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Commissioners approve routine contracts, land transfers, insurance renewal and records actions
Summary
At the Sept. 23 meeting commissioners approved a series of routine items including a solid-waste professional services agreement, radio interoperability MOUs, Purdue opioid settlement participation, FEMA CRS participation adjustment, mediation and lease documents, insurance renewal and several invoices; all motions carried.
Kootenai County commissioners completed a range of routine approvals on Sept. 23, voting to authorize contracts, interagency agreements, insurance renewals, a land transfer and records actions.
Solid Waste: John Phillips, solid-waste director, requested approval of a one-year professional services agreement with Parametrics Engineering to assist with environmental requirements at Fighting Creek Landfill. The county budgeted for the work; Phillips said the one-year extension would run Oct. 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2026, and the department requested approval of the contract at $229,058.76. The Board approved the motion.
Radio Interoperability MOUs: Commissioners approved two three-year memoranda of understanding under the SWIWIN statewide network to link county radios with partner agencies: one covering the City of Hayden Lake 9-1-1 and one covering Kootenai Health and 9-1-1. Lieutenant Howard spoke in support, saying these are the same agreements used with other partner agencies to connect radios to the statewide network. Motions passed.
Purdue Settlement (opioid funds): Andrea Littlefield, Office of Emergency Management, asked the Board to approve county participation in the Purdue direct settlement and to authorize Littlefield to sign participation documents in DocuSign. Commissioners approved the request and the signature authority.
FEMA Community Rating System: David Callahan of Community Development asked to reduce (but not end) county participation in FEMA's Community Rating System (CRS) after staff found some outreach activities cost more in staff time than the insurance savings to property owners. Callahan said the county would likely move from CRS class 7 to a lower benefit (which FEMA would label about a 9/9.5), modestly increasing flood-insurance costs for some property owners but reducing county staff costs. Commissioners approved staying in CRS at a reduced participation level for another year.
Legal and property items: Pat Braden, civil deputy prosecutor, presented a court-ordered mediation participation agreement in the Gaudette/River's Edge code-enforcement litigation; the county agreed to the minimum mediation fee and participation. Braden also presented a resolution and quitclaim deed to transfer a segment of Centennial Trail property lying between Maguire Road and an adjacent parcel to the City of Post Falls; legal notice was published Sept. 12 and the Board approved the transfer.
Insurance and HR: Cecilia Sweet, interim HR director, requested approval of the county's liability renewal with ICRMP for FY26; the transcript recorded the first-half payment as $701,686 due Oct. 15 but the full premium number in the audio was not clearly recorded in the transcript. Commissioners approved the renewal and authorized the first payment. Sweet also requested an extension of temporary HR staffing to cover leaves and vacancies; commissioners approved extending temporary staffing until at least two of three HR positions are filled.
Airport and facilities: Kim Stevenson, airport, presented a lease amendment clarifying exhibit square-footage for a Panhandle Area Council lease related to Empire Airlines; commissioners approved the amendment. Stevenson also requested payment to Motorola Solutions for radios previously included in an approved truck upfitting project; the Board approved payment of $87,676.86. Facilities director (Vohler) presented two vendor invoices: Atlas Boiler (work brought in under the original estimate after credits) and CR Concrete ($72,260 for campus concrete work); commissioners approved both invoices.
Treasurer and records: Kelly Weist, treasurer, presented a resolution to sign county deeds from the tax auction; all seven parcels sold at auction and the board authorized signatures. Will Hunter presented resolutions to classify and then destroy five boxes of adult misdemeanor probation records that were beyond retention; staff said legal review found the destruction is allowed under Idaho Code; the Board approved classification and destruction.
All motions described above carried with recorded aye votes by the commissioners in attendance unless otherwise noted in the transcript.
