SANDPOINT — The Bonner County Ambulance District met for its first official weekly meeting, kicking it off with seven major agenda items. However, the meeting ended with a quick run-through of agenda items due to time constraints.  

At the meeting, Bonner County commissioners approved repayment of the total tax anticipation note principal payment taken out by the BCAD, amounting to $500,000. The approval stemmed from a Feb. 5 board meeting regarding the repayment process of TAN.  

The district obtained the TAN after learning of the lack of funds in its account in September 2024. In January, the board approved the withdrawal of $500,000 from the $2 million TAN. 

To keep the loan “open” year-round, the district can only pay back the principal payment, not the interest.  

A staffing update was also provided during the meeting by Deputy Chief Brinkmeier, who was tasked in handling staffing operations. Brinkmeier said personnel costs at the beginning of the fiscal year totaled $563,760.27. After three positions were eliminated — two workers resigned, one retired — and several personnel shifts, the district is saving $321,329.42. That amount does not include a position left vacant last week when a paramedic resigned.  

Brinkmeier outlined how a minimum staffing layout would look, if the district needed to make financial cuts. Currently, BCAD has a total of 29 personnel, including paramedics and additional staff. To be at bare minimum staffing levels, the district would have a total of 27 personnel — a minimum of 15 would need to be paramedics. 

Brinkmeier noted that additional staffing reports would be presented in next week’s meeting. 

For the last agenda item, Commissioner Brian Domke presented a tracking spreadsheet for future ambulance district tasks. Over the next several meetings, Domke will be spearheading efforts to create more efficient and productive meetings. The sheet is organized by task, the tasks progress, task owner, level of priority and percentage complete.