BOCC seeks RV campground extension

Tensions were high at the Bonner County commission meeting Tuesday morning as a proposed RV campground again made its way onto the board’s agenda.

Bonner County received an Idaho Parks and Recreation grant last year for improvements to the land adjacent to the Bonner County Fairgrounds for the construction of an RV campground. With a reimbursement grant, Bonner County will initially have to pay the estimated $498,000 for the project but will be paid back by IDPR once the project is completed.

However, many residents believe the land has been set aside for a new justice center, as the county jail also sits on a piece of land next to the currently vacant lot. Because of the arguments that have ensued about the land, Phase I of construction — repairing the campground road which is full of giant potholes — has yet to begin, and the deadline of June 30, 2023, is fast approaching.

In April, Commissioner Luke Omodt shared an email sent to him by the grant staff, stating that while the county is allowed to ask for an extension to the deadline, they are not confident the project will be completed in time. Because of this, staff are hesitant to grant the county an extension as they feel it might not help regardless, according to the document.

Despite the lack of confidence in the county from the grant staff, Omodt made a motion to request a project extension anyway.

“We need to submit this extension in order to submit the bids because there's no point in submitting bids if we don't have the funding,” he said.

The commissioner said if the county wants to keep the grant, it needs to kick it into gear in some capacity. The grant staff will not consider an extension if they see that the county hasn’t started preparing to begin Phase I, Omodt said.

After a multitude of residents expressed varying levels of disapproval of the project, Commissioner Asia Williams voiced her own disapproval of the issue. She said that since the Bonner County Fair Board will be responsible for the campground’s maintenance after it’s completed, it should submit the request. She also said she’s worried that the campground will be torn down before the 20-year time period required by the grant holders, causing the county to have to come up with $500,000 to pay back the grant — money which Williams said the county won’t be able to find.

After a lengthy argument, Commissioner Steve Bradshaw called for a roll call vote but was interrupted by Williams, who said she wanted to invite an audience member to speak before the matter was voted on. However, Bradshaw denied the request, saying there had already been plenty of discussion on the matter and that the board needed to move on to other agenda items.

“If y’all want me to filibuster the rest of this meeting, I can do that,” Williams said.

The comment upset Bradshaw, who had just finished saying the issue had sat on the table for too long and action needed to be taken.

“No you won’t because I’ll adjourn this meeting in a heartbeat,” he responded.

The threat didn’t phase Williams, who said a premature adjournment would work in her favor.

“Well then [the extension] doesn’t get passed, so I’d win,” she replied. “So which one do you want?”

As Bradshaw again called for a roll call vote, Omodt voted yes. When it was Williams’ turn to vote, she again began to speak, but Bradshaw cut her off, stating that discussion was over and she needed to give a yes or no answer. When she again continued to talk, Bradshaw attempted to tell the clerk to write down, “No answer from Commissioner Williams.”

“I’m pretty sure you’re breaking the law if you think you can bypass my vote,” Williams quickly said. “I am a duly-elected individual and I will represent the people of my district and this county. If you would like to adjourn this meeting and not vote on this, be my guest. I would approve of that. But I am not going to be shut up by you. I don’t care that you’re the chairman.”

After voicing more disapproval of the campground project, Williams voted no to the extension request. Bradshaw voted yes, passing the motion on a 2-1 vote.