City to hire firefighters

The Bonners Ferry City Council gave Bonners Ferry Fire Chief Pat Warkentin five thumbs up on Tuesday, approving the hiring of four, full-time firefighters.

Councilman Rick Alonzo motioned to hire Tyson Bennett, Jake Porter, Andre Rosengrant and Jesse Williams. Councilman Ron Smith seconded the motion, and the council unanimously voted in favor.

Warkentin assured the council that the four firefighters were more than qualified for their new post.

“All four of them are top notch firemen,” Warkentin said. “They’ve completed the required training and then some.”

The council heard Boundary Community Hospital Chief Executive Officer Craig Johnson’s 2016 levy proposal, up for vote Nov. 8. There was no formal decision required by the council, as Johnson was a guest on the agenda.

Boundary County commissioners approved the ballot measure, asking voters to approve the two-year, $828,000 supplemental levy. If approved, cost for the levy would be $48 per $100,000 in real property assessed value, after the homeowner exemption is applied, per year for two years.

Johnson stressed the importance of the levy’s approval, stating that 50 percent of Boundary County’s population is over 45-years-old, according to the 2015 census.

“We are an aging community and we are in need of proper medical services,” Johnson said.

Johnson broke down the hospital’s needs, which would be covered upon approval of the proposed levy, via a slideshow presentation. On the budget was a $100,000 main fire alarm system panel replacement, $250,0000 climate control system upgrades for the hospital and the nursing home building, $202,000 surgical equipment, $126,000 radiology equipment and $150,000 allocated for laboratory equipment.

Mayor David Sims thanked Johnson and wished him well.

“Certainly our hospital is an asset to our community and we wish you luck with the levy,” Sims said.

Friends of the Hospital will be hosting an open house Oct. 14 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the hospital in the outpatient service lobby.

There was an in-depth discussion between the council and the Bonners Ferry electric department employees, following a suggestion by Sims to change a city, billing policy that is utilized by the electric, water and sewer departments.

“City staff members and I worked on updating the current billing and collection policy and one item that I had a question on, is if there was a better way to get some of the older electric services upgraded,” Sims said. “Our policy requires an external disconnect for new services and we’re eventually trying to get all of the services upgraded.”

Currently, if an individual’s power is disconnected due to non-payment, and an external disconnect is not in place, it is required by city standards, to install an external disconnect before the electric service will be energized.

Sims proposed an alternative to that requirement, recommending that the city could require the upgrade upon the sale of the property, instead of when services are disconnected due to non- payment.

After listening to the concerns of electric department employees, the council decided to continue with the current policy, in addition to requiring the service upgrade with changes of ownership.

The council unanimously approved the changes to the policy and it will be formally approved as a resolution at the next council meeting.