Chief Timmonski / Greg Timminski — Invited back to provide a brief summary of the bill.
Doug Ricks — Interjects to clarify the question.
Doug Ricks — Asks the senator to restate the question and facilitates the exchange.
Doug Ricks — Chairman addressed in the exchange.
Doug Ricks — Addressed by Mr. Burgess in his response.
Doug Ricks — The chair recognizes Senator Groh and manages the discussion.
Doug Ricks — The chair invites Senator Groh to make the motion.
Doug Ricks — Senator Groh thanks Senator Robbie as he is recognized to make the motion.
Doug Ricks — Acknowledged in the motion exchange as the seconding member.
Doug Ricks — Identified as the second on the motion.
Doug Ricks — Says the bill is optional and discusses Madison County's tax-exempt property and pressure on fire districts.
Chief Tominsky / Timminski — The chief is referenced in the exchange about the question.
Shelly Roberts — Shelly Roberts is introduced as the next public testifier, but the committee notes that she stepped out and is not present. The discussion adds that her questions were answered and that she supports the bill.
Alison Rabe — Begins a question after the witness testimony.
Alison Rabe — Likely the intended identity of 'Senator Robbie' as the second on the motion, though uncertain.
Alison Rabe — Said she would vote to hold the bill, sympathized with fire districts, and said this was not the right fix.
Alison Rabe — Argued the issue should be fixed at the root, not through a patchwork, and said the proposal would increase home prices.
Alison Rabe — Seconded the motion to send House Bill 797 to the floor.
Alison Rabe — Senator Robbie expresses enthusiasm for the bill but says she wants the legislature to go further. She voices concern that the current approach may be too limited or optional to achieve the desired impact, and notes that the situation may prevent doing more than what is currently proposed.
Ben Adams — Ben Adams asks for clarification on the current impact-fee process and how the proposed bill would change it. He questions who currently sets the fees, how the bill alters the existing system in which governmental entities approve and negotiate the fees, and whether the proposal would effectively circumvent elected city officials and their authority to represent taxpayers.
Ben Adams — Senator Adams questioned the witness about the board’s required professions and then repeatedly followed up on whether the bill would circumvent the citizen panel or assessment process, including if adding fire departments would change that. He ultimately expressed skepticism that the bill actually makes the process easier if all the same professional requirements remain in place.
Ben Adams — Asked whether apparatus are reaching end of life because of extra use or because of manufacturing quality.
Ben Adams — Mentioned respectfully by Mr. Burgess as one of the bill's supporters or participants.
Mr. Lewis — Explained that cities currently set and collect the impact fees before transferring them to the fire district.
Kelly Packer — Kelly Packer, Executive Director for the Association of Idaho Cities, testified in support of the legislation and explained the current impact-fee process. She described how the bill would streamline the process by reducing multiple hearings to one while still preserving public input and local elected officials’ decision-making.
Lori Hartog — Asked whether a fire district is considered a local unit of government and whether the bill is clarifying that point.
Ms. Packer — Ms. Packer explained that fire districts and sewer districts are treated differently in parts of the code, and that prior statutory language made it impossible for them to assess and pass fees themselves. She said the bill is intended to clarify that language and make the process easier for these districts.
Kelly Anthon — The speaker appears to address a colleague across the rotunda; the transcript likely mishears the name, but no confident correction is possible.
Kelly Anthon — The transcript says 'Senator Denhardtog'; likely intended to be Senator Den Hartog, who speaks in support with reservations.
Kelly Anthon — Observed that fire protection districts have a higher residency standard than legislators and thanked Senator Adams for carrying the bill.
Unidentified witness — Explained that the DEFAC board already covers multiple small cities, so the benefit is reducing separate meetings and agreements.
Treg Bernt — Senator Treg Bernt moved to send House Bill 766 to the floor with a due pass recommendation and was identified as the bill’s floor carrier. In the same discussion, he asked for clarification on whether the bill would authorize collecting additional fees or simply allow municipalities and fire districts to use existing collected fees differently, including for replacement apparatus rather than only new apparatus.
Treg Bernt — Senator Burnt followed up on Mr. Burgess’s testimony by questioning why builders oppose the use of existing impact fees for 50% replacement of apparatus, noting that the fees are not being increased and asking for an explanation of the builders’ objections.
Treg Bernt — Was addressed by Senator Taylor in a lighthearted remark.
Treg Bernt — Was jokingly told he might have a birthday and had already made his motion heard.
Treg Bernt — Introduced himself and presented House Bill 760, emphasizing affordable housing.
Treg Bernt — Says he has studied the bill and is eager to see it move forward.
Treg Bernt — The chair addresses Senator Groh by name before he makes a motion.
Treg Bernt — States he has been involved with the bill and wants to make a motion.
Treg Bernt — Wants to make a motion to move the bill ahead and discuss concerns if any.
Treg Bernt — Moves to send House Bill 760 to the floor with a due pass recommendation.
Treg Bernt — The chair summarizes the motion as having been made by Senator Groh.
Treg Bernt — Explains support for the motion, emphasizing partnership and housing benefits.
Treg Bernt — The chair says Senator Bernt will carry the bill on the floor.
Treg Bernt — The chair says he will carry the bill on the floor; transcript likely intends Senator Bernt.
Ms. Packard — Praised for explaining the bill point by point and why it is needed.
Doug O'Connellitz, Legislative District 3 — Introduces and explains the bill, describing fire apparatus costs and the need for flexibility.
unidentified fire district witness — The witness explained that fire districts could use impact fees for apparatus replacement only within clear sideboards, so the expense must be defensible in the CIP and tied to growth-caused needs. They clarified that districts could use up to 50% of impact fees for replacing fire apparatus, not the full amount, because wear and tear is not entirely attributable to growth.
Arpenter (likely Carpenter) — Clarified that there is no increase in impact fees; the bill would allow existing fees to be used for replacement apparatus.
Mr. Carpenter — Mr. Carpenter explained that House Bill 389 significantly affects fire districts because they are property-tax dependent and have limited revenue sources, with only modest shared sales tax revenue and prevention/inspection bureau income. He said those funding constraints make it difficult to buy apparatus or staff new stations, but the bill could help districts enhance their fleet and maintain current response models in fast-growing communities. He also described apparatus wear as driven by extra use and measured in hours rather than miles, noting that current usage can push replacement needs into the seven- to ten-year range. Finally, he said he would not characterize the apparatus as being built worse, though newer electronics can create more breakdown points even if the drive train remains similar.