Bannock County commissioners approve direction, budget checks to begin master plan work for Roanoke Bridge site

Bannock County commissioners on Wednesday agreed on a final direction for master planning work at the Roanoke Bridge site and authorized staff to move ahead with design steps and limited use of this year’s budget while staff confirms reserve balances and sequencing.

The commission approved placing Tory’s operations in the northeast corner of the site, adding onto the west side of the Road and Bridge shop, and moving existing storage from South Fifth to a new upper-tier storage structure. Commissioners directed staff to begin design work for those moves and to check reserves and budget timing before committing to construction, with a tentative schedule that would start building Tory’s facility in October and other Road and Bridge work in spring.

The decision was advisory, reached by consensus rather than a formal roll-call vote. Commissioners and staff repeatedly emphasized that the plan, as discussed, is expected to be funded from reserves and the general fund and “is not an ask on the taxpayer…