Bonner County amends Solid Waste Advisory Committee rules to allow cross-district appointments after second advertisement

Bonner County commissioners approved an amendment to the Solid Waste Advisory Committee resolution adding a provision that allows the board to appoint an applicant from another commissioner district to fill a vacancy after a second advertisement if no one from the required district applies.

Bob Howard, Solid Waste director, presented the resolution change and staff noted that the committee has faced difficulty attracting applicants from some commissioner districts. Howard said the added language — Section J — reads that if a commissioner district is unable to fill a position after a second advertising, the Board of County Commissioners may appoint an applicant from another district to fill the vacancy in that district.

Commissioners debated whether the amendment should explicitly require a second advertising before cross-district appointments; several members said they prefer the board to make an additional effort to solicit applicants from the relevant district before appointing outside the district. The final motion, approved by the board, incorporated that clarification: the cross-district appointment authority applies after a second advertising.

During public comment, multiple residents suggested the county do more to publicize openings on boards and commissions, for example by including vacancies in business meeting reports or reading them aloud during meetings. One commenter recommended weekly notice of vacancies or a regular agenda item listing open positions to encourage volunteerism.

The board instructed staff to implement a second advertisement step and to update posting procedures to encourage broader public participation.