BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Commissioners Present:

Cindy Riegel
Bob HeneageMichael Whitfield

Other Elected Officials and Department Heads Present:

Kim Keeley, Clerk
Dan Reyes, County Manager

2.1)	DISCUSSION ITEM: Listening Session   This Town Hall Listening Session has been scheduled to give community members an opportunity to address the Board of County Commissioners and provide feedback, share ideas, and comment on relevant topics. Department: Operations

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Speakers are given up to five minutes to discuss any topic. Participants signed up in advance. If time allows, others will be given the chance to speak.
Anna Trentadue - Spoke about the vulnerabilities of Teton Creek. Development is damaging the creek corridor. She also spoke about the recent damage to several other creek corridors. She commended the Teton County staff on dealing with the incidents.
Howie Garber- Thanked the Board for the handling of the open meeting law violation. He appreciates the Wildlife Committee. He appreciates the engagement on the Targhee expansion issue.
Don Roth -  Thanked the Board for their effort on the Land Development Code. Specifically he worries about the wildlife corridors. He has noticed that as development increases, migration routes change. He would like to know what the criteria is for elk depredation tags.
Amy Verbeten - Executive Director for Friends' of the Teton River. Thanked the Board for their work on mitigating the increased use on the Teton River. She also spoke about the illegal work on stream channels creating a health and safety issue. She also commended the County staff. She recommended using other counties that have dealt with stream corridors issues as a resource, in particular Blaine County.
Curt Behle - Thanked the Board for holding the listening session. He spoke about the housing crisis. He believes the county's land code is adding to the housing crisis.
Tom Clark -  Thanked the Board for their hard work on behalf of the County. He spoke about the area of impact legislation that would expand the AOI to two miles, that is making its way through the legislature. He highlighted the fact that the residential development is outstripping commercial development, causing a tax shift.
Niki Richards - Executive Director for Valley Advocates for Responsible Development. Thanked the Board for their work on the creek damage issue. She would like to see a rapid response process put in place. She would like to see the planning process tightened up.
Pete Moyer -  Thanked the Board for the opportunity to speak. He pointed out the terrible condition of N500W. He would like to see more money spent on roads and less on studies. He pointed out that the website is very cumbersome, and does not think most of the recent studies have been useful.
Dawn Felchle -  Representing Frank Russo. Spoke about responsible growth, protecting wildlife and the environment. Specific issues are affordable housing, high quality facilities and infrastructure, Grand Targhee expansion, and civil discourse on the myriad issues facing the County.
Jerod Pfeffer -  Executive Director of the Teton County Joint Housing Authority.  He is excited to work with the Board to tackle the challenge of creating affordable housing options.
Linda Unland – Thanked and commended the Board for their professionalism and thoroughness in preparing for public meetings. She also commented on the damage done to area creeks last fall. She hopes the County will get policies in place to protect riparian areas with hefty fines if they are not followed.
Mike Pfeil – Thanked the Board for the work on the Land Development Code in August of 2022. He asked for feedback from the Board on how the Board thinks the Code is or isn’t working. The Board responded that that would be an interesting future work session.
Kathy O’Neil – Commended the Board on their work on behalf of the community. She cited the Comprehensive Plan and its emphasis on preserving the environment. A healthy ecosystem is essential to human health and wellbeing.
John Norton – Thanked the Board for the chance to speak. He is concerned about the speed of traffic on Ski Hill Road. He does not understand the need to increase the speed limit from Cemetery Road to Stateline. He believes a more comprehensive look at the safety concerns on Ski Hill Rd are warranted.
Ida Hansen - – She believes that new policies are taking away property rights. In regards to the damage done by the irrigation canal company, it is necessary for the canal company to keep the ditches clear. She does not appreciate the Commissioners interrupting people when they are speaking in Public Hearings. She doesn’t think there is a farmer or rancher on the Wildlife Committee. Also, County employees need to work at County facilities, not from home.
Shawn Hill – Thanked the Board for their dedication. Very concerned about the Teton Creek Resort development and the need for more ironclad development agreements to avoid similar situations in the future.
Carol Gregory – Very concerned about the damage done to the property on Teton Creek. She encourages everyone to speak up if you witness damage being done to the environment. She would like a process in place to respond to any future similar actions and a hefty fine for people that perpetrate the damage.
John Beller – Thanked the Board for the opportunity to speak and for all the hard work that the Board has done on behalf of the County. He is concerned about safety issues on Ski Hill Road.  He would like the speed limit to be 35 mph. He recommends the Transportation Plan include concerns for wildlife/vehicle collisions.
Susan Lykes – Thanked the Board and Staff for their thorough preparation for meetings. Would like to see the Temporary Use Permits process amended in the Land Development Code. Emergency Access issues are not currently addressed. She would also like to address noise levels. She thinks there needs to be a definition for what a barn is.
Chuck Belisle – Representing the Flood Control District #18. He is concerned about the alterations done to the Teton Creek corridor last fall. The District is not able to take action against this type of alteration. He too would like a process in place to quickly respond to any future similar actions.
Anthony Wilcox – Would like to see all committees have a uniform format to include video recordings. He believes some staff are not courteous when responding to inquiries from the public. He would like the County to take a pause on curing the open meeting law violations until the Special Prosecutor comes back with a ruling. He believes the County should have legal representation at their meetings.
Anthony Reynolds – Addressed some discrepancies in the building permit process. Grading and Erosion permit required before starting any site work, but a septic permit requires a test pit. He called the State and they clarified that State permits supersede County permits. He received bad info from County staff. Would also like the committees to have the same agenda and minutes standards as the BoCC.
Tayson Rockefeller – Thanked the Board for the opportunity to speak. In reference to the LDC, he believes some amendments to the Code could create efficiencies in the Planning Dept. Would like a “dumbed down” version or FAQ on the LDC. Need some clarity on overlays.
Mandy Rockefeller – Thanked the Board for the opportunity to speak. Is concerned that there is no noticing requirement for Minor Plat Amendments. Concerned with setback continuity.
James Weber – Thanked the Board for the opportunity to speak. Concerned about non bear resistant certified trash containers in Bear Conflict zone. Believes there should be no exemption in the zone. He believes there is a lot of confusion about what fixtures are allowable in regards to the Lighting Ordinance. Would like dark skies to be a priority.
Lani Landon – Thanked the Board for the work on behalf of the community. She would like the Board to consider dropping the speed limit to 35mph on Ski Hill Rd. A reduced speed limit would reduce vehicle wildlife collisions and have better continuity versus the current speed limits. 
Ed Yeager – Thanked the Board for holding the Town Hall. He also thanked the Board for hiring a new Deputy Prosecutor. He would like the County to raise salaries of Sheriff Deputies and hire more. He is concerned about all the lawsuits.
Mike Merigliano – Had his addressed changed by the County from Driggs to Victor. His address is not consistent between the Assessor’s office and the Voter List.
Penny Vasquez – Voiced concern over the unclear rules for Open Mic. She is frustrated by the misinformation that goes around. She would like people to try to look at more than one perspective.
The Board thanked everyone for their comments and time. They commented that there was lots of good input and ideas.