Commissioners Proceedings

June 18, 2018

All commissioners were present for a regular meeting and having heard no public comment on the day’s agenda, the board proceeded to oversee county business.

Marty Drane, Buildings and Grounds Supervisor, reported they are working on landscaping at the nursing home. Cold patch will be here soon. Collins Communication has put backup batteries on the Home Creek Repeater.

The commissioners discussed the predator control program. Indications are cattle and sheep numbers are down so revenue for the funds will be significantly less.

Kathy Roberts, Transportation Director, met with the board to ask about weed spraying around the transportation building.

Teel Mullanix, Road Supervisor, met with the board to report one of the blades has been repaired at the cost of $39,000. He brought in a bid for a mulcher. Teel and the board discussed the Ranch Creek project specifications. Teel said the Ranch Creek project has been moved to April, 2019.

Teel Mullanix, reported that Baker Steel has taken excess and discarded steel and metal from the landfill and the county shop.

Cherie Stachey, Nursing Home Administrator/Director of Nursing, met with the board and reported a census of 26 residents.

The commissioners went over year-end contracts and began the renewal process.

Having completed all current business and hearing no public comment, the board adjourned at 5:00 PM.

June 25, 2018

Commissioners Donna Giacometto, Rod Schaffer and Darold Zimmer were present for a regular meeting.

The meeting was called to order. No public comment was heard.

Marty Drane, Buildings and Grounds Supervisor, met to report his department is working on the sidewalk at the library. Marty continues to work on the fire alarm system at the courthouse.

Darold reported on a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) conference call he joined on June 19, 2018. There is a nationwide class action lawsuit to recover the balance of PILT funds that were withheld for fiscal years 2015, 2016 and 2017. After discussion, the board agreed to opt-in and completed the form to join the lawsuit. There will be no cost to the county to join.

Donna Giacometto reported on the budget workshop she, Cynde Jo Gatlin and Carole Richards attended in Miles City, MT, on June 19, 2018. New mill levy forms were discussed. Possible changes in annual financial reports may be coming for counties with fewer than 2,500 in population.

Teel Mullanix, Road Supervisor, met to report they are almost finished at the Anderson pit and will move to Kolka’s pit. We are waiting on a quote from Century to complete the application to receive Bridge and Road Safety and Accountability Act (BaRSAA) funds collected by the State and dispersed to the County Special Gas Tax Fund.

Revised Resolution 2018-07 was presented for authorization to account for revenue and expenditures of a STEP grant received in the amount of $5000.00 by the Sheriff’s Department to purchase radios. Rod Schaffer moved to accept Resolution 2018-07. Donna Giacometto seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.

Cherie Stachey, Nursing Home Administrator/Director of Nursing, met with the board to report the nurse call system is down but being worked on. An active shooter walkthrough is scheduled for July 17, 2018. There is a census of 26 residents.

Dave Gardner, county resident, visited with the commissioners about the poor condition of the landscape at the nursing home.

Commissioner Darold Zimmer signed a Quit Claim Deed transferring ownership in Lots 7 and 8 of Block 14 in Original Townsite to Town of Broadus to Kurt and Julie Collins. The property was taken in Tax Deed in 2007. The property has been deemed contamination free by Montana Department of Environmental Quality and will now be back on the tax rolls. Resolution 2018-11, Sale to Tax Deed Property, was presented. Rod moved to approve the resolution, Donna seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.

Ron Hecker with Ashland Forest Service was in to visit with the board about the Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) program. The Forest Service is proposing to turn a portion of 10 Mile Road over to Powder River County.

Barry Emmons, area rancher, talked to the board about a chemical drift from spraying county rights-of-way. The drift went thirty feet out into his field, some of his cattle ingested the sprayed vegetation and it may have killed six or seven acres. He may want compensated for his loss.

Discussion was held regarding weed chemical spray drift. It was agreed that next year before spraying rights-of-way it should be advertised in the paper to let the public know weed spraying on county rights-of-way is about to begin.

The board set the Compensation Board hearing for July 9, 2018, at 1:00 PM.

Having heard no public comment on the day’s meeting, the board adjourned at 5:00 PM.

June 29, 2018

The final commissioner meeting for the month was called to order by Chairman Darold Zimmer. Also present were Rod Schaffer and Donna Giacometto.

No public comment was heard on the day’s agenda.

The Clerk and Recorder’s office presented claims and payroll timesheets to the board for review and authorization for payment. Claims are available for inspection by the public upon request.

The board learned earlier in the week that the borrowed garbage truck used at the landfill is in need of repair. The purchase of a garbage truck was discussed but tabled until Monday, July 2, 2018.

The application to opt in to the PILT class action lawsuit was signed by the board.

Dick Jesse, Jesse Ambulance Service, came in to visit about the county contract which subsidizes the ambulance service expires June 30, 2018. Dick would like a $5,000 increase in the contract for two years. He also relayed to the board that when his contract expires, he will not renew the contract. After discussion, Darold moved to accept the increase in the contract. Rod seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously.

Having completed all business and hearing to public comment, the board adjourned at 5:00 PM.