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Board declines immediate transfer from reserves to fund Priest River DMV porta-potty
Summary
Commissioners debated and decided not to transfer statutory-reserve funds (~$2,200) to the Priest River DMV budget for an ADA porta-potty; the assessor said monthly cost would be $185–$195 ($10 more in winter), but several commissioners and the clerk urged waiting and monitoring the DMV budget before using contingency.
The Bonner County Board of Commissioners debated a request from the assessor to authorize contracting KG & T Septic Inc. for an ADA-accessible porta-potty at the Priest River County Yard for DMV operations and to transfer roughly $2,200 from the statutory reserve into the Priest River DMV budget to pay for the contract.
Assessor Dennis Engelhardt told the board the monthly rental would run $185–$195 and that winterization would cost an extra $10 per month to prevent freezing. Engelhardt said he had identified transfer amount and recommended the reserve fund be used to cover the anticipated cost.
Clerk Mike Rosdale and several commissioners argued the transfer from contingency (statutory reserve) was premature because the DMV budgets could be monitored through the fiscal year; Rosdale described contingency funds as "silver bullets" and urged prudence. Commissioner comments emphasized the board could authorize the contract (the assessor has authority to sign for amounts under $5,000) while deferring any transfer of reserve funds until actual budget shortfalls were evident. One public commenter suggested delaying the transfer as well.
When the board called the roll, the motion to approve the resolution transferring funds from statutory reserve to the Priest River DMV budget was voted down.
Next steps: Assessor Engelhardt said he will monitor DMV budget lines and return to the board with a specific funding request if and when the transfer becomes necessary; he also said he is exploring longer-term options (remodel, leasing small commercial space, or purchasing a used mobile office) to provide a permanent public restroom at the site.
Vote details: Motion to approve transfer (resolution number to be assigned) failed on roll call.
