Bannock County commissioners appoint Hough as chair and approve auction of abandoned firearms, radio-tower agreement and other routine items

The Bannock County Board of Commissioners on an unstated date in a regular session appointed Commissioner Hough as the board chair and approved a package of routine items that included authorizing the sale of abandoned firearms, signing the quarterly jail inspection, formalizing a five-year access agreement for county radio towers with DayWireless, approving an Idaho Power easement relocation for the proposed YDC building site, and authorizing destruction of archived prosecuting-attorney records.

The actions give the county a path to clear evidence-room space and formalize management of county communications infrastructure while keeping sales proceeds and contractual responsibilities defined.

Commissioner Hough was appointed chair by motion, which was seconded and adopted by voice vote.

Sheriff Tony Monning asked the board to approve sending a collection of abandoned firearms to Prime Time Auction. Monning said the firearms “are either most of them are lost or found property,” and that the items were not associated with active criminal cases. Alex Hamilton, chief deputy, and Maggie Gutierrez, identified in the meeting as the county’s evidence technician, joined the discussion. Gutierrez said the firearms had been checked in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), that owners received certified-mail notices with an option to transfer ownership, and that few responded. She said some of the items date back many years and described the process the sheriff’s office follows before declaring items abandoned and offering them for sale.

Commissioners and staff discussed legal notice and buyer…