PRESENT: Charles Howell, Chairman Roger Morley, Commissioner Jane White, Deputy Clerk JEROME COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Meeting convened at 9:30 A.M. Commissioner Roemer had called in as not being present. BUSINESS AND/OR ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS The Board signed a Claims Approval Report dated June 8, 2018, for the Insurance Deductible Trust Fund, with a grand total of $2,412.76. The Board signed Retail Alcoholic Beverage Licenses to the following: Albino Ortega dba Jerome Event Center, Jerome; William Scates dba Bill s Trophy Club, Eden; Clarisa Sandoval dba Cheverria s, Jerome; Jose Perez Marin dba Garibaldi s Mexican Restaurant, Jerome; and China Village, LLC, dba China Village, Jerome. Commissioner Howell signed three Catering Permits to: South Hills Bar & Grill, Hansen, to be used June 16, 2018, June 22, 2018, and June 30, 2018, all at The Risk Barn from 1 P.M. - 1 A.M. READ AND APPROVE MINUTES, Continued from June 11 A Motion was made by Commissioner Howell to approve the minutes of June 4 as read. It was seconded and carried with unanimous ayes. CLAIMS, Continued from June 11 A Motion was made by Commissioner Howell to approve the claims as presented. It was seconded and carried with unanimous ayes. The Board had signed a Claims Approval Report dated June 8, 2018, for the Indigent Fund, with a total of $4,023.23. The Board had signed a Claims Approval Report dated June 8, 2018, with a grand total of $218,947.53 for the following funds: General, Airport, District Court II, Justice, Indigent, Revaluation, Solid Waste, Auditor s Trust, and Planning & Zoning/Building, Commissioner Howell signed claims for the May 30, 2018, to June 12, 2018, claim cycle as follows. Page 1 of 6
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GEORGE OPPEDYK SHERIFF AND DETENTION BUDGET PROPOSAL Sheriff George Oppedyk, Jail Administrator Marisela Ibarra, Chief Deputy Sheriff Gary Taylor, and Clerk/Auditor/Recorder Michelle Emerson were present. Sheriff Budget: Sheriff Oppedyk requested a large increase for the wages of his deputies in order to add part of the cost of a school resource officer for Valley School and to bring officer salaries more commensurate with the salaries of City of Jerome officers. Sheriff Oppedyk requested increases for law enforcement and vehicle supplies in order to purchase more Tasers and vehicle cameras. He also requested an increase in the Utilities- Telephone budget line as well as the vehicle fuel and repairs budget lines. Sheriff Oppedyk said he needed more funds in the Investigation and Canine lines as well as the lines for uniforms/weapons, ammunition, and education because of another police dog and additional employees. He requested more in the Capital-Vehicles line in order to purchase three vehicles and in the Capital-Firearms and Ballistic Vests lines. The sheriff said he would like to add another pod to the jail, possibly from the 2019-20 budget while the County was still able to collect rent from other law enforcement entities for bed space. Commissioner Howell asked how active Search & Rescue was; Sheriff Oppedyk said it has only one or two calls a year because Twin Falls County responds to river incidents. Sheriff Detention: Deputy Ibarra requested a 10 percent increase for wages of court security and detention deputies, which she said would vary by employee. She said contracts signed in 2018 to house inmates from both Twin Falls County and the US Marshals Service had increased the inmate population, which required increases in supplies and equipment, fuel, vehicle repairs, kitchen, jail repairs, out-of-area transports, dues/memberships, education, and pest/rodent control as well as personnel. Deputy Ibarra asked that $30,000 remain in the detention capital-vehicles line to replace a work van. She requested a reduction in inmate and medical supply lines. JAMIE RUPERT FAIR BUDGET PRESENTATION Fair Manager Jamie Rupert and Clerk/Auditor/Recorder Michelle Emerson were present. Rupert requested a $1 an hour raise for a maintenance worker because of his asset to the Fairgrounds. Other employee salaries were requested at a three percent increase. Rupert reviewed her B budget requests, which varied from no increase for racing funds to between.1 to 10 percent for other budget lines. Priority improvements were 50 stalls in the horse barn, shop siding repair, rental house yard and stalls, tree maintenance, and north restroom walls upgraded, all totaling $88,500. TEVIAN EKREN-KOBER TREASURER BUDGET PRESENTATION Treasurer Tevian Ekren-Kober and Clerk/Auditor/Recorder Michelle Emerson were present. Page 3 of 6
Ekren-Kober requested five percent salary increases for her and her two deputies. She also requested three percent increases in all her B budget lines except telephone, explaining that the increase in travel expenses was necessary because of a future conference in Ketchum. CONNIE STOPHER SIEDO UPDATE AND BUDGET REQUEST Clerk/Auditor/Recorder Michelle Emerson was present. Also present was Connie Stopher, Executive Director of the Southern Idaho Economic Development Organization (SIEDO). Stopher requested $9,900 in dues from Jerome County, down from $11,000 requested for FY 2017-18. Stopher said SIEDO was targeting veterans and foreign companies to locate in southern Idaho. She added that she had been working with the executive director of Jerome 20/20 on Jerome County projects. Meeting recessed at 11:48 A.M. Meeting reconvened at 1:17 P.M. JEFF SCHROEDER JEROME FOOD MINISTRY UPDATE AND BUDGET REQUEST Clerk/Auditor/Recorder Michelle Emerson was present. Also present was Jeff Schroeder, assistant coordinator of Jerome Food Ministry. Schroeder said he was again requesting a $4,000 donation to the Jerome Food Ministry, up from $2,500 the County had provided in the current year. He said the Ministry s focus was to provide nutritious food for those in need and that its food pantry was the only one in Jerome County. Schroeder presented a letter with 2017 statistics from Martha & Mary s Food Pantry and the Jerome Community Kitchen. It also included the Ministry s primary food sources, its volunteer groups, and its mobile deliveries. Commissioner Howell asked about donations from Cliff Bar and Chobani; Schroeder said donations go to Boise and then back to the local area through the Idaho Food Bank. JEFF SCHROEDER INTERFAITH ASSOCIATION UPDATE AND BUDGET REQUEST Clerk/Auditor/Recorder Michelle Emerson was present. Also present was Jeff Schroeder. Schroeder presented a letter from Will Ritter, the chairman of the Jerome Interfaith Association, that included the Association s mission, its participating churches, and its primary services. Schroeder requested $2,500, up from the $1,500 provided by the County to the organization in 2018. EDIE SCHAB INTERLINK VOLUNTEER CAREGIVERS UPDATE AND BUDGET REQUEST Clerk/Auditor/Recorder Michelle Emerson was present. Also present was Edie Schab. Page 4 of 6
Schab thanked the Board for its $1,500 contribution in 2018 and requested $3,000 for FY 2018-19, saying that Interlink was the only organization in south-central Idaho providing free transportation to needy individuals, with transportation to health-related appointments the agency s highest priority. She said Interlink has nine volunteers in Jerome County and that the agency would use donated funds for volunteers mileage reimbursements. ROY PRESCOTT RANGELAND FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION UPDATE AND BUDGET REQUEST Clerk/Auditor/Recorder Michelle Emerson was present. Also present was Roy Prescott. Prescott requested a budget line of $500 for the Rangeland Fire Protection Association. He said the County s $500 contribution in 2018 had helped the association to be eligible for donations of federal surplus equipment. Prescott said the association had helped suppress six fires in the previous summer and sometimes is present at a fire scene before any other agency. ROY PRESCOTT SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE UPDATE AND BUDGET REQUEST Clerk/Auditor/Recorder Michelle Emerson was present. Also present was Roy Prescott. Prescott requested an increase from 2018 s contribution of $12,000 to $15,000. He told of projects both completed and planned and said the Service desired to help cities, particularly Eden and Hazelton. Prescott reminded the Board that the State organization matches the funding for qualifying projects. Prescott advised that funds were no longer needed for the Internment Memorial Barbecue because it was not held in 2018 due to a feud among groups supporting the recognition of the internment of Japanese citizens in Jerome County. GILLIAN MINTER JEROME SENIOR CENTER UPDATE AND BUDGET REQUEST Clerk/Auditor/Recorder Michelle Emerson was present. Also present was Gillian Minter, director of the Jerome Senior Citizens Center. Minter requested $3,000, up from $2,000 contributed from the 2108 budget. She said the Jerome Senior Center was $10,000 in the red due to decreased funding from grants and donations and an increase in meals delivered. She informed the Board the Center charges $5 for a meal if the person can afford it. Minter reported that the Center had improved its menus and had increased the number of its fundraisers. PAT BRUNING EDEN SENIOR CENTER UPDATE AND BUDGET REQUEST Clerk/Auditor/Recorder Michelle Emerson was present. Also present was Eden Senior Center Director Pat Bruning. Bruning did not request an increase from the donation of $3,000 to the Eden Senior Center in 2018. She said the Center s largest expense was maintaining the building, which is 102 years old. Page 5 of 6
Commissioner Howell asked about Region IV Development helping to secure a grant, but Bruning said it was not a priority of the agency. She said the Eden/Hazelton community would like the Valley Recreation District to build a community building, including a gym, that could also be used for a senior center. Bruning said the Eden Center had served 4,850 meals in the current year, with an average of 30-40 persons present for each lunch day. She said volunteers, donations, fundraisers, and grants had kept the Center afloat. CHARLES COCHRAN VICTORY HOMES UPDATE AND BUDGET REQUEST Clerk/Auditor/Recorder Michelle Emerson was present. Also present was Charles Cochran, case manager for Victory Homes. Cochran did not request an increase from the $500 the County had contributed to the Victory Home in 2018 but did tell of its needs and services. He said the Home receives no government funding and raises funds through a banana bread ministry but needs ovens costing $5,000. Cochran said the Home has a 75-80 percent success rate in rehabilitating persons who commit to a year-long program. He said the Home had housed 89 persons from Jerome and was investigating renting a house in Jerome County. Meeting adjourned at 3:55 P.M. Respectively submitted: Jane White, Deputy Clerk Charles M. Howell, Chairman Roger M. Morley, Commissioner (absent) Catherine M. Roemer, Commissioner Page 6 of 6