Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Planning Surveyor Contracts topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Bonner County approves MW Surveying contract, denies higher‑priced proposal amid public concern over pass‑through costs
Summary
Bonner County commissioners approved a contract with MW Surveying and appointed Matthew Wilson as county surveyor, while denying a higher‑priced proposal from Ruan Jagger Associates after commissioners and members of the public raised concerns about a $20/hour rate differential that could be passed to applicants.
Bonner County commissioners voted June 23 to approve a contract with MW Surveying LLP and appoint Matthew Wilson as the county surveyor, and to deny a separate proposal from Ruan Jagger Associates after debate over pricing and packet documentation.
Planning Director Kendra Smith told the board the county is required by Idaho Code (Title 31, Chapter 27) to have a county surveyor and historically uses a pool of independent surveyors. She said the county had fallen behind after losing a surveyor and recommended adding contractors to ensure timely reviews. Ruan Jagger’s proposal was about $20 per hour higher on one line item than the established vendor, which drew scrutiny from commissioners and members of the public.
Resident Wayne Martin flagged a separate packet concern, asking why some standard legislative addendums did not appear in the public packet for one contract. Planning staff and legal counsel said the required contract language had been added and emailed; commissioners agreed to proceed only after confirming the addenda were present in the record.
Several commissioners said their primary objection to the Ruan Jagger proposal was the inconsistency of fees that would be passed on to applicants. Commissioner Donkey and others said they were unwilling to approve a contract that could result in different applicants paying different rates for similar services; commissioners also urged staff to document outreach and recruitment efforts earlier in the procurement process so the board can see who was contacted and why responses were limited.
After discussion, the board approved the motion to contract with MW Surveying LLP and appoint Matthew Wilson as county surveyor. The board then voted to deny the Ruan Jagger Associates contract. The planning director said staff will continue outreach to expand the pool and will document comparative evaluations and reasons for selection in future packet materials.
The decision leaves Bonner County with two contracted surveyors plus the new MW Surveying agreement; planning staff said the additional contractor is intended as a backup to prevent permit delays.
Next steps: planning staff will ensure contract addenda are present in the public packet and provide comparative procurement documentation for future contract approvals.
