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Thursday, April 18, 2024
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Asia Williams

Williams

| April 30, 2022 1:00 AM

• Profession: Quality Risk Management In Health Care,

• Party affiliation: Republican

• Educational background: Six Sigma Black Belt, Practical Nurse, MBA

• How many years as a Bonner County resident: Over a decade

• Marital status: Married

• Hobbies: Arts, crafts, history, literature collector, outdoor activities

• Website: voteasiawilliams.com

  1. Communication with transparency to the community, develop a plan to address the comprehensive plan.
  2. • Continued growth at an accelerated rate with approval for increased density without a plan to address the infrastructure of the county. As we see growth in Bonner County, we must balance the increase in density to ensure that our infrastructure can support the growth. From issues with roads to emergency services to services for veterans. We must focus on responsible growth and not leverage the current residents against new residents moving into the county.

• Compressive plan is from 2008. As the county has continued to grow sub area committees have completed their tasks yet the county has not updated the plan while continuing to spot zone to include failure to address the critical habitat of the area. We have an involved community when it comes to our planning and zoning issues. As we see requests for zone changes in the community, we see decisions being made that appear to disregard the current comprehensive plan. For example, repeated requests for zone changes in an area due to the descriptions in Chapter 3 versus the zone change guidelines outlined in chapter 2. This has been stated repeatedly to the commissioners and planning with the county attorney recognizing a need to address this issue yet no resolution comes. While the issue continues, we still see zone changes which beg the question of spot zoning for many in the community. With respect to the critical habitat, development continues to occur using a 20 year old map. There have been repeated requests for this to be resolved with IDFG agreeing to assist the county yet a resolution submitted by myself was tabled by the District 2 Commissioner. Once we overdevelop around critical habitat, we will may never recover.

• A review of the justice department system is required. There is definitely a need that has to be addressed. From a leaky roof to retention issues to not having basics such as offices for judges that we attract to the area. We can not attract and retain members of law enforcement if we concurrently do not ensure they have the tools needed to ensure they can complete their job efficient, effectively and with safety. From a leaking roof, to a lack of offices for judges to a facility that fluctuates with its ability to accommodate inmates due to covid, gender, severity of crime. The above requires that we address the needs of our justice system.

    1. Additional information regarding the depth, severity and available resources is needed. Upon receipt of said information, a plan for each critical item must be developed that provides transparency, milestones and anticipated completion dates with regular scheduled follow up meetings to address any obstacles that impact resolution.
  2. Impact fees are fees assed against a developer specifically to address the impact that development has on the existing infrastructure. This type of fee can be an alternative to increasing property taxes on the existing residents of the county. I am in agreement that impact fees should be collected to address the impact to the infrastructure. With increased density, Commissioners must evaluate the risks to the existing infrastructure. Bonner County currently has an infrastructure that needs to be improved. As property owner chooses to develop their land and extract the value out of said land, the cost of that development as it relates to the infrastructure should not be passed on to the residents of the county but should be a cost of development.
  3. There is room for improvement with our county government. To name a few issues:

• Increased transparency, - Why are we refusing public records requests, this opens the county up for litigation

• improved communication- vague “special meeting” agendas, violation of open meeting laws with commissioners declining a public request for workshops.

• litigation within the county- Every loss costs the tax payers money, why are we hiring an attorney from California to represent McDonald and Connolly in a tort claim filed against them with respect to their work as Commissioners? Who is paying for this? Why won’t they give the contract? Why is the county refusing records requests in spite of the laws regarding FOIA. Decisions to give away land that the public then fights for costs money and resources.

• land give aways without following the current guidelines to show the benefit to the county residents- we saw this with camp bay road vacation. In spite of community involvement that included legal opinions, a decision was made, remanded and we are exposed for the fees associated for the commissioner’s failure to show how giving away a nearly one million dollar piece of land for free.

• Comprehensive plan update and implementation – many grass root groups have been formed in an effort to protect that rural nature of the county. The constant statement from the commissioners is we need an updated plan. In 5 years we could not update the plan?

• Map updates to include the critical habitat map and zone map – continued disregard for updating and exhibiting the maps that help with density while the county continues to increase density

The above need to be addressed with a plan that the community is able to see clearly with milestones and follow ups not vague descriptions of things being worked on only to have no actual changes.

  1. I think the planning and zoning issue rises to the top. I think the first objective is to get the comp plan updated and ensure that we are using the correct legal standard for zone changes.
  2. Litigation in our county doesn’t get enough attention because we are experiencing significant growth that is unprecedented. Over the last five years, litigation has increased throughout the county with District 3 and District 2 having a Tort Lit against them with issues regarding transparency.
  3. I am a constitutional, liberty-minded conservative Christian. I was unaffiliated for a number of years resulting from frustrations with elected officials not following the platform of the party. This is not the same as changing parties but a showing of frustration with elected officials who say they are Republican but do not act in kind. I think this is a distraction from what I have done in our community, what I continue to do and how I will represent the community. I have always voted and supported the Republican platform.
  4. What is required to represent Bonner County for the position that you are running for: Respect for the community, welcoming them into the business of the county, schedule workshops to address the concerns of the community in real time, work with ancillary departments that support the community
  5. I am a constitutional, liberty minded conservative Christian who has always been a Republican voter. I have lived in Bonner County for over a decade and I have been involved in my local and county community for years. My background in leadership, nursing, communication and business will be assets to the function of county government. Bonner county does not need a third term of in decision, failure to develop and implement plans of action, failure to address a failing infrastructure, continued disregarding of the voice of the people as we experience unprecendented growth that is turning away the generational families from the community. I am a proven leader with a background in process improvement, communication and risk analysis. I want your vote to be the next Commissioner for District 2.