BOCC to discuss Camp Bay trail easement
SANDPOINT — Bonner County commissioners are facing a packed agenda with a lengthy list of items facing the board at today's meeting.
Among the items before the board is the easement for the Camp Bay Trail. As part of its vacation of Camp Bay Road, Green Enterprises and M3 Companies agreed to an easement for a trail to ensure continued access to the lake.
With the construction of the trail now complete, the company is seeking approval of the final easement by the county. The proposal has been approved by the county's legal department. The trail would be open from sunrise to sunset and open for portage of non-motorized watercraft and a ban on open flames and campfires along the easement. While leashed dogs and trail horses would be permitted, owners would have to promptly remove any animal waste.
Use of alcohol, fireworks and tobacco products would be prohibited and users of the trails must stay on the described easement and pack out any items brought to the site as well as any garbage.
Also going before the board is the county's Recreation Department which is seeking approval to apply for an Outdoor Recreation Fund grant. The $60,350 grant, which requires a 5% match of $3,017.50, would go toward repairs to the Granite Creek dock systems and navigation lights at Priest Lake, Matt Zoeller, Parks and Waterways director, said in board packet information.
The Granite Creek dock system has damages that make the dock unsafe and challenging to use, Zoeller said.
"It is in major need of restoration with multiple issues needing corrected," he added.
The navigation lights are Priest Lake are on rotting pilings that aren't likely to last much longer, he said in an application to the Outdoor Recreation Fund. Without lit navigation markers, traversing the lake could be hazardous for visitors and residents along the lake.
Of the request, just over $23,000 of the grant funds would go toward the Granite Creek dock project with the total cost of the project estimated at $24,350. The remainder of the grant funds — roughly $34,200 — would go to the navigation piling project at Priest Lake, which is estimated to cost $36,000, according to packet information provided to county officials on the request.
A Facebook posting seeking comments on the project garnered strong support with residents saying both projects are needed.
Also before the board is the potential reappointment of members to the Priest Lake Groomer Advisory Board. The board is recommending the reappointment of Darcie Humphrey, Ben Votava, Jim McReynolds, Dave Spencer and Keith Schofield.
Also on the agenda is a request by the Bonner County Sheriff's Office for a short-term contract with MacDonald's Resort for temporary moorage of a sheriff's vessel; a request by Bonner County Solid Waste for the purchase of two Dodge 3500 trucks and a Ford F-600 as fleet vehicles; and adjustment of a 2022 Emergency Performance Grant.
Bonner County Clerk Michael Rosedale is bringing three batch claims before the board, totaling $599,268.88, 7,209.99 and $745,572.57. Rosedale is also slated to bring renewal of an audit agreement for Fiscal Year 2024-25 with Zwygart John & Associates for an estimated $68,000.
Justice Services is seeking approval of an agreement for maintenance of a fingerprint computer and printed in the Bonner County Juvenile Detention Center; as well as approval of the Bonner County Justice Services Department operating agreement.
On the consent agenda, the board is expected to decide on more than a dozen liquor licenses in the county, invoices over $5,000 including the county's quarterly insurance payment, and its meeting minutes from last week.
Board of Bonner County Commission meetings are held at the Bonner County Administration Building, 1500 U.S. 2; and also are livestreamed via YouTube. To access the streams, visit the Bonner County YouTube page at bit.ly/3NElj9X.