BOCC Prompts Complaint to Attorney General

In the continuing saga of the Bonner County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) ongoing violations of the Open Meeting Laws (OML) have put Chairman Steven Bradshaw and his Vice-Chair Benjamin “Luke” Omodt on the hot seat.

A complaint has been filed by Bonner County resident Dan Rose with the Idaho State Attorney General’s office and the Bonner County Prosecutors office regarding recent business and special meetings concerning the fair grounds campground expansion project.

Questions suggesting that the Commissioners have secretly hidden their actual agendas concerning the fair board and the campground expansion project are now in front of the AG.

The March 2^nd special meeting was noticed as only “Action Item: Discussion/Decision Regarding IDPR Grant Award – Fairgrounds,” shown here:

You can listen to the March 2, 2023 special meeting here:

Rose continues:

Given that no mention in the March 2, 2023 Special Meeting Agenda is made to the subject of the “adjustment of boundary lines” beyond the known Fairground property identifications within the grant application, I understood the meeting agenda notice of the March 2, 2023 BoCC Special Meeting to included generic IDPR grant application discussion and conceivable construction issues strictly within Fairground property boundaries, and

Secrecy of intent to the subject matter to be discussed is apparently abundant in the discussion content of adjusting property boundary line between county property RPS3835001001AA and to the immediate northwest, fairgrounds property RPS00000036601A, and

How the adjustment to property boundary line will be accomplished and with what sources of funds were “deliberated,” pursuant to I.C. 74-202(2), at the March 2, 2023 BoCC Special Meeting, and

After listening to the audio recording of the March 2, 2023 Special Meeting event, see Redoubt News link: https://redoubtnews.com/2023/03/bocc-special-meeting-campground-expansion/ I realize, again the Bonner County Board of County Commissioners secreted information of public business from interested parties, including myself at the very least, by not including property boundary line adjustments and specific boundary line adjustments related and pertinent to encroachment into GIS identified “readiness” center property to the southwest of the fairground property boundary, and

This special meeting lead to a subsequent Bonner County Board of County Commissioner “decision,” pursuant to I.C. 74-202(1) at a Regular Business Meeting on March 7, 2023, and

The Agenda item of the March 7, 2023 BoCC Regular Business Meeting reads, “BOCC – Commissioner Luke Omodt 1) … 2) … 3) Action Item: Discussion/Decision Regarding Scope of Work Related to Fairgrounds Boundary Line Adjustment, Sewell & Associates; Not to Exceed $25,000.00” is a continuation of secreted March 2, 2023 OML violation, as other property to the north, south and/or west are not identified but certainly known by previous “deliberation”, see: BOCC 030723 Business Meeting Agenda

This BoCC regular business meeting agenda item received no discussion and public input, which is customary BoCC process, but not a requirement, again received no public hearing comment, and

IDAPA 26 – DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION, Rule 26.01.31.100.02 requires a public hearing, which is disputed has ever occurred: Public Comment, as part of the application, the applicant must provide an opportunity for public comment. The applicant must include proof of public comment regarding the project application, and.

Pursuant to Bonner County Ordinance 1-200(A) “Regular business meetings do not constitute public hearings wherein the public has the right to be heard.”

The Attorney General’s office has cited the BOCC in the past for OML violations, specifically last year concerning this same topic of the Fair grounds campground expansion project.

Here We Go Again! BOCC Wants to Give County Land to Fair Board

It will be interesting to see how much the Attorney General will be willing to put up with before either assigning a special prosecutor, assessing a fine to the Chairman, or utilizing some other form of consequence to the BOCC.

This is an ongoing story, with multiple issues to be addressed. Follow Redoubt News for updates.

Related Article: The Bonner County Clown Show