***Monday, June 2, 2025 at 9:00 a.m., Commissioners met in regular session with Chairman Ben Robertson, Commissioner Tim Bertling, Commissioner Lester Pinkerton, Clerk Glenda Poston, and Deputy Clerk Stephanie Sims.
Commissioners said the Pledge of Allegiance.
Maintenance Supervisor Squire Fields entered the meeting at 8:55 a.m. to give the maintenance report. Mr. Fields stated that the auction was in full swing, but the piano was missed in the listings and will have to be included in a future auction. Mr. Fields also said that during training a line was recently broken on the A/C unit at the Annex. Ms. Poston stated that could possibly be submitted to ICRIMP for reimbursement.
Mr. Fields then mentioned that there have been some complaints about air flow with the central air not reaching the Driver’s License office and Mr. Fields suggested installing a mini-split for that location. Commissioners directed Mr. Fields to install a fan in the ductwork to help move the air.
Mr. Fields also stated that the A/C unit at the sheriff’s office is old and will need to be replaced soon and wanted to know whose budget that involved. Ms. Poston stated that would be Maintenance.
Fay Almond entered the meeting at 9:17 a.m.
Mr. Fields stated he will be on call for the Restorium during the last week of June. He also suggested having Turner Plumbing replace the toilets in the basement restroom that have failed.
Caleb Davis, North Idaho Regional Director for Representative Fulcher, entered the meeting at 9:18 a.m.
Commissioners discussed that the refrigeration/freezer units will need to be dismantled so that they can be removed. Mr. Fields stated that he didn’t think they came apart. Commissioners disagreed and also stated the walk-in coolers also need to be dismantled and put on pallets for a future auction.
Greg Lamberty entered the meeting at 9:20 a.m.
Mr. Fields also described an issue with the sprinkler system that he believes is a solenoid for zones 1 and 2 that has failed, causing them to not shut off. Commissioners asked him to run them manually until they are replaced.
Reporter Ned Newton entered the meeting at 9:25 a.m.
The meeting with Mr. Fields ended at 9:26 a.m. and he left the meeting.
EDC Director David Sims entered the meeting at 9:28 a.m.
Information Officer Andrew O’Neel entered the meeting at 9:30 a.m.
At 9:31 a.m. Chairman Robertson declared an emergency due to heightened wildfire risk in Boundary County resulting from insufficient fuels mitigation by the USFS. Commissioner Bertling moved to approve and sign Resolution 2025-26. Commissioner Pinkerton second. Motion passed unanimously.
BOUNDARY COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
RESOLUTION NO. 2025-26
A RESOLUTION DECLARING A LOCAL EMERGENCY DUE TO THE HEIGHTENED WILDFIRE RISK IN BOUNDARY COUNTY, IDAHO RESULTING FROM INSUFFICIENT FUELS MITIGATION BY THE UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE
WHEREAS, Boundary County is located in a region of northern Idaho that is heavily forested, much of which falls under the jurisdiction and management of the United States Forest Service (USFS); and
WHEREAS, the health and safety of Boundary County residents, as well as the preservation of property, infrastructure, natural resources, and economic activities—including timber, agriculture, and recreation—are significantly threatened by the growing risk of catastrophic wildfire; and
WHEREAS, recent assessments, environmental conditions, and observed fuel loads indicate that the accumulation of dead, dry, and overgrown vegetation has reached hazardous levels in many forested areas under federal jurisdiction, particularly in the wildland-urban interface (WUI); and
WHEREAS, the U.S. Forest Service has not adequately conducted fuels reduction, prescribed burns, mechanical thinning, or other necessary mitigation efforts at a scale or pace that meets the current and growing wildfire threat; and
WHEREAS, extreme fire behavior, drought conditions, and delayed federal action have created an imminent threat to public safety, property, and local emergency response capacity in Boundary County; and
WHEREAS, Idaho Code § 46-1011 and § 46-1012 authorize local governments to declare a local disaster emergency when conditions exist that may be beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment, and facilities of the county; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the Boundary County Board of Commissioners, that a Local Emergency is hereby declared effective immediately, due to the high wildfire risk presented by the lack of adequate fuels mitigation on federally managed lands within and adjacent to Boundary County; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution shall serve to:
1. Formally notify the U.S. Forest Service and other federal partners of the county’s urgent concern and demand for immediate mitigation actions;
2. Request the assistance of the State of Idaho and federal agencies in addressing this emergency, including expedited fuels treatment, fire suppression planning, and interagency coordination; and
3. Enable the pursuit of resources and technical support to address the wildfire threat and improve local preparedness.
Adopted as a resolution of the Board of County Commissioners of Boundary County upon a majority vote this 2nd day of June 2025.
COUNTY OF BOUNDARY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
s/____________________________________
BEN ROBERTSON, Chairman
s/____________________________________
TIM BERTLING, Commissioner
s/____________________________________
LESTER PINKERTON, Commissioner
ATTEST:
s/_____________________________
GLENDA POSTON, Clerk/Recorder
Boundary County
Recorded Instrument #300036
Commissioner Bertling read the complete resolution for those in attendance.
Mr. O’Neel asked if the Governor would be made aware. Commissioners responded yes. Mr. O’Neel stated that typically this is a mechanism to open up funding, but we don’t have that at this time. Commissioner Bertling stated that it is still an emergency that needs to be addressed.
Commissioner Robertson stated that the Secretary of Agriculture wanted areas identified that need to be immediately addressed. This is a way to identify our area as one. We are not requesting immediate assistance with funding, we are requesting assistance from the USFS to address the issue.
Mr. O’Neel asked what can we do about public information when it is up to the property owner to maintain their property. Commissioner Bertling stated that it was difficult when private property is adjacent to a USFS area that has not been managed.
Chairman Robertson stated that ideally this will help with the process to lift restrictions so that the USFS can move forward.
Mr. O’Neel said, if I am understanding correctly, we are putting up a red flag that we have a situation that needs to be addressed. Commissioners confirmed that was correct.
Mr. O’Neel left the meeting at 9:43 a.m.
Commissioner Bertling moved to sign the Certificates of Residency for Michelle Bradley and Melody Knaggs Vanhorn. Commissioner Pinkerton second. Motion passed unanimously.
Mr. Davis and Mr. Sims left the meeting at 9:45 a.m.
Civil Attorney Bill Wilson entered the meeting at 9:46 a.m. to update Commissioners on items he has been working on. Mr. Wilson stated that they had a personnel matter last week and it was a quiet week for public records requests. Mr. Wilson also stated that there was a positive development on the overdue account for the Restorium. Ms. Poston asked if we need to follow up because the payment has not yet been received. Mr. Wilson stated that he will reach out to Mr. Bushnell’s office and have the check brought to the courthouse.
Mr. Newton left the meeting at 9:50 a.m.
Commissioner Bertling moved to sign the Commissioner meeting minutes from the week of May 27. Commissioner Pinkerton second. Motion passed unanimously.
Commissioner Bertling moved to sign the Idaho Rural Community Investment Fund Contract RCIF-26-01.
Commissioner Pinkerton second. Motion passed unanimously.
At 9:58 a.m. Road & Bridge Superintendent Brad Barton and Assistant Superintendent Adam Ryals entered the meeting.
Ms. Almond and Mr. Lamberty left the meeting at 10:00 a.m.
Commissioner Bertling moved to go into executive session 74-206(d) to consider records that are exempt from disclosure as provided in chapter 1, title 74, Idaho code and 74-206(f) to communicate with legal counsel for the public agency to discuss the legal ramifications of and legal options for pending litigation, or controversies not yet being litigated but imminently likely to be litigated. The mere presence of legal counsel at an executive session does not satisfy this requirement. Commissioner Pinkerton second. Commissioners voted as follows: Chairman Robertson “aye”, Commissioner Bertling “aye”, Commissioner Pinkerton “aye”. The executive session ended at 10:35 a.m.
Commissioner Bertling moved to proceed as discussed on the Riverside matter. Commissioner Pinkerton second. Motion passed unanimously.
Commissioner Bertling moved to sign Notice to Proceed for Sunrise Rd., per the contract. Commissioner Pinkerton second. Motion passed unanimously.
The meeting with Mr. Wilson, Mr. Barton and Mr. Ryals ended at 10:37 a.m. and they left the meeting.
Probation Officer Alyssa Walker entered the meeting at 10:37 a.m. to give the probation report. Ms. Walker stated that she had just returned from the conference in Florida where she got a lot of good information that she is looking forward to implementing. Some of which are online which will help with the limited services in our area. Ms. Walker will test the program, but is hopeful she can put it to good use.
Ms. Walker also explained the process for a breathalyzer device that can be done remotely. It will also take a picture of individual, gives you their location, and provides a limited amount of time to complete the task. She will be adding two of the devices into the system soon.
Commissioner Pinkerton asked about testing for Cannabis impairment. Ms. Walker stated that it is expensive and generally you can smell it on the individual that is using. Another alternative is that a UA or blood draw can be done instead. Ms. Walker also mentioned that they are having some trouble with energy drinks and gummy’s that contain drugs.
The meeting with Ms. Walker ended at 10:55 a.m. and she left the meeting.
The BEDC Director David Sims entered the meeting at 10:57 a.m. to give an update on EDC projects. Mr. Sims stated that he will be participating in another session of Rural Development Main Street and is looking forward to implementing the project soon. The Moyie Springs sewer continues to move along, but they recently had two issues. The first being that DEQ requires a maintenance manual and the other concern is that the quality of the influence is too clean for their permit. Mr. Sims wrote the manual for the City of Bonners Ferry’s system and will assist with getting that accomplished for the City of Moyie. He stated that they continue to diagnose the influence to determine how to proceed. Commissioner Bertling asked how many connections are on the system. Mr. Sims responded 110.
Mr. Sims stated that Canadian traffic is really low with April numbers down 45% at Eastport and 26% at Porthill. For reference the Eastport number is below the COVID restriction timeframe. Mr. Sims stated that it is mostly caused by tariffs and Canada has implemented a duty for anything coming in.
North Idaho Classical Academy has run into some recent issues with construction costs that they are trying to work through and lastly the BEAD Broadband has found a way to correct the errors in their map so that providers are aware of the artificially inflated areas.
Mr. Sims stated he would be back later to discuss a possible GEM grant application. Chairman Robertson asked where the money comes from for the GEM Grant. Mr. Sims answered from the State of Idaho, within the Department of Commerce.
The meeting with Mr. Sims ended at 11:20 a.m. and he left the meeting.
Restorium Supervisor Janay Smith entered the meeting at 11:36 a.m. to give the Restorium report. Ms. Smith reported that the census is at 32 with 3 inquiries this morning. They have received only one RN application for the open position and noted that the other RN will fill in over the summer as needed while they continue the search. Ms. Smith also reviewed the other positions that are open.
Ms. Smith reported that there are some issues with cracked and heaving concrete and pavers that need to be addressed and she is in the process of getting quotes. She then reviewed the list of accounts that are behind and what the status is of each of them.
The meeting with Ms. Smith ended at 11:48 a.m. and she left the meeting.
Commissioners recessed for lunch at 11:57 a.m.
Commissions reconvened for the afternoon session at 1:30 p.m. with Chairman Ben Robertson, Commissioner Tim Bertling, Commissioner Lester Pinkerton, and Deputy Clerk Stephanie Sims.
Road & Bridge Superintendent Brad Barton and Assistant Superintendent Adam Ryals entered the meeting at 1:30 p.m. to give the Road & Bridge report. Mr. Barton stated that they continue to haul rock to Lions Den and have also used water for dust abatement. They also did a small amount of brushing at Perkins Lake. They will do more brushing and hauling this week. Paving is planned a week or so out.
Mr. Ryals reviewed the schedule for closings on railroad crossings and stated that the Sunrise Road project started today. He also said there will be a Safety Audit taking place for Schoolhouse Rd on June 3rd and 4th. They have received several applications for the open positions and are scheduling interviews.
The meeting with Mr. Barton and Mr. Ryals ended at 1:55 p.m. and they left the meeting.
Personnel Director Pam Barton entered the meeting at 2:02 p.m. Ms. Barton stated that she wanted to review the classification of several positions that had been tabled earlier. The landfill spotter position had been classified as a 4 and the Solid Waste Superintendent felt it was similar to the rural site monitor position which is a 5. Commissioners decided to not move forward on the spotter position.
Ms. Barton then reviewed the Staff Sergeant position with the Sheriff’s office. She stated that they have essentially changed the title of the position and removed or incorporated the stipend. The end result is approximately $.10/hr different from what is was previously. Commissioners agreed with the change.
Adrienne Norris entered the meeting at 2:14 p.m.
Ms. Barton then handed out sheets for the open Restorium positions. She stated that they were rewritten onto the new format.
Chairman Robertson asked if Ms. Barton needed an executive session. Ms. Barton stated that she did not, she was still waiting for a definitive answer on the issue.
The meeting with Ms. Barton ended at 2:23 p.m. and she left the meeting.
Hospital Board Chair Paul Hazdovac entered the meeting at 2:25 p.m.
Hospital CEO April Bennett, CFO Melinda Smithson, Chief Nursing Officer Bryce Cordle, Chief HR Officer Jennifer Capodagli, and Senior Executive Assistant Jessi Reinbold entered the meeting at 2:30 p.m.
Ms. Smithson handed out a sheet regarding the hospital budget and Commissioners reviewed the handout. Chairman Robertson asked what was the budget amount last year. Ms. Bennett answered $370,000. Ms. Smithson stated that they were too late in the process last year to submit their request.
Chairman Robertson stated that your request is a pretty significant uptick. Ms. Smithson stated that it was a combination of bad debt and uncollectable. They cannot turn anyone away and those numbers are increasing.
Chairman Robertson asked if it was due to uninsured. Ms. Bennett answered that it was due to charity care, those that do not qualify for Medicare, or are uninsured. Ms. Smithson explained the differences and stated that last year charity care was $216,000 and bad debt was $500,000.
Mr. Cordle stated that it is also underinsured people – individuals with a really high deductible that they cannot afford to pay.
Ms. Smithson stated that they are expecting the numbers to go up because of the cuts to Medicaid.
Commissioner Bertling asked if there was a way to mitigate any of this. Ms. Bennett stated that most of it is unexpected emergencies or claims that were pre-approved that were later denied due to a change. We are now working with a mitigation company to try to collect some of those claims.
Chairman Robertson asked what is their cut. Ms. Bennett answered 14%.
Ms. Smithson stated that insurance companies are also denying more claims. We do our due diligence to get prior authorization, but they then find some reason to deny it.
Mr. Cordle stated that people who don’t have insurance, also don’t have a primary care physician. Ms. Bennett stated that they choose to use the ER as their primary care so that when they come in it is a true emergency which now costs more for care.
Commissioner Pinkerton asked if this is happening in other rural areas. Ms. Smithson stated that 46% of rural hospitals are operating in the red.
Ms. Bennett stated that the Idaho Hospital Association has been leading the task to seek relief. Mr. Hazdovac stated that he felt legislatures were ignoring the issue. It keeps getting put on the back burner.
Ms. Bennett stated that rural hospitals see this issue frequently. We are considered an indigent county and many of the cases coming in are charity care or bad debt. A for profit hospital can turn people away, but we cannot because we are a critical care hospital.
Chairman Robertson asked if they can change their status. Ms. Smithson replied yes, but that would be a 2 or 3-year process and we would lose the critical access funding that the hospital currently receives at the end of each year. Without that, we would go under.
Commissioner Pinkerton asked what if you owned the building. Mr. Hazdovac replied that they could do a long-term loan to remodel and increase services in more profitable areas.
Ms. Bennett stated that the big change she sees is that they could expand, secure a loan and build. We cannot currently pledge a mortgage because we are a County Hospital so we would have to change to a 501c3.
Mr. Hazdovac asked if that would mean a declining investment from the County. Commissioner Pinkerton replied yes. This would open you to other things you can’t currently obtain.
Chairman Robertson asked how many people are you missing because they go to Sandpoint for services you can’t or don’t have. Ms. Bennett replied that the higher paying items, such as outpatient surgery, go to other facilities. We only have one operating room, so that limits what we can do.
Chairman Robertson stated that it seems like the model you have is that you are in a constant state of drowning.
Commissioner Bertling stated that you would be able to get USDA loans if you owned the building. He also stated that the Newport Hospital has 90-100 days of cash on hand. Panhandle Health also operates with 90 days. If you average Boundary Community Hospital it appears that you only have around 30 days of cash on hand.
Ms. Bennett said that she wouldn’t agree with drowning, but they do need to expand their services and people need to pay their bills.
Ms. Smithson stated that her hesitancy is that expanding services would mean that we would need to exponentially and judiciously expand into the red. Those services would have to be high paying and preauthorized. She also stated that they have 2.8 million in building repairs.
Ms. Bennett stated that we are starting to see revenue from pre-authorizations. We are going to be okay for 2025 and it is looking positive about future projections. We have to continually think outside the box with services.
Chairman Robertson stated that it appears all of you have mixed feelings on owning the building. All we are trying to do is help. What would this mean for you if we were to move forward.
Ms. Bennett asked if that would mean that you would gift the hospital or if it would have to go out to a vote. Commissioners responded that it would be up to them to decide.
Ms. Smithson stated that her main issue is that they be able to stand on their own feet and she doesn’t want to move too quickly.
Ms. Bennett stated that the County’s funds help with offsetting the charity care and bad debt. It would help if there was a plan to withdraw over a number of years.
Chairman Robertson stated that you sound optimistic. Ms. Bennett replied yes, I do. I believe that by the end of the year we should have 60 days cash on hand. Revenues and services are coming – the question is what can we do in the immediate.
Chairman Robertson asked if it was okay to proceed with the County gifting the building to the hospital. Mr. Hazdovac stated that when the County’s contribution isn’t needed as much would be a good indicator of the right time. It doesn’t have to be dollar for dollar.
Ms. Bennett stated that they can do the due diligence on their side to see what it would take for them to move from a County Hospital to a 501c3 and what that would look like.
Mr. Hazdovac was concerned about property taxes. Commissioners confirmed that would not be an issue and there is a process as a 501c3 for them to apply for an exemption.
Chairman Robertson also wanted to point out that the current Board of Commissioners cannot incumber a future board. Mr. Hazdovac stated that was understandable.
Ms. Smithson stated that she wanted the Commissioners to consider their budget request of $573,515.00 for this year. Commissioners stated that would be tough, because they have had reductions in their funding as well.
Commissioner Pinkerton asked if they see Canadians visiting for medical services. Mr. Hazdovac stated that they did prior to COVID. He felt it was in part determined by how long they had to wait for services and the exchange rate.
Mr. Hazdovac and Ms. Bennett then mentioned a sign and land the hospital had purchased to put along the highway to let alert people of their services. However, they have had issues with ITD allowing the sign to be placed. Commissioner Pinkerton stated let’s talk about that further, we might be able to help move that forward.
Chairman Robertson stated that the other part of their meeting was to appoint Commissioner Pinkerton as a voting member of their board instead of ExOfficio. He asked if there were reasons not do to that.
Ms. Bennett replied that the biggest thing for the hospital is to have an uneven number of voting members. We would also need to add an additional member and would like time to choose someone who would be a good fit.
Ms. Smithson asked what the difference was. Chairman Robertson stated that he felt it had the potential of a voting decision on the use of the tax payer money. Commissioner Bertling stated that the County owns the building and the County’s contribution is tax payer money. A Commissioner should have been a voting member all along.
Ms. Bennett stated that space is an issue in their board room. Commissioner Bertling stated that they could remove someone from the board instead of growing it. Ms. Bennett stated that the board members work well together so she did not want to pursue that.
Chairman Robertson stated that adding a Commissioner as a voting member would be a representative for the tax payer. Ms. Bennett stated that they would proceed and could be ready by their July board meeting.
The meeting with the hospital ended at 3:25 p.m. and everyone left the meeting.
Solid Waste Superintendent Richard Jenkins and John Becker entered the meeting at 3:26 p.m.
Mr. Jenkins stated that total tonnage for the month of May was 999 tons which was a 1% decrease and a total vehicle count of 12,252 which is a 10% increase over the previous month.
He stated that they still have two open positions and the recycling bins have been replaced at the rural sites. Mr. Jenkins also stated that the Tarp system was received today and he is waiting on DEQ to approve the plan that was submitted.
Mr. Jenkins is also working through the requirements for the incinerator and stated that engineers were there today to do pot holing. He also stated that there needs to be a dedicated employee for sorting clean wood from dirty. Commissioners would like to see if they can get a waiver for that because it increases their costs to have a dedicated employee only for that purpose. Commissioners asked Mr. Jenkins to reach out to DEQ.
Mr. Jenkins stated that the May gas monitoring showed exceedance of 8.9%. They should have the report soon to show the depth and condition of the wells on the north side.
Lastly, Mr. Jenkins presented an ordinance for limiting the number of railroad ties that can be disposed of and stated that he was under the impression the ordinance was completed, but found out recently that it was not. Commissioners asked how many they are getting. Mr. Jenkins answered quite a few.
Chairman Robertson stated that he had reviewed the ordinance and noted it needed to include “per day”.
Reporter Ned Newton reentered the meeting 3:32 p.m.
Commissioner Pinkerton asked if we want them at the landfill. Chairman Robertson stated that he thought the general public needed a place to go with them. The railroad would be a different story. Commissioners wanted some time to think on it, and asked Mr. Jenkins to forward the document to legal.
The meeting with Mr. Jenkins ended at 3:35 p.m. and he left the meeting.
Mr. Becker stated that since he can no longer get the municipality exemption he was there to ask if the County can again help pay for the insurance for the 4th of July event. To get the fireworks portion covered, he had to switch agents but expects the cost to be within 10% of the previous year.
Commissioners agreed that they need to wait until the amount comes in so they know how much they are actually looking at.
Minor Norris child entered the meeting at 3:40 p.m.
Mr. Becker stated that 2026 will be the states 250th anniversary and they are looking at doing something special for that.
BEDC Director David Sims entered the meeting at 3:44 p.m.
The meeting with Mr. Becker ended at 3:45 p.m. and he left the meeting.
Mr. Newton asked clarifying questions from the Emergency Declaration Commissioners signed earlier in the day.
Mr. Newton left the meeting at 4:00 p.m.
Mr. Sims reviewed information required for the application for the GEM grant. He stated that what will make this application strong is the volunteer labor and there is a special form to fill out to show that detail. Mr. Sims asked if the plans include both restrooms and concession stand. Commissioners answered yes and stated that Rob Tompkins would be the best to contact for budget information.
Commissioner Bertling moved to sign Resolution 2025-27 for the Idaho Gem Grant application. Commissioner Pinkerton second. Motion passed unanimously.
BOUNDARY COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
RESOLUTION NO. 2025-27
WHEREAS, the City Council/County Commission is interested in the economic health of the community and its citizens; and
WHEREAS, the City Council/County Commission wishes to support and encourage appropriate efforts within the community that promote economic development of the community and the economic well-being of its citizenry; and
WHEREAS, the Idaho Department of Commerce is offering a program specifically designed to help rural Idaho communities implement economic development strategies/projects and,
WHEREAS, this program is entitled the Idaho Gem Grant Program NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the the City Council/County Commission hereby supports and endorses an Idaho Gem Grant application for the project;
BE IT FUTHER RESOLVED, that the City Council/County Commission designates the as its administrative agent for this grant.
This Resolution is in full effect upon its adoption this 2nd day of June, 2025.
COUNTY OF BOUNDARY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
s/____________________________________
BEN ROBERTSON, Chairman
s/____________________________________
TIM BERTLING, Commissioner
s/____________________________________
LESTER PINKERTON, Commissioner
ATTEST
s/_____________________________
GLENDA POSTON, Clerk/Recorder
Boundary County
Recording Instrument #300074
Ms. Norris and minor son left the meeting at 4:12 p.m.
The meeting with Mr. Sims ended at 4:15 p.m. and he left the meeting.
Commissioners attended to administrative duties until 4:30 p.m.
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 4:35 p.m.
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
Commissioners attended the IAC Conference in Coeur d’Alene, ID, therefore they did not meet.
s/________________________________
BEN ROBERTSON, Chairman
ATTEST:
s/_______________________________
GLENDA POSTON, Clerk
By: Stephanie Sims, Deputy Clerk