Portniff official asks Bannock County commissioners for closed session on bid to keep LA Semiconductor fab
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Summary
Mia Kate Kennedy of Portniff Valley Development Corporation told Bannock County commissioners the county is competing with Arizona to retain LA Semiconductor’s operating fab, described the facility as an 8‑wafer plant, and requested an executive session to discuss a confidential economic-development opportunity and possible incentives.
Mia Kate Kennedy, CEO of Portniff Valley Development Corporation, told the Bannock County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 13 that her office has spent roughly 18 months working with LA Semiconductor and is seeking the board’s direction on a confidential opportunity to keep the company’s operating facility in the county.
Kennedy said the county’s existing site is an "8 wafer fab" that is producing and supported by a local university and engineering workforce, and that preserving both the plant and the jobs tied to it is a priority. She said the county recently received a letter from the city indicating it would "commit to at least looking at some kind of incentives or a match" to help the county be competitive with offers from other states.
"So opportunity came, and I can't say a lot in open session about that opportunity," Kennedy said, urging the commissioners to consider a closed executive session to discuss terms and sensitive business information. She also noted that Idaho Commerce has a history of working with Arizona, and the company is considering options that include sites in Arizona.
Following the presentation, an unidentified commissioner made a motion "that we go into executive session under 7420618." The transcript records a brief procedural exchange in which Kennedy addressed "Mister Bullock," and the presiding speaker responded, but it does not include a formal vote tally or a recorded outcome on the public record excerpt provided.
The presentation emphasized two issues for commissioners to weigh: the county’s current advantage of an existing, operating fab and workforce, and the potential cost or incentive package the county might need to offer to retain the employer. Kennedy said she and Commissioner Hough had met with semiconductor leaders in Taiwan, a meeting she described as underscoring the strategic rarity of a local fab.
The transcript excerpt provided does not include further details about the dollar amounts or specific incentives being discussed, nor does it record whether the board ultimately voted to enter the executive session. Kennedy and the commissioners indicated a procedural move to discuss the matter behind closed doors.