Building Inspector/ Maintenance

Building Inspector and Maintenance Manager Tory Richardson reported that building permit activity has increased compared to the previous quarter and provided updates on courthouse improvement projects, including a basement bathroom remodel and front walkway and stair improvements. The chairs in the Event Center conference room will be cleaned.

Bids are still being sought for the courthouse basement bathroom project, which will include widening the doorway and other minor modifications to improve Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility; however, the restroom is approximately two inches too narrow for full compliance. Mr. Richardson noted that a fully ADA-compliant restroom is available elsewhere in the building.

The front walkway and steps were identified as a tripping hazard. A bid was received to repair or replace the affected areas of the walkway and stairs in front of the courthouse; handrails are not included in the bid, but the existing handrails could be repainted. Mr. Richardson reported he confirmed via a phone call that the bid will include fixing the pillars and the flagpole will remain in place, although these were not listed on the bid.

Commissioner Eliason moved to accept the concrete bid from Blake Love Construction in the amount of $21,750 with funds from the capital expenditure budget to be used for the courthouse concrete project to remove and replace the bottom landing leading to the front doors, remove and replace the steps at the bottom of the first landing, remove and replace the sidewalk and flatwork around the flagpole and towards the parking lot, remove and replace three sets of steps heading west down the hill along with up to 20-feet of sidewalk between sets of steps headed west down the hill. Motion carried.

The courthouse parking lot will have parking lines repainted this spring. Mr. Richardson will also assist with projects related to the seasonal opening of the Le Grande Aqua Plunge swimming pool.

The Event Center has numerous keys in circulation, and the current key holders are not fully accounted for; there have also been instances of doors being left unlocked or open as well as windows being left open. Mr. Richardson recommended re-keying the building and maintaining a log of key holders to improve accountability and building security.

Treasurer 

County Treasurer Leigh Love reported the County’s investments are performing well, with bonds and certificates of deposit (CDs) secured at favorable rates. Total interest earnings were reported at $154,919.88 as of March 31, 2026.

Total collections for the second quarter of 2026 were $683,692.49. Delinquent taxes have decreased compared to the prior year, with tax year 2023 delinquency reduced to $28,292.35. Total delinquencies from 2023 through the unpaid second half of 2025 were reported at $1,856,601.16.

There were no tax deeds this year, as all qualifying properties were paid in a timely manner.

Ambulance

Oneida County Ambulance Treasurer Shane Howard is expecting the new ambulance, which has been paid in full, to be delivered soon following an approximately two-year build period. The rescue truck may be remounted pending award of a recently applied-for grant in the amount of $115,000.

A new class of emergency medical technicians (EMTs) has completed training. Of the seven attendees, three have passed the EMT examination, one did not pass and plans to retest, and the remaining three plan to test in the near future.

Call volume has remained relatively steady, with a slight decrease reported at this time. The new billing company, Gold Cross Ambulance, has improved billing operations, including a patient portal for online account access and payment, as well as expanded reporting and invoice access.

Airport

Airport Board Secretary Kathy Ray shared updates regarding the airport. J-U-B Engineers Inc has been contracted to complete the airport lighting project, including design, bid solicitation, and administration of the bidding process. The design and bidding phases are expected to be completed later this summer or early fall, after which the project timeline for construction will be determined. The airport is currently under a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) due to deficiencies in the existing lighting system, as there is no lighting available for night landings; completion of this project is expected to address those deficiencies.

A new airport surveillance system has been installed, providing coverage of the airport grounds and the pilot’s lounge, to address issues with unauthorized activity around aircraft, tiedowns, and minor theft within the lounge.

An additional grant opportunity is available and may be pursued for fencing and site improvements related to future hangar expansion.

Clerk

County Clerk/Auditor Lon Colton provided updates on departments under his oversight:

Elections - There are two contested races for the upcoming primary election on May 19, 2026: Commissioner District 1 and Commissioner District 2. All other county races are uncontested. The local candidates are: Bill Drury, Bob Crowther, Drew Pettis, and Mike Asay (Commissioner District 1, four-year term); Randy Willie and Kirk Nielsen (Commissioner District 2, two-year term); Lon Colton, Clerk of the District Court; Leigh Love, Treasurer; Kathleen Atkinson, Assessor; and Brad Horsley, Coroner.

Oneida County will be using ballot-on-demand beginning with the May Primary Election. This system allows ballots to be printed at the polling location rather than using pre-printed ballots that may go unused. The Elections Department will also be using newer ballot scanner/tabulator machines to tally ballots, supported by two Help America Vote Act (HAVA) grants received through the Secretary of State’s Office. In preparation for the election, programming has been completed and ballot printers and related hardware are being tested. Public Logic and Accuracy (L&A) testing will be held May 4, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. at the Events Center.

Clerk/Auditor - Budget worksheets have been distributed and are due May 18, 2026. This year’s budgeting process will differ from prior years due to state projections of potential revenue declines. The State has also indicated a reduction in funding allocated for Road and Bridge, which may impact future roadwork capacity. The County will monitor state projections throughout the summer prior to adoption of the final budget this fall.

Courts (submitted by Chief Deputy Clerk Diane Skidmore)- Court staff continue to utilize the completed courtroom remodel, with minor remaining punch-list items in the conference room and jury room.

The Idaho Supreme Court will launch a new public-facing website on April 27, 2026, to improve access to court information and services.

The Idaho Supreme Court will be in Oneida County May 5–7, 2026, to complete a network migration, transitioning the local courts onto the state court network. Court clerks have completed online training related to the transition.

Court staff also received training on new security protocols implementing Duo Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), an essential safeguard for protecting systems and data. In the near future, the courts will transition to the For the Record (FTR) Desktop Application for recording court proceedings, with additional training to follow on system integration.

On May 7, 2026, third-grade students will tour the courthouse, with each office preparing informational handouts or displays.