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Commissioners seek clarity on who pays for background checks and county phone costs
Summary
The board asked the risk manager to confirm which background checks the risk office pays for (annual motor vehicle record checks for drivers) and to coordinate with HR and emergency management on volunteer and new‑hire checks; commissioners also discussed county phone plan costs and device selection practices.
Bonner County commissioners on Monday asked the risk manager to clarify which background checks his office pays for and to coordinate with Human Resources on volunteer and new‑hire screening procedures.
Christian said his background‑check budget covers annual motor vehicle record (MVR) checks for county drivers, not new‑hire criminal checks. Commissioners asked staff to confirm whether other volunteer groups or emergency management are using county HR resources to run background checks and whether those costs are appearing in different departmental budgets.
The group also briefly reviewed county cell‑phone provisioning. Staff said some lines have shifted to FirstNet and that device selection (Android vs. Apple) has been offered to employees; commissioners asked IT staff to verify monthly costs and whether employees are aware of monthly contributions or total device costs. No changes were made on the spot; commissioners requested verification of which background‑check costs are in which budgets and a brief accounting of phone line charges.
Commissioners scheduled follow up with HR and emergency management so the county can align screening policy, confirm which entity pays for which checks, and ensure volunteers and applicants meet the appropriate criminal‑background or MVR requirements.
