Valley County commissioners register support for Payette Lake milfoil plan, schedule workshop on ordinance updates

The Valley County Board of Commissioners on March 30 expressed support for the Payette Lake Eurasian milfoil water-management plan while debating how best to update and implement it.

Commissioners said the plan contains some new scientific material that should be incorporated but does not require a full rewrite. Several commissioners suggested handling much of the work in-house to avoid unbudgeted consultant costs, while others recommended hiring a facilitator or issuing a request for proposals to manage a broad steering committee. The board agreed to place a workshop on a future agenda to review the ordinance and the plan’s outstanding items before deciding whether to pursue an external facilitator.

Supporters at the meeting emphasized outreach: the county has heard from “two very strong entities” and commissioners said more public input is likely once jet-boat season begins. The board also voted to formally record that it supports moving forward with the plan’s objectives rather than rejecting the planning effort.

The county previously took corrective action at the same meeting to cure an open-meetings violation affecting an earlier waterways vote; commissioners then returned the item to discussion to ensure proper public-process steps.

The workshop will allow staff to present ordinance language and capacity assessments for in-house facilitation. The commission did not set an immediate budget for outside facilitation and emphasized the importance of public engagement before any substantive changes take effect.