BOCC approves Omodt’s email records requests

SANDPOINT — During the Bonner County commissioners’ special Thursday meeting, a motion was passed to allow Commissioner Luke Omodt to continue requesting Commissioner Asia Williams’s emails.

In reference to questions about why Omodt was seeking so many of Williams’s emails, the commissioner referenced a document claiming the board had failed to uphold numerous Idaho codes, one being the supervision of county employees.

“I am trying to follow what we have been told we were neglectful for, which is the supervision of county officers,” he said.

Omodt stepped down from the chair and motioned that he be allowed to continue seeking emails from Williams. County attorney Bill Wilson chimed in during discussion.

“This is an issue that we are in the process of investigating,” he said. “I would recommend … that the board delay [action] until we have the opportunity to do some research.”

Wilson said that counsel needs to decipher whether the board has the legal authority to approve something like this as he has always interpreted this section of Idaho Code differently than how Omodt seems to read it. He suggested the board wait to vote until counsel can advise so that staff doesn’t have to potentially turn around and void this motion should it be deemed necessary to do so.

“This is a continued showing of this board intentionally trying to just be different for one commissioner than another,” Williams said. “You [Omodt] have been doing public records requests at a rate that is very high. You’re not supervising in some official capacity. I’m not your employee.”

Williams told Omodt that if he didn't like that she won her district’s seat, then he should have done more work before the election. The District 2 commissioner said she is tired of the constant harassment against her.

“This board is going to come and go, but the precedent of this behavior is making our county look foolish,” she said.

Williams also said there are consequences for constantly ignoring legal counsel’s advice and making decisions based on personal opinion rather than legal advice. This strategy, she said, makes everyone in the county look bad.

Instead of spending hours looking through her inbox, Williams suggested Omodt spend even a fraction of that time reporting on things he’s actively doing in the community.

“You can not like me all you want to, but it’s going to be a long three years,” she said. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Omodt said the reason he is seeking these emails comes down to taxes — and who is in charge of spending those taxpayer dollars.

“It is about who is coordinating with what to obfuscate and stonewall in regards to how public moneys are being spent,” he said.

Omodt said he would gladly give up any of his emails that any member of the public asked for, rather than sit in front of the public talking about transparency while hiding what he’s doing.

Also in terms of taxpayer dollars, Omodt mentioned the deputy that is now required to sit in on every commissioner meeting due to a civil protection order that Williams filed against Bradshaw. In what he refers to as a first-of-its-kind protection detail that has never been awarded to anyone else in Bonner County, Omodt said having the deputy constantly present while the other two commissioners are in the same building is liberally using taxpayer dollars.

Williams told Omodt that none of what he said has anything to do with her inbox. In response to the deputy present, the District 2 commissioner stated Bradshaw had a choice to attend the meetings from a separate location, but since he chose to decline that option, it necessitated the deputy attending the meetings.

“Our taxpayer dollars are because of him,” she said. “I am tired of the shaming that comes from you as a supposed leader of the community, of constantly harassing me over the fact that Commissioner Bradshaw made a decision. This is not my decision.”

Williams said the District 1 commissioner is receiving accommodations for this order because of his position in the county. Williams told Omodt to “knock it off,” because she claimed he is risking tax money by constantly bringing her protection order up in every meeting that they have. While blame is being placed on her, she reminded the board that all of this is happening because of what Bradshaw allegedly said to her and the decisions he made thereafter.

Williams made a motion to deny the request for the authority of the board to see her emails. However, that motion did not receive a second and it died on the table.

Omodt again stepped down from the chair and brought his motion forward. Bradshaw moved to amend the motion, requesting it not be approved until legal counsel brings forth their research and deems the motion legal.

The amendment passed 2-1, with Williams voting no. Omodt’s amended motion also passed 2-1, with Williams again voting against it.