[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6586242,"mediaKeyId","5548650-4bcbea2a3f7f972723530049913a69fa","parentId",5548650,"title","Bonner County commissioners back Inland Power residential battery pilot after safety and sourcing questions","audioSeconds",149,"startMs",971000,"endMs",1120000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5548650-4bcbea2a3f7f972723530049913a69fa&start=971&end=1120","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5548650-4bcbea2a3f7f972723530049913a69fa/thumbnail_971000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6586242/Bonner-County/Idaho/Bonner-County-commissioners-back-Inland-Power-residential-battery-pilot-after-safety-and-sourcing-questions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6586242-26b5730aaeff5216bc7d0dd0fba78c92/orig.mp4?Expires=1774943545&Signature=BgLL-fcg~EVJDoMBnLL3S-HBzWmyPkJW3ou5mttasmTNpNqqKjnnNKFTekSRKbgdTFc~b3wJtVgtdp9iAeOelyaHa-pApfk2fZHUaJUATRaCkXtkyiTtGOlEeALs2aI1GslHaLtjWndOQEnX63ITMElhFSHKiTeG1b5jBJDmm618WsDBU6UYcEs1h4v-YtsduB0~fVm2iS1-DZMPuekHy1ad2tL~MKlgCnIJ6KqkZiyqm69oIxizJByoKnvfHm8RBrqB72gCnRbKurOlPctVZa9syDSLOYwBdH0jE9pNMESEDK3l0dg5r3GRsPfAKGKb9rjtDG0-UqMYT1yqHeKooQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Bonner County","date","2025-08-06T01:46:20.19Z","article","The Bonner County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a letter of support for Inland Power and Light Cooperative’s residential battery-storage pilot program after commissioners reviewed written answers submitted by the utility and heard public comment on safety and outreach.

Commissioner Domke read the utility’s written responses into the record. Inland Power’s materials, as read, said siting and distribution details would be partly determined through a public process and that the most cost-effective installations would likely be inside a participating member’s garage or shop. The material read into the record also said members would own the batteries and maintain control of their configuration; the utility’s access would stop at the meter.

On fire safety, the written response stated that “fire protection and containment plans are best discussed with the installer.” Commissioners said Inland Power’s installer partner, Northwest Renewables, would attend public engagement meetings and provide documentation on battery models and safety protocols. The battery technologies Inland Power said it is considering included Enphase systems, which the utility’s materials indicated are manufactured in Texas.

Commissioners and the public discussed generator compatibility. Inland’s response, as read into the record, framed the issue as a cost-and-configuration question; connecting a backup generator to a customer configuration can incur additional configuration cost, and the utility planned to use public input to determine whether that configuration was desired. Commissioners emphasized that, per Inland’s stated approach, utility control would end at the meter and that homeowners could retain other backup options.

Members of the public raised safety concerns and asked for public-engagement dates. Resident Wayne Martin asked whether public comment dates had been set and raised concerns about thermal-runaway events and post-fire contamination associated with indoor battery installations. Commissioner Corn said he would provide meeting dates and noted that public sessions would be scheduled in Blanchard; during the meeting, commissioners gave one specific public engagement slot as August 20 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Blanchard Area Community Center and referenced an evening session (6:30–7:30 p.m.) with the meeting date to be posted. Commissioners also suggested working with local fire officials on preparedness and cleanup protocols as the county and utility engage the public.

In voting to approve the letter of support, the board recorded that Inland Power already has grant funding for the pilot and that the county’s action was a supportive, nonbinding endorsement. Commissioners instructed staff to provide public meeting dates and contact information to the public once finalized.

Ending: Commissioners said the item reflected a request for county support of an externally funded pilot program; technical details and safety protocols would be covered in public meetings and by the installer, Northwest Renewables.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Bonner County Board of Commissioners Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The Bonner County Board of Commissioners voted to approve a letter of support for Inland Power and Light Cooperative’s residential battery-storage pilot program after reviewing the utility’s written answers and hearing public safety concerns.","taxTitle","Bonner County, Idaho","taxId",49415,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6586246,"Bonner County commissioners approve routine agenda items, grants and administrative changes",0,1567000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5548650-4bcbea2a3f7f972723530049913a69fa&start=1567&end=1567","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5548650-4bcbea2a3f7f972723530049913a69fa/thumbnail_1567000.jpg","/articles/6586246/Bonner-County/Idaho/Bonner-County-commissioners-approve-routine-agenda-items-grants-and-administrative-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6586246-dd18fb951f242373681c7d15205c7de0/orig.mp4?Expires=1774943545&Signature=TqjSLF4Esmjw7gQbJeS1Ml0nzdZo0eiOO0uAfoXGJ9yx63aeK5ikE-XL6gkeR-uaycyX0DYl0BzPYLy4~g9luxA9QMA77vXxbaVvw7WLac7qVSTwx4a~-A9KEY6-1dSXqko6pNKOKBJ9y5sD53ukmMnsUrFw~QoR4-dgRxtVXewKyh9d8EZ1xTk8yzN-VlH5O6m~4z5d~sErtlqn0XBcoM9782FHnaFiNwzApn33UH~Hi-vPYjyMJBDW0zvj2iW70~D~sUXs3tx5sALvhL7Fs-uwL3xlrNmeD8kQE-Gjr5BkWv-C6bjPZOI61Qna~4s7UJjsPQX4MTlPR137jdBcgw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Bonner County Board of Commissioners on the recorded meeting approved a series of routine and administrative actions including an agenda amendment, payment of fiscal-year-25 claims, acceptance of two grants, approval of a revised job description in Road & Bridge, and a formal decision to set Planning Department hours to 9 a.m.–5 p.m. on weekdays.

The board voted to amend the agenda to remove the prosecutor’s office pay-scale adjustment discussion and the District 3 commissioner report and then adopted the amended agenda by roll call vote. Clerk Rosedale presented the claims packet identified as fiscal year 25 claims batch number 43, totaling $395,328.56. Rosedale said the batch included a large payment described in the record as a $262,000 line item (referred to in the meeting text as “Rodent Bridge”), roughly $152,000 for dust abatement, about $90,000 in BST surfacing oil, $31,000 for solid-waste contracted labor and $26,000 in emergency-management grant spending. After public comment, the board approved payment of the batch by roll call vote.

The board accepted a state ORFAC grant for Bonner County Parks and Waterways to fund replacement-in-kind navigation lights at Priest Lake’s Granite Creek Dock, making $57,232.50 available with a local match of $3,017.50 earmarked in existing line items for dock and facility repairs. Matt Mazel, Director of Bonner County Parks and Waterways, told commissioners audit, legal and risk had approved the grant paperwork.

The board approved a cleaned-up and revised job description for the Road & Bridge “road and bridge technician, right-of-way and bridge repair coordinator,” confirming the position is budgeted at grade 9 and removing an obsolete duplicate numbering in the description.

Airport Manager Dave Shook presented an FAA Airport Improvement Program grant offer tied to a previously submitted application; the board voted to accept the grant in the amount of $432,749 and authorized the chair to sign administratively.

Commissioners also voted to formally align the Planning Department’s hours of operation with Bonner County Revised Code 1-100, establishing minimum public-service hours of 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. County staff said departments will use flex scheduling as needed to ensure coverage for typical public transactions; specialty services such as floodplain reviews may require appointments.

Finally, the board voted to approve a letter of support for Inland Power and Light Cooperative’s residential battery-storage pilot program following a commissioner briefing on questions submitted to the utility. Commissioners and members of the public had raised safety, sourcing and public-engagement questions; Inland Power’s provided answers—read into the record by a commissioner—said the most cost-effective installations would likely be inside a member’s garage or shop, that installers (Northwest Renewables) would discuss fire-protection and containment plans during public meetings, and that battery hardware under consideration included Enphase systems manufactured in Texas.

Votes at a glance
- Agenda amendment removing prosecutor pay-scale adjustment and District 3 update: approved (roll call unanimous).
- Adoption of amended agenda: approved (roll call unanimous).
- Consent agenda (includes fairgrounds ADA seating and fence improvements $6,000; ClearGov professional services $7,650; other consent items): approved (roll call unanimous).
- Fiscal year 25 claims, batch 43 — $395,328.56: approved (roll call unanimous). Clerk Rosedale listed major line items and flagged $26,000 in emergency-management grant spending.
- ORFAC grant acceptance for Parks & Waterways (Priest Lake Granite Creek Dock): $57,232.50 grant; $3,017.50 local match: approved (roll call unanimous).
- Revised job description for road & bridge technician / right-of-way & bridge repair coordinator (position budgeted at grade 9): approved (roll call unanimous).
- FAA Airport Improvement Program grant acceptance — $432,749: approved; chair authorized to sign administratively (roll call unanimous).
- Letter of support for Inland Power and Light Cooperative residential battery storage pilot program: approved (roll call unanimous).
- Formalization of Planning Department hours to 9 a.m.–5 p.m. weekdays per Bonner County Revised Code 1-100: approved (roll call unanimous).

Context and next steps
Clerk Rosedale and department directors confirmed auditing, legal and risk review where required for grants and contracts. Commissioners said more detailed operational questions (for example, cash-flow timing for grant matches and scheduling of public engagement around pilot programs) would be handled by staff or the presenting agencies. Public commenters asked for details on emergency-management spend and on public-engagement dates; commissioners said staff or the presenting agencies would provide those specifics where available.

Ending: The board moved on to commissioner updates and public comment after completing the roll call votes on the recorded items.","At its public meeting, the Bonner County Board of Commissioners amended its agenda, approved a claims batch and multiple grants, revised a road-and-bridge job description, and set planning department hours to 9 a.m.–5 p.m.; the board also voted to send a letter supporting Inland Power’s residential battery pilot program.","actionData","errors"]

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Bonner County commissioners back Inland Power residential battery pilot after safety and sourcing questions

Bonner County commissioners approve routine agenda items, grants and administrative changes