Bannock County commissioners approve cloud migration for jail tracking system, sign interlocal 911 agreement and routine resolutions

Pocatello — The Bannock County Board of Commissioners met Tuesday, Nov. 4, and approved a series of routine administrative items including a move to cloud-host the jail’s Guard 1 inmate-tracking system, ratification of an interlocal memorandum of understanding for the Motorola/Spillman 911 system used with neighboring jurisdictions, authorization to pursue a special bond for a tower lease, and a quitclaim of highway right-of-way for Idaho Department of Transportation work.

Adam McKinney, chief technical officer for the county, told commissioners the Guard 1 provider is moving its product to the cloud and presented a Master Services Agreement for signature. “This is the cloud contract,” McKinney said, adding the change would cost about “$1,100 a year” more but should “minimize and eliminate any chance of downtime” compared with running the system on county equipment. Legal review of the contract was completed, he said. A commissioner moved to sign the agreement and the motion passed by voice vote.

McKinney also presented a memorandum of understanding for the Lehi Motorola/Spillman system that the county operates for 911 communications with other jurisdictions. He said the county has already gone live with the partner agencies — which he named as Power County and the cities of American Falls, Rupert and Heyburn, and Minidoka County — and that Motorola will perform a hardware upgrade the week of the 17th to add high-availability servers and an off-site backup. The commission voted to sign the Minidoka MOU.

Matt Phillips, HR nurse management director, asked permission to run a November employee-led food drive in partnership with Bridal Food Bank, allowing the food bank to co-market the campaign and asking for voluntary employee help with collection and December drop-off. Commissioners expressed unanimous support to proceed.

Phillips also asked the commission to sign a special bond application required by the Idaho Department of Lands for a Kimport Tower lease. He said an initial underwriter pulled out and several carriers were reluctant to underwrite a bond between two governmental entities; Phillips said the county’s agent recommended proceeding with United Fire & Casualty Company if the commission signed the application. Phillips said county legal (a person he identified as John) had reviewed the indemnity language and was “somewhat okay” with moving forward. A commissioner moved to allow signing the bond application and the motion passed by voice vote.

A county staff member summarized a request from the Idaho Department of Transportation to quitclaim a portion of county-owned right-of-way to allow a road-widening project toward Chubbuck. Staff called the decision discretionary and said it should be done by resolution; commissioners approved the quitclaim request by voice vote.

The board also ratified previously signed comment-period signatures, approved a batch of resolutions (including resolution 2025-73 permitting exchange or trade of county assets and property; resolution 2025-75 designating county roads for state reimbursement; certification of 2025 levies; approval of tax cancellations; approval of alcohol licenses; approval of salaries; and authorization to transfer real property to the city of Pocatello), and adopted the consent agenda as presented. Each item was approved by voice vote. The meeting recessed until about 1:30 p.m.

Votes at a glance — motions recorded in the meeting minutes: the commission approved signing the Guard 1 Master Services Agreement; approved signing the Minidoka/Motorola (Spillman) MOU; authorized signing the special bond application for the Kimport Tower lease; approved ITD’s quitclaim request for highway right-of-way; ratified previously signed comment-period signatures; approved the listed resolutions (2025-73, 2025-75, #76–#80); and approved the consent agenda. Vote tallies were recorded as voice votes in the transcript; specific numerical tallies and individual commissioner votes were not specified in the record provided.

The meeting record shows no contested motions or roll-call votes during the session; several items were routine, described by staff as discretionary or ministerial, and advanced by unanimous voice vote. The commissioners recessed until about 1:30 p.m.