Bonner County OKs $1.5 million in claims, includes $564,000 Avista court settlement

The Bonner County Board of Commissioners voted to approve payment of fiscal-year 2025 claims in batch number 15, totaling $1,503,754.04.

The claims packet presented by county clerk/comptroller staff identified several large items: roughly $500,000 for routine solid-waste hauling, about $49,000 described as a lease payment, approximately $199,000 for medical expenses and a $564,000 court-ordered payout related to a long-running property-tax dispute with Avista. County staff said the Avista payment is Bonner County’s portion of a larger court settlement and that some of that amount will be recouped from other taxing districts through the tax-turnover process.

Commissioners moved and seconded approval; the board held a brief public comment period. Kevin Moore, a Bonner County resident, asked for clarification on the Avista amount. County staff confirmed the $564,000 figure and that the amount reflects a court settlement. No further public objections were recorded. The board then completed a roll-call vote and approved the payment batch as presented.

The consent and claims approvals also noted smaller routine items on the agenda: solid-waste purchases and chemical applications for ice control, sheriff department confidential items and a user-fee contract listed in the claims packet.

Members of the public and several commissioners asked clarifying budget questions during the presentation; county staff explained that some expenditures (for example, Spirit Lake Fire District pass-throughs) are development-impact fee collections remitted to fire districts.