper directional coordinates.  Bonnie stated that the change in her address is an actual address change, requiring change of address at the post office and on checks, etc.  Mayor McNeal stated he would check into her change.

 

Chairman Rose asked if, the people along Sunset Strip, would petition the Mayor would he allow the changes to be made?  Mayor McNeal stated he would, because then they would be asking him to do it and he would not be breaking his promise to them.  Bonnie Sharp asked if 100% of the people on Sunset Strip who are in the City would have to sign or if just a percentage of them?  Mayor McNeal stated it would have to be all of them, because it would not be right to not do all of them, and he would not break his promise to those who did not want their address changed.

 

There was also discussion about the fact that Sunset Strip is also called Highway 30 and North Main besides being called Sunset Strip.

 

Mayor McNeal stated he did see the problem the Board was explaining to him, but he is not willing to go back on his word.  Mayor McNeal stated he feels there must be another solution.  Mayor McNeal stated as far as economic development they had previously discussed, he has been very busy with other issues but he will address the issue with the Board by the end of the year.  The Board thanked Mayor McNeal for coming in to discuss the issue with them.

 

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

ROSE - AYE

EGUSQUIZA - AYE

CRUSER        - AYE     Motion carried and so ordered.

 

At 1:30 p.m. on a motion by Rose, second by Cruser, the Board met in Executive Session pursuant to I.C. 67-2345(d) with Social Services Director Marianne Bate.

ROSE - AYE

EGUSQUIZA - AYE

CRUSER        - AYE     Motion carried and so ordered.

 

The following decisions were made:

 

K-10-05-06 Motion by Egusquiza, second by Rose, to deny as application is incomplete, no interview was conducted, no documentation was received, and not last resource.

ROSE - AYE

EGUSQUIZA - AYE

CRUSER        - AYE     Motion carried and so ordered.

 

K-11-05-09 Motion by Rose, second by Cruser, to deny for all reasons.

ROSE - AYE

EGUSQUIZA - AYE

CRUSER        - AYE     Motion carried and so ordered.

 

K-01-05-02 Motion by Rose, second by Egusquiza, to approve with the bills being added to the current approval at the same reimbursement rate.

ROSE - AYE

EGUSQUIZA - AYE

CRUSER        - AYE     Motion carried and so ordered.

 

Regular session resumed.

 

Chairman Rose read the Certificates of Residency into the record: Chastity Marie Allen, Kathy Dee Alton, Erin Nicole Davis, Amanda Laurene Fahey, Jessica M. Hammer, Loran Kane Hendricks, Jenny Marie Jeffrey, Laurie Helene Moyer, Jenna Elizabeth Newton, Lacey Marie Pratt, Kathleen Noel Santos, Bridgett Lee Snyder, Darlene Kay Smith-Gianelli, Juelie Lynn Taylor, West Lee Weant, Nicole Willis, Donald William Woody, Julie A. Wrazin, and Terry Lee Marciniak.  Motion by Egusquiza, second by Cruser, to approve the Certificates as read.

ROSE - AYE

EGUSQUIZA - AYE

CRUSER        - AYE     Motion carried and so ordered.

 

A work session followed on the Confined Animal Feeding Ordinance (CAFO).

 

Discussion followed on the location of a new or existing CAFO in reference to how many miles away it should be from the legally described perimeter of Mountain Home Air Force Base.  It was decided two (2) miles. 

 

A new sentence was added under VII. CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS FOR NEW FACILITIES.  Number 9 will read: A New CAFO, New Swine and Poultry Facility Areas shall provide a hold harmless agreement pertaining to noise within two (2) miles of the legally described perimeter of the Orchard Training Range.  The sentence will also be added to VIII. CRITERIA FOR APPROVAL OF EXPANDING CAFOs, and will be line 10.

 

The public portion of the meeting followed.  Jo Gridley appeared before the Board to inform the Board about a non profit group named Pals for Paws and had an exemption question.  Discussion followed and it was decided it was exempt.