BOCC presses for quick meeting, tables two action items

SANDPOINT — The Bonner County commissioners met briefly Tuesday in a meeting cut short by a special emergency meeting. Commissioners tabled action items to approve the sheriff’s office county and fair purchases after commissioners expressed concern. 

The emergency special meeting was slotted to take place 30 minutes after the county commissioners meeting, causing commissioners Brian Domke and Ron Korn to rush through the agenda. Commissioner Asia Williams was not in attendance due to another meeting.  

While specifics weren’t disclosed to the public, Domke shared that the emergency was related to the potential for immediate financial loss.  

“There is, right now, the potential for immediate significant financial loss. Tens of thousands of dollars potentially, if we’re not able to act today on an issue that has come to our attention this morning. That is the reason for this special meeting,” said Domke.  

Sheriff Daryl Wheeler requested approval to enter an agreement with Idaho Sheriff Connect for one year, with the possibility of renewal, for $8,467. The Idaho Sheriff Connect agreement would allow the creation and maintenance of a read-only mobile app. The platform would allow officers to share updates of events that the public should be aware of. 

“Right now, if we push anything, it has to be on Nixle. Also, we push things on our Facebook. That means staff has to go and put together a notification. And it takes time, and usually it's either later in the day or the next day when those notifications are sent out,” Sheriff Wheeler said. “This way, a deputy who's on scene can snap a picture of a fire or an accident, and they can push that app immediately and notify all those who are on that app.” 

The proposed app would also include features showing viewers who’s in custody — with a picture of the inmate — along with the ability to track the inmates’ court dates and release. 

The discussion was ultimately tabled due to the lack of a privacy policy. Korn expressed concern about data collection. 

“My personal concerns are personal data that may be collected because we know apps like to collect data, and then a lot of apps sell that data. I don't see anywhere in this paperwork that says that that won't happen,” said Korn.

Mark Knapp, fair manager, requested approval to purchase bleachers for the fairground. While the labor for the project has already started, Domke and Korn moved to table the approval of purchases for a later date due to ADA compliance uncertainties.  

“When we make an upgrade, we need to be compliant with whatever the regulations are at that time. We can't look at what we've done in the past. We have to look at what we're doing now,” shared Domke. “I just want to be confident. And I don't think we have the information in front of us right now to be confident.” 

The fairgrounds received three bids for bleachers, with only one of the options including ADA compliant cut outs for disability seating. The cheapest bid is expected to cost over $97,000.  

The new bleachers will eventually replace the wood bleachers that are currently around the outside arena.