New property helps Bingham County Commissioners

Bingham County Commissioners are no longer worried about privacy when it comes to business matters. The county recently purchased new office space for the commissioners. The house sits across the street from the courthouse in Blackfoot where the commissioners have open meetings with the public.

“Everything that goes on in the courthouse is on the agenda and posted on it within 48 hours so that when we meet there, we try to make a decision. But when we work on budget or private stuff these offices will be available,” said Chairman of the Commissioners Ladd Carter. Carter said when there is more than one commissioner in the same place, it’s an open meeting. If two of them were to accidentally meet in a grocery store then it’s considered an open meeting. The new property will keep them from violating the open meeting law.

“We had some private offices over there but it didn’t really fit the need because we just had temporary barriers between the offices. We could hear each other’s phone calls and there was no privacy. We have a little more privacy here to be able to conduct conversations with citizens,” Carter said.
Commissioner Whitney Manwaring said he doesn’t have to worry about privacy.

“Here is an opportunity for us to talk to individuals and close the door and talk to them about something,” he said.

The house is undergoing some construction but the commissioners are already utilizing the space. The building cost the county about $151,000. Federal money was used to pay for it in February 2013.