Valley County commissioners approve grant planning, fuel‑treatment contract and other items; hear department updates

Valley County commissioners on July 13 approved several administrative items that advance planning for a culvert replacement project and wildfire fuel‑treatment work, and received updates from multiple county departments on permitting, staffing and infrastructure.

The board voted to add an executive session on litigation to the afternoon agenda, approved a planning‑phase agreement tied to a state/federal grant process, accepted a Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) reimbursement request and approved a contract award for on‑the‑ground fuel‑treatment work.

The actions move planning and implementation forward but contain steps that require later work or outside approvals. Grant writer Dennis Legler told commissioners the first phase is “the planning phase” and that benefit‑cost analysis and engineering will be completed before construction. “At least we’re into phase 1 now,” Legler said.

Votes at a glance

- Added executive session (litigation) to the afternoon agenda — motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved.

- Approved court order claims — motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved.

- Approved a memorandum/award for phase 1 planning on a grant (described in the meeting as the IOEM planning award for the culvert replacement/related work) — motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved. Dennis Legler, the county grant writer, described the action as advancing the project into “phase 1,” the planning and engineering stage.

- Approved Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) quarter‑3 reimbursement request for wages/salaries in the amount of $54,867.43 — motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved.

- Approved a contractor agreement for the East McCall Unit 5 fuel‑treatment bid with Jeffrey Miller Excavation, contract amount stated at $44,800 — motion moved and seconded; outcome: approved.

What commissioners heard from departments

Building and planning: County staff reported active building permit activity and short‑term rental counts. The building department reported $362,384.70 collected in permit revenue so far (below a projected $425,000), and noted 195 permits issued since October 1 and more applications pending. The county also reported 439 short‑term rental permits on record, with about 31 in the McCall impact area; those permits are voluntary.

Roads and capital projects: The board was briefed on upcoming bid openings and project budget risks for Samson Trail. Public works staff warned both bids for the Samson Trail work may exceed the project appropriation (about $250,000 available). Staff said options include asking developers to build the first segment required by condition of approval or staging the project to a logical break point if bids exceed funding.

Information technology and facilities: County IT staff said they are coordinating fiber and network moves related to the Macaulay (Cascade) annex and the road department relocation; staff plan to migrate existing fiber where feasible to avoid duplicate connections.

Public safety, emergency planning and wildfire: Director Hulevichak reported progress on fuels treatments, saying, “I’m on track to having about 200 acres completed by the end of this fiscal year,” with work funded by grants and Firewise funds. She also said a site tour with federal and congressional representatives highlighted local stewardship work. The county continues to participate in a BSU evacuation study; staff reported roughly 50–60 survey responses to date and said the study team hopes for 100–150.

Personnel and administration: Human resources reported multiple open recruitments across county departments (patrol deputies, detention deputies, DMV clerk, plat clerk, recreation planner, public works engineer, custodian, IT technician, weed and pest technicians). The county said applications are coming in and a custodian is expected to start soon. HR staff also said they are working with the grant writer on ensuring ADA compliance is addressed in grant applications.

Parks and outdoor regulations: Staff working with snowmobile clubs and the sheriff’s office said they are revising a snowmobile parking ordinance (Warren Wagon Road) and plan to present a final draft in September with a modest fee increase. Parks staff also described surveying and future grant plans to expand parking near Cobarton Road and a paving project tied to Horse Thief campground improvements.

Other items: The building department described recent sidewalk work and staff training trips; behavioral health and assessment‑center staffing and sustainability were discussed; planning staff said the county comprehensive plan update and related public review remain in progress and may go to public hearing in October.

Why it matters

The motions advance both near‑term contractor work and longer planning steps that will require environmental review, engineering and budget decisions. Several updates — particularly on staffing and permit revenue — will affect department capacity and future budget planning. The Samson Trail bid risk and the contractor award for fuels work are immediate budget items commissioners said they will monitor.

What’s next

Commissioners scheduled follow‑up work sessions: a planning work session after the August 1 regular meeting and future agenda items that include the snowmobile ordinance, the Samson Trail bid openings and updates from the Waterways Advisory Committee and the BSU evacuation study. Staff will return with engineering, environmental and budget details before construction begins on grant‑funded projects.