Teton County commissioners on July 28 approved multiple contracts, accepted grant terms and enacted an emergency county burn ban as part of a broad package of administrative actions.

The board approved a 5-year lease for a 2025 Caterpillar 150 all-wheel drive motor grader and accepted a state-local agreement to pursue a $2 million Rural Surface Transportation Block Grant for reconstruction of South 5000 West. Commissioners also approved design services for the county transfer station and authorized sale of surplus fuel storage tanks through a public-auction site.

In a separate, time-sensitive measure the board adopted an emergency burn ban covering unincorporated Teton County effective immediately through Sept. 30, 2025, citing drought and wildfire risk.

Why it matters: the motions secure externally funded projects (the $2 million federal grant), preserve short-term capital options (equipment lease, auction of old tanks) and address an immediate public-safety risk (burn ban). The awards and agreements require the county to follow up with engineering, contract execution and grant-administration steps.

Votes at a glance
- State/local agreement: South 5000 West (Rural Surface Transportation Block Grant, $2,000,000). Motion to approve state-local agreement and to pay $10,000 administration fee from account 233-00-44000 — outcome: approved (voice vote).
- Lease: 2025 CAT 150 AWD motor grader. Motion to approve 60-month lease (not to exceed 4,000 hours; annual payment $61,352.01) — outcome: approved (voice vote).
- Contract: Solid-waste site design services (Architects West, Task 1). Contract not to exceed $50,000 from FY25 design services appropriation — outcome: approved (voice vote).
- Auction: Two surplus fuel tanks sold on public surplus site for combined $3,850; sale approved and accepted — outcome: approved (voice vote).
- Cremation assistance (indigent): Case IT2025100B3 — payment approved up to $1,000 to the vendor cited in the record — outcome: approved (voice vote after executive session).
- Purchase: Firearm, holster and ammunition for probation/sheriff use, not to exceed $1,000 from fund 206-62-42090 — outcome: approved (voice vote).
- Personnel authorizations: Temporary fall 2025 IT intern hire (Zach Jones, 400 hours at $15/hour) and authorization for staff (Greg) to attend Idaho Association of County IT / Idaho Digital Governance events — outcome: approved (voice vote).
- Emergency action: Resolution 2025-0728C, declaring an emergency burn ban for unincorporated Teton County (prohibiting open burning, fireworks and most agricultural fires) — outcome: approved (roll-call/voice vote).

Next steps: Staff will finalize agreements, execute contracts and prepare follow-up budgets or change orders where necessary. Several approved items require engineering review, grant-administration steps, or later final-plat review before work begins. The board also directed staff to continue evaluating other pending items (see related articles in this package).