McCall council waives Idaho Power vested fee to enable University of Idaho forestry study
October 10, 2025 | McCall, Valley County, Idaho
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The McCall City Council voted unanimously to approve a vested-interest refund waiver for Idaho Power work order 27668541, allowing University of Idaho researchers to tie into power lines being installed to serve the city's new water tank.
The waiver will let researcher Dr. Jan Bridal apply for competitive grant funding without paying an upfront fee that had been quoted at about $128,000. Nathan Stewart, McCall public works director, told the council the Idaho Power contract for bringing power to the tank is "a little over $140,000" and that roughly 80% of that amount can be eligible for refund under Idaho Power's rules. Stewart said the research project's expected share of the vested-interest cost is in the $70,000 to $75,000 range but that the specific refund mechanics make collecting that from a research grant unlikely without the waiver.
Dr. Bridal said his climate-related project would use electrical heating to simulate rain-on-snow conditions to study how changing snow-to-rain ratios affect tree growth. He told the council the experiments require line power near the tank site and that solar would not meet the continuous demand. Bridal said the lab would pay for a separate Idaho Power service and meter and expected to pay another $10,000 to $20,000 for on-site wiring from the meter to the experimental plots.
Council members asked questions about accountability and ongoing costs. Stewart said the city will install an Idaho Power transformer and a separate meter for the research site; the University of Idaho would secure its own contract with Idaho Power and pay its own monthly bills. He emphasized the land involved is under a conservation easement and the city does not expect future development that would generate a reimbursement claim.
Councilor discussion closed with agreement that the project aligns with community interests and the city's planning objectives. The motion to approve the vested-interest refund waiver and authorize the mayor to sign all necessary documents passed by roll call vote 5-0.
The council did not adopt any terms that obligate the city to pay ongoing electrical bills for the research; Stewart said any future changes in use would return to the council for review.
The council asked staff to track the outcome of Dr. Bridal's grant application and report back.
The waiver will let researcher Dr. Jan Bridal apply for competitive grant funding without paying an upfront fee that had been quoted at about $128,000. Nathan Stewart, McCall public works director, told the council the Idaho Power contract for bringing power to the tank is "a little over $140,000" and that roughly 80% of that amount can be eligible for refund under Idaho Power's rules. Stewart said the research project's expected share of the vested-interest cost is in the $70,000 to $75,000 range but that the specific refund mechanics make collecting that from a research grant unlikely without the waiver.
Dr. Bridal said his climate-related project would use electrical heating to simulate rain-on-snow conditions to study how changing snow-to-rain ratios affect tree growth. He told the council the experiments require line power near the tank site and that solar would not meet the continuous demand. Bridal said the lab would pay for a separate Idaho Power service and meter and expected to pay another $10,000 to $20,000 for on-site wiring from the meter to the experimental plots.
Council members asked questions about accountability and ongoing costs. Stewart said the city will install an Idaho Power transformer and a separate meter for the research site; the University of Idaho would secure its own contract with Idaho Power and pay its own monthly bills. He emphasized the land involved is under a conservation easement and the city does not expect future development that would generate a reimbursement claim.
Councilor discussion closed with agreement that the project aligns with community interests and the city's planning objectives. The motion to approve the vested-interest refund waiver and authorize the mayor to sign all necessary documents passed by roll call vote 5-0.
The council did not adopt any terms that obligate the city to pay ongoing electrical bills for the research; Stewart said any future changes in use would return to the council for review.
The council asked staff to track the outcome of Dr. Bridal's grant application and report back.
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