POCATELLO — The D’Amico family’s quest for facts about the cost of upkeep and renovations at the Servel House occupied by Idaho State University President Arthur Vailas is going to cost them — $1,235 to be exact. They’ve turned to the website Gofundme.com to help raise the money.

ISU emailed the bill to the D’Amicos after the family submitted a Freedom of Information request for details on the $31,000 in annual maintenance and estimated $750,000 for improvements the university told the State Board of Education it spends or would have to spend on the Servel House on South Seventh Avenue to preserve it as a residence for the university’s president.

Last November, ISU was preparing to ask the state board to approve a $600,000 expenditure to purchase a new president’s home in the Gibson Jack Road area south of Pocatello to replace the Servel House — which has served ISU presidents since 1951.

At that time, university officials said the transaction would save ISU about $195,000 in maintenance costs at the Servel House over the next 10 years and would eliminate the need for about $750,000 in needed renovations at the Servel House.

The D’Amicos want to see receipts, work orders and estimates for repairs at the Servel House to back up the estimates that ISU provided the SBOE. The university told the D’Amicos it will take time and manpower to gather that information — hence the bill for $1,235.

“You would think the university would have collected that information before going to the state board,” Eric D’Amico said.

Eric, a retired Pocatello school teacher and ISU alum, his wife, Rhonda, a former ISU employee and alum, and their son Sam, a current ISU student, say they just want the evidence behind the university’s claims.

President of the Idaho Press Club and journalist Betsy Russell said it’s uncommon for government agencies to attempt to bill people for access to public information. However, Russell said Idaho’s open records law doesn’t require that public entities must “create new records in response to a public records request.”

ISU maintains it is billing the D’Amicos for the cost of creating new records regarding the Servel House.

Those interested in helping the D’Amicos pay for their request for information from ISU can go to: GoFundMe.com/ka38d8 to make a donation.

When the plan to purchase a new ISU presidential mansion on Wild Horse Ridge became public in November, it caused a negative community reaction, and the university dropped the request before the SBOE could make a decision.

ISU officials said that proposal is now dead.

“It’s not in the picture for the university,” ISU Director of Marketing and Communications Adrienne King said about the original Wild Horse Ridge property. “We have received all the earnest money back.”

ISU is now creating an advisory committee to examine the president’s house issue. King said letters have gone out to all the people selected to serve on that committee, which will have membership from faculty, staff, alumni, students and community groups. She said the list of members will be shared with the public once it holds its first meeting.

Eric said he asked to be a member of that committee and would like all of its discussions to be open to the public.

“The university needs to be transparent,” Eric said. “I want the committee’s actions to be open.”

In a December email from ISU Vice President for Advancement Kent Tingey, Eric was told: “We are vetting dozens of names with key university stakeholders and opinion leaders and receiving their input, advice and suggestions on potential committee members that can examine the issue with a broad knowledge of university needs.”

Saturday, Tingey said that 12 or 13 people had been selected, and Eric D’Amico was not among them.

When Rhonda first emailed a formal request for information to ISU, she wanted purchase requests for items costing more than $50 bought for the Servel House from 2006-20014; hours and labor performed by ISU maintenance staff at the house and grounds from 2010 to 2014; a list of any items valued at over $5,000 installed on the house and grounds; and any bids submitted on possible upgrades.

Rhonda said her former position at the ISU Wellness Center made her very aware of the oversight involved in purchases and expenditures at the university.

“While I understand that the university president’s position and duties may require greater authority for spending, it seems a reasonable expectation that given the responsibility with which his office is entrusted, there would be a high level of accountability and transparency for his budget as well,” Rhonda said.

Tingey said it’s his understanding that the D’Amicos wanted receipts dating back 10 years, and the university doesn’t have that information readily available.

Tingey said ISU sent adequate information for the new house proposal to the State Board.

Last week, Eric contacted the SBOE and asked if the board had more specific information about the costs of maintaining the Servel House or

Blake Youde, chief communications and legislative affairs officer for the SBOE, sent Eric an email that said: “If the Business and Human Resources Committee of the State Board of Education had considered the agenda item (for a new ISU presidential mansion), more detailed information regarding maintenance and renovation costs would have been considered prior to any vote by the committee.”

If the D’Amicos are successful in raising the money to pay ISU to gather this detailed information, it will be available if or when the issue of a new ISU president’s residence returns to the SBOE.