REGIONAL NEWS ROUNDUP: Entire Valley County Road Advisory Board quits in protest
Stories in this Regional News Roundup are excerpted from weekly newspapers from around the region. This is part one, with part two scheduled to appear in Sunday’s Tribune.
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McCALL, Idaho — The entire Valley County Road Advisory Board has resigned in protest over complaints that county commissioners have not heeded the board’s recommendations.
The advisory board submitted a joint letter of resignation to Valley County Commissioners in March, alleging poor departmental management and oversight.
The resignation letter, and a response from commissioners is available on the county’s website at co.valley.id.us.
The advisory board was formed in March 2021 and tasked with making recommendations for improvements and funding strategies to commissioners.
Volunteer board members included Steven Hull, Lorrine Munn, Jerry Robinson, Gary Swain, Kirby Robertson and Paul Hefner.
The letter concluded that the board had “successfully identified weaknesses and inefficiencies” in the county’s road department, but not enough action was taken by commissioners.
“Our conclusions confirm these department failures were not related to lack of funds,” said a letter from Hefner, former road board president. “We identified underperforming administration and leadership within VCRD (the Valley County Road Department) as to the reason the department is experiencing persistent performance and customer service failures.”
“We feel we have served our community successfully,” Hefner said. “However, our findings and recommendations have been left to languish with limited implementation that could help guide and improve the VCRD now and into the foreseeable future.”
Advisory board members also took issue with commissioners adopting a master transportation plan and planning to move the county’s road department headquarters without consulting the group.
“Despite adoption by BOCC (Board of County Commissioners), most recommendations provided the VCRAB (Valley County Road Advisory Board) were only partially implemented,” Hefner said.
“Many of the issues that prompted formation of the Valley County Road Advisory Board remain unresolved,” he said.
Recommendations included the roadwork priority list, adding an inventory and maintenance tracking system and a communication plan to inform the public about road projects.
Commissioners disagreed with the board’s assertions.
“While government moves slower than we would all like, recommendations have been heard and those that will improve the county functions will be considered for implementation,” said Commissioner Sherry Maupin.
Maupin said the board’s resignation was “unfortunate,” and that its work was appreciated.
County commissioners would not be appointing a new board immediately, Maupin said.
Commissioners approved spending up to $3 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to build a new road department headquarters south of Cascade on Gold Dust Road. Once built, the headquarters near the Valley County Fairgrounds would be repurposed.
Moving the road department was the top priority identified by the county’s Master Facilities Plan, which was developed through a comprehensive public outreach program, Maupin said.
Public meetings were also held on the Master Transportation Plan, she said.
A road maintenance priority list was completed by the board in November 2021 and adopted by commissioners.
The county has hired a new engineer to address concerns raised by the board about the department.
Dan Coonce, an engineer who previously served as the senior engineer and technical training director for the Local Highway Technical Assistance Council, will start working at the department on June 3, Maupin said.
“He will be able to address other concerns raised within the department,” she said.
The board met monthly in 2021 leading up to the adoption of the priority list, but scaled back operations afterward. The board met five times in 2022, twice in 2023 and once in 2024.
— Max Silverson, The Star-News (McCall), Thursday
