This report is adapted from the official minutes recorded by Deputy Clerk Shanci Dorius of the Oneida County Clerk’s Office, whose diligent record keeping makes reporting on the county possible.  This report is not itself an official record.

Ambulance Letter of Support

Shane Howard from Oneida County Ambulance explained that the grant’s purpose is to fund a new stretcher, load system, and gurney. The ambulance service has funds to cover part of the cost, with the grant intended to cover the remaining balance. As part of the application process, a letter of endorsement from the commissioners is required.  If successful, the letter would result in an up-to-$40,000 grant from the state of Idaho in order to acquire a load system and stretcher for the ambulance. 

Assessor - Tax Cancellation Request

A cell tower was double taxed for several years. To rectify the error, the assessor’s office is requesting a cancellation in the amount of $102.59 plus daily accrual and interest for RP # LR0000600, which was approved.  

Request to Vacate a Road –
Kendell’s

Bart & Julie Kendell of 5975 West 2500 North, Malad requested the Oneida County Road & Bridge department abandon the roadway at 6100 West from the intersection of 2500 North to the intersection of 3000 North. All landowners surrounding the area have access to their properties through 2500 North or 5600 West. The Kendell’s request that it be turned back to agricultural and private property per the legal survey obtained by Bart & Julie Kendell, and mark it as abandoned. The Kendell’s would also like the road removed from the Oneida County road maps and Google Maps.

The Kendells stated that when speaking to other residents in the St. John area, the general consensus is that the road in question has never been serviced nor used. The discussion turned to the upcoming hearing requirements, which include a notice to anyone with underground utilities and all adjacent landowners, as well as publishing a notice in the local newspaper.  The commission also shared with the Kendell’s a brief explanation on how the hearing process works.

Attorney Lyle Fuller stated that although the Kendells would not need to have a survey done for a legal description, they would need to provide enough information in the notice that people would understand where the road is.  The Kendells are willing to pay for the radius letter mailings, newspaper notices, and other incidental expenses related to the hearing. After confirming availability, the public hearing was set for May 13, 2025 at 7:00pm at the Oneida County Event Center.

Commissioner Jeppsen motioned to plan a public hearing to discuss the road abandonment on 6100 West between 2500 North and 3000 North that has been proposed by the Kendell’s with the primary date being Tuesday May 13th at 7:00pm and the contingent date be Monday May 12th at 7:00pm. Motion carried.

Department Updates
& Highlights:

Emergency Services

Emergency Services Manager Dan Williams reported that regular Sunday evening emergency communications exercises with community members allows a radio check-in within their designated area.  This coming Sunday will also include a reverse 911 test using the county’s emergency alert system just prior to the regular 7:00pm check-in.

The current SHSP funds balance from 2024 is $21,372.15, thirty-percent of which goes to the sheriff’s department.  There is $5,000 left for the sheriff’s office from 2023 funds and $410 remaining for the county which will be used to print more emergency preparedness booklets for the upcoming fair. Mr. Williams stated he is interested in helping the EMS acquire a generator for the Holbrook EMS building.

Commissioner Jeppsen motioned to approve the purchase of 200 additional copies of the family emergency preparedness guidebooks from the Idaho State University Copy Center and use SHSP funds to cover the printing cost of $3.83 per booklet for a total of up to $800. 

Gravel for the Fair Grounds / Event Center / Ambulance

Building Maintenance Manager Tory Richardson is looking for approval to put gravel down at the Fairgrounds, Event Center, and Ambulance bay in the hopes of improving the grounds. Mr. Richardson stated that the quote he brought before the commissioners today is only for delivery of the gravel. Assistance from Road & Bridge would be required.

Commissioner Eliason motioned to accept the gravel bid for 15 loads at $300 per load for a total of $4,500 to go around the event center parking lot and the roads in and out of the event center to be paid out of the event center maintenance and repairs budget. Motion carried.

R&B

Road & Bridge Supervisor Dianna Dredge is hopeful that the need for snowplowing is done for the season and is looking to undertake springtime activities such as blading and applying dustguard to as many county roads as possible while there is still moisture on the ground. Dustguard is used for dust control, soil stabilization, and prevention of wind erosion on roads. Other updates for the department include:

Bids have been requested for a new dump truck and sander as well as a skid-steer to help with culverts.

There are permits for the waterline going in near 3000 North which will hopefully be an improvement (no open ditch).

Grant monies for the Woodruff Bridge and for the rumble strips on Old Highway 191 are coming.

The Woodruff Bridge project will start in August and the road will be closed. An estimated timeframe for this is yet to be determined. Citizens will be notified and signage will be in place.

A three-million-dollar grant for the total rebuild of a portion of Arbon Road is near the bottom of the list of state projects and could potentially be a few years away from being started. Ms. Dredge is hopeful that it will be sometime in 2027.

Depot Road has been straightened out.  Reflectors will be moved and the shoulders will be wider since the road is not as straight as Ms. Dredge had envisioned.

Weeds

County Weed Supervisor Cody Clyde met with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently and there is no update yet regarding the federal funding for spraying on BLM land.  A few months ago, a letter was received that indicated the funding was being pulled. Commissioners and Mr. Clyde responded to the letter and the only reply thus far is that the letter is being reviewed.  Additional weed department updates are:

New four-wheelers were purchased last November and Mr. Clyde has fabricated racks to better meet his needs while in the field.

A faulty remote for the new drone was replaced. Mr. Clyde is waiting for good weather to get started with the drone.

Chemical for spraying has been ordered.

A noxious weeds issue with a non-compliant landowner will be handled the same as last year by sending notice through the mail.  If a second notice is necessary, it will be a 10-day notice and will be sent via certified mail. There has been no update on the complaint filed by the landowner last year.

Excess County Property

The weed department has two old four-wheelers that have been fixed-up with the intent to sell them.

Commissioner Eliason motioned to approve the clerk’s office listing two four-wheelers from the weed department for sale: a red 2008 Honda TRX500F with 903 hours and 4,352 miles as well as a yellow 2016 Polaris Sportsman 570 with 440 hours.  Motion carried.

R&B – Lex Firth Road (~5000 South and 7500 South)

There are two sections of the abandoned Old Highway 191 located near Lex Firth Road, approximately at 5000 South and 7500 South. These sections are owned by the county but are landlocked, meaning there is no direct access to these portions of the road without crossing through another landowner’s property. It was proposed that the county consider vacating or validating these two landlocked sections through a public hearing, allowing neighboring landowners the opportunity to express their views and provide feedback.

A public hearing on the matter was scheduled for May 13, 2025 at 6:00 pm.

R&B – County Road Validations

Lisa Baker from Road & Bridge reported that the roads in Oneida County are currently considered prescriptive rather than officially validated. She suggested that the county’s official road map be updated and that the roads be formally validated to reflect what is already shown on the county road map. Mrs. Baker clarified that the goal is to validate existing roads on the map, not to add or abandon any roads.

Attorney Lyle Fuller explained that the purpose of the official map is to inform the public of the highways and rights of way the Board of County Commissioners considers to be public. However, he emphasized that inclusion on the map does not legally confirm a road as a county road, but simply indicates what the county recognizes it as such.

Fuller further provided clarification on Idaho Code 40-203A, which addresses the validation of public roads under three specific conditions: doubt about establishment, doubt about location, and public travel. He also referenced Idaho Code 40-202, which states that a county can add a road to the official map without going through the full validation process, but must provide notice to affected landowners. Essentially, if commissioners want to add a road to the county map, they must have evidence of dedication, purchase, prescriptive use, or other means demonstrating it is a county road.

It was noted that the county road map should be republished every five years through a resolution and made available to the public. No decisions were made during the discussion.

R&B – Intended Truck Purchase

Road & Bridge Supervisor Dianna Dredge would like to purchase a replacement truck for her to drive.  The truck she currently uses has 190,000 miles and would be a good vehicle to replace an older truck currently in the fleet. The older fleet truck could then be sold.  A motion to purchase the vehicle carried.

Malad Mountain Communications Building - Sublease

A local amateur ham radio operator club referred to as the RACOON Club (Radio Amateur Club of Oneida Neighbors) has leased the Malad Mountain Communications Building from the county and have proposed sub-leasing it to the Utah VHF Society, an amateur radio club with operators based in Utah who work with VHF (Very High Frequency) and UHF (Ultra High Frequency) bands.

Jim Mustos presented commissioners with the final version of the Malad Mountain Communications Building sub-lease, which was reviewed by Attorney Fuller and is ready for commissioner approval.

A motion to approve the sublease agreement for the Utah VHF Society as proposed by the local Radio Amateur Club of Oneida Neighbors (RACOON) Club carried.

P&Z – Development Code 4th Amendment for BOCC signature

The fourth amendment of the development code has been completed, reviewed by Fuller & Fuller, and is ready for commissioner signature. Once signed, it will be made available on the county website.

P&Z – Codification for County Codes

The codification discussion was re-visited in order to obtain quotes from more than one source.  Codification is a way to organize and index county codes, making them easily accessible to everyone while ensuring they are clearly written and up-to-date.

Commissioners reviewed quotes and contracts from American Legal and CivicPlus and decided to go with American Legal:

CivicPlus has an annual cost of $2,675 and comes with a two-year contract (with a 5% increase built-in)

American Legal’s previous quote was amended after clarification of the number of pages needing codification. It will cost $4,990 to do the initial codification. An annual fee of $495 thereafter with a 2% annual increase possible. For the initial codification project, there is a 200-page minimum, and additional pages are charged extra for any page that is kept (the front and back of a single sheet of paper counts as one page).  The average process time for the initial codification is 8-12 months.

Commissioner Lewis motioned to assign American Legal to codify Oneida County ordinances with the basic plan that includes 200-pages, a host fee and one-time set up fee of $4,990 to have three hard-copy books sent to the county and the understanding of the county is that for every page beyond the 200, it will cost $20 per double-sided page and new ordinances will cost $22 per double sided page and illustrated or graphic pages will be an additional $10, and that any shipping and handling charges will be covered by the county. Motion carried.

Sheriff – Vertiv Battery Backup Service Renewal

The Vertiv battery backup provides a smooth transition between the main power supply and backup generator during a power outage, while also functioning as a surge protector in the event of power fluctuations. It allows employees sufficient time to safely shut down systems, preventing data loss. The original investment cost of the Vertiv Battery Backup was $30,000 and the contract for continued back-up services is ready for renewal with an annual cost of $3,000. In the future, County Building Maintenance Manager Tory Richardson will be the designated contact with Vertiv.

The contract renewal discussed in a previous meeting was revised by Vertiv following Attorney Lyle Fuller’s recommendations. The updated quotes offered a one-year term for $3,000 or a two-year term for $6,000. The primary benefit of the two-year option is a locked-in price, providing protection against potential cost increases.

Sheriff – New Job Position

Sheriff Doug Williams shared the complexities of the dispatch position and the difficulty in finding part-time dispatchers to cover the random shifts when full-time staff is off.  Sheriff Williams presented a solution that would allow one of his part-time dispatchers to go full-time.  This new role would still allow the employee to fill-in for dispatch when needed and would fill the rest of their time performing administrative duties for the sheriff’s office.  There are several benefits to this new role, one of which is minimizing the accrual of comp time when full-time employees have to work overtime to cover a shift.  Commissioner Lewis suggested assessing the job in a future budget session to see if the wage should be increased and to determine the appropriate step-and-grade.

Commissioner Jeppsen motioned to approve the new job position of “multi-purpose deputy” as described by the sheriff with a starting wage of $20 per hour. Motion carried.

Sheriff – County Credit Cards

The credit cards used by the sheriff’s department have rewards that are accumulated when the card is used. Sheriff Doug Williams proposed being allowed to allocate the use of those rewards towards initiatives designed to boost morale through employee recognition efforts. The commissioners were interested in this proposal and recognized the need to update the county credit card policy to include this change or, at the very least, discuss the most appropriate way to handle those unregulated and unallocated rewards funds.

Another question from Sheriff Williams concerns the upcoming closure of the Malad branch of US Bank. The department currently relies on this bank for cash handling and credit card services. It was suggested that an alternative bank could be used for cash handling, while the credit cards would remain functional as long as payments are mailed promptly.