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Waterways advisory committee reports ORFAC grant win, discusses WIF application and buoy permitting; schedules special meeting
Summary
Bonner County staff reported a multi‑site ORFAC grant award for dock replacement and navigation lights and discussed the county's WIF grant application, buoy permitting process and a Jan. 23 special meeting to secure quorum and approve time‑sensitive grant signatures.
Bonner County Parks & Waterways staff told the Waterways Advisory Committee on Jan. 16 that the county received a competitive ORFAC grant for work at Granite Creek and Priest Lake and that the committee needs to meet before Jan. 31 to approve additional grant applications and buoy permits.
Staff reported that Bonner County was awarded ORFAC funding to replace a dock at Granite Creek and to procure pilings for Priest Lake navigation lights; staff said the advisory committee contributed a local match and secured a contractor by including bids in the grant packet. "We did get a little over 60 $1,000 till the end of 2026 to replace the Granite Creek dock, get that under contract, and then also get all the pilings for the Granite Creek or the, the Priest Lake navigation lights," staff said. Staff later described a local match of approximately $3,000 in the grant application packet.
The committee also discussed a proposed WIF (Waterways Infrastructure Funding) grant and a separate waterways maintenance tow vehicle application that staff plans to submit to Idaho Parks & Recreation. One commissioner had previously expressed concern that a $21,000 local match could strain the waterways budget; staff told the committee the department believes it can cover any required match and will pursue outside funding where possible.
Buoy permits and timeline: staff presented a revised six‑step buoy application and permitting process intended to give applicants a clear timeline and reduce delays. Committee members urged swifter action: one member said buoy approvals previously promised in 2023 and 2024 were still pending and pushed for buoy deployment before Memorial Day. Staff said IDL permitting after grant season should take about 30 days and that deployment depends on crew availability.
Special meeting scheduled: because the advisory committee lacked a quorum at the Jan. 16 meeting and several agenda items require committee approval before Jan. 31, the committee agreed to hold a special meeting at 9:00 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, to consider the WIF grant, buoy approvals and other time‑sensitive items. Staff said the committee can attend remotely by Zoom and that the meeting will be recorded and documented.
