Commissioners say structural review aims to secure long‑term stability; staff morale discussed

Commissioners for the Bonner County Ambulance Service District said they are reviewing the district’s legal structure to determine what will best support long‑term stability and acknowledged that recent public reporting about possible structural changes affected staff morale.

Commissioner Domke said the board’s focus is “making sure we have the best legal structure for the future long term stability of the ambulance district,” and added that a final decision could be to make no change. Domke said the board intends to make a clear decision “in the near future” after obtaining additional data and scheduling a public discussion with all commissioners present.

Commissioners and staff said employees were unsettled by earlier reports that suggested dissolution of the district. One commissioner said the article’s content “took a little bit of a hit” on morale but acknowledged corrections and said employees recently appeared “more upbeat” now that budget planning addressed pay and staffing stability.

Board members emphasized the need to track the rationale behind pivotal decisions and to make records available so the public and staff can see why the board chose a particular option. Commissioners said the review requires locating historical records and confirmed they will publicly discuss options and reasons before taking final action. No formal governance change was adopted at this meeting.